Page 42 of Second Chances (Passion and Perseverance #2)

“Oh, Beth. Darcy loves you, I’m sure that isn’t the reason.

I’m sure he’s thinking of you and thinking that he can handle this on his own with his own methods, just like you are doing right now,” Jane responded, distressed at her sister’s line of thinking, hoping that she would see the parallels between their actions.

“My telling you to come clean with Darcy about what is going on, is just like you telling him that he needs to get a restraining order; they are both the logical things to do, but somehow both of you think you can do better on your own, without any help.”

“ God, you are so right. I know. I don't know what’s the matter with me,” Beth said, dropping her forehead in her hands. “He’s going to be so mad too when he finds out that I kept her email from him earlier this week.”

Beth shuddered at the thought - that was not going to be a fun conversation.

“Beth, you have to tell him, and then you both need to take this to the police. If she is harassing and threatening you, it needs to be handled. I don’t care if you think you can handle yourself and just want to blow her off and see what happens; that’s not going to fix anything - certainly nothing between you and Darcy,” Jane said, sternly.

“You’re right, Jane. I know, I’m being ridiculous about this. Ok, I’ll tell him tonight when I get home. We’re going away for the weekend anyway so hopefully that should put some distance between her and me until the police can get things under control. ”

“Promise me you are going to tell him,” Jane begged, her concern evident in her distressed tone.

“Yes, I promise. I’m sorry to worry you like this, sis,” Beth replied with remorse. “I’m a terrible sister; I never just check in to see how you are doing. I hope everything is going ok with you and Charles and the wedding. Did you tell him you bought a dress?”

“It’s ok, Beth. I’m here for you,” Jane reassured her.

“Yes, I did tell him. Everything is going ok. Well, between us everything is great. There are some issues going on with his family now that his sister is back. He’s been having to put out a lot of fires between her and his parents, and I know it’s really been stressing him out.

Like Caro refused to call his mom the other day when we were going shopping because she didn’t want her there. ”

“Did you know she wasn’t going to invite her?”

“No! Of course not. I would have called her myself, but I was going to call you so I asked Caro if she could get in touch with her mom about meeting us and then when I checked with her, she said her mom didn’t respond.

So, first, Mrs. Bingley was upset with me, until she realized that it was all Caro’s fault that the invitation was never relayed. ”

“Wow, that’s ridiculous. I thought they were over whatever drama happened between them all those years ago,” Beth replied, incredulously.

“Well, I don’t think they are fighting about the same issues.

I think it’s just Caro’s personality and what she wants; I guess she’s been very demanding and uncompromising, not unlike how she was before, so they’ve been fighting a lot more.

Charles is coming over tonight so I’m sure I’ll get more of the story then.

I just feel so bad for him, always being caught in the middle. ”

“Yeah, that is really sad. On the one hand, I can definitely see, and have seen, those characteristics in her, but on the other, I just don’t get what she could be so obstinate about that it would cause so many problems,” Beth mused .

“Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve only gotten bits and pieces so far; I’m sure Charles will want to tell me more tonight.

It’s hard because she’s going to be my sister-in-law and they are going to be my in-laws and I don’t want to be stuck in between them.

I think Charles has been jumping in a lot so that I don’t get drawn into the crossfire. ”

Beth sighed, “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope everything works out. Let me know if there is anything that I can do.”

“Thanks, but just take care of yourself, that’s all you need to do for me.”

“I will, I promise. I’ll text you later and let you know how it goes.”

“Ok, love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Beth hung up, laying her phone face-down on the desk, staring at the mass of dark blooms that were haunting and taunting her with their presence. Why was she being so stubborn about this - about telling Darcy?

Because you always think you can handle everything life throws at you on your own. Because you handled Mrs. DeBourgh and stood your ground when she threatened you and your family.

Right, except that was a verbal threat from someone whom she knew, who was sitting right in front of her. This is something far beyond that. She didn’t know who this woman was, and it seemed like both Darcy and the CB wanted to keep it that way.

Well, if you can’t confront her in person, there’s still a second option.

Feeling a twinge of guilt and hesitation, Beth opened up her computer and searched through her email ‘Trash’ to find the email the CB had sent her on Monday.

She was going to tell Darcy, she really was, but she was going to give this CB a piece of her mind first.

Opening up the message, she hit ‘Reply’ .

Thank you for the beautiful flowers, but I have to say, black really isn’t my color. While I appreciate your concern for Darcy’s happiness, I can assure you that you are the farthest thing from someone who is able to make that happen.

Our relationship may not be perfect, but at least we are equals, at least I haven’t abused him to the point which leaves him traumatized and unsure of what love is.

Darcy loves me, and I love him; and even if I bought into your petty threats and left him, he would still never come back to you.

But, don’t just take it from me. If you ‘know’ him so well, then surely you know that his good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.

I would say that after what you did to him, what he watched you do to him, and what he had to go through to recover, that his ‘good opinion’ of you, if he ever had one, is most certainly lost.

Try whatever you want. Darcy belongs to no one, but he has chosen me. Do the right thing and just move on.

Before she could second guess the rashness of her decision to respond to the CB, Beth hit the send button and then immediately went and blocked the email address so that she wouldn’t receive any response back.

Beth took a deep breath, feeling satisfied and slightly more confident in herself.

She was still going to tell Darcy - maybe not about this email, but definitely about the things that the woman had said and done.

Jane was completely right, both Darcy and she were so determined to do things, solve things, on their own, but that’s not how a relationship works.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her back to the moment. She picked it up to see that Darcy had texted her four times since she’d thanked him for the roses that weren’t from him.

- I didn’t send you roses today.

- Who sent you roses?

- Hello???

- What’s going on, Beth ?

He was probably freaking out from her lack of response. Shit. Just as she began to quickly type her response, the incoming call screen took over her attempt.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I was on the phone with Jane. I just got your messages,” Beth answered, knowing it was a weak attempt at avoiding the question that she knew was coming next.

“Who were the roses from?” Darcy’s hard voice sounded from the other end of the line.

Thank God they weren’t from Patrick, Darcy sounds like he’s ready to kill whoever would dare to send me flowers. Although, in this case, he definitely would want to for a whole different reason.

“Can we talk about this when I get home from work?” Beth asked, really hoping to avoid having this conversation now.

“Who, Beth?” was his response.

She could hear the sharp edge of anger in his tone. He was jealous and protective and there was no way she was getting off this call without telling him who had sent them. She took a deep breath.

It was time to face the music.

“They are from her, Darcy. Your ex sent me black roses.”