Page 64 of Second Chances
Beth just read Jane the card; it was less painful than thinking through a way to summarize the words.
“And you haven’t told Darcy any of this? Why wouldn’t you tell him?” Jane asked in disbelief.
“Well, at first, he was really stressed and insistent that he was handling the situation, so I figured that it was ridiculous to upset him over a stupid email; I didn’t want to feel like a helpless ninny, running to him at every little thing. He said he was handling it, so I left it at that. Then, nothing happened Tuesday morning or this morning until the flowers and the note. I feel like she’s escalating and trying to get inside my head. It’s driving me crazy.” Beth stopped to let out an incredulous laugh, still in disbelief that she was dealing with a situation like this.
“Beth, I think he knows that you can handle things on your own, but this is not the time. He needs to know if you are going to be a team; telling him doesn’t make you helpless; it’s going to let you both work to solve the situation together. Did he say what he is going to do to handle this woman?”
“Not really. He doesn’t believe that she is here for him; he thinks she’s just playing games to mess with him, with us. I don’t know what to believe anymore. He said it wasn’t like he could get a restraining order because there were no verbal or physical, documented threats made…” Beth trailed off, realizing how ridiculous it sounded knowing that she did have that proof, but had been keeping it from him.
“But you have that now! All the more reason that you need to tell Darcy - this gives him what he needs to keep this woman out of both of your lives.”
“I don’t know that he could get a restraining order for himself with it, because she never threatened him, only me. I don’t know what’s holding me back. At first, Darcy was really resistant to agreeing to get a restraining order even if he had the necessary documentation; now, he says that he will but I just feel like I’m missing something, that he’s keeping a part of something from me. He says I have to trust him, that he will get the restraining order but that it could harm my family, which I don’t understand, but he won’t explain why.”
“It must be someone that we know or are close to. Maybe someone who worked at the firm or is close friends with us or mom and dad. Obviously getting a restraining order against someone like that could make family or friend relationships very rocky because he’d have to tell you who it was at that point; you would have to know,” Jane surmised.
“Yeah, I didn’t think about that. I kept thinking that it had something to do with him and his feelings for her - that maybe some part of him still loved her and couldn’t bring himself to legally cut her out of his life.” Beth grimaced, again realizing how silly her thoughts were when voiced out loud.
“Oh, Beth. Darcy loves you, I’m sure that isn’t the reason. I’m sure he’s thinking of you and thinking that he can handle this on his own with his own methods, just like you are doing right now,” Jane responded, distressed at her sister’s line of thinking, hoping that she would see the parallels between their actions. “My telling you to come clean with Darcy about what is going on, is just like you telling him that he needs to get a restraining order; they are both the logical things to do, but somehow both of you think you can do better on your own, without any help.”
“God,you are so right. I know. I don't know what’s the matter with me,” Beth said, dropping her forehead in her hands. “He’s going to be so mad too when he finds out that I kept her email from him earlier this week.”
Beth shuddered at the thought - that was not going to be a fun conversation.
“Beth, you have to tell him, and then you both need to take this to the police. If she is harassing and threatening you, it needs to be handled. I don’t care if you think you can handle yourself and just want to blow her off and see what happens; that’s not going to fix anything - certainly nothing between you and Darcy,” Jane said, sternly.
“You’re right, Jane. I know, I’m being ridiculous about this. Ok, I’ll tell him tonight when I get home. We’re going away for the weekend anyway so hopefully that should put some distance between her and me until the police can get things under control.”
“Promise me you are going to tell him,” Jane begged, her concern evident in her distressed tone.
“Yes, I promise. I’m sorry to worry you like this, sis,” Beth replied with remorse. “I’m a terrible sister; I never just check in to see how you are doing. I hope everything is going ok with you and Charles and the wedding. Did you tell him you bought a dress?”
“It’s ok, Beth. I’m here for you,” Jane reassured her. “Yes, I did tell him. Everything is going ok. Well, between us everything is great. There are some issues going on with his family now that his sister is back. He’s been having to put out a lot of fires between her and his parents, and I know it’s really been stressing him out. Like Caro refused to call his mom the other day when we were going shopping because she didn’t want her there.”
“Did you know she wasn’t going to invite her?”
“No! Of course not. I would have called her myself, but I was going to call you so I asked Caro if she could get in touch with her mom about meeting us and then when I checked with her, she said her mom didn’t respond. So, first, Mrs. Bingley was upset with me, until she realized that it was all Caro’s fault that the invitation was never relayed.”
“Wow, that’s ridiculous. I thought they were over whatever drama happened between them all those years ago,” Beth replied, incredulously.
“Well, I don’t think they are fighting about the same issues. I think it’s just Caro’s personality and what she wants; I guess she’s been very demanding and uncompromising, not unlike how she was before, so they’ve been fighting a lot more. Charles is coming over tonight so I’m sure I’ll get more of the story then. I just feel so bad for him, always being caught in the middle.”
“Yeah, that is really sad. On the one hand, I can definitely see, and have seen, those characteristics in her, but on the other, I just don’t get what she could be so obstinate about that it would cause so many problems,” Beth mused.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve only gotten bits and pieces so far; I’m sure Charles will want to tell me more tonight. It’s hard because she’s going to be my sister-in-law and they are going to be my in-laws and I don’t want to be stuck in between them. I think Charles has been jumping in a lot so that I don’t get drawn into the crossfire.”
Beth sighed, “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope everything works out. Let me know if there is anything that I can do.”
“Thanks, but just take care of yourself, that’s all you need to do for me.”
“I will, I promise. I’ll text you later and let you know how it goes.”
“Ok, love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Beth hung up, laying her phone face-down on the desk, staring at the mass of dark blooms that were haunting and taunting her with their presence. Why was she being so stubborn about this - about telling Darcy?
Because you always think you can handle everything life throws at you on your own. Because you handled Mrs. DeBourgh and stood your ground when she threatened you and your family.
