“Did you know about this?” he asked.
Ruby shook her head, still smiling. “I had no idea you were even in the country. Ayesha said Jasmine and the twins were here at the pond.”
He rolled his eyes. “They’re in the house. Jasmine told me Ayesha needed someone to take her picture for her Instagram.” He shook his head. “I made my sisters promise they wouldn’t secretly arrange for you and I to see each other while I’m in the UK. I should have known they’d lie through their teeth. I’m so sorry. My family are notorious meddlers.”
Ruby couldn’t help it—she laughed again. And there was nothing behind the laugh but joy. For years she’d dreamed of having a family who meddled like this. “Your family is adorable. They meddle because they care.”
“Yeah, but…” He rubbed the back of his neck again. She knew that gesture. He was feeling unsure. Nervous. “You didn’t want to see me.”
Ruby looked at the breathtaking scenery around her. The perfectly situated manor house. The green lawns. The manicured garden. The pond.
She was here, in Lyme Park. The English countryside. Even Jasmine and Ayesha masterminding this meeting couldn’t ruin this moment. She waved her hand. “It’s fine. It’s actually lovely to see you, Rashid.”
His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
Ruby nodded, smiling. “We can be friends again, can’t we? I’m not Ayesha, but how about you take some pictures of me for my socials instead? I can’t believe I’m actually at Lyme Park!”
He raised a brow. “You’re not going to ask me to take my jacket off and jump in the water, are you?”
She laughed. It must be the air here up north, but Ruby was feeling lighter, happier, and more comfortable than she had in months. “I don’t know. Would you do it?”
After they took several pictures, Ruby caught up with Rashid as they walked to the house to find his family. He was apparently well settled in Toronto. He’d bought a condo—ironically, in the building next to the one she’d lived in. He had his own patients in the practice he now shared with his sister, and was working part-time in a hospital, too. Jasmine had returned to work after hiring a nanny to help at home. Rashid said he was enjoying himself in Toronto, and he had even joined the hockey rec league that Reena’s friend Duncan played in.
It sounded like Rashid and Ayesha were hanging out with Nadim and Reena a lot. And even sometimes with Marley, Nik, Shayne, and Anderson. Which was fine. Her friends back in Toronto had not mentioned that they’d seen Rashid, but she understood why. And shewantedRashid to have a social life back in Toronto. She wasn’t petty. She was the one who walked away from the possibility of a relationship with him.
They were walking with a casual foot of space and no awkwardness between them. Sure, he was still attractive, but it wasn’t weird or even sad to see Rashid again. She was so happy and relieved that this could be easy. It seemed all she needed was ten weeks to get over him.
“How about you,” he asked. “How are you liking your big move to London?”
Ruby smiled. “It’s been wonderful. I’m learning so much about the hotel industry. I’m working a lot, but that was kind of the point, right? I’ve barely left Surrey since I moved there.”
“Is England everything you hoped it would be?” he asked.
Ruby inhaled a lungful of clean country air. “It’s beautiful. I feel so… content here.”
He turned to her. His mouth was smiling, but she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. And she understood. Because she was feeling the same thing. The sadness, because them both thriving, happy—without each other—took some of the magic from the memories of what they’d had.
But that was okay, too.
“You look good,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in that color. And your hair is different.”
Ruby laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She’dgiven up on her perfect flat iron waves because London was way too damp for heat-treated hair. She’d been enjoying her natural and somewhat unruly waves now.
“Not you,” Ruby said. “You look exactly as you did the day we met.”
When they got to the house, Tara and Noor ran for Ruby, yelling “Ruby Auntie!” After hugging the girls—she couldn’t believe how different they looked after only a few months—Jasmine and Farida Hakim greeted Ruby warmly. Rashid made some snarky comments about meddling Brits never leaving anyone alone, but he was smiling. After the little reunion, they all took a guided tour of the Lyme Park manor house.
The house was lovely, but not familiar, as only the exterior was used for Pemberley in the BBC miniseries. The interiors were from some other manor house.
“We’re actually not far from Chatsworth House,” Rashid said while they were in the third sitting room with beautiful chintz wallpaper. “That’s where they filmed Pemberley in the otherPride and Prejudicemovie.”
Ruby raised a brow at him. “And how would you know about local manor houses, Mr. Proletariat?”
“It’sDr.Proletariat,” he said, smiling. “How long are you in town?”
“I’m taking the train back Monday.”
“Well, if we can sneak away from the festivities tomorrow, this trip could be your grand tour of Pemberleys.” He smiled,and Ruby saw the same mischievous sparkle that was normally in his sister’s eyes. He also sounded a lot more British here than he had in Canada. “As friends, of course.”
