Elizabeth’s eyelids flickered and she seemed to come back to herself. “I understand,” she replied softly.
Darcy stared at her a moment, then nodded. “Good. We will come right after the show. Take care of her.”
They separated, one group moving toward the stage, the other moving toward the door; both focused on their tasks and forgot about the other.
Elizabeth was staring at the floor of the private waiting room they had been given. She objected to being there. She objected to the bright lights, to the random droning of the TV that no one was watching, to the voices, some fearful, some calm. She objected to the waiting and worrying. Her eyes played over the brown, tan, and white pattern of the tile floor again and again as she waited.
Alex and Charlotte sat beside her on the vinyl couch; Charlotte flipped through a dog-eared magazine while Alex rubbed her back absently. The time for panic had long since passed and Elizabeth was left feeling tired and slightly nauseated.
She heard a bustle of footsteps and Darcy and Charles rushed into the room, with Richard following behind. “How is she?” Charles asked, his face stricken.
Elizabeth stood and walked calmly to him. She noticed he was still wearing his concert outfit, and she wondered in passing what Mrs. Wong, the wardrobe mistress, would think. “She’s okay,” Elizabeth told him, seeing his shoulders drop in visible relief. “She’s currently having a CT scan, then we can go back to her.”
“Why are they only doing the CT scan now?” Darcy asked impatiently.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Because her vitals were good, and the plastic surgeon insisted on working on her first.” She didn’t try to hide the weariness in her voice.
Darcy’s face softened. “It’s a concussion, then?” Elizabeth nodded. “What’s the prognosis?”
“If the CT scan comes back like they expect it will, she should be free to go in a few hours. She’s going to have to see a plastic surgeon again in a week, but it doesn’t have to be the same one she saw tonight. If we know what city we will be in, the doctor here will give her a referral.”
Darcy nodded and pulled his cell out of his pocket, while Charles took her hand. “Are you okay, Lizzy?”
The caring in his face was too much and Elizabeth’s eyes stung with tears. Without a word, Charles took her into his arms, holding her in a protective hug. Elizabeth took advantage of his strength for a moment, then forced her emotions down and pulled away, nodding her thanks to Charles as she did. She was helped by the distraction of Darcy’s voice speaking into the phone.
“Caro, she’s going to be okay… It’s a concussion… We’re staying here tonight. Cancel tomorrow night… Okay, thanks.” With a snap he hung up.
Elizabeth stared at him, stunned. “You’re stopping the tour?”
Darcy nodded once. “We stick together. I’m not leaving you behind.”
Elizabeth considered his words. They surprised her, since she half-expected that he would leap at the chance to leave LBS behind.
“The limo is waiting downstairs. Who’d like to go to the hotel with me?” Richard asked. “There doesn’t seem to be much point in waiting here,” he shrugged. “Might as well be comfortable.”
Charlotte was on her feet before he finished speaking. Alex rose as well and looked at Lizzy expectantly. “I’m staying here,” Elizabeth volunteered. Alex nodded and looked to the other two men. Charles stated emphatically that he was staying, and Darcy nodded in agreement.
“Is it okay if I go, Lizzy? Will you be all right?” Alex’s eyes searched hers.
“You go,” Elizabeth said as she waved him away. “You’ll probably have a ton of work to do back at the hotel.”
Alex nodded and stepped close, grasping her shoulders and kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you later,” he said quietly into her ear before he left with the others.
Elizabeth gestured to the couch, and Charles sat down beside her. Darcy remained standing, leaning against the wall. The private waiting room they had been given was tiny, but at least they were alone.
“What happened?” Darcy asked softly.
Elizabeth shrugged. “I wish I knew. I didn’t see it. I was playing along and suddenly she was down.” She looked at the floor, her expression somber. “I had just realized that I had to get her off the stage when Charles was there, and I followed him.”
“I saw it,” Charles said in a low voice. He was staring straight ahead, as if replaying a memory in his head. “I saw the bottle. It passed in front of Lizzy, and I could see it against her shirt a moment before it hit Jane.”
Elizabeth nodded in comprehension. “I didn’t know what it was. I thought that maybe she had been shot, but I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t know what to think.” She sighed. “How did the concert go?”
Charles’s expression hardened and he looked away.
“It was fine,” Darcy answered quickly. “We played an extra set and it was fine.” Charles refused to look at him, and Elizabeth could feel the tension coming off in waves between the two men. “Charles, do you remember the Montreal concert back in ’92? Metallica and Guns N’ Roses? The riot?” His voice was pitched low and deep. “I know you’re angry with me, and I know you wanted to go with Jane, but if we had left, there very well might have been a riot.” His eyes flashed. “And for what? So that we could sit here and wait?” He shook his head. “No way, Charles. I’m sorry if you are mad at me, but it wasn’t worth damaging our reputation and possibly someone getting injured. Jane’s going to be fine and you’ll see her in a moment.”
Charles turned to Darcy, his expression angry, when a nurse appeared in the doorway. “Miss Bennet?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth said as the three faces turned toward the nurse.
“Jane is back in her room; you can see her now.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, rising to her feet. “When will the report on the CT scan be in?”
“Not for a while. The doctor will speak to you when it’s ready.”
Elizabeth thanked the nurse and led the way to the room in which Jane rested on a bed. Her forehead was covered with a bandage that hid the sutures. She looked weary and her eyes were closed.
“Jane!” Charles cried out before Elizabeth could say anything by way of warning. Jane’s eyes opened and a weak smile lit up her features.
“You came,” she said, voicing her pleasure.
“Of course I did,” Charles said softly as he took her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” She looked to her sister. “What did the doctor say?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “They haven’t looked at the CT scan yet. It’s gonna be awhile, so you might as well just rest.”
Charles pulled up a chair and, without releasing Jane’s hand, sat down beside her. His eyes were filled with sadness as he touched the hair around her bandage.
“How was the show?” Jane asked him softly.
Charles kissed her hand repeatedly. “Horrible. I hated it. I was so worried about you.”
Jane’s face softened with concern. “Oh Charles, I’m so sorry.”
“No,” he whispered. “No, sweetheart, shhhh. It’s okay now.” He smiled at her warmly and touched her cheek. “You’re going to be all right, and that’s all that matters.”
Elizabeth watched their interaction with increasing discomfort. She looked away and caught Darcy’s eye. He motioned with his head toward the waiting room, and Elizabeth followed him out.
She looked at him with an embarrassed grin and moved to sit on the couch. This time Darcy joined her.
“Have you called your parents?” he asked softly as they settled down.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I didn’t want to worry them. I figured it’s not worth calling until we have the test results, and by then they’ll be asleep.” She sighed resignedly. “I’ll call them in the morning.”
“You sound like you’re not looking forward to it.”
Elizabeth looked at him, annoyed. “Of course I’m not. It’s going to be horrible.” She shook her head, and her eyes flashed as she wondered at the stupid things he said.