Chapter 9
"Who is that guy?" Charlotte tugged at Elizabeth's T-shirt.
Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder. "Do you mean that handsome man with a video camera in his hand?"
"Exactly," said the costume maker while her mouth went dry.
"George Wickham, Terry William's cameraman. We sat together all the way from the Airport to the hotel." The 1st AD's voice was suggestive.
"Single?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, oh, oh. He's looking this way," Charlotte said lustfully. "Really nice."
"I have to go." Elizabeth smiled impertinently. "William said I should receive the press and show them the way. Bah-bye."
"... and we readied a room in the hotel for the interviews. We'll start shooting in half an hour. You can watch from that lane over there and take photos during the breaks," Elizabeth told the reporters. "Make yourselves comfortable."
After seeing that their guests were all right, Elizabeth returned to her daily task of assisting the director during the filming.
"Thank you for receiving the press, Elizabeth. I hate dealing with reporters." Darcy smiled gratefully when she took her usual place by his side. "How was it?"
"Fine. They asked about the estimated release date, how the location in the jungle was, and about Charles and Caroline. I think they were expecting to hear about a romance between them."
"When they see them arguing like siblings they'll realize that that's impossible. Ann also planned a small tour around the locations we used. Do you think you'll be able to take them tomorrow? The special effects team will be here to set up the explosives and Sam and I will be quite busy with them."
"No problem."
He smiled; she was always so well disposed. "Thank you. I know that it was an additional free day for you, you don't mind going?"
"Not at all, I like it, I really like this." She saw his smile opening into a most appealing grin. "Are you giving any interviews?"
"Did they ask for one?" He frowned instantly.
Elizabeth let out a chuckle at his somewhat panicking expression. "Not directly, but I guess they are expecting one."
"Do you think you can convince them that I won't?"
She raised an impertinent eyebrow. "I think I can do that for you."
"Good girl." He grinned and raised the megaphone to his mouth. "All right, everyone, let's rehearse this one last time and we'll start shooting."
The reporters couldn't have come to cover a better scene. This was the arrival of the ship that brings Miss Victoria and Professor Stanford to Africa and where they met Mitch Farrell, the wicked, charming adventurer that would guide them across the jungle in their search of 'The Secret of The Mountain'. It was a big scene, with over 30 extras and with an incredible background that the port and the ship offered. Caroline was stunning in that white traveling dress Charlotte showed them back in England and Charles looked handsomer than ever in his explorer attire. They filmed them descending from the ship, when the characters were introduced and the first sparks happening between the main characters. Then they filmed the part where Denny, the villain, observed them from a short distance away and when he and his henchmen exchanged dangerous, evil glances and readied to follow them.
During lunch, Elizabeth hung out with the press, seeing that everything was all right with them. Darcy stayed on the set, as far away of them as possible, eating a sandwich. The actors maintained a distance, though always being careful to stay within the reach of their cameras, the way it was supposed to be.
"William." Elizabeth approached the director.
"Yes," he replied sternly while looking at the set through the camera.
Elizabeth bit her lip. He always answered this way if someone approached him when he was sitting behind the camera. He just loved it. "Terry Williams wants to talk to you, only for five minutes. He says that he arranged this with Ann de Bourgh."
Though Elizabeth didn't hear the words actually coming out of his lips, she was absolutely sure that he mouthed the words 'fuck' and 'bloody' in whatever that preceded his answer. "So, you couldn't convince this one," he replied with feigned anger.
"No." She smiled.
"All right."
"He'll tape it on video, he brought his cameraman," she informed him.
Now 'fuck', 'kill' and 'Ann' were not just mouthed, but whispered. "Fine, I'll do it. Just see that the guy from E! doesn't ask the same, will you?" He looked up at her.
"Don't worry, he is not interested in you," she replied insolently, "he's only after the actors."
"Five minutes, lassie," Darcy said playfully. "Bring them here before I change my mind."
Elizabeth went for the reporter in her best spirits. Darcy was in an excellent mood today, everything was going wonderfully and the cute cameraman was not taking his eyes off her. This was a great day indeed.
"William, here we are," she called the director, who was revising the shot with Collins.
Darcy turned around slowly to receive the reporter, smiling at something Collins said. His eyes moved from left to right, seeing his lovely assistant first, then the reporter, whose hand he shook with a 'hi Terry, nice to see you again' and then stopping at the man with the large video camera resting on his shoulder.
"Hi, Will, how have you been?"
Darcy's face petrified instantly. "George."
The cameraman extended his hand and held it in front of him, in a way that left Darcy with no other choice but to shake it (and only after hesitating for nearly thirty seconds).
"George," said Terry, "Is this place OK? I want the ship as background."
"A little to the right," replied the cameraman. "That way we'll capture the prow and a little of the jungle."
Elizabeth had never seen her boss so tense before. He replied to all that was asked of him, though sometimes he looked distracted, unfocused on what he was doing. This was so unlike him. First, she thought that it was being in front of the camera instead of behind it that was unsettling him, but then she realized that it was the man who was filming that was the cause of his uneasiness. They knew each other, it was obvious, though, at least from Darcy's part, this unexpected 'reunion' didn't seem to be a pleasant one. She was quite puzzled by this knowledge, as George never mentioned that he was acquainted with Darcy on the previous day. Something very odd was going on, because they conversed for nearly two hours on the way to the hotel.
The interview ended, Darcy shook Terry's hand and turned away from them, without saying anything to Elizabeth or to George or to anyone else. While talking to the reporters, Elizabeth stole a few glances at her boss and noticed a great change in his behavior. He was gloomy, pensive, unfocused during the filming. Then Sam came, pointing out something, Collins called him too and he almost returned to his normal self. Almost, because when she joined him, his mood had changed completely. No comments, no playful smiles, not a word that wasn't work related came out of him. Very much like it was when they first started working together.
"So, how long have you been working with Darcy?" George asked as the van took them towards the waterfall.
"Two months. But I really began to interact with him when we came to Africa, almost a month ago."
"And what do you think of him?"
"He's a great director. If this movie comes out as I think it will, it will be great."
"Yeah, sure." George half smiled.
For the next five minutes, they talked about some technical aspects of the shooting. For what Elizabeth could guess, George's expertise in filmmaking was only in VHS and his experience was only in this 'reporter's accompanist' status or covering sports events.
"Have you known William for long?" Elizabeth had to ask when the director's name was mentioned in the conversation again.
"Yes, since before college," was all he replied.
"I noticed yesterday that you two had met before."
George just smiled and turned to his boss, who happened to call him.
During that morning, Elizabeth led the tour for the reporters through different locations, telling them what they filmed in each place and a funny anecdote when Caroline found a large snake in her tent before going to sleep. By four, they were on the way back to the village.
"So, where did you meet him?" Elizabeth asked when George, again, mentioned Darcy in their chat.
"We were brothers some time ago." He chuckled when she her eyebrows arched up. "Actually step-brothers. My mother was married to his father for four years."
"Really? But he ..."
"He didn't look happy to see me?"
She didn't intend to say that, though that was exactly what she was thinking.
"Well, we were quite close at the beginning, we are the same age, but then things changed when we went to college. I think William was a little jealous that his father was so fond of me."
"Yes. I suppose that can happen."
"But that is over. They divorced and then his father died and our lives took different paths."
Before she noticed it, the van had reached his hotel. The reporters thanked her for the tour and she was ready to climb inside the vehicle when George stopped her.
"Do you want to have some coffee? There's not much we can do in this place. The man in the hotel even said it was quite dangerous for us to walk around so I thought it would be nice to invite you in for a cup of coffee." George smiled invitingly.
This was her free day after all and this man was very attractive. "Sure," she smiled too, "I'd love that. I'll tell the driver I'm staying here a little longer."
"So you are from Hertfordshire? What a coincidence. I have an aunt living in St. Albans."
"And you?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.
"Southwark, London."
"Are you working permanently for this channel?"
"No, actually I work freelance. They hired me for this trip because Terry's usual cameraman was sick."
"Oh."
"It's much better that way, I have no ties," George replied.
"But that doesn't bring you much stability."
"Don't worry, there is always a golf championship to film or a F1 race to cover. I think I spend more hours inside airplanes than on the ground."
"Traveling. Sounds exciting." Elizabeth smiled flirtatiously.
"Not when you have to do it every weekend," he replied in the same manner.
"What did you study in Cambridge?"
"I wanted to be a lawyer, but I wasn't able to finish my studies."
"Why?"
"That's a long story." George didn't look comfortable with the subject. "But I had to quit when my mother divorced James. Her pre-marital contract didn't leave us in the position to afford such an expensive university."
"And what about a scholarship? Couldn't you get one?"
"Well, I tried, but I couldn't and I had to quit."
"But what did William say when that happened? You were at the same Uni, weren't you?"
"I can only tell you that he looked very pleased when I had to leave."
"Are you saying that William had something to do with that?"
"Who knows?" He shrugged. "But let's forget about this." George snapped his fingers and called the waiter. "Do you have any plans for the evening? Why don't we dine together?"
"What time is it?" Elizabeth looked at her watch.
"Nearly seven. Is there another place we could go?"
"There is a decent restaurant one street away, though I hope we are not assaulted by beggars when we step out." She chuckled as they rose from the table after he paid the check.
"Right," he smiled, "this isn't a very prosperous country, is it?"
"We are in the Congo, after all. It's difficult to believe that in such a beautiful place there could be so much misery. The contrasts you see between the jungle and the city are very extreme."
"Where did your van go?" George looked around for her vehicle.
"Kemo said he would go to see his family not far away and that would come for me 7.30."
"Great. Let's go then."
Until their food arrived, they conversed about corruption and social politics in these African countries. Elizabeth was of the mind that their actual situation was a consequence of the European invasions of the previous centuries, how they devastated their cultures and how their resources were exploited with no regard of the impact it would have on the natives. George expressed his point of view about globalization and its consequences very cleverly and they had a very opinionated discussion of how to fix the world. With every moment Elizabeth spent by his side, she found George more and more interesting.
" ... I can't say I know him that well," Elizabeth said while eating her dessert, "I just work with him. I never heard him talking about his personal life, and frankly, I don't believe he even has one because all he thinks about is this movie."
"Yes, I heard he is very dedicated, almost obsessive with his work." George refilled her glass with wine.
"He is, I grant you."
"But this is a great experience for you. You'll learn a lot about filmmaking by working with him."
"I hope so. This is my first experience in this field and I'm liking it a lot."
"And what kind of job did you have before this one?"
"Publicity. I worked for a small marketing agency until I lost my job because of a bloody merger."
"Again, big corporations not caring about the poor workers?" He smiled when she rolled her eyes. He had been teasing her about her Labour Party inclinations during the first half of the meal. "And how did you find this job?"
"A friend told me about it. He's from Oakham Productions." She preferred not to mention names.
"John Lucas," George said pensively. "A giant in show business."
She smiled. "Do you know him?"
"Not personally. He's William's partner. I think they are financing this movie together. I heard that they had some kind of conflict with the studios and they decided to do it personally. From what I know, Miramax was going to produce this movie, but were imposing certain conditions that they were not willing to accept. I think they wanted to change the script and they even questioned Darcy directing it. They wanted someone more commercial and famous to transform this story into a bad copy of The Mummy."
Don't give away anything private about the producers, that's what Darcy said, so Elizabeth didn't reply to this comment. She wasn't very acquainted with this side of the story anyway. She wasn't sure if George was trying to obtain information about the movie, so turned the conversation onto a subject she was more willing to learn about.
"Surely William must be very rich if he is financing this project. Even with a limited budget, the expenses are enormous." She drank some more wine.
"The Darcys are more rich and powerful than you can imagine."
"Yeah, I guess so. Directors are very rich, I guess."
"Do you think that Darcy's money comes from movie making?" His reply was two astonished eyes looking at him. "He belongs to one of the richest families in the North of England. I think that they are among the 15 richest families in Britain."
"Really?" She was amazed.
"And William is not very agreeable about sharing his wealth with anyone else. He used all kinds of dirty tricks to stop me from receiving the inheritance his father left me."
Elizabeth almost choked with her wine. "What?"
"Let's not talk about that. He's your boss, it will do you no good to know this about him. I finally received what was mine -after a very intense legal battle- so there's no need to bring all those bad memories back again."
"... and we obtained this exclusive with him through Ann de Bourgh. William wasn't giving interviews at the beginning, but Terry is a very good friend of Ann and she arranged it."
"Yes, she's doing the press release of the movie. I heard she's very good."
"She's William's girlfriend, too."
"Oh." She emptied her glass of wine and shook his head when George offered to refill it. She was too lightheaded already to have a third one.
"... But how could this happen?" Elizabeth asked as they walked towards his hotel. "It's so ..."
"Lizzy, let's forget about that. We were step-brothers, he was jealous and maybe he thought he was doing the right thing. I received my money in the end so I can't complain."
"I never imagined him capable of that, he doesn't seem to be that kind of person. But as I told you, I know him only from work."
"People can act very different in their personal lives."
"Yes, I know." She chuckled. "I had a boss once, he was a great guy, really a good professional. One day we saw him run out of the office unexpectedly and we learned later that the police were coming for him because he had beaten his wife on the previous night and sent her to the hospital. She pressed charges and they were coming to arrest him. That was really unexpected because he looked like a good man."
George smiled. "And sometimes, money can make people do some very extreme things. William is a very selfish person, he only cares about his own interests, regardless of who he might be affecting." They reached the hotel and George saw the van that would take Elizabeth to Netherfield parked across the street. "There's your lift. I think it's good night then."
She glanced over her shoulder. "I think it is."
"Listen," George stepped closer and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I had a great time here, with you. I would like to see you again when you are back in England. Do you mind if I call you?"
Elizabeth felt sweat moistening the back of her knees. "That would be great."
"Great." He grinned. "Though I suppose I'll have to wait until you are come back from Canada."
She turned serious. "They didn't confirm if I'm going or not yet. Maybe the local studio will provide the crew."
George muttered a curse.
"What?" She asked.
"No, nothing." He shook his head. "Money again, isn't it? It's cheaper if they hire someone from there."
"I guess it is." She shrugged.
"But you are the 1st AD and you are in charge of continuity too. Surely you are going too."
"Yes, I suppose, though I'm not sure." Elizabeth pursed her lips.
"It would be a pity if he leaves you behind; you like this job so much. And you are doing it very well, from what I see." Now George's hand cupped her cheek.
"Thank you." Her heart started racing.
"I sincerely hope that he doesn't disappoint you. But if I know William as well as I think I do, he will. " George brushed her jaw with his thumb and leaned down to kiss her other cheek, so very close to the corner of her mouth. "Good night, Lizzy. I'll see you when you are back in England."
"Good night, George." She turned and walked towards the van in some kind of a daze. She glanced back at the hotel when she climbed in and saw George standing there, looking that she was safely inside. He waved his hand in farewell and she waved back.
Her heart fluttered all the way back to Netherfield.
"Hi everyone!" Elizabeth sang when she entered Netherfield's living room.
Some members of the crew were there, Charlotte and Jane were playing dice and waved her to come closer.
"Hey, where have you been?" cried Charlotte.
Elizabeth let her body rest on the armchair next to them. "I had this wonderful dinner with this wonderful cameraman."
"You," Charlotte said severely, "are not moving from that chair until you tell me everything."
Elizabeth smiled dreamily. "What do you want to know? How absolutely adorable, smart and well informed he is? How he behaved like the perfect gentleman? Or maybe you want to know that he said he would like to see me when I'm back in England."
Jane and Charlotte exchanged amused glances. "Really?" asked Jane.
Her friend nodded happily.
At that moment, having heard Elizabeth's voice, Darcy emerged from the room he was using as his office when in Netherfield. He was relieved that she was safely back, though slightly angry that she had arrived so late without informing anyone. He observed the three girls chatting and giggling and guessed that Elizabeth was probably telling them about the reporters she had been with. As much as he didn't approve that she had stayed out for so long, it was her free day and he couldn't impose on her what to do with her time.
Elizabeth turned her head when she heard the study's door slamming. "Was that William?"
"Yes, he was quite worried that you weren't back. Sam even called the hotel asking if you were still there. They told him you were having coffee with one of the reporters."
"But I wasn't." She smiled knowingly. "I was with a cameraman."
Chapter 10
Three important scenes were scheduled in their last week in Mukenya. The departure of the ship, taking Miss Stanford back to England, the final escape and the mountain collapsing.
They started on the docks, shooting the last scene of the movie: a very dramatic farewell between the main characters. Darcy was very serious that morning and barely spoke to his assistant during the entire day, mainly because he was still rather angry -and, why not, jealous,- for her late arrival on the previous day without informing anyone. Elizabeth didn't care much about his behavior, thinking he probably was upset for that same reason, but as he wasn't saying anything and she was not going to bring up the subject either. This attitude only aroused her independent side as that was her free day and Darcy wasn't her father (and, being raised with no father at all, she wasn't willing to adopt one now). They worked together all day long ignoring each other while trying to look unmoved by the other's indifference. Such an obstinate display of pride and stubbornness didn't pass unnoticed to the others and their behavior provoked diverted winks and sly comments among the members of the crew.
Shooting ended by six and they were putting everything away when Darcy took his leave. Elizabeth was heading towards the lorry when she crossed him on the way to his jeep.
"Elizabeth," he said in his usual director manner, "try to inform us when you are staying in the village for longer than scheduled. This is a dangerous country and they kill people like you for less than a few coins." He had been holding this back all day long and he knew that he wouldn't rest until saying it.
He was so right, but his tone and her pride wouldn't let her admit it. "Yes, sure." She replied petulantly.
Darcy looked at her for a moment and his manners softened. "We were worried, really."
Her lips curled up. "I know, I'm sorry."
He smiled. "No problem. Can I give you a lift on my jeep?"
"No thanks, I'll help the guys to put away the stuff."
"All right, I'll see you at Netherfield."
In these last days in Africa, Elizabeth was able to see her boss with different eyes. No matter how much she tried not to be affected by George's words, her image of Darcy, as a man, was crumbling. She didn't want to believe what George said, but all she could think about was: why not? Why would George lie? Darcy was visibly bothered when George showed up and George was calm and composed, confident, like someone that had nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, Darcy was probably still resentful for having to pay what legally and morally belonged to George. To contribute more to her animosity against her boss, her inclusion in the Canadian crew wasn't confirmed yet (but then again, no other member had been confirmed either) and she was beginning to suspect that her continuity in this job was at sake. Only an e-mail she received from George brought her some comfort, telling her how nice the weather was getting in England or the excellent time he had had while covering an F2 race in Spain. Before she could help it, her stay in Mukenya was coming to an end.
This was the last scene they would shoot in this location. After blowing the mountain, Farrell, wounded and in pain, barely escapes from the avalanche of rocks and dirt and joins his beloved Victoria in the meadow.
"Jane," Elizabeth flinched when her friend stood by her side before they started filming. "That looks so real."
"Thank you," Jane smiled proudly. "I tried not to spread too much blood on him or he would stain Caroline for the final scene."
"All right, everyone! Let's do this now!" called the director.
Camera and sound started rolling and they filmed the part when Caroline awaited anxiously, when she saw Charles and when she ran to meet him. Then came Charles' part. The actor descended from a small mound of rocks where some dirt was being spread with fans and then stumbled towards his co-star. He was limping, holding his arm and apparently in pain. He was about to reach her, but he fell on his knees when he was only two steps away from her. Caroline joined him on the ground and she embraced him, trying to hold him up. With eyes full of love and pain, Charles rested his head on her shoulder while she comforted him.
After a passionate kiss, Darcy cut the scene and the African location was over. The equipment was packed and everyone headed towards Netherfield. Just the farewell party that night and they were ready to return home.
Charles looked at himself in the mirror and combed his hair back. He was leaving for home tomorrow, early in the morning, with no confirmation if Jane was coming to Canada too. Blasted Darcy and his reserve. In only ten day's time they would be shooting the part of the movie that happened within the mountain in a huge studio in Vancouver, where, he heard, a fabulous set was being built. He already had two interviews scheduled on his return to L.A. and in a week he should be departing for Canada to rehearse some scenes that demanded special preparation and acrobatic movements. There was so much he wanted to do and so little time to achieve it.
He had reached a turning point with Jane. His feelings for her were stronger than he ever imagined they would be and he knew that he cared for her more than he had ever cared for another woman before. She was absolutely the most wonderful woman he had ever met. She was sensible, pure, lovely, decent, all that he wanted, all that he expected in a woman. It was so difficult to explain how he felt about her. It was a rare combination of tenderness, lust, desire, and comfort. With her, he felt safe and vulnerable, happy, cared for.
But now once he had acknowledged his sentiments, he was completely unaware of hers. Initially, Jane was uncomfortable with his flirting, but when his attitude changed into friendship, hers changed too. She accepted him, as a friend. Now, what were her true feelings for him? Could he ever win her heart? She cared for him, but love?
The only thing he was sure of was that he had worked very hard to reach this point and he would not ruin everything with an imprudent move. He wanted her, now, but with his departure scheduled for the following day, today's party was not the most appropriate moment to start anything. In one week's time they would meet again and if not, he would call her and start all over again, from the beginning. With him in Hollywood and being an ocean apart, starting something reasonably serious would surely be more difficult, he knew his lifestyle could stand between them, but he was willing to try.
He hoped so.
Girls' bedrooms before a party are always a mess. This one was no exception. Three girls were running around in their underwear, arguing over the use of the bathroom and spreading all their clothes over the bed too see what they could wear for the party. Truly a mess.
"Can I come in?" Luis' voice came from the other side of their door.
For a second, the girls hesitated, considering if they should put something on in front of Luis. They decided that wasn't necessary.
"Who do I start on first?" he asked, not at all caring about seeing them in their underwear.
The girls exchanged glances and Charlotte announced. "Jane. She does her own make up."
"I don't know why we are having so much trouble dressing for this wrap party. They are the same guys we have lived with for a month!" cried Elizabeth.
"Parties are parties, Lizzy," said Luis. "The guys will probably get drunk and you will be able to see their true selves coming out. I'm sure that more than one couple will be formed tonight." He finished with a suggestive glance Charlotte's way. Collins had been quite persistent with her lately.
"Poor Billy," Charlotte smiled tenderly, "he isn't that bad after all, if only he didn't scratch his balls every five minutes, he would be almost nice."
The other three in the room looked at each other in amusement. Was Charlotte, the inflexible iron woman, the one who said that she would 'never' like Billy Collins finally surrendering to the cameraman's charms? That was something they would all like to see.
"What are you wearing?" Luis asked Jane as he started brushing her hair.
"That pink blouse and black trousers."
After a quick glance at her blouse, Luis decided which hairstyle would be the more appropriate. He decided that a simple style with loose hair would be the best. Only a few twists on the temples to secure her beautiful blonde hair out of her face and she was ready.
"Now, Lizzy, what are we doing with you?"
"I was thinking of this white blouse and this skirt, what do you think?" She showed Luis the intended outfit.
"No way. You are not hiding those breasts under that loose blouse. And pants. You must show off your ass." Charlotte walked to her bed. "Here, try this on."
Elizabeth looked at the tiny little T-shirt her friend was offering her. "This?"
"Yes, that one." Replied Luis, Jane and Charlotte in unison.
She shrugged and tried it on. It was tight and the neckline was quite ample. An appreciative nod from all her work mates convinced her and she gave herself into Luis' capable hands, who finished her 'look' with a lovely hairstyle.
"Did you see how the cave set was progressing?" Darcy asked his partner while walking around his room with the wireless pressed to his ear.
"Sam sent me some pictures. It looks incredible," replied Sir John Lucas. "I've also seen some of the rushes you sent of the African scenes and they really look fantastic. I can't wait until this is edited. This one is really coming out nicely."
"Thank you, John. We all worked very hard for this. I can't believe we finished this part within the schedule."
"You certainly did. Sam told me the same yesterday. He's very proud of what the crew did during this month. I think that everyone deserves an additional bonus!" John laughed.
"Can we afford it?" Darcy said smilingly.
"Now that the distribution is assured and that we have the press on our side, I think we can. Should I include the rookies? Any special recommendations?"
Though there were five people in this crew with whom he had never worked before, Darcy sensed that this was a subtle inquiry about his protegee. He decided that a subtle reply would be appropriate. "They 'all' worked hard for this, but I'll review this matter with Sam before sending you the list." There was a pause on the other side of the line, as if Lucas were considering what to say -or ask-, so the director decided to change the subject towards something he was interested in knowing about. "Tell me about what the reporters said."
"Ann told me that they were all very pleased with what they saw and there will be a few comments in different channels. But she prefers to use the heavy artillery on the final release."
"I'm sure she does." Ann was an ace in this.
"Will, you didn't confirm yet who you are taking to Canada with you. Miramax assured us the local technicians, but I must know if the assisting crew is going too so I can ready their contracts for this phase."
Darcy served himself a scotch. This was a decision he had to make soon. "We'll talk about that when I'm back in England. Collins is doing a fantastic job here and the hairstylist must go too, he's Caroline personal assistant. But I must think about the rest. Maybe we can place some of them in other productions so we don't leave them unemployed so unexpectedly."
"Sure, I have a couple of productions where I can place some of them. You send me the list and I'll take care of them."
'Yeah, I'm sure you would, especially Elizabeth' Darcy thought. In only one second he was regretting it. John was his partner and friend and he should stop judging him and her because of this. "All right, I would appreciate that."
"Don't worry, Will, they all know how this works and that they were only hired for the African location."
"I know, but that doesn't mean that they don't need this job. I always help them find new ones when I can't assure them continuity in a production. Just give me some more time to decide."
"All right. Kurt has the Canadian staff already lined up in case you decide not to take yours."
"OK. See you in two days."
"Bye."
Darcy hung the phone and went to the window. He looked at the perfect sunset happening in front of his eyes while drinking his scotch. He couldn't go on like this, he had to take her out of his mind. To make things even worse, the guys decided to organize this wrap party as a way to say farewell to this hard month of work. He wasn't against parties, but he just wasn't in the mood to be a part of this one.
He emptied his glass and drank a second one before joining his crew at the bloody wrap party. This was going to be a long night.
"You were right, Jane," said Charlotte, "Tommy is cute when he takes a bath."
"Charlotte!" Elizabeth slapped her friend's arm. "He'll hear you!"
Tommy looked at them with a frown and Charlotte stuck out her tongue at him. There was no way that they would get along.
Elizabeth frowned as she scanned the tray with appetizers. Nothing seemed to please her. She bent to look closely, wrinkled her nose and finally chose a gherkin. She took a bite and left the half-eaten one back on the tray. "Huh, this is horrible."
Charlotte joined her in her critique of the food while picking a glass with wine. "I hate to drink with an empty stomach. I can't believe the caterer readied this shit for the party."
"I think he had no choice. He couldn't find much in the village so he went to the city. He said that this was the best he could find." replied Elizabeth.
"The white wine isn't bad," said Jane after tasting it, "I like it."
For the following five minutes, the girls did the typical girly thing when arriving at a party. Their eyes tracked the room, looking at what the others were doing. Glances and smiles were exchanged with their work mates, but they still stood apart, commenting (and critiquing) on what the others were doing, dressing, eating or saying.
"Oh, my," said Charlotte when someone at the stairs called her attention, "there's Charles."
All three girls turned to observe the actor's glorious descent. Dressed informally in jeans and a white T-shirt, Charles was still the handsomest man on earth. He smiled at them and Charlotte made a very naughty comment about the actor's 'aptitudes', extracting a loud laugh from Elizabeth and producing a slight blush on Jane's cheeks. A waiter served them some champagne and exchanged their drinks for the sparkly beverage while their eyes perused the room. After the second round of champagne, the party began to warm up.
Elizabeth saw Darcy on the other end of the room, alone, standing near a window. He caught her eye and they exchanged distant pleasantries: She smiled, he nodded. Too sternly for Elizabeth's taste. This was a party and the man should learn how to have fun. Darcy was looking super, she thought, though, in her opinion, George was handsomer. Yes, nicer and not so serious. Though Darcy was taller and his shoulders broader. Well, maybe Darcy's eyes were nicer, and his mouth -she really liked his mouth, very sexy- though George was still handsomer, cuter to be exact, maybe because his expression wasn't so severe. She always found Darcy's expression severe, except when he smiled. He was really, really handsome when he smiled. Hot to be honest, though George was still handsomer. Yes, George was cuter. She took a new glass of champagne decided to forget about him and enjoy the evening.
Not much later, Caroline joined the party, descending the stairs in this 'I'm-here-look-at-me' diva fashion. She was stunning, as always, without being overdressed for the occasion. Beige linen trousers and a white silk blouse were enough to capture everyone's attention. Linen trousers, silk blouse and no bra, that was enough to catch anyone's attention, or at least that of every straight man in the room. As soon she showed up, all eyes were directed to the most perfect pair of breasts that anyone had seen in their lives. Some of the guys made a few (unchaste) comments about them, and some dared to laugh. The actress joined her mates and served herself a drink. The party was just starting.
With only three women in the crew and an (inaccessible) top model -now actress- available as dance partners, the men had no other choice than to find their own amusement during the party. After a few drinks, all inhibitions were lost and most of them found a way to entertain themselves. They convinced Jeff to break dance on a table, they organized a karaoke contest -all awful performances, except for Luis who was a great Freddy Mercury impersonator- and by midnight, everyone had introduced enough alcohol into their bodies as to make them inapt for driving. No one was driving that night so they just continued to drink.
It didn't take much time before Charles got rid of his co-star and, glass of bourbon in his hand, singled out the lovely make up artist. They stood near a window, chatting about thousands of things, their childhood, the weather, the party, everything. The actor was very solicitous with her, always seeing that she was well fed and well served. He always checked that her glass of wine was full and he was very careful that his was too (actually, he refilled hers three times and his four). At this rate, they would be declared drunk in only a very short time.
The end of the karaoke made the guys look for a new way to divert themselves. Dancing was still out of the question (laughing while someone else played ridiculous would be a lot more fun) so Tommy decided to tease Collins over his weak point: Charlotte, alias the frigid cow or the horny bitch, depending of her mood of the day.
"Charlotte is looking very pretty tonight, isn't she?" said the electrician.
The cameraman was looking at the object of his dreams with 'killing eyes'. "Yeah."
"And she seems very entertained with Johnny." Phil added.
Collins sipped his drink and wiped his mouth of the back of his hand. "Yeah."
"I think you should go and ask her to dance before that jerk does." Tommy pushed him a little more. No one was dancing so it would be great fun to have something to laugh at.
This was all the encouragement that Collins needed. He drank his whatever it was in one shot and headed towards Charlotte, who was chatting (and flirting) with one of the grips.
"Charlotte," Billy poked her shoulder with his finger, asking her quite rudely. "Do you want to dance?"
Charlotte turned around and looked at him from head to toe. "With you?" She laughed contemptuously. "Are you joking? I'm not dancing with you even if you were the last man on earth, Billy, you stink. Excuse me, I have to throw up." Saying that, Charlotte walked towards the toilet, leaving a pouting Collins to lick his wounds in front of a bunch of guys laughing at him.
"Did you see that?" cried Elizabeth, who was standing with Luis and Andrew. "I can't believe she said that to him!"
"Poor Billy," said Luis, "he has a crush on Charlotte. She denigrates him constantly and he worships her even more with every insult."
"I am going to fix this." Elizabeth finished her drink in one gulp. She and Billy had been working arm in arm for a month, she was quite fond of him -when he didn't belch- and she would never allow anyone to do him any harm. "I'll make Charlotte realize that she is in love with Collins."
"What are you going to do?" Andrew chuckled.
"You'll see." With five (large) glasses of champagne inside her system, Elizabeth was capable of anything. She walked towards Collins and held his hand, dragging him towards the center of the room. "Come here, Billy, let's show her how this is done. Let's dance." The cameraman's pout vanished. "Hey Fox!" She called one of the guys from sound who, obviously, was doing the sound tonight. "Play something so Billy and I can shake our bones here!"
"What about Lambada?" Fox replied.
Billy nodded enthusiastically. Elizabeth's eyes widened and started to laugh hysterically. Lambada, the forbidden dance, she recalled dancing this once at school. She was even drunker than she was now. The music started, Collins put his arm around her waist and started to lead the dance.
Everyone in the salon turned to watch them. In spite of being slightly fat, Collins was a fantastic dancer and an even better dance partner. In the first chords, he showed Elizabeth how to sway her body with the music and when she was confident enough the real thing began. Sensuously, the top members of the behind the camera unit danced in the center of the room, mesmerizing their audience at the rhythm of Brazilian music and catcalls.
The only one that didn't look pleased with what she was seeing was Charlotte Long. Billy -her Billy-, the man that had followed her like a lost puppy for ages, the man that had said the stupidest things to get her attention -and never obtained it-, was dancing with another woman. No, he was not only dancing, he was dancing Lambada with another woman.
The dance ended, Collins lifted his hand so Elizabeth would give a turn under it and bowed to kiss her hand. With the corner of his eye, he saw Charlotte running towards the terrace.
"Go for her, Billy!" Elizabeth cried. "This is your last chance!"
Billy ran after his beloved while a chorus of 'woohoos' echoed in the room. Elizabeth, now hyperventilated, waved at her work mates, inviting them to join her on the dance floor. In only a few moments, cast and crew were dancing frantically and only the director stood apart, observing how the others had fun, brooding over his third glass of orange juice with vodka. (Actually, it was rum, they had run out of vodka half an hour ago, but he was reaching the point where it was becoming difficult to recognize one from the other.) His contemplative (and broody) attitude didn't last long as his assistant soon grabbed his hand and dragged him into the dance floor.
Breathless and laughing after dancing for a while, Charles took Jane's hand and led her off the dance floor towards the stairs. He grabbed a bottle of champagne on the way.
"I can't believe Elizabeth convinced Darce to dance, this is something that should be registered for the record." He served two champagnes and gave Jane one.
"Look!" Jane giggled and sipped her drink, "he's so tense!"
Charles drank his champagne in two long gulps and smiled at Jane before refilling his glass. He was so drunk. "Do you know something? This is absolutely the best film I ever worked in. I'm serious!" he cried when she started giggling again. "Everyone is fantastic, I ..."
"I know what you're trying to do," said Jane, trying to maintain her equilibrium while poking his chest with her forefinger. "I've always known."
"What?" he snorted.
"You want to take me to the sack." The words rolled clumsily out of her mouth. She was as pissed as he was.
Charles eyebrows shot up and he was a little unstable when he replied. "It's true." He sounded more like 'chrew', but Jane understood him anyway.
"I knew it!" She gasped. "You ... you ... scumbag!"
"I was, I am. From the beginning. Always," giggled the actor. Jane started laughing so hard that she fell on him.
With an evident difficulty to mouth certain letters ('r', 'l' and 's' especially) Jane continued. "And you are trying to get me drunk tonight so you can take me to your room for a shag. And do you know what?"
"What?" Charles chuckled as he hugged her waist to hold her standing up.
"I don't care!" Jane leaned her body against his. Drunk as he was, Charles lost his balance and stepped back, running into the stairs, landing on his bottom with Jane on top of him. "I don't care any more," she repeated, pouting. "Because I want you. I really, really want you. You," her finger poked his cheek with every sentence, "you are gorgeous, you are fabulous, you are mangi ... mangiff ... mangiffffisssent, you are ... I ... I don't remember anymore, but I'm crazy for you and no matter if you are baking ... brrrrrraking my heart or not, I'm still crazy for you. Yes. Yes, I am. Really. I am."
The alcohol level in Charles's blood wasn't allowing him much discernment. All he recalled at this point was that he loved her and he wanted to take her to bed. To be honest, only that he wanted to take her to bed. All that trust and friendship and respect crap was lost in that ethyl fog his brain was immersed in. "Let's burn the sheets, baby," he stood and helped her up. "Let's ssssssssstart the fireworks."
"Yeah, let's ssstart them." Her legs were like jelly.
Trying to find support in each other, they stumbled up the stairs towards Charles' room. They managed to reach it without major accidents, though the vase in the corridor would certainly be missed by its owner. Hopefully it wasn't an expensive piece. They undressed each other and fell over the bed with a loud thud.
They weren't in very good shape for preliminaries so in less than a minute they were making love like two animals in heat.
"I love you, Jane, I love you so much." Sweaty and breathless, in his only moment of consciousness since he climbed the stairs, Charles held her in his arms. He only hoped he remembered this in the morning.
"I love you too." Replied a shaky Jane, but before she could finish the sentence, the actor was already asleep ... and snoring.
"Charlotte?" Billy Collins stepped out to the terrace.
She didn't turn around at the sound of his voice.
"Charlie, what are you doing here?" He approached her.
"What do you want Billy?" Charlotte growled.
"Why did you run away?" He asked sweetly.
"Go and have fun with your Lizzy. You were having a very good time with her a while ago."
Billy stood behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Charlie, it was only a dance, you know she means nothing to me ... you know that ..."
"What?" she turned around with tears running down her cheeks. She was slightly inebriated and making this something bigger than it really was.
"Charlie," Collins held her face in his hands. "I love you, don't you realize it? I've always loved you ..."
"But Lambada, Billy? Lambada? With Lizzy?"
Billy made his best innocent face. He was drunk too, but very conscious of what he was doing and saying. "She asked me to dance, Charlie. It was she who asked!"
"Do you really love me?" Charlotte asked between sniffs and chuckles.
"I do, Charlie," Billy began to shower her salty cheeks with kisses. "I love you so very much. You are the best, you ..."
The only sounds that could be heard from then on were the moans and groans and sighs of their mouths kissing and the rustles of their clothes as they moved wildly against each other. Charlotte was pressed against the wall and she curled her limbs around him.
"Let's get out of here, Billy," Charlotte breathed lustfully.
After such an invitation, Collins' mind was set into finding a place where they could make love without being interrupted. He shared his tent with three guys and Charlotte her room with two girls. Where? Wasn't there a fucking room in this mansion where they could hide?
"There's a small room behind the kitchen, where they store all the cleaning stuff. It's clean." Billy suggested breathlessly while kissing her neck.
"Do you have any condoms with you?" Charlotte asked him.
"Yes, five, here in my pocket, do you think it's enough?" He kissed her again.
What was Collins doing with five condoms in his pocket at a party where he had no chance to pick up a girl would remain a mystery. Charlotte nodded and kissed him roughly one last time. The couple escaped towards the garden and ran around the house to enter through the kitchen door. When no one could see them, they rushed the store-room and they made love against the shelves, surrounded by brushes, chlorine and wax cans.
Darcy had never been fond of parties and he was having very little expectations about this one. To begin with, the attendants were his employees, his crew, thirty men that had been away from civilization, girlfriends and family for a full month. Just like him. He knew them well enough from other productions to know what they were capable of with only a little liquor inside their bodies, so he wasn't very optimistic about tonight's behavior. They could act like a horde of uncivilized Huns. He finished his scotch and descended the stairs to join the party.
For the first half an hour, Darcy did what he always did at this kind of assembly. He walked around the room, with a slight frown wrinkling his forehead, observing what the others were doing. They were still in a 'breaking the ice' attitude although some of them were already 'warming up' after some drinks. It was funny, because some of the guys were very careful in their appearance (Tommy even took a bath) when there was very little chance (he hoped) that they would end this evening in feminine company. Some 'hi, how are yous' were exchanged -that sounded completely ridiculous to his ears because he had seen them only three hours ago- and he found a nice window where to stand while having something to drink.
Always scanning the room, he sipped his glass of white wine and frowned when he realized it was warm. He only drank half of it and replaced it with red wine. The cheapest wine he had ever tried. This was going to be a long, long night.
The evening progressed in that fashion for another half an hour. As a formality, some of the (top) members of the crew approached Darcy to chat for a while, but when they realized he was in no mood for conversation, they walked away to join the groups that were more cheerful. So the director stayed there, alone, continuing his vigilance of the room for self-educational purposes. Darcy liked to watch people's behavior in different environments as a sort of training for his directing profession. Observing others attitudes and reactions always helped him to resolve certain situations when filming so he never missed the chance to observe people whenever he could. Subtle changes were happening in his crew. Laughs were getting louder and some of them were dropping those boring football comments for more interesting subjects. Obscenities, probably, their faces betrayed them. As he had expected, they were getting drunk. Bloody hell, how long would this bloody party last?
He was about to give up hope of having something interesting to look at when he saw the girls making their triumphal descent. Of course, the guy's attitude changed when the feminine branch of the crew arrived. Obscene comments were now whispered instead of voiced aloud and some lustful glances were thrown at these girls that the guys had ignored for sexual purposes for the past month (except for Collins, the only one that always made obvious his intentions towards Charlotte). Jane and Charlotte came first, and Elizabeth behind. His eyes followed her all the time as she walked around the room, showing off that nice ass of hers while receiving the guy's compliments on her appearance. And he just wanted to kill the each one of the bloody bastards for looking at her butt.
The director then observed how the girls did what all girls usually do when they arrive to a party. They stood together, strategically placed where they would call the men's attention, close to the food and drink, scrutinizing their targets and (surely) criticizing everything that crossed their line of sight. They frowned at the appetizers -he smiled when he caught Elizabeth biting a gherkin and leaving it back half-eaten on the tray-, when they giggled at Tommy's miraculously clean hair and when they drooled over Charles when he made his entrance. Typical female responses.
Darcy took his time in admiring his assistant's figure. He wasn't sure if it was the make up, her hairstyle or her clothes but she looked so damn sexy tonight. Cute butt indeed, especially enfolded by those trousers. She never wore trousers so tight on the set. Her eyes met his and she acknowledged his presence with a smile. He replied raising his (second) glass of wine and nodding sternly. Gosh, her breasts looked fucking amazing in that top, he thought while finishing his wine. How was it that he had not noticed them before?
Five minutes later, Darcy decided that he had had enough of passive contemplation and that he needed a little action. Basically, he needed a distraction from his assistant's boobs. He started to walk around the room again. His glass was empty and he left it on the tray, replacing it with the one a waiter was offering. It seemed like orange juice. Vodka with orange juice, actually, but it tasted good.
In his second tour Caroline decided to show up at the party. She was looking stunning. All the men's eyes (and Darcy's, obviously) were directed to her breasts that, tonight, had been left free from bras or any other kind of support. Not that they would need any, but her white silk blouse made this 'attribute' all the more noticeable. As soon as she descended the stairs, she joined him on his tour, but left when she realized that he wasn't paying her much attention (and that he was drinking too much).
By now, some of the guys were a little 'tipsy' and organizing stuff to make a spectacle of themselves in front of the rest. At least, Darcy thought, he was above this bunch of fools. He could hold his drink.
Someone suggested dancing and Darcy let out a curse when he saw that Fox brought that bloody rap music he liked to listen to. Some idiot convinced Jeff to climb on the table and the jerk tried break dancing. Now Darcy was hoping that the bloody idiot wouldn't fall from the bloody table and break his bloody neck because his insurance wouldn't cover it. When that was over -Christ, wasn't it even midnight yet?-, another idiot suggested a karaoke contest. Blast. Didn't these guys know the meaning of the word dignity? It seemed they didn't. Tommy, awful; Charlotte, pitiable; Luis, it was funny actually, he looked very much like Freddy Mercury in that 'I want to break free' video. Collins, (place vomit icon here); Elizabeth ... hmmm, could be worse, in fact, not that bad, and her breasts looked very nice in that top.
Sometime during the blasted karaoke, Charles -glass in hand- chose to stand next to him (Caroline was there too but he didn't notice her presence), pretending he was observing the show while not taking his eyes from Jane, making some very silly comments (as a way to disguise his real intentions) about the party that Darcy didn't care to reply. The director's mood was going down the hill at the same speed the level of alcohol in his blood was going up. Fucking quickly. When would Charles learn to think with his brain instead of his dick? And Jane was glancing back in their direction occasionally, clear indication that she was drunk and finally succumbing to the actor's charms. He couldn't blame her, many others had before her. Hundreds. Charles had broken enough hearts (among other things) and was on the way to break Jane's. Frowning, he observed how the actor singled her out and started with his suave talk and solicitous refilling of her glass of wine. Darcy finished his drink and grabbed a new one.
When the karaoke was over, the guys decided that they didn't embarrass themselves enough for the night and started provoking Collins, who was staring with murdering eyes at Charlotte, who was openly flirting with ... what was his name? Oh yes, Johnny, the grip. Due to the 'orange juice' he was drinking, Darcy was already having certain difficulty to set faces and names together so recognizing this one took him more time than usual. Collins headed towards his target, Charlotte turned him down with a very offensive speech and she departed to the loo while his cameraman remained there, standing like an idiot for everyone to laugh at him. Darcy wondered why women were so unnecessarily mean sometimes. She could have refused him in a more polite way. That would surely be a blow for Collins' ego ... was that Elizabeth asking him to dance? He chuckled. She was really something. She was probably drunk to do something like this, but he really admired her gesture. So kind of her, helping Collins to overcome his embarrassment asking him to dance with her. Wait a minute, did Fox say Lambada? Elizabeth was going to dance Lambada with Collins? Oh, Christ, she was. He sipped his drink and observed how his assistant moved sensuously at the rhythm of Brazilian music and catcalls. If Collins moved the hand that was holding the small of her back only one inch down, he was a dead man.
"Elizabeth is a pretty good dancer, isn't she?" Some idiot told him. Darcy wasn't sure of who he was, he was kind of blurry and he couldn't recognize the voice. "And Collins is leading her nicely."
The director replied with a growl. He needed another drink. Where was the fucking waiter? One instant later, a glass with orange juice materialized miraculously in his hand. Vodka and orange juice, what a great combination it was, he thought with his judgment faculties quite altered by the amount of alcohol he was introducing in his system. They had run out of vodka half an hour ago and he was drinking rum with orange juice, but there was not way he could tell the difference at this point. He hoped that there were anti-acids somewhere because he would need tons of it in the morning. Another sip and he saw Charlotte coming out from the bathroom and freezing at the sight of the dancers. So she didn't like what she was seeing? Frigid cow. She deserved this for turning fucking Collins down so rudely.
The dance ended, everyone clapped and cheered, and Elizabeth harangued everyone onto the dance floor. Charles rushed to dance with Jane (how helpful, was Darcy's first thought, he handed her another glass of wine on the way) and everyone in the room, except for Darcy -obviously- were dancing like maniacs now. Even Caroline. Again, the director considered that it was very nice of Elizabeth, cheering up the party's mood like that. He nursed his drink and ... oh bloody hell, she was coming over to him. He needed to get out of there before it was too late. Before his legs could respond to his mind's command (which was quite slow due to the alcohol), his assistant's firm grip dragged him into the dance floor. Fuck.
Darcy's luck couldn't be worst, in his opinion, as the next song they played was 'Macarena' and everyone started performing this stupid choreography he didn't know.
"Great party, isn't it?" Elizabeth asked while extending her arms in front of her and then crossing them, making some 'wave' movements.
"What?" He couldn't hear, the music was too loud.
She turned around, banged her hips with Tommy and returned. "I said it's a great party!"
Darcy didn't have a clue of what she said but he supposed it had something to do with the party, so he just nodded.
"You looked so bored standing there!" she yelled.
Again, he nodded, not sure of what she was saying.
They danced for a while -in fact, Elizabeth was dancing because he was only shifting his weight from one leg to another with the rhythm of the music- and she said, "You don't like to dance, do you?"
"What?" Darcy bent to hear her better.
Elizabeth moved forward to speak closer to his ear. "You don't like to dance!"
He couldn't believe that she was expecting to have a conversation with the music so loud. "It's too noisy, I can't hear you!"
His assistant shrugged and continued to shake her body while Darcy's eyes tried to avoid staring at her breasts as they moved along with her. He couldn't believe he was still on the dance floor.
"I learned you have a step-brother," she said.
Darcy understood something about her mother. "Yes, you'll see her soon."
She didn't get his answer so she continued. "Pity you didn't get along, he's very nice."
He frowned. A long what?
"It's sad when a family is divided by such frivolous matters."
Was she talking about her family or his? Just in case, he nodded.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Was he sloshed?
He was about to tell her something about their departure on the following day when someone bumped into him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Charles -completely stoned- dragging Jane off the dance floor. Thank God there were no reporters there. The couple headed towards the stairs and the director didn't like what he saw. Charles, with a bottle of champagne in his hand, fell back with Jane on top of him.
Darcy realized that he was standing still in the middle of a dance floor so he returned his attention to his assistant, who had left him to dance with Tommy while he was distracted staring disapprovingly at Charles and Jane. When the electrician saw Darcy's fulminating glare on him, he informed Elizabeth that her previous dance partner was claiming her back. Rolling her eyes again, she returned to him.
"When is the Canadian location starting?"
The dancers were already leaving the dance floor so this time the director heard her clearly. This was not a subject he was willing to discuss. "In ten days."
"Is Sam already there?"
"Yes." He replied and gestured to her that he was leaving too. Elizabeth followed him.
"Is the set ready?"
"Almost." He said as he walked away.
Elizabeth realized that he was avoiding the subject, but she wasn't ready to drop it. When she passed near the table, she took a glass of what she thought was Coke. It wasn't just Coke, it had something else that she couldn't tell exactly what it was. Whiskey maybe. "Are you going directly to Canada?"
Darcy wasn't very fond of expanding himself about his schedule so his tone was as severe as he could muster. "No, I'll see my family for a few days and then I'm leaving."
'Such as your step-brother?' She thought. "Your family."
"Yes, my sister. I want to check on her."
The room was beginning to spin around Elizabeth's head but she couldn't stop her mouth from saying. "I thought you were going to see your brother."
"I have no brother." Darcy growled. The room was spinning around him too.
"That's not what I heard." She replied with a challenging smile.
By the way his assistant was blinking her eyes (excessively slowly) he guessed that she was probably drunk (like him) so he tolerated the interrogatory. "I fear you've been misinformed. George is not my brother."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said mockingly, "you are step-brothers."
"Fortunately that condition changed some years ago. Now, if you excuse me, I must go."
Elizabeth stuck out her tongue at his back and Darcy cursed all the way up the stairs. He needed another drink.
By the time the party ended, some of the guys were lying unconscious in several rooms of the mansion, Darcy passed out, fully dressed, on his bed, Elizabeth fell asleep on the bathroom's floor after vomiting everything she drank, Jane was curled around Charles' body, Collins and Charlotte were using a mop as pillow and Luis ... found himself in Hurst's bed.