Chapter
Fifty-one
At
the dorm (or ‘college’ as it is known in England)
The truth is, it was more than fate, Darcy
thought, that he’d met up with Paige again.
In
truth, he’d never really forgotten her.
Paige was the first girl to ever turn him
down and make him account for himself. In some ways, it was even possible he
was a better person because of Paige.
He tried to tell himself she was more
trouble than she was worth but he knew that wasn’t true. Especially, since his
cousin, Tag Donovan, asked about her after she’d left.
“Who’s the hot girl?”
“Oh,
nobody,” Darcy said. “Just someone I went to school with for a while – in the
states.”
“Well,
if you’re not interested, I am.”
Darcy didn’t smile. He’d pretended not to
like her so his cousin wouldn’t. He was surprised how possessive he sounded
when he snapped, “I didn’t say that,” he added.
His cousin smiled. He knew Darcy. Darcy had
dated half the girls in college and they all were after his fortune now that
his great aunt had also decided to leave Pemberly (the house in Oxfordshire) to
him – on the condition he marry her adopted daughter. Darcy was having none of
it, but he liked the convenience of having family close by.
For his part, Darcy had smiled as Paige
talked. At eighteen, Paige was more beautiful than ever and she hoped, now that
both of them were in relatively unfamiliar territory, that they might even be
friends.
Their
colleges were close to each other as it turned out. Whilst Paige sat in the
downstairs café, researching past midnight, every night for a few days, Darcy
could see her from his room in the college directly opposite hers.
He thought about going downstairs one
evening and telling her how sorry he was that he’d messed up at school.
But he didn’t.
He had a better plan.
He wanted to be cooler than that.
Darcy wanted to show her his hot, new car,
his family riches. He wanted to impress her. And to do that, he’d need to get
her to agree to go out with him on a real date. That would be sure to impress
her. He picked up his cell. A telephone
call – that would be so unexpected, it might even seal the deal.
Paige was surprised to see her cell
vibrate on mute. Sure it was her family in the States she picked it up on the
third shake.
“Hi?”
“Paige? It’s Darcy.”
“Oh… I didn’t expect…”
“I know it’s midnight. I can’t sleep. Look up.”
“I know it’s midnight. I can’t sleep. Look up.”
Paige looked out of the window and saw
him standing there. He gave a quick wave – Oxford must have taught him some
manners.”
Paige waved back.
“So, um, I was wondering if you wanted
to go out tomorrow. It’s our day off and I thought I might take you sightseeing
- if you’re free.”
“Um… well, Coco has to be at a music
recital so, sure. Ok.”
“Great, pick you up outside your college
at ten in the morning.”
