Page 49 of A Searing Acquaintance
“She was close to the Steinbrenner family, wasn’t she?”
“Yes,” Darcy replied, a gentle smile on his lips. “She and Jenny Steinbrenner were college roommates at the University of North Carolina.”
“A Southern belle,” said Joe. “That explains her grace.”
UNC? A Tar Heel?For a Fitzwilliam?This was not what Elizabeth expected to hear. After making sure her mouth was closed and her jaw hadn’t dropped, she looked across the table at Darcy.
He met her eyes and shrugged. “My grandparents weren’t happy about it, but she wanted to try someplace different. After a year, she transferred to Columbia, and then she moved to London. She never stopped reminding them that life doesn’t begin and end with an acceptance letter.”
It was the most Darcy had spoken since before dinner. He’d said hello to Elizabeth when she’d returned from her room wearing a sundress and a touch of mascara, but she’d been immediately caught up in helping with dinner while he’d started talking to her uncle about the flat tire on his mother’s half-century-old Ford Mustang. Neither was inclined, or perhaps able, to initiate a conversation with the other.
Darcy was subdued, overwhelmed by the last few hours and the energy of so many people in his house. While always quiet, he was especially tentative in joining his guests’ lively conversation. He couldn’t recall the last time such a large group had gathered at his table. If dinner tonight was this boisterous, he could only imagine how tomorrow would be when the rest of the Bingleys and Bennets joined them.
“Well, thank goodness a piece of paper didn’t determine my life,” chortled Joe. “I was deferred and put on the waitlist at Cornell until April, when I was finally accepted. If I’d been impatient and jumped at the first acceptance letter I received, I’d never have met Madeline.”
“We were in the same class sophomore year,” Maddie explained happily. “Physics for Poets.”
Darcy’s eyes drifted over to Elizabeth, who was smiling warmly at the older couple. Her gaze shifted to Jane, snuggled against Charles, and her face softened. She must have felt his stare, for she glanced up at him. Her smile slowly faded, and she looked away. He cringed inside.Now what?
He was thankful for the distraction provided by the children. They were thrilled to eat outside under the lanterns on the sprawling deck while pretending the sound of the evening tide was actually the threatening crash of impending doom from asteroids and shark attacks. Their whispers and giggles escalated to a mock battle with their imaginary beachside foes.
“I hope you don’t mind their exuberance, Mr. Darcy,” Maddie said.
His eyes widened, and he flushed. “Fitzwilliam, please. Or call me Darcy, as Charles prefers. All right?” He smiled when Maddie nodded. “Honestly, I envy the children their imagination and sense of adventure—not to mention their energy. I’m flagging a bit.”
“Such an old man,” Charles scoffed. Then he reminded the adults to prepare well for the next day’s water fight. “We might want to keep my sisters out of the crosshairs though.”
Jane shared a bit more of their plans for the family weekend. While both of their mothers had declined the invitation, neither she nor Charles seemed terribly upset that the two wouldn’t meet until the wedding. Elizabeth wondered just what the thrice-widowed Mrs. Lynette Smathers-Bingley-Hall might be like as a mother-in-law. Complicated, at the very least.
“Oh, honey, we’ll make sure they’re both invited to the bridalshower,” Maddie said quietly. “Sylvia is always so busy, but I’m sure your mother will want to be there, Charles.”
He laughed. “Not if my sisters are in charge.” Then he frowned and looked from Jane to Elizabeth. “They won’t be in charge, right? The best man is in charge of the bachelor party, so isn’t the bridal shower the maid of honor’s job?”
Elizabeth grinned. “I don’t know. Playing bingo and making hats out of ribbons versus hiring male strippers for the bachelorette party… Maybe I should ask the twins which they’d rather be in charge of.”
Jane gasped.
“Don’t worry, Janey,” Elizabeth said primly, raising her wine glass. “All of your ‘lady parties’ are safe with me.” Her sister and Charles exploded in laughter.
“Lizzy! The children!” Maddie admonished while giggling.
Darcy found himself laughing as well. He hadn’t seen this bawdy side of Elizabeth Bennet in a very long time. He’d been worried that she’d be less than happy about her role as maid of honor if he were best man and thought it prudent to ask Charles whether he was sure about his choice. She didn’t appear displeased that he was sitting down the table from her, but at least until this moment, she’d been quieter than usual. She smiled and laughed and teased her cousins but didn’t initiate any conversation nor add much to what was being said around the table. Of course, he didn’t either. Thank goodness for Charles and his giddy, non-stop patter. Two drinks and the man turned into a veritable vaudeville act.
“Time for dessert, kids. Tomorrow we’re doing make-your-own sundaes, but for tonight, who’s up for ice cream cake?”
Charles and Jane each picked up a few dishes and headed to the kitchen. Darcy started to get up, but Maddie stopped him. “You stay here. I think Charles wants to do the heavy lifting.”
She picked up a few plates, set them on a tray, and glided inside. They heard her cry, “Stop it, you two! There are innocent children outside!” Peals of laughter followed and music came on.
“Going to the chapel and we’re gonna get married. Going to the chapel of love…” They could hear Charles singing. Darcy and Elizabeth both rolled their eyes and suddenly each noted what the other had done.
“Please tell me Charles didn’t program a weekend playlist full of doo-wop wedding-themed songs!” Elizabeth laughed.
Darcy smiled. “Um, we might be in trouble there. He found mymother’s record collection a couple of years ago, and he’s uploaded all of it.”
He noted the incredulous look on Elizabeth’s face. “Don’t worry. She wasn’t a doo-wop fan.”
Elizabeth returned his smile. He’d been quiet during dinner. She assumed he was dazed by the high-volume antics of her family. Her own nervous jokes, her tongue loosened by two glasses of wine, probably didn’t help. She sat quietly as the music faded and knew she should say something. Soon.
