Chapter 22 #4
“I am smarter,” Darcy said wryly. “I’d never make the mistakes now that I made with you last autumn.
” He climbed out of bed and pulled on an old V-neck sweater and a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants.
He watched Elizabeth don his matching pajama shirt and some polka-dotted leggings, smiling fondly at the haphazard match and thinking that soon all of her things, all of her clothes would be here.
Darcy stared at her, lost in thought, until he heard her calling his name.
“Will? Come on. Let’s go in the den.”
He noted the two gaily wrapped packages in her hands and followed her to the small room, where he switched on the gas fireplace and sat on the sofa. She curled up beside him and placed the larger box on his lap.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
Darcy pulled on the ribbon and watched it fall gracelessly to the cushions.
He glanced at Elizabeth and then began slowly tearing off the paper.
Opening a plain white box, he pushed aside the tissue.
His eyes widened as he pulled out a framed photo of himself and Elizabeth from last May, sitting next to each other at Pemberley, their heads bent together in conversation.
Another frame, underneath it, held the selfie she’d taken of them before they’d left there a few weeks ago.
He stared at the pictures, his eyes sweeping over one and then the other. He turned and looked at her. “Lizzy…”
She smiled and gestured back toward the box.
He put the pictures on the table, and after casting them a lingering glance, he dug inside the tissue and pulled out two more silver frames.
The first held his graduation photo from Cambridge—him in his robes, flanked by his father, Rich, and Aunt Catherine.
And the last showed him sitting on the grass, his arm around a young Princess Coconut.
He sat numbly for a moment before turning to look at Elizabeth, his face a mix of confusion and wonder. “How did you…? This is amazing.”
“I have my sources.” Her voice was only a touch more steady than his. “Mrs. Reynolds, Rich, and Charles all wanted to help.”
Darcy blinked, trying to dispel the stinging in his eyes.
“I haven’t seen this picture in years.” He gestured at the photo from Cambridge.
“And these…” He reached to pick up the picture of him and Elizabeth, lost in their own world before they even had a world.
“Where is this from? Who took it? It’s fantastic. ”
She laughed and reached over to squeeze his knee. “Lydia was quite handy with my cell phone that weekend. There are more.”
“Remind me to buy her a car, or ice cream, or something.” He closed his eyes before reaching over and pulling Elizabeth near. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He kissed her and whispered, “I love you.”
Elizabeth tucked herself into him more deeply. “And I love you.”
He smiled, his eyes shifting to his graduation photo. His finger traced his father. “I’d almost forgotten he was there. It might have been the last time he left the house.” He looked at Elizabeth. “Rich and my aunt engineered it, I think.”
“He was there.”
“Yes.”
“There’s one more picture in the box, honey.
” He rooted through it, finally discovering the last flat frame.
It was smaller than the others. As he unwrapped it, he noticed Elizabeth was watching him closely, her face wearing an uncertain expression.
The paper fell away, and Darcy gazed into the eyes of a five-year-old Elizabeth.
Her front tooth was missing, her bangs were askew, and her eyes were bright and curious. She’d never looked more beautiful.
“Oh God. Oh, you were just as I thought. So adorable.” His voice catching, Darcy looked at the woman beside him. Scout.
“I thought…I mean, I’ve seen your pictures and houses,” she said shyly. “And I thought, after I told you that I’d wanted to be called Scout and you kept asking about my childhood…”
“You’ve no idea how perfect this all is. It’s brilliant; you’re brilliant.” He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, trying to convey all that he felt.
“Good,” she said when the kiss ended. “It’s hard to shop for the man who has everything money can buy…”
He quieted her with a finger to her lips. “I like this so much better. Best presents ever.”
She smiled and pulled his hand away. “One more present, Birthday Boy. No cards till tomorrow though. That’s Line 8, Section 13D in the Official Birthday Fairy Guidebook.”
She reached down and picked up a flat, square box.
Still overwhelmed by his feelings, Darcy took a deep breath and unwrapped the box.
He pulled out a leather photo album, similar to the ones on the shelves at Pemberley.
His eyes widened, and slowly he opened to the first page and stared at a photo of himself and Rich sitting shirtless in the front seat of a jeep, a pair of cocky, good-looking, teenage boys.
“Oh my God. You are amazing.”
“It’s not full; I’ve just started it,” Elizabeth said quickly.
He leafed through the book, seeing pictures of himself with his father, cousins, aunts and uncles, school friends, and pets. In others, he was alone. One or two of those came from news stories, and Elizabeth had zoomed in and cropped out anyone besides him.
Nearing the middle of the book, his smile grew bigger. More Pemberley. He remembered this day, sitting poolside, smiling at someone out of camera range and lifting his glass in a toast to Jane and Charles. And finally, one of Elizabeth, distractedly gazing at him as he looked off in the distance.
“Lydia, again?”
“Yes.”
“She is definitely getting a car.” Darcy wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. “I have much bigger plans for you.”