Page 77 of Pride, Prejudice, & Pretense

She looked at him on the screen; he looked at her on the screen.

"Do your best to learn where he's taking you. He'll probably be cagey about it if, as I suspect, he's taking you with him on a work errand. Fanny's gotten deep under his skin, and I'm guessing he's taking a risk. When Georgiana traveled with him, she never knew where they were going and never askedquestions when he disappeared. He had her so confused and co-dependent that she just accepted whatever he said, did what he told her. I guess for a while that amused him, to have shamed her into…complete self-abasement.

"Anyway, try to find out. That'll make everything easier. But if you can't, we’ll use security cameras at the airport to determine your destination. However, that will mean that we can’t get a team in place until you are airborne, and Bingley and I will be at least a few hours behind you." He stopped and smiled at her, not happily but in dark self-amusement. "Of course, you know all this."

She smiled at him, her largest smile. "It doesn't hurt to be reminded." She winked. "I'll just chalk it up toMI-6splaining.” They both laughed. But Lizzy thought of Jane's reminders, and her laughter ended before Fitzwilliam’s. "I agree with you about Wickham. A night's sleep has made it even clearer to me. He’s decided I'm…Fanny is no threat to him. He believes he can safely take her with him and get what he wants with minimal risk. Unfortunately, that means I can't push too hard about where we're going. It's not what he'll expect from Fanny. You mayhaveto work it out from airport cameras. Make sure the Langley analysts are on top of it."

She saw a shadow behind Fitzwilliam’s eyes.Worry? Fear?He nodded hard, one time. "I'll be sure. If we don't know, Ned will text you that he loves you. If you see that text, donotget on the plane!"

"I won't. I promise."I’m back to promises again. Promises of promises.

They held each other's gaze for a moment, and then he glanced away. "Speaking of which, I need to call Langley now and alert them about what they need to do."

Lizzy started to ask if he would be coming to the apartment later in the day, but Fanny's phone vibrated. She looked down at it.

Wickham

"It's him, Fitzwilliam."

BOOK FOUR: Doubting Castle

This done, they sang as follows:

"Out of the way we went; and then we found

What 't was to tread upon forbidden ground:

And let them that come after have a care,

Lest heedlessness makes them, as we to fare;

Lest they, for trespassing, his prisoners are,

Whose castle's 'DOUBTING' and whose name's 'DESPAIR'."

—John Bunyan,Pilgrim's Progress

Chapter Nineteen: Departure

Lizzy stared at the phone for a moment after shutting the computer.

Wickham.

She picked it up and answered, trying to steel herself, her voice.Ned will text you that he loves you.Fitzwilliam’s words still rang in her ears.

"Hello, Fanny Prince speaking." As she was supposed to be at work, she strove to sound businesslike, slightly harried but still pleasant, the way her Aunt Gardiner sounded on the phone.

"Hello, Fanny. How's work?"

"Demanding today. A lot has accumulated on my desk. Busywork."

"But you can still travel with me tomorrow, let me…transport you?"

Fanny giggled softly at the unexpected phrasing. "Yes, I told you I would. Vegas or bust."

"Well, as I said, it won't be Vegas."

"Where are we going?" She tried to sound innocent and experienced all at once, guardedly eager.

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