Foundation of Love: The Gypsy Blessing 2 Read online

  Adding to the attraction of using this firm, Gardiner seemed to understand and respect his fastidious nature. William knew what he wanted, and nobody was going to talk him into anything else unless there was a darn good reason for the change.

  Hearing the distinctive sound he had assigned to his email inbox, he turned back to his computer. The clatter of letters dropping through the mail slot at Pemberley Manor in Derbyshire County, England, always reminded him of the happy summer vacations he had spent there while growing up. Answering several business messages first, he clicked on one from Anne. The preview of the photo she sent was too large to fit on the screen, but what—or who—was visible chased all other thoughts from his mind.

  Those eyes!

  The bells of a nearby church chimed the hour and broke William’s trance. Opening the attachment to view the entire photograph, he didn’t recognize two of the girls pictured. While he had to admit the blonde was beautiful, the girl with the emerald green eyes and the long, silky, brown hair was perfection itself. He prayed this was not the seventeen-year-old.

  Before he realized what he was doing, William had dialed Anne’s cell phone, and he heard a very sleepy, “Hello?”

  “Anne? Did I wake you?”

  “William? Is something wrong?” When he told her that all was well, she grumbled, “Of course you woke me up! When you dropped me off, I told you I was going straight to bed.”

  “I’m sorry. Everything’s fine; I just didn’t realize it was so late. Why don’t you call me when you get up. It isn’t important.”

  “Don’t you dare hang up on me! I’ll be up all night wondering why you called. Tell me.”

  He hesitated a few moments before blurting out, “I received your email... which is which?”

  “Which is which what, William?”

  “In the photo. Who is who… which girl is which…?”

  “Oh!” At least Anne tried to cover her giggle by clearing her throat. “The girl with the blonde highlights is Jane. Elizabeth has dark hair.”

  William didn’t answer right away; he was too busy swearing silently. “But you said… how old are these girls? Neither of them looks seventeen. They don’t even look like sisters.”

  “I know Lizzy doesn’t look that young, and she certainly doesn’t act it either, but she’s seventeen. Jane just turned twenty.”

  “How’d you become suitemates with these girls anyway?”

  “They grew up in Charlotte’s home town, and she thought we’d get along well. After having the ‘party animals’ as suitemates last year, we wanted roommates that took their studies as seriously as we do and requested Jane and Lizzy. You know the university won’t deny me anything within reason.” She laughed. “They fear that if I’m not kept completely happy, I’ll put a stop to the de Bourgh family’s donations!”

  William sighed deeply.

  “You still there, Will?”

  “Yeah. Sorry I bothered you, Anne. Sleep well.”

  “Good night.”

  He hit the “end” button on his phone and returned his attention to the photo that was still on the screen. The formal “Elizabeth” fit her much better than “Lizzy” though his opinion might change once he met her.

  Charlotte’s neighbors, eh? They probably couldn’t afford to go to university any other way than scholarships, William thought with another sigh.

  Even before he had been old enough to consider girls as anything more than annoying pests, Anne’s mother, Catherine de Bourgh, had already begun to badger him about what she named as his “duty to connect their ancient, noble, and superior families” with a marriage between Anne and him. The two were such good friends, it really was too bad they had never felt that way about each other. However, it could never have worked. Anne had always been like a sister to him, and she had been in love with his cousin Richard for as long as he could remember.

  Because William was the heir to the business empire that the Darcy family had built over many generations, even as far back as high school, he had been chased by quite a few girls.

  At first, innocent and ignorant of the motive behind their interest, he’d thought himself lucky. After several disappointments, William saw a pattern developing—their pursuit of him had nothing to do with him. Their attention was completely mercenary in nature, although Anne continued to insist that his looks had something to do with it, as well.

  The quest to win his affections continued once he entered university. Even though he was younger than the majority of college girls, he found they were willing to sacrifice almost anything to gain the prize of his fortune. A part of him died when he overheard the girl he had been seriously dating tell her friend that she would use her talents to make sure William never asked for a prenuptial agreement, making sure she would get a nice settlement when they divorced.

  That’s when William decided he would never find someone who could meet his requirements for the perfect woman: one who cared for him, not his money or status, and did not put up a façade to attract him. He vowed never to trust another woman so long as he lived.

  When his parents were lost in the car accident two years ago, he found there were only three women alive he could depend on—his sister, Georgiana; their housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds; and his friend Anne.

  Even before his parents were buried, the hunt doubled in intensity under the pretense of offering him comfort. Unlike those men he could name who used their “friendship” with him to obtain favors from these women, all the while promising to put in a good word with William, he cringed inside at the thought of using a woman’s greed for his own satisfaction.

  The overwhelming demands of suddenly becoming a businessman and an employer when his parents died, as well as the responsibilities of his new role as guardian to his sister, kept him so busy that he barely had time enough to sleep and eat, let alone do anything else, like date. Earlier this year, when a very popular and well-respected magazine had named him as one of the “Top Ten Most Eligible Bachelors,” he found he couldn’t turn around without gold-digging women practically chasing him down the street. Thinking of entering into a relationship with any woman left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  His cousin Richard teased him from time to time, saying that his “all work, no play” attitude was turning William into a “dull boy.” He always shrugged off the comment, claiming contentment. Truly, he had been somewhat content—right up until the very moment he first saw that photograph.

  “Seventeen!” William sighed and moved to close the message, but not before he saved the photo to his hard drive.

  ~%~

  Monday morning, William climbed into Mr. Edward Gardiner’s SUV, and the two rode out to the land that William’s father had bought a few years prior, when the local Native American group was first petitioning for Federal and New York State recognition as a tribe, and rumors were circulating that the tribe was considering opening a casino.

  William’s excitement mounted as they rode through the area that would one day be Lambton Village. Every time the two men stopped and spread out the survey map on the hood of the truck, Gardiner made notations as to where William would like to place each building.

  The most beautiful parcel of land, William intended to keep for himself, with plans to build the American counterpart to Pemberley, his estate in England. Though he did not wish a duplication of the manor house, he wanted to incorporate many of its features into Pemberley Deux.

  A multitude of fields filled with wildflowers surrounded a small lake. As William stood on the rising ground where the house would be built, his chest expanded with pride. From here, he would witness the sun rise and set over the woods that edged the property, which were guaranteed to exhibit a glorious display of color in the fall. He could see it, as if time had sped up and the seasons had changed swiftly all around him.

  “It’s perfect.” He sighed.

  Gardiner caught up to him. “You know, I’ve spent a bit of time on this land. My niece enjoys hiking, and she comes here
whenever she gets the chance, so she wanted to show it to me and my family. I hope you don’t mind, but she brought us here to picnic by the lake several times. As there weren’t any ‘no trespassing’ signs posted, we didn’t think we were doing anybody any harm. She’s a very talented architectural student, and it’s been her dream to buy this land and build a house of her own.” Gardiner looked around at the scenery. “It is beautiful here.” He hesitated. “If you’d like, when we return to the office, I can show you the model my niece is building for a school project—it’s the house she imagined for this land. It’s not quite complete, but it will give you an idea.”

  “Yes, I would. Your family may continue to use this as a picnic spot until the construction begins.”

  “That’s very generous of you, Mr. Darcy.”

  After a few more stops, the pair returned to Gardiner’s office. Gardiner seemed surprised when William asked to see the model.

  “My niece’s office is down here.” Gardiner led William down a hall.

  “I thought you said she is a student?”

  Gardiner nodded. “At the university, yes, but she has been working here part-time as an intern. Her ideas are wonderfully creative, and some have been the basis of almost as many of our firm’s designs as any of our senior architects. Actually, she sketched the hospital that I faxed over to you the other day—the one you were interested in developing further. After seeing the model, perhaps you’d like to see some of her other works. She would make an excellent addition to the team for your project.”

  Gardiner stopped at a door and flipped on a light switch. William could only stare at the model while Gardiner gave a “tour” of the grounds. Gardiner removed the roof to show William the features of the inside of the building.

  “How…?” William sputtered out, almost a whisper. “How did your niece know what I have pictured in my mind every time I think of that land? I’ve never even made a sketch of the house, and yet here it is, perfectly built in miniature!”

  Gardiner raised his eyebrows high. “Really?”

  Too choked up at the moment to say anything more, William only nodded.

  “Well, that is interesting!” Gardiner rubbed his thumb across his chin. “You see, what you described is exactly the way Lizzy works. After familiarizing herself with the type of building the client needs, she gets the feel of the land and then designs what she sees in her imagination—something that will fit in with the surrounding landscape. When she looks at your land, this is what she sees.”

  Lizzy? A shiver ran down William’s spine. How many architectural students named Lizzy can there be?

  William’s attention moved to the model once again. “There are a couple of additions I would make on the outside—a tennis court for instance—but this is almost perfect.”

  “Actually, here are the plans.” Gardiner motioned towards a drafting table behind William. “There is a tennis court.” He pointed. “Right here.”

  William nodded. It was exactly where it belonged.

  Gardiner continued. “Lizzy hasn’t had a chance to build it onto the model yet.”

  William looked over the plans and chuckled when he saw the stables were also precisely where he thought they should be. He straightened his spine and looked Gardiner squarely in the eye. “Is there any way your niece would part with her ambition to build this for herself?”

  Gardiner took in a deep breath. “As I said earlier in the day, it was just a dream of hers. While she might have eventually saved the money to buy the land, realistically she knows she will never be able to afford to build the house as she has envisioned it. I would think she’d be thrilled to know that her mansion will be built on the plot of land it was meant for.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s too bad she won’t be able to come into work this afternoon—her classes run late tonight.”

  Speechless, William only nodded once again. A photograph on the wall above the drafting table caught his eye. It was obviously a job site; Gardiner was in the picture, along with a few other people he did not recognize, and there was the beautiful face of the woman—no, girl, he reminded himself—whom he had found himself staring at for a good portion of the weekend.

  “Elizabeth Bennett,” William breathed.

  “Why, yes! Do you know her?”

  William’s heart skipped a beat. What an incredible coincidence. He cleared his throat to give him a moment to recover from his shock. “I know of her, Mr. Gardiner, but I’ve never met her. She shares a suite at university with my friend, Anne de Bourgh.”

  Gardiner smiled widely. “Ah, Anne. What a lovely girl! I’ve come to know her quite well since Jane and Lizzy met her at the university.”

  If I choose to have it built, will I ever think of my house as anything other than “Elizabeth’s mansion?” No, Mr. Gardiner, it’s good that I won’t have the opportunity to meet her.

  ~%~

  ~The following weekend

  “There he is, Anne.” Elizabeth pointed toward the door and called out, “Richie!” The other girls stood and called out, as well. It was obvious by the way he looked around Club Speakeasy that he’d heard them. Recognition dawned in his eyes, and he picked his way through the crowd, heading in their direction. The closer he got, the more anxious Anne seemed to be. As Richard drew near, Elizabeth gave her a little nudge. Anne ran into his arms, practically tackling him. It warmed Elizabeth’s heart to see both their faces light up with such joy, the same as they did every weekend when he came to visit her. It was too bad they lived so far apart. They belonged together.

  Knowing their staring into each other’s eyes could go on all night, she piped up. “I don’t know about you girls, but I think it’s rude that we don’t even rate a greeting before they start acting like they’re the only two people on the planet.”

  Richard chuckled and turned to face Elizabeth. “Hello, Squirt! The color of your kiddie bracelet clashes with your outfit.”

  Speakeasy was a dance club for anyone age sixteen and over, so everyone had to wear a colored bracelet to indicate whether or not they were old enough to order alcohol.

  “Ah, that’s better.” Elizabeth smiled brightly. She never minded his teasing references to her deficiency in age or height. “Your honorary sisters don’t rate as high as your girlfriend, eh?”

  “Honorary sisters?” Richard raised his eyebrows.

  “Yes. After you did such a wonderful job of chasing away that pest, Collin Hunsford, from stalking me the last time you were in town, you were officially declared our ‘big brother.’”

  “I’m honored, ladies.” Richard bowed slightly before holding Anne’s chair and then taking a seat himself.

  Thinking of the greasy young man whose eyes never strayed from her chest and whose conversation consisted entirely of suggestive comments and empty flattery, Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “He never bothers me when we’re out somewhere near home anymore, but in Longbourn, he does.”

  Jane shared a knowing glance with Charlotte. Charlotte said, “That’s because he knew he was safe here, so far away from Dan. Now he won’t bother you again at Longbourn, either, knowing Richie might be in town.”

  Elizabeth nodded. She had tried to forget her old friend Dan’s reaction the night Collin had hung all over her when they all attended a concert. It upset her too much. But Elizabeth was not one to stay in a bad mood for long, so a few minutes later, she goaded Richard into joining them all on the dance floor.

  Chapter 2

  ~Meryton – May 30 – a little more than 2 years later

  On the afternoon of her twentieth birthday, while sharing a celebratory slice of pizza with a group of friends, Elizabeth heard her cell phone make a sound it had not made before. Curious about the noise and surprised that she could hear it over the crowd in the restaurant, she excused herself and stepped outside to check her phone. When she looked at the screen, the displayed read *New Photo*.

  She had not seen this message previously. There were no missed calls or text message
s. The sound she had heard was not the one her phone would normally make at all. Maybe someone changed my ringtones?

  Elizabeth opened the photo album and found not one, but several new photos.

  The first was a picture of an artfully wrapped gift on the balcony outside her room. Elizabeth laughed. Someone must have sent her the photo so she would hurry home.

  The second was a photo of her family in their beautiful new home, and she could swear they were seated around their brand new dining room table, which had just been delivered last night--but they had eaten in the kitchen the night before. When could this have been taken? Her sister Lydia was pouting, probably because she had a large stain on her favorite shirt. Her mother was very upset, and her brother Tom was bending down. Jane was absent.

  The third confused her even more—it was a picture of Anne’s friend William Darcy.

  Living with a photography nut like Anne, Elizabeth had seen plenty of photos of all Anne’s friends and family, including William Darcy. Anne had even framed the full-page photo she had taken of him, which was published alongside an article naming him as one of the top ten bachelors of the year for the second time. Every time Elizabeth saw a photo of him, she was shocked to find that she ached to lose herself in the clear, crystal blue of his eyes. This time, as she stared at his image on the phone, the longing went much deeper, and an unfamiliar warmth coursed through her. It was some minutes before she could tear away her gaze.

  Since nobody knew about her secret crush on William Darcy, and none of her friends or family knew the man except Anne, Elizabeth had to assume Anne was trying to tell her that she had surprised her by coming to visit for her birthday. Maybe she was waiting for her at the house right now?