But she wasn’t going to say that out loud. Not yet.
Chapter THREE
“SHE HASto be the dumbest person I have ever seen,” Caroline Bingley said, setting her spritz down with a dramatic clink against the marble table.
They were on thegarden terrace of the Bingley’s’ Upper East Side townhouse, where the afternoon sun filtered through ancient ivy and luxury was an inherited birthright.
The eldest sister, Louisa—née Bingley—lounged on a wicker chaise like an Instagram ad come to life, while her husband, Mr. Hurst, dozed nearby with a half-empty Negroni balanced on his belly.
Darcy sat off to the side, silent but unmistakably present, his phone facedown on the table and his expression fixed in a neutral that looked suspiciously like brooding. He was only in town for a few months at Bingley’s invitation and for the tech conference. California was technically home, though he treated it more like a mailing address. Darcy flew wherever he was needed.
Bingley, playing the diplomat, lifted his glass. “She’s witty.”
“Witty?” Caroline gave him a look that could curdle almond milk. “Charles, she humiliated Darcy. Publicly. Twice. And now she’s gone viral for it. I’ve seen memes. Memes, Charles.”
Darcy didn’t flinch.
“She’s also incredibly good at what she does,” Bingley added. “You saw the article she wrote about that Altrobotics CEO? Brutal. But smart.”
Louisa pushed her sunglasses up onto her head. “I checked her out yesterday. She’s small-time. Probably jobless. Just someone who writes because she has nothing else to do.”
“I saw that article,” Caroline said. “She called him a failed Roomba.”
“He is a failed Roomba,” Darcy finally said.
That earned a snort from Hurst, who then promptly fell back asleep.
Caroline narrowed her eyes. “You were being awfully quiet. Now you’re agreeing with her. I find that surprising.”
Darcy reached for his coffee. “I’m quiet because there’s nothing useful to say. And as for agreeing with her, a broken clock is correct twice a day.”
“She’s using your name to boost her career.”
Darcy met her gaze, calm and unreadable. “Then she’s succeeding.”
Caroline scoffed. “You’re defending her now?”
“I’m acknowledging reality. That’s different.”
Bingley leaned forward. “You could look at this as a PR opportunity, Darcy. People are talking. TrueNorth is surging. Spin it. Own it.”
Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Own being publicly mocked?”
Bingley grinned. “Worked for Musk.”
That, finally, got the faintest twitch of a smile from Darcy. The kind that barely existed, like a rumour of amusement.
But in his mind, Elizabeth’s voice still echoed.
Have you ever been in love, sir?
That rang louder than her tweet.
Bingley tapped the armrest. “Seriously, though. How do we capitalise on this? A press release? Media push? Something about data-driven destiny?”
Darcy shook his head. “Too obvious. I think we’ll just ride the wave.”
“We can’t afford any missteps,” Bingley said.
