Page 7 of A Searing Acquaintance
“He’s just wonderful!” Jane’s voice dropped. “And he’s such a good kisser. Good everything.”
Elizabeth couldn’t remember ever hearing Jane voice such strong feelings. “That’s great. I’m happy for you. You deserve a nice guy. And I have to tell you, he has great taste in real estate.”
Jane beamed. “I know! It’s so beautiful. Fitzwilliam helped him find it.” She saw Elizabeth’s skeptical expression. “How are you two getting along?”
Ah, I knew it started with an F. “He’s polite. I like his car. It was nice he picked me up. I should thank Charles for asking him to.”
“Charles didn’t ask him. He mentioned you were coming up and Fitzwilliam offered.”
“Oh.”Oh.
She stretched out her legs, wincing as she flexed the calf muscles.That’ll hurt tomorrow.
“But what’s the deal with his dog?Princess Coconut?What’s up with that name? And he told me not to feed her scraps or throw sticksfor her or let her go in the woods.” She laughed. “I’ve never had anyone give me a ‘Don’t Do’ list for their dog.”
Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. Charles asked if I was allergic because he wanted Fitz—I mean Darcy; I think everyone calls him that—to get out of the city and come here, and he won’t leave the dog.”
Elizabeth nodded and considered her words. “We all have our little phobias. I bet he didn’t share his toys, either.”
“Well, thereareticks here. And she is pretty old. Charles says that dog is the only thing Darcy really cares about. He’s given up trying to fix him up with anyone.”
Jane sipped her coffee as Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
Rich, handsome, and no wife or girlfriend? There’s a story there.
“By the way, Lizzy, where’s Brian?”
After a snack and a brief nap, Elizabeth changed into her hiking boots and headed out with her camera. She wanted to capture the waning autumn light coming over the hills and reflecting through the leaves around the creek. She clambered up and down the creek bed, snapping photos until she slipped on a bit of moss, lost her balance, and tumbled a few feet. She caught hold of a tree branch and steadied herself before lowering herself onto a boulder.
Ah, the life of a former athlete. She knew she’d overdone it by playing soccer and taking two walks without stretching first. When the weather was damp, the titanium pins in her right tibia would throb. At other times, it was her shins; whoever said shin splints were a short-term issue? Once in a great while, her knee would ache from that almost-but-not-quite ACL tear nearly two years ago. But her leg almost never hurt all over as it did now. Elizabeth reached in her pocket for her zip-pack. Years ago, her Eagle Scout boyfriend had given it to her for Valentine’s Day. He’d thought the case—containing a whistle, pillbox, collapsible water container and water purification tablets, compass, flashlight, sunblock, and bug repellent—symbolized his deep feelings for her. Elizabeth was less sure of the romance conveyed by a hot-pink pleather survival kit, but five years later, she still carried it around. She didn’t know what had happened to the eager young man she’d broken up with a month after Valentine’s Day, but his gift was indeed one that kept on giving.
She pulled out the pillbox. No ibuprofen, just Imodium and salttablets. Oh, and a Vicodin. On a scale of one to ten, the pain was at least an eight, which merited using up the last prescription painkiller in her possession. Elizabeth swallowed the pill and took a swig from her water bottle. As soon as the medication kicked in, she would feel well enough to walk back to the house. She envisioned occupying the deep, comfortable couch for the rest of the day.
“Er, hello.”
Elizabeth looked up into the shadowy autumnal gloom settling in.Oh. It’s him.“Hello.”
Darcy looked around and squinted into the dusk. “Was it a good sunset?”
“I wouldn’t know.” She gestured at the horizon. “I’m facing east.”
He nodded solemnly. “Oh, of course. Are you heading back to the house?”
Elizabeth stared up at him. “In a bit.”
He looked around. “Do you know your way back? It’s getting rather dark, and this is your first visit here. I’d be happy to?—”
“I’m fine. You can go.”
“Are you?—?”
“Yes.”
Darcy nodded. “All right then. Please be careful.” He pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket and offered it to her. “You might need this.”
“No, thanks. I have a flashlight app on my phone.”
“All right, then.”
