Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star Read online

  Narrator: “The trouble did not stop once the album was released.”

  John Willis, Spin magazine: “You can tell that the band was divided when you listen to that album. All the elements are there, all the pieces, but like a puzzle, it never comes together. There is a great drum section here and some really strong vocals there, but it never meshes into a whole. It was no surprise to anyone when the breakup came.”

  Narrator: “Slurry had one moderate hit off their first album that made it to thirty-seven on the top forty, but it was becoming clear to Darcy the band had reached its limit, and he started to feel frustrated.”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy: “I wanted to be doing more, but it was like we could just never come together. I had all these ideas, and I could hear, in my head, what I wanted. But we just couldn’t do it. It was a very difficult time.”

  Narrator: “The band went on tour in late fall of 2006, leaving the comfort zone of their fan following in New York City to introduce themselves to new audiences. With every concert, the tension between Darcy and Wickham grew.”

  Picture of an angry-looking Darcy standing next to a grinning Wickham.

  Richard Fitzwilliam (angry, frowning): “That was the tour from hell. It was a beep-ing nightmare, and it was all George’s fault. It should have been a triumph, our first tour and all! And George turned it into a tragedy.” Hits his fist on the couch while looking away. “Bastard!”

  Narrator: “The tension had reached the breaking point when the band played the Ramsgate Festival on the Fourth of July weekend. While no one was willing to say exactly what happened”—Darcy glaring coldly at the camera—“that weekend was the end of the relationship between Fitzwilliam Darcy and George Wickham.”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy (icily): “We had artistic differences that prevented us from being able to continue to work together.”

  George Wickham: “What did Darcy say?” Listens for a moment to a voice off camera. “Artistic differences?” He smirks. “Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

  Narrator: “Darcy and Fitzwilliam returned to New York City following Ramsgate, while Wickham fled to Florida. For a while the future of the band seemed to be in question.”

  Richard Fitzwilliam: “I thought we were done. Darcy was so angry and disgusted; I really thought we were just done.”

  Narrator: “Then an old friend entered the picture. In September, Charles Bingley joined Darcy in New York City for a visit. Bingley was surprised to learn about the band’s existence, but he quickly auditioned for the role as lead singer.”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy: “I knew Charles could sing, but I never realized he was so talented. What’s more, he could understand what I was trying to do and add to it. It was when Charles joined us that everything came together. I felt I was finally able to express what I wanted to artistically.”

  Richard Fitzwilliam: “Oh, Bingley came in and just like that”—snaps fingers—“everything was better. It was like every difficulty, every stumbling block that we had had with Wickham never existed.”

  Charles Bingley: “It was like love at first sight, you know?” Smiles. “As soon as Darcy told me about the band, I got really excited. I just knew I wanted to be a part of it, that it was where I belonged.”

  Narrator: “Charles Bingley was the missing piece that the band needed. Like a phoenix, Slurry was reborn—a completely new band, and its potential was seemingly limitless.”

  Anne de Bourgh: “As soon as I heard Charles singing with the band, I knew that this was what I had been waiting for. They were electric. They were on fire. It was like holding a lump of plutonium in your hand. You could feel the energy there, ready to be released. We threw out all the old material and sent them right into the studio.”

  Narrator: “That proved to be a wise decision. In the studio Darcy took over writing all the songs, a task he had unsuccessfully shared with Wickham in the past. The result was a collection of twelve songs, recorded in a blistering five weeks. The CD was titled Crush, and when it was released in February of 2008, it debuted at number ten in the charts.”

  Charles Bingley (smiling): “Yup. Right away we had a hit, and you know that felt great!”

  Narrator: “‘Searching in the Dark,’ Darcy’s brooding song about uncertainly and self-direction, was the first single from the CD. It peaked at number one.”

  John Willis: “It is amazing when you listen to Slurry and then compare it to Crush. You knew in Slurry that the talent was there, but it’s not until Crush that the band found its balance. As soon as I heard ‘Searching in the Dark,’ with that opening guitar riff”—humming—“I knew that these guys were going right to the top.”

  Clip of the video for “Searching in the Dark.”

  Narrator: “Slurry’s success came hard and fast. Three more number one hits followed, and the band supported the album with nine months of touring.

  “But Charles Bingley brought more that his powerful vocals to Slurry; he also brought his twin sister, Caroline, who became the band’s tour manager.”

  Caroline Bingley, tour manager: “Charles called me up and said, ‘Come out to New York; I need you.’ So I did and off we went.”

  Narrator: “Caroline proved to be a quick study, taking the reins of the tour and leaving Darcy free to focus on his music. Another album, Polish, followed, which went platinum. The band supported these albums with tours, spending most of the last four years on the road. They continued to gain fans and number one singles.

  “By the beginning of 2009 Slurry looked unstoppable. Their albums had sold over ten million copies, and their tour was selling out larger and larger venues. But trouble was just around the corner.”

  Richard Fitzwilliam: “We were having a blast. We were rock stars, and we were everywhere. Everything was going our way. We were on TV, we were on the radio. Everyplace we went, there were girls screaming at us. It was a trip, and I was going to enjoy that party.”

  Narrator: “But the party soon got out of control. Richard Fitzwilliam had always been a casual drug user, but while on tour he developed an addiction to alcohol.”

  Picture of Fitzwilliam with a bottle.

  “Darcy and Bingley were only starting to become aware of the problem when, on January 28 of 2009, Fitzwilliam was arrested for DWI.”

  Picture of Fitzwilliam in handcuffs being led away by police.

  Caroline Bingley: “I had my suspicions that something was up with Richard, but he never got ugly. Yes, he always had a beer in his hand, or later on, a bottle, but it’s not like he was getting into fights or passing out or messing up shows. And he was always so happy, I never thought he could be having a problem.”

  Ronaldo Faust, lighting engineer, Polish Tour: “I was working with the band during the fall leg of that tour. I remember watching Fitzwilliam, and every day he just looked a little more tired and a little less in control. He always had a drink in his hands, always: before the show, during, and after.”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy (troubled): “It was my fault. I blame myself. I was so obsessed by what was going on with the music and the details of the tour, I lost sight of what really mattered. I lost sight of my cousin and my friend.”

  Charles Bingley (looking surprised): “I had no idea he was in trouble. He never said anything. It completely caught me off guard.”

  Caroline Bingley: “Once Darcy became aware of what was going on, when Richard was arrested, he stopped everything. He brought us all together, the band and the staff, and he told us that nothing was as important as the people here. So that night the tour ended. There was never any talk about getting a replacement drummer. It was over.”

  Narrator: “Fitzwilliam was ordered by the courts to enter a rehab program as part of his sentence, and Bingley and Darcy joined him there.”

  Richard Fitzwilliam (in a matter-of-fact tone): “It was the oldest story in the book. I told myself I could handle it, and I couldn’t. I was stupid and I had lost control of it.” Shrugs. “But I was lucky. I was damned lucky the night I got ar
rested, because I couldn’t hide from it anymore. And I got help.”

  Charles Bingley: “Will and I decided that we were going to hang together on this. We are like brothers, the three of us, and what we have together is too important to let die. So we fought for it and for Richard.”

  Narrator: “When Fitzwilliam was released in May of 2009, the band went back into the studio. Inspired by their experience, lightning struck again and their next album was recorded in less than eight weeks.”

  Richard Fitzwilliam (laughing self-deprecatingly): “We seem to thrive on abuse. Hit us again and we will just swing back harder.”

  Narrator: “On their fourth CD, Grind, Slurry expanded their talents. Bingley and Darcy collaborated on several of the songs, and the tone shifted from dark and brooding to a wider expression of emotions. The CD was released in September of 2009 in the top five, and it continues to rank in the top twenty, five months later.

  “The first single from the CD, ‘Bound,’ released August of 2009, went straight to number one and remained there for three weeks. It was followed by ‘Lost Myself’ and ‘Feel Me,’ which both hit number one.”

  Clips of the respective videos.

  “The band toured in Europe and Asia during the second half of 2009 to record crowds. Now they are preparing for the North American leg of their tour, scheduled to begin in March.”

  Footage of the band onstage.

  “Although critics have viewed the album as a success, the band is still trying to overcome their reputation for trouble on tour.”

  John Willis: “The band is good, no doubt about it. I’ve seen the show, and it’s brilliant, but… the fact remains, of the four tours they’ve started, they’ve only completed”—holds up one finger—“one. The question is, are the fans and De Bourgh going to support them if they have any more problems? After all, there’s a lot of money invested in this.”

  Narrator: “Through adversity, Slurry has managed to not only keep its edge but come back even stronger. The band has so far achieved startling success, and on the eve of their next tour, they show no signs of slowing down.”

  Charles Bingley (grinning confidently): “People keep asking me, ‘Are you ready for this? It’s a big show.’ Let me tell you: We are ready to go. Let us out there!”

  Richard Fitzwilliam (winning smile): “Do I know where we are going? Hell no! I’m here for the ride, baby. But it’s a good ride, and it’s not going to be stopping for a long time.” Laughs.

  Fitzwilliam Darcy (thoughtful): “I hope the band will continue to expand our style and our talents. For me, it is all about the music. That is why I’m here. My job is to make music, and the rest of it—the fans and the videos and the money—they’re nice, but they’re not what matters.

  “Ten years from now I want us to be able to look back and be proud of our work and not say, ‘Oh, that was just a phase or a trend.’ I want our work to have lasting value. That is what I am trying to do.”

  Closing credits.

  Chapter 1

  It was long after 9:00 p.m. when the black GMC Denali pulled into the club’s crowded parking lot. The engine shut down, the doors opened, and three men and a woman exited the vehicle. The parking lot was full of cars; the sign announced that this was the Meryton Public House. The building had once been a chain restaurant of some kind but had long ago been converted to a nightclub and had numerous additions built. It was currently attempting a southwestern style of decor, but the result was simply shabby.

  “Such an exotic location, Darcy,” the woman murmured softly over the shoulder of the tall man in front of her. “Are you quite sure we will be safe?”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy turned his head, and his dark eyes fixed hers with a look.

  Caroline allowed herself a brief smile before they were interrupted by the sharp staccato of high heels clicking across the asphalt.

  “Christ! Are you people ever on time?” Anne de Bourgh swore through clenched teeth. She was a small, slender woman, with short dark hair and a stylish yet severe suit of black leather.

  “Sorry, Anne.” Charles Bingley was the only one who felt obliged to reply. Not because he was the driver, rather that he was the only one who cared at this point.

  “Caro, who are we seeing tonight?” Darcy asked, his boredom evident.

  Caroline Bingley smiled inwardly, while shaking her head slightly. It didn’t matter that she had emailed all this information to the boys already. They hadn’t read it, just as she knew they wouldn’t. They were so predictable. “Tonight’s band is called Long Borne Suffering,” she said as brightly as possible.

  “Some kind of Goth group?” Darcy asked dryly.

  “No, actually, it’s a girl band. Two sisters and a friend.” Caroline consulted her notes. “Here we are: Jane and Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas.”

  “Can we just go?” Anne snapped.

  The group followed the shorter woman to the club’s entrance. There was no need to comment on Anne’s behavior; they were all feeling the pressure that was provoking her. It was a ridiculous situation they found themselves in. Slurry, the hottest ticket across the country this summer, had a problem, a serious one. Their opening act had left following the Asian leg of the tour, and no amount of begging or threats had been able to bring them back. This was the third act Slurry had lost, and the group had gained a reputation in the process. The word was out that Slurry was impossible to tour with. Rumor had it that they were arrogant, demanding, and out of control. Consequently every act on their “A” list was suddenly unavailable.

  Hence they found themselves in the wilds of northern Westchester County, New York, looking at the best of the “B” list: groups that were good enough but hadn’t broken through yet and were hungry enough to risk the trauma of touring with Slurry.

  This was the third band in as many nights they had auditioned, and the situation was getting critical. The tour resumed in just two weeks, barely enough time to get a new act ready. Besides that, the press was starting to notice the problem. They all knew that the last thing Slurry needed was more bad press.

  Anne’s title was Artist and Repertoire Executive for De Bourgh Records, but in fact, her sole duty was Slurry. Slurry was the company’s biggest band, with revenues that outpaced every other act. It was her job to see that nothing happened to the prize cash cow.

  As the group followed Anne de Bourgh through the doors of the nightclub, they knew the real reason for her temper. It wasn’t the wrath of the media that was keeping her awake at night. It was her mother, the Gorgon. Lady Catherine, owner of De Bourgh Records, had been made aware of the situation and if it was not resolved very soon, she would become involved, which was something they all wished to avoid.

  Muffled music throbbed through the walls of the small lobby. A short man pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and approached Anne. He was balding, overweight, and wearing a tan turtleneck sweater that emphasized the olive in his complexion.

  “Ms. de Bourgh,” he enthused, taking Anne’s hand and pumping it. “What a delight it is to see you again!”

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Collins,” Anne replied without returning his excitement. She stood silently, waiting until the lack of conversation had gotten distinctly uncomfortable. Then with a look at her companions, she sighed and addressed him again. “Mr. Collins, this is Caroline Bingley, Slurry’s tour manager,” she indicated the tall woman who was wearing her professional smile. “Mr. Collins is the A and R for Long Borne Suffering.”

  Collins laughed at Anne’s words. “Yes, I’m her counterpart, as it were. She is the executive for Slurry, and I, well, have my own little flock to tend.”

  Caroline fought off the discomfort she felt as his clammy hand clasped hers and he waited expectantly. Caroline looked at Anne, who glanced at the men and spoke up. “You do understand, I really can’t introduce you in this setting, Mr. Collins. Security and all that.”

  Collins’s eyes flared. “Oh, of course!” he assured her anxiously. “Certa
inly. I completely understand. Please let me escort your friends inside.” He winked broadly, but he was moving and that was all she wanted.

  Caroline shared a quick smile with Anne as she passed by. Security was not really a problem. The lobby was empty and the boys were “incognito,” as Charles liked to say. That meant that Charles’s long blond hair was in a ponytail and tucked into the collar of his shirt. Richard was dressed in a button-down shirt and gray slacks, which covered all of his tattoos. Darcy was actually wearing a shirt and did not have his sunglasses on, sufficiently altering his appearance from his onstage persona. The three tall and attractive men would stand out anywhere, but it was unlikely anyone would recognize them for the rock stars they were.

  The music became clear as they entered the nightclub. It was large, and the group was careful to skirt the sides of the room, getting close enough to watch the band and yet remain in the shadows.

  “Of course, I’m sure you have listened to the girls’ CD. We’re very proud,” Collins fluttered at Anne.

  She shook her head once. “We don’t care about the CD, Mr. Collins. We just want to know if they can play.”

  Darcy turned his attention away, glad that for once Anne was doing her job and keeping that buffoon from him. He turned to his right to comment on the full house to his closest companion and stopped.

  His expression immediately darkened as he beheld Charles Bingley’s face. He knew that look. Charles’s attention was locked on the stage, although Darcy doubted he was listening to the music. “Charles!” he said loudly into his ear.

  Bingley broke away from his stare to focus on his friend.

  “What do you think?” Darcy demanded.

  Charles’s face broke into a huge grin. “She’s an angel.”

  Darcy looked up to the stage to see who the object of worship was this time. For once he was not disappointed. The subject of Charles’s rapt attention was the singer. Of course, Darcy generally didn’t think of angels as wearing white leather corsets, but she was quite beautiful. Tall and slender, she moved with an easy grace as she sang. Under the corset, she wore a pink filmy skirt that exposed her shapely long legs. Her hair was elegantly arranged into an almost ’40s-style arrangement and in a most intriguing shade of pink. Her features were stunning, with large blue eyes and high cheekbones. Her expression was pleasant, and Darcy was impressed by her ability to interact with the crowd watching her.