Page 10 of First Impressions (Passion and Perseverance #1)

Chapter Eight

Determined to be prepared for battle, Beth spent some extra time getting dressed and even putting on makeup that morning.

She picked out her light blue, V-neck chemise dress with a navy blazer and navy pumps - trying to keep her clothing light in case she had any hot flashes again.

She kept telling herself that she wasn’t trying to impress Mr. Intolerable with her appearance, that she was a professional woman and had a job to do.

Unfortunately, the small voice of reality inside her head reminded her otherwise.

Jane and Beth rode quietly to the Longbourne firm together, one overwhelmed with anticipation, the other with anxiety.

Jane informed her that Charles and Mr. Darcy were due in at the firm around eleven this morning when they would do a brief tour since Mr. Darcy hadn’t been present for the one yesterday, introduce them to some of the key employees, and then take them to lunch.

Beth nodded, trying to reassure herself that she could do this.

When they arrived, Jane went up to their father’s office to go over a contract for a client of theirs and take care of some other minor business tasks before their guests arrived.

The firm was three floors - the reception, as well as interns and junior associates, were stationed on the first floor, Jane and the senior associates on the second, and her father and Bill Collins on the third floor along with some conference rooms. While there was an elevator, it wasn’t very conveniently located, so most people just used the large, decorative staircase that went up to the center of each floor.

Since Jane was upstairs working with their dad, Beth took over her office, setting her purse and briefcase down behind the desk, pulling out her laptop and opening her email to check in with her assistants and begin some client work.

Before she knew it, Jane was standing in the doorway with a big smile on her face.

“Dad was just buzzed that Charles and Mr. Darcy are here,” Jane said, excitedly .

Beth tried to put on a brave face and followed her out of the office.

As they walked down the stairs to the reception, Beth managed to get a glimpse of Mr. Darcy first. He was facing away from them, attired in an impeccably cut navy suit.

Even without seeing his face, he seemed like a statue - poised and rigid, probably determined to glare intruders into submission.

By complete contrast, Charles had his elbow resting on the reception counter and was cheerfully chatting with Claire, the receptionist. He noticed the girls first, his face lighting up on seeing Jane.

“Good morning, Misses Bennets!” he exclaimed jovially as he began to walk to greet them with a large bouquet of yellow tulips in his hand. “These, my lovely Jane, are for you for graciously agreeing to put up with me for the second day in a row.”

Charles handed a blushing Jane the flowers. She closed her eyes and took a moment to smell them, pleasure spreading across her face as she quietly thanked him.

At his words, Beth held her breath as Mr. Darcy turned to face them, hoping her uneasiness didn’t show.

When he saw her, his reserve visibly faltered as his mouth parted ever so slightly.

As soon as his eyes met hers, there was a distinct flash of desire which was immediately suppressed by his mask of composure.

His mouth forming a grim line, he followed Bingley toward them and murmured a low, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, gentlemen. Thank you so much for coming,” Beth smiled and replied very cordially, trying to ignore the heat that had begun to diffuse throughout her body.

Deliberately not making eye contact with Mr. Intolerable, she continued, “if you’d like to follow us, we can drop Jane’s flowers in her office and then continue on with the tour.

” The group made their way back to the second floor and into Jane’s office.

“These are so beautiful, Charles. Thank you so much. I know I have a vase right back he—” Jane spoke as she made her way around her desk, not realizing that Beth’s laptop bag was on the floor.

Her heel got caught in the strap and she half fell onto the desk chair, dropping the flowers onto the floor .

“Jane! Are you ok?” Charles exclaimed as he rushed behind the desk to help her.

“I’m so sorry, Jane; I left my bag there. It’s my fault.” Beth went over and began to pick up the flowers from the floor as Charles lifted Jane up to sit on her chair.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I just hope I didn’t crush the beautiful flowers,” Jane tried to reassure them as she stood back up and grabbed the vase behind her desk for Beth to set the tulips in.

“They are good as new,” Beth said as she arranged the blooms.

“Oh good.” The relief visible on her face. “Now before I fall again, let’s get on with the — ow!” Jane attempted to stand and take a step toward the office door but found that she was unable to put any weight on that ankle without it giving out.

“I must have twisted it. I’m so sorry for the trouble everyone,” she apologized profusely as she allowed Bingley, who had caught her again as she stumbled, to guide her back to sit down in the chair.

“Jane, I’m going to go get you some ice to put on that. You shouldn’t walk on it until the doctor takes a look. We can reschedule the tour for another day,” Beth suggested.

“Oh no, Beth, I don’t want to set us behind. Why don’t you take them without me? I’ll call dad down to take a look and call the doctor.”

“I have a better idea,” said Charles. “Beth, I’ll get some ice and stay here with your sister; this way you can take Darcy here for the tour. I saw most everything yesterday anyway, so I won’t be missing much.”

Just when she thought her day could not possibly be any more trying, now she was going to have to spend the entire afternoon alone with Mr. Intolerable.

“Are you sure, Jane? I can stay with you if you want. It’s really not a big deal to reschedule,” she tried to persuade her sister, sending her a pleading ‘ don’t do this to me’ look.

Unfortunately, Jane was so preoccupied with Charles’ attention to her ankle that she didn’t pick up on Beth’s distress. “No, it’s really ok, Beth. Charles will stay with me; you can take Mr. Darcy. I’d hate for this to set back the process. ”

Jane hated to let anyone down, especially their father on something as important as this contract. At the moment, Beth’s aversion to Mr. Darcy was the last thing that would have crossed Jane’s mind.

“Alright, if you say so,” she replied, turning around to face her nemesis. “Mr. Darcy, if you wouldn’t mind, I would be very happy to give you a brief tour of our firm,” she said almost too politely, with a fake smile on her face.

Lord, help me.

At her statement, his eyebrows raised slightly as a challenge to her phrase that she was pleased to be stuck with him.

After she confronted him the other night, he was beginning to see that there was no end to her gumption and determination.

Many women would have pretended not to hear such unflattering terms, let alone rub them in his face, and then happily agree to endure his presence only a few days later; he was impressed .

“That would be very convenient, Miss Bennet. Thank you.” Turning briefly to Jane and Charles, he said, “I hope your ankle feels better.”

Convenient? What the hell does that mean?

This man made her brain work overtime. Determined not to be defeated, she focused on her goals: giving him a tour of the firm and discreetly extracting information about his social schedule and relationship status for Mrs. DeBourgh.

Too bad he didn’t just have a Facebook that she could check.

What she definitely did not want to happen was to end up in a discussion about their confrontation the other night.

“Wonderful. Now, Mr. Intol—, I mean Mr. Darcy, if you’ll follow me, we can start on the third floor and work our way downstairs,” Beth began as she led him up the central staircase to the top floor, ignoring his puzzled look at her almost slip of the tongue.

“On this floor is my father’s office as well as Bill Collins’ and some conference rooms. It looks like my father must have taken the elevator down to Jane’s office already to wait with her for the doctor. Oh, and Bill is out on vacation until the end of the month. ”

“Is he aware that your father is selling the firm? What is his relationship with your family?” Mr. Darcy bluntly asked.

“I’m not sure that my father has told him yet.

His family and mine have been close for many years and I think my father promoted him to partner partly because of it.

Not that he isn’t an excellent lawyer, but he’s not very good at managing or directing, so the firm would suffer severely if he were to be placed in charge.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that and I think he has somewhat expected to be the ‘heir’ of the firm for some time.

” Beth was probably giving him too much information but she didn’t want there to be an opportunity for him to bring up what had happened at the Gala.

“Unlike you at the Gardiner Group,” Darcy mused, almost absentmindedly.

Beth’s step faltered as his seemingly informed comment about her position at Gardiner. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Darcy’s mouth thinned before he clarified, “Graduating college with honors, top of your class in your Master’s program, and then immediately hired by one of the best PR firms in the city…

very impressive.” His voice didn’t sound impressed though, which was only a paltry concern to how much information he already knew about her.

Granted, it was all public or easily accessible information, but still, why would he have wanted to know it in the first place ?

“Phil Gardiner is a good friend of the family,” she replied meekly, feeling like she needed to clarify that point.