Charles studied her, reflecting on how easily someone else could look at her and believe her indifferent. He knew that was far from the truth. Behind Jane’s still blue eyes, he knew she was distressed. The news that the charges against Elizabeth had been dropped had reached them the same way it had reached the rest of the world: on the television, flickering in the darkness of his bedroom. There, in their private cocoon, she expressed her feelings of relief, crying on him, and then finding comfort in his body.
After they learned the details, first from Rachel, and later from Darcy, she became defiant. Long Borne Suffering were not victims and they would perform that night. Charlotte’s fearlessness matched Jane’s, and Darcy immediately volunteered to take Elizabeth’s place. They spent little more than an hour rehearsing the three songs they would perform. It wasn’t a full set, but it was a statement.
Now, as Jane prepared to go onstage for the first time without her sister or her manager, Charles knew the apprehension that filled her, yet he was impressed by her cool resolve. He felt deeply touched and honored to know that he was one of the few whom his private Jane would trust with her feelings. She was like a beautiful work of art only exhibited to a very select few. He found it was yet another reason to love her, his heart won over once again.
She looked up and her eyes met his. He stepped forward and took her into his arms, holding her close and shielding her for a moment with his body. As he embraced her, letting her ground her fears in him, he was struck by the memory of the first time he held her, on that jet so long ago. He realized that while Jane might not have trusted her heart to know she loved Charles until much later, the way she trusted him with her fears was all the reassurance he should have needed.
He kissed her lips lightly, careful of her makeup, and his eyes spoke comfortingly to her.
Charlotte couldn’t help but look around, her eyes seeking people she knew wouldn’t be there, as her hands rhythmically moved in their mindless dance.
“You okay, beautiful?”
Charlotte focused on her lover, and she couldn’t repress the smile that came to her. Love, the experience of being in it, continued to surprise her, with tiny and immeasurable delights that she had never known before. Hearing Richard call her beautiful and knowing now what it meant, sent a tiny electric shiver up her back, interrupting her thoughts and playing havoc with her senses. She was goofy with love and relished it.
She laughed, her emotions too high to bottle up, and nodded. Richard took her hands in his and brought them up to his lips.
“Big house tonight.”
Charlotte voiced a sound of agreement. “We’ve played bigger.”
Richard’s eyes crinkled. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“What?”
“Let me play the big strong man while you swoon in my arms.”
Charlotte laughed again. “No.” She took her hands out of his and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But if you want, I’ll be happy to swoon in your arms when we get back home.” She lifted her eyebrows seductively and Richard kissed the rich sweetness of her lips, pressing her slight body to his.
She was amazing, growing in beauty and confidence by the moment, each second becoming more and more desirable and beloved to him. He was awestruck with the knowledge that his love had effected this change in her. And while he knew his demons might return, he believed that he would never stop craving the remarkable woman in his arms.
“I love you, Char,” he whispered in her ear, delighting in the response he provoked with his words. She purred happily before kissing him. As he tasted her once again, he knew he was lost. Gone. Done. Take him off the market and put him out to pasture. This smart, sassy, beautiful, sexy woman wanted him, and he would be happy to follow her around for the rest of his life.
Caroline approached the group and shared a smile with Darcy at the two couples. “She’s coming?” she asked softly. Darcy nodded and Caroline found herself pleased for him. “Good.” Then she raised her voice. “Jane, Char, it’s time.”
The two couples released each other and the women shared an awkward smile. Their routine was broken and they were uncertain what to do next.
Charles stepped up and said, “Come on,” in a low, easy voice, leading them along the dark path to the stage edge. Charlotte had earlier explained her discussion with Alex to Jane, who accepted it, both of them knowing nothing would be final until they had conferred with Elizabeth. But it did leave them in an uneasy position on this night.
The trio was surprised when Charles walked boldly out to center stage, after stopping them offstage. The audience roared with recognition. He waited a moment and then held up his hands.
“Hey,” he said as easily as if he was talking to a single person instead of a crowd of twenty thousand. He waited while they responded and then continued. Offstage Jane and Darcy shared an amused look. This was Charles at his best. “You might’ve heard, we’ve had a busy day,” he told the crowd conversationally, intimacy building with each word and expression.
The audience puzzled for a moment, then responded with a loud building cheer.
“Yeah,” Charles shrugged, “but that’s not gonna stop us.”
Screams followed.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice deep and sexy. “Long Borne Suffering.”
The trio moved out as the crowd climbed to an even higher pitch, not a seated person in the house. All the audience’s doubts and concerns about the night’s performance had been dashed by Charles’s confidence. They knew they were in for one hell of a show.
Darcy started the familiar riff of “Everything You Are” and they were off. After “Wanted” Jane took the entirely redundant step of introducing and thanking Darcy for playing for Elizabeth. They finished with “The Longest Good-bye,” Jane singing that night for someone she had never sung to before, who wasn’t even there.
Charles was waiting to lead them back when they came off the stage and Richard met them at the green room, full of praise for all of them. The three men came together fully prepared to show everyone why Slurry was one of the top names in the business. They moved with a precision founded on confidence and long practice. Charles was wired for sound while Darcy removed his shirt and warmed up his Paul Reid Smith. The stage was done over for them, with an additional monitor set up for Darcy.
When Caroline came over, Darcy asked her, “You know what to do?”
Caroline smiled. “I’ve been briefed.” They found themselves together as once again the others were locked in passionate embraces. Darcy looked charmingly embarrassed. “So, um, how’s Faust?”
Caroline struggled to keep her countenance. “He’s great,” she answered warmly, trying to reassure him. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Darcy nodded, relieved that once again, Caroline always knew what he was thinking. They took the stage, and all of their distractions fell away. Darcy lost himself in his music, Charles giving voice to his thoughts, and Richard pounding out his heartbeat.
And the crowd responded to him. He was reaching them through his music and he felt a sense of acceptance that Darcy hadn’t recognized before.
Elizabeth declined Rachel’s offer to go shopping for an outfit for the night. She couldn’t help but suspect Rachel was trying to torment her employer by keeping Elizabeth away from the show as long as possible. She dressed in one of her concert outfits, finding that it felt natural to wear, even though she didn’t expect to perform.
She was hungry and did stop to eat when Rachel had some wonderful-smelling take-out delivered. She was finishing her makeup when the phone rang, with Tommy announcing he was waiting for them downstairs.
When they were safely in the limo, Rachel gave Elizabeth her backstage pass and put on her own. Elizabeth followed Rachel into the building as Tommy hurried them past the security points. They walked down a long corridor, the sound of Slurry passing through the walls. Elizabeth smiled, hearing her lover’s playing and finding herself warmed by it.