Page 52 of Ardently Yours

“I should officially announce that Will Darcy and I are dating. No questions, comments, or concerns will be taken at this time. Thank you.”

My sister Janet and her husband, Charlie, walk into the backyard through the open gate just as I make my announcement.

“When I heard there was a Darcy in town, I had a feeling it was you,” Charlie says, studying Will for a moment. “Looks like I was right. You were here all this time. Lucky for you, I’ve had to leave town so much lately. Otherwise, I would have spotted you a mile away.”

He tilts his head toward Will, who stands and walks over to him.

They shake hands, but Will’s body language is stiff.

“Oh, right. Will mentioned that you two might know each other,” I say, hugging my sister before greeting her husband.

Will takes a step back.

“Know each other? He was supposed to marry my sister. He left Caroline behind,” Charlie says at the same time Will says, “Our families work together.”

Chapter Eighteen

Will

“Why are you here with my sister if you were supposed to marry Caroline?” Janet asks me, her eyebrows raised.

I hadn’t met Lizzie’s oldest sister yet. I’d heard of her, but when Lizzie mentioned her and her husband, she never said their last name.

I had no idea Charlie Bingley was her sister’s husband at first until we talked about it that night at the cafe.

Then I remember the text I got from Caroline and how she warned me.

I guess you can’t stay hidden, not even in a small town. I learned that the hard way.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask, sheepishly.

“People talk in this town. I’ve been too busy to listen to most of the gossip, but I started paying attention when I heard about a Will Darcy hanging around my sister-in-law. I told my sister, and she probably told people back home, like your parents.”

I space out, feeling numb. My new life, in its once safe little bubble, is now bursting right before my eyes.

“Will?” Lizzie calls me, pulling me back to my terrible new reality.

I look at her. Then I look around at her sisters and their partners. At my friends. Edward. Jay. Nic. Jane.

They’re all staring at me with the same bewildered expression. That’s when I realize I’m no longer just the guy who moved to a small town with big dreams of starting over and becoming someone new.

I’m still Will Darcy. The rich kid. The one with the complicated family. The one with the almost marriage.

The drama I came here hoping to leave behind found me. Turns out it isn’t something I can outrun. Luke 8:17 comes to mind: For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Secrets. I have one too many secrets.

My family is wealthy. I’m at risk of being disinherited. My boss is now my fake girlfriend and my real business partner, all because we’re trying to help each other change our lives.

Secrets. Lies. Guilt. I swallow the lump forming in my dry throat.

I want to tell them everything. Why I’m here. Why I left Chicago. Why I should probably just go back home, work for my family’s company, and marry Caroline Bingley.

But I can’t find the words. It’ll all come to light soon enough. But lying isn’t right. Am I lying? Or am I just not telling them the whole truth yet?

I clear my throat, unsure where to begin. My heart already knows this is wrong. I know lying isn’t the answer. I just don’t think I realized how much I’d been hiding until this moment.

Everyone is watching me. Waiting. Expecting me to explain. I open my mouth. Then close it again. My throat has never felt so dry.