“You’re the worst!” Lydia screamed and banged on the door, muttering something about how no one understood her.
Elsie wouldn’t put it past Lydia to try to break in. She hid the bags in an upstairs closet behind the Christmas decorations, and then reached for her buzzing phone, pulling it out of her back pocket.
“Hi, Mom.”
“I never agreed to you treating Lydia this way. You need to apologize to her right now and return her things.”
Elsie took a calming breath. “I would never steal from her. I promise I will hold onto everything and give it all back as soon as she pays me for them. I already explained it to her.”
She heard her mother relating her words back to Lydia in a soothing tone while Lydia blubbered. “But they might be out of season by then!” Lydia wailed into the phone. “It’s none of her business. She doesn’t live here anymore, and she shouldn’t be bossing you around, Mom.”
No, that’s now your job, Lydia.“Don’t worry. I won’t be interfering again. But Mom, I’m holding you to our agreement. Jane and I went over and met the new neighbor and we’re going to the lame block party tonight. So no more credit cards. Lydia’s old enough to get one of her own.”
She hung up as Lydia pierced her eardrum with another long wail.
Chapter 3 ♥Clean Up
Dr. Lucas spotted Will and Charlie the instant they approached the park. “So glad you could make it!” he called out.
Charlie gave him a gripping handshake and a pat on the back. “We’re happy to be here, Dr. Lucas. I believe you wanted us to meet your charming daughter?”
Will turned and eyed Charlie, but Charlie only shrugged, murmuring, “Might as well get it over with.”
Dr. Lucas successfully pulled his daughter out of the crowd and brought her over. The poor girl looked mortified, and Will instantly felt less annoyed with her.
“This is my Charlotte. She cuts hair at the barber shop in town.”
“It’s a salon, Dad,” Charlotte corrected him. She held out perfectly manicured fingers and shook Will’s hand, and then Charlie’s.
“You should be dancing,” Dr. Lucas nudged. He looked meaningfully between his daughter and Will. The makeshift dance floor on the basketball court was only a few feet away.
“I’ll dance with you,” Charlie quickly offered. He took Charlotte’s hand and lifted it up in the air, weaving her through a group of people embarrassing themselves to a Justin Bieber song.
Will let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t have left Charlotte out in the wind, but he also loathed both Justin Bieber and dancing in public.
“Well, Will. There are lots of other girls I could introduce you to. The Bennet girls are right over there. They have, can you believe it, five single daughters.”
Will knew the man was trying to be helpful, but his knowledge of all the young single women in the neighborhood was a bit creepy.
“Thanks, Dr. Lucas. I think I’ll be fine. Is that the snack table over there?”
Dr. Lucas didn’t hear him. “Elsie! Elsie Bennet!” He tried to wave over a dark-haired girl who smiled back and instantly retreated, pretending she misunderstood his hand motions. She looked familiar, but Will only saw her face for a second before she lost herself in the crowd. Lucky girl.
It was time Will did the same. “I’ll see you around, sir.” Will took off and weaved through the crowd until he found a partially empty park bench. He put his back to the two kids stuffing their faces with cotton candy on the other end of the bench and did some people watching.
Charlie was still out on the dance floor, this time with a beautiful blonde woman closer to his age. Will wondered if it was the esteemed Jane, the neighbor who’d brought the citrus. As usual, Charlie looked like he was having the most fun of anyone anywhere, and he probably was.
If Caroline Bingley wasn’t waiting for him back at the house, poised to spring on him, Will would leave right now. He sighed. It seemed like everywhere he went, he was perpetually unsatisfied. Did other people feel this way?
***
Elsie stood next to Charlotte and took a sip of her Pepsi. “Can I go home yet?”
Charlotte laughed. “Not until I get to, and I’m pretty sure I have to stay after and clean up.”
Elsie twirled her finger in the air. “Yay, us!”
“Jane looks like she’s having fun.”
