Chapter Five

An hour later, Will and Liz sat in Charles’ motorhome with Jane while Bingley showered. They chatted about the race, and about Jane’s and Liz’s jobs and Will’s appearances, sharing humorous stories about the people they worked with. When Bingley joined them, the group chose a restaurant nearby and headed to their vehicles. They decided to travel separately so that Jane and Charles could pick up another couple, whom Bingley had invited to join them.

On the way out of the track, right before one entered the tunnel under turn one, Will stopped at the guard shack to let the man inside know that he was leaving and would return in a couple hours. The shift was changing, and the guard was distracted, resulting in him waving them off without much scrutiny. Shaking his head, Will pulled into the short tunnel. Coming out the other end, he looked at Liz when she gasped.

“Isn’t that Georgie?”

Will braked as he stared. “It is. What in the world?”

Liz grabbed his arm. “That’s him! Will, that man hugging your sister is the guy I saw earlier!”

Instantly, Will’s heart rate jumped, his face turning red from the adrenaline and extra blood flowing in his veins. “That’s George Wickham,” he ground out as he whipped his truck in beside the other man’s. Slamming the transmission lever into “park,” he jumped out and headed around the front. Wickham, realizing who Will was, let go of Georgie, intending to get in his car and go. He was not fast enough, for when Will saw Wickham start to move, he sprinted the final few feet, tackling the man who touched his sister.

Georgie, not understanding what was happening, screamed when she felt someone rush past her and saw her date hit the ground. When her brother stood, hauling Wickham up with him, her fear turned to anger. “Will Darcy! What are you doing?”

Slamming Wickham back against the side of his car, Will ground out, “I’m giving this man a reminder of what my father told him.”

Georgie pulled at Will’s arm. “Don’t hurt him!”

Shaking her off, he half-turned, keeping Wickham pinned with one arm. “What are you doing out, Sis? I distinctly heard Coach tell you to stay in the motorhome. How did you get past Aunt Audra?”

Georgie refused at that point to speak any further. Not trusting her to stay put while Wickham was dealt with, Will entreated Liz to sit in his truck with her, a request Liz enthusiastically agreed to. As she led his sister away, Will dialed his phone with one hand. “Dad? I just caught Georgie on the other side of the tunnel, with George Wickham.”

Charles, Jane, and the third couple, Teddy “TJ” Jackson and his girlfriend SueAnne Pilson, who had by now arrived on the scene, could hear the roar of Coach’s voice coming through Will’s phone.

“Georgie is with Liz in my truck, and I have Wickham pinned to the side of his car. Charles and TJ are here; if I have trouble, I trust them to back me up.” There was a pause as Coach said something else. “Yes, sir. We’ll wait for you.” Hanging up the phone, he said to his prisoner, “Well, George, you did it this time.”

It didn’t take long for Coach to come roaring up in his SUV, with a security guard following him on foot at a run, cell phone to his ear. Bursting out of the vehicle with his poker buddies on his heels, he first stopped at Will’s truck to speak to his daughter.

“What did you think you were doing, young lady?” When Georgie merely glared at him, Coach continued. “I ought to turn you over my knee and give you the paddling you so richly deserve. But I won’t. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, but for now, you can consider yourself well and truly grounded. No cell phone, no driving privileges, and no free roaming of the track. As a matter of fact, for the foreseeable future, you will remain at home with Mrs. Reynolds. If anyone can keep your disobedient backside in line, she can.” Over the sound of Georgie’s protest, Coach slammed the door.

George Wickham quivered visibly as his former employer approached. To hear the man berate his beloved daughter was a shock, and George knew Coach would be even harder on him.

Coach drew so close to Wickham that the younger man pulled back. “Just what did you think you were doing with my underage daughter?”

“I, I-,” George’s brain seemed frozen; he could not form a coherent thought.

“You know, your father was my best friend; I am your godfather, and I promised to guide you. When your parents died, I took you in and treated you like my own son. Matter of fact, I often treated you better than my own son! You went to the best schools; I paid your way through college; I even gave you a job. And how do you repay me? By abusing my trust and defaming Will. Knowing your habits, I can imagine what you planned to do with Georgie.” As Coach spoke, he poked his index finger into Wickham’s chest. “You can be sure, George Wickham, that if drugs are found in your possession, I intend to push the law to prosecute you to the fullest extent possible. My daughter might be rebellious and stupid, and have no idea the kind of man you are, but I am under no illusions. I will do my best to make certain sure that you are behind bars for a long time.”

Wickham gulped. Hardened drug abuser that he was, he had become immune to most threats. Coach Darcy was another matter. He was every bit as tall and stocky as his son; and with his dark features, when he was angry he was downright scary. “I, I, I-.”

Coach looked at his godson in disgust. Overtaken by a sudden burst of violent anger, he drew back his fist, but his friends stepped in. One on each side, they pulled him back, reminding him that the result would not be worth the temporary satisfaction and to allow the law to handle the punishment. Stiffly, Coach nodded, relaxing and allowing them to lead him away. Before he moved, though, he gave George one more glare and spat on the ground in front of Wickham’s feet. The cops had arrived by this time, so Will followed his father while one officer read Wickham his rights and another handcuffed and then frisked him. To the surprise of no one who saw it, the officer pulled a baggie out of George’s pocket. The baggie contained a white powder that would later test positive for cocaine.

When Coach walked away from him, George knew that he had just lost the only ally he had in this world. He suddenly felt very much alone, and as if he had lost his safety net. He had never been more frightened in his life.

~~~***~~~

Two hours later, after giving statements to the police, Coach took Georgie back to the motorhome. Will and Liz, Jane and Charles, and TJ and SueAnne decided to grab a pizza, since they missed their dinner reservations. After a quick internet search showed a chain pizza restaurant just up the road, they loaded back into their vehicles and set out. Two hours later, they were pulling back in, ready to relax for their flights in the morning.

After dropping off TJ and SueAnn, Charles and Jane joined Liz and Will at Coach’s motorhome. They quietly entered, uncertain what to expect. They found Coach sitting at the dinette, elbows on the table and head in his hands.

“Dad?”

Coach lifted his head, putting his hands down. “Son, Charles, ladies. Have a seat, all of you.” He sighed heavily. “Since you were all involved in the incident earlier, I think you should all know what happened after.”

Will sat across from his father, pulling Liz down beside him. Bingley leaned against the counter across the aisle from the table, arranging Jane in front of him with his arms around her and his chin on her shoulder. When everyone was settled, Coach began.

“I’ve sent Georgie back to North Carolina with Audra and Henry. They left just a few minutes ago. I asked Audra why she let Georgie go out after I told her about Wickham, and she shocked me with her answer. Then, I asked Georgie about it, just to see what she would say. It took me a while to get it out of her, but…it seems that Wickham had help. He sent Mark Saunders here with a story for Audra that I had sent him to bring Georgie to the poker game. Audra had no idea that Mark and Wickham had anything more than a passing acquaintance; he had always seemed honest and upright to her. So, she let Georgie go with him. Instead of bringing her to me, though, he took Georgie through the tunnel and dropped her off. He must have taken off immediately, is my guess, because no one mentioned him.”

Will shook his head. “I didn’t see him, but I admit that once I saw my sister and George, I didn’t see much else.”

Coach nodded. “That’s what I figured. You inherited that Darcy temper along with the looks.” He sighed. “I explained to your sister exactly what happened with George’s driving job. I went so far as to dial the series director so he could confirm it with her, though she refused to speak to him.”

Liz’s brows rose. She was not surprised that Coach had Mark Hildom’s number; the Stock Car Racing Association community was a tight one. What startled her was that Coach did not hide his daughter’s indiscretion. Well, I guess it is the twenty-first century. Nothing much is hidden anymore.

After his confession, Coach fell silent, head down and eyes closed. The rest of the group waited silently for him to formulate the words they all sensed were coming. Finally, looking up, he addressed Will once more.

“Where did I go wrong, Son?”

Shaking his head, Will rushed to reassure his father. “You didn’t, Dad. You did everything right. You gave George a life most young men would give their right arm for. I don’t know why he rejected it the way he did. You did your best.”

“I just feel like I let my best friend down. The last words I spoke to John Wickham were that I would take care of his boy. Fine job I did,” he added, disgustedly.

Charles spoke up. “Coach, you kept your word. You raised George the same way you did Will, and look at your son. George made choices that were the total opposite of the values you instilled in him. That’s not your fault; it’s his.”

Coach nodded again. “My head agrees with you; it’s my heart that insists I did something wrong.” Sighing heavily once more, he rose. “I’m going to bed down at your place, Will. Ladies, if you need anything, come get me.”

“We will. Sleep well.” Liz assured the elder gentleman that they would be fine; Jane added her agreement. After the boys said their goodnights, Coach left.

“It breaks my heart to see him look so defeated.” Liz did not protest when Will pulled her close as she spoke.

“Mine too. I don’t know if I should spend the night at your place, Charles, or go to mine.”

“Yeah, that’s a hard one. Do you think he might want to talk it out?”

“Maybe, but maybe not.”

“What will he say if you don’t go home? Will he think you spent the night with me?” Liz did not want Will’s father to think less of her.

“Good point. He might, and after what happened with Georgie, I don’t think I have it in me to hurt him.” He tipped Liz’s face up. “Give me a kiss, Sweetheart, and I’ll get out of here. We’ll pick you up bright and early and take you home.” Tilting his head down, Will kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. “Walk me to the door,” he asked huskily.