Ayesha nodded. “Ridiculous, right? Mom refuses to change it. Why would anyone want to stay in a place named after a bunch of crying birds? Go on and put your bags in the boot.”
Ruby laughed as she dropped her overnight bag in the trunk of the car.
There was a lot of traffic as they left Manchester. Ruby wished she’d have more time to explore the city—it looked nothing like London. Maybe next time.
“Been a slight change of plans,” Ayesha said as she turned onto the highway to the countryside. “Jasmine and the girls are here. They flew in yesterday.”
“Oh my goodness!” Ruby grinned. “How did she manage that?”
“She had to get a court order to let her bring the girls overseas for her mother’s birthday. Ridiculous. Can you believe Derek is now claiming that he should get half the future revenue from her new clinic because they were married while she was in med school? I mean, he wasn’t even supporting her—Mum and Dad paid for her education. Her lawyer says there’s no chance in hell of it happening.”
Ruby exhaled. Jasmine could afford these legal nightmares, but other women couldn’t. She smiled again, thinking of that fund with her mother’s name.
“The guy is such a horse’s bum,” Ayesha continued. “I warned her back when they were dating—never trust a Derek. The name sounds too much like Dalek—oh, are you aDoctor Whofan? It’s a British thing… Anyway, Jasmine is delighted you’re joining us. You’re still the twins’ favorite auntie, by the way. I should be offended, but I think I like you better than me, too.”
Ruby laughed. Ayesha talked a lot while she was driving, unlike her brother.
“Anyway, Mumlovedthe idea of going to Lyme Park today. She should be there with Jasmine and the girls by the time we get there.”
“Oh, we’re going to Lyme Parktoday?”
Ayesha nodded. “Just made sense. Most of Mum’s friends won’t be coming to the inn until dinnertime, and she didn’t want to abandon them all tomorrow to go traipsing around a manor house. We can get some sandwiches and tea and have lunch in the garden there. Or the tea house. It’s all equallyidyllic. Then we’ll head over to the inn for the birthday dinner and more picturesque fun. Mum’s chuffed you’re joining us, by the way.” She snorted a laugh. “I’d told her I was bringing a date, but then had to admit it was you because about thirty questions followed about what you did for a living and if you’d be open to a big Indian wedding.” Ayesha rolled her eyes. “Desi parents, amirite? They are literally caricatures of themselves.”
Ruby laughed again. They were finally out of suburban Manchester, and the views around were as lovely as they had been on the train. It was making Ruby feel…lighter. Content. She couldn’t believe she was finally here.
She’d been so excited about this weekend—and now knowing Jasmine and the twins would be here, too, she was even more excited. It was going to be weird to see the girls without Rashid, but it had been months since she’d seen him. The more time that had passed since she’d left Toronto, the more she wondered if maybe their fling wasn’t as perfect as Ruby remembered. It had been over the holidays—she could have had the biggest holiday rose-colored glasses on. It was possible he wasn’t even as good-looking as she remembered. As time passed, she hoped Rashid Hakim would be nothing to her but the brother of her friends Ayesha and Jasmine, and the son of the owner of the hotel she worked in, and nothing else.
When they got to Lyme Park, Ayesha parked in the parking lot and checked her phone. “They’ll be here soon. Why don’t we wander a bit.”
It was a gorgeous, clear early spring day. They walked around to see the front of the main building, and Ruby’s heart nearly stopped beating.
This was the house.Pemberley.She couldn’t believe she was really here.
For so many years all she’d wanted was to come here. The wide-open space, the rolling countryside, and the manor house she’d seen with her mother so many times. Being in front of it now brought literal goose bumps to her skin and tears to her eyes. She wished her mother were here now, but she knew Mom would be so happy that Ruby finally made it. She wiped her eyes.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ayesha asked. “I hate the reason these places exist, but I can’t deny that I’m glad weallget to enjoy them now.”
Ruby nodded. “My mom would have loved this.” There were a fair number of other guests on the property, but that didn’t take away from the magic at all. She understood Ayesha’s point—Ruby hated that there was such a thing as nobility and people who were able to have this kind of wealth because of the luck of their birth, but she loved that all these visitors, no matter what family they were born into, were able to enjoy this space now. She couldn’t take her eyes off the view in front of her.
Ayesha picked up her phone. “They’re here. They are walking around the pond.”
They started walking on the path toward the very pond where Darcy jumped in before seeing Elizabeth.So cool.
“Jasmine wants me to bring my iPad,” Ayesha said, still looking at her phone. “The girls are fighting over hers. It’s in the car—I’ll whip back to get it. You go to the pond—imagine Mr. Darcy in his white shirt emerging like a siren… all that wetlinen…” She turned and rushed back on the path toward the car park.
Ruby shrugged and continued toward the pond. She couldn’t see Jasmine or the twins. There was a little picnic area to her right that looked like it had a lot of people sitting. Maybe they were there?
The day was almost completely without wind, so the pond was perfectly still. Ruby picked up her phone to snap some pictures. It was gorgeous. She was literally steps from where Darcy and Elizabeth first reunited at Pemberley—or at least where Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle first reunited.
“Bloody hell, I’m going tokillmy sisters,” said a voice—most definitely not Darcy’s—behind her.
She turned and saw Rashid, standing alone, wearing jeans, a flannel, a denim jacket, and his blue beanie pulled low on his head. He looked almost exactly like he did when they met, complete with the extremely annoyed expression.
Shocked, Ruby let out a snort of surprised laughter.
That made the annoyance leave his face; it was replaced by an exasperated chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we’ve been set up, Red.”
“HI, RASHID,” RUBY SAID,still laughing. She didn’t know why seeing him was so funny. Probably because Ayesha and Jasmine clearly did all this so Ruby and Rashid could reunite exactly where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth reunited. Which was equal parts charming, infuriating, and hilarious.
