Worst Impressions

Chapter Sixty

Dad's disapproval of Will played on my mind all the way back to Jenny's room.

I'd missed my chance to ask him if there was anything between us at all. We'd not had the time to discuss official terms for whatever our budding affection was. I didn't believe that I'd gained a boyfriend, not when Will hadn't made a point of stating as much. Besides, I wasn't sure that a boyfriend would willingly abandon his girlfriend the morning after she'd been assaulted by a money-hungry lunatic. However, if we were an item, it was hardly a promising start to the relationship if my father already hated him.

'Hey,' Jenny waved me in as I pushed the door open. 'What's the verdict? Are you staying?'

'Yeah, Dad said - wait - you knew he was going to let me finish the trip with all of you?'

'Mum hinted that she'd talk to him,' she said. 'They get along, don't they?'

'Yeah. When did that happen?' I asked.

'I don't know. We miss too much when we're away. Maybe they're secretly meeting to talk about us when we're not around.'

'I think they both have better things to do. Hey, Meg,' I greeted her when I noticed that she was sat on her bed.

Meg had been so vocal the previous night that I thought we might see a new, bold side to her. Now that the excitement had died down, she was back to her meek, shy self. Still, there was a hint of a smile when she nodded in greeting. I suspected that she would save that confident side of herself for special occasions in future. I certainly hoped that it wasn't the last we'd hear of angry, brilliant, confident Meg.

I dropped onto Jenny's bed and pushed my fingers through my hair. She sensed that something was on my mind and hit the nail on the head when she commented, 'It's too bad Charlie and Will had to leave. It was heroic of him to come all the way here to help, don't you think?'

'Yeah. Will really -'

'I meant Charlie.'

'Oh! Right. Yeah, that was so -'

'Are you into Will?' she asked.

'What? No,' I laughed nervously. I felt sweaty again. 'I hate him, remember?'

'I remember. But I thought you might have forgotten.'

I had.

I hugged my knees to my chest self-consciously. 'Is this how you feel when you see Charlie?'

'What?'

I shook my head. It was difficult to put it into words. Jenny raised a brow, encouraging me to continue. It made me sound like such a stupid little girl to talk about crushes, or even love. Jenny was my best friend. She'd never mock me for how I felt for someone, but I didn't know how she'd take it when even I couldn't process the idea properly.

I mean... this was Will Darcy, prat extraordinaire! The son of a wealthy family with more overseas homes than most people had socks, who was the desired future-son-in-law of just about every upper-class woman with an eligible daughter waiting to be thrown into his path. It seemed absurd that I should like him, never mind that I thought he might like me in return. I mean, I knew that he liked me if he still felt the same as he did in Paris, but a lot had happened since that night. He'd had the chance to meet my father and my insane friends. He knew what a waste of space my mother was, that I lived above a grimy garage, and that I could eat a burger and fries in under fifteen minutes.

It was no wonder he'd fled so early in the morning; he'd wanted to escape.

'Beth,' Meg breathed, 'are you in love with William?'