Chapter
Fifty-six
Meeting
Darcy’s family
Darcy
and Paige had seen each other every day since they’d reconnected. On this
particular day, Darcy, Paige and Blair decided to have brunch together. They
unpacked the picnic basket, laden with food, in the meadow near the Donovan
estate.
“It’s been great to meet you, Paige. Before
we met, my brother described you as the most talented, clever and prettiest
girl he’s ever met.”
Paige blushed and looked confused.
“Obviously, he exaggerated.”
Blair smiled, “My brother never
exaggerates.”
Darcy looked embarrassed as his sister
continued, “Great aunt Donovan is way too strict, but it’s going to be great
now that Darcy has given me an excuse to escape. Hey, you guys have to come see
my band – we’re playing in town. We just started it. Jethro – we met in a
coffee shop in town - well, he’s the guitarist. You have to meet him.”
Blair started to pack up after they’d
finished eating then dragged Paige towards the stables.
Jethro, who looked about sixteen, was making
sure the horses were fed and looked up and waved as Blair spoke.
“He looks nice.”
“Just nice?”
“Also cute,” Paige added.
“What do you think of my brother? I’ve
decided, you both make the perfect couple.”
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting you to be so…
subtle, Blair,” Paige laughed. “I mean, we’ve only just reconnected but… I like
him more than I ever thought I would. He’s… he’s amazing.”
“I know,” Blair said, “for a brother.”
Paige was taken aback and didn’t’ know what
to say as they spread the blankets out, a view of the Donovan estate surrounding
them
“In the beginning, I’m sure he’s told you,
we weren’t even friends. We really hated each other…”
“Mmm… well, he told me all about you. How
you were the smartest girl he’d ever met and how much he admired you. It took
him ages to stop talking about you once we got back to Sydney.”
“Ah yes, but he did stop.”
“Well,
everyone stops at some time. Without any encouragement it’s impossible to
continue. You should know, I don’t give my approval lightly,” Blair joked, “but
my brother is the best person I know. He really is. Ryan and his friends will
tell you he’s a player but that’s only because he hasn’t met the right girl…
until now.”
Blair looked straight at Paige and smiled as
she threw some flat rocks across the pond.
“Do you play any instruments, Paige?”
“Oh, keyboard, just a bit.”
“You should come to our practice up at the
house this afternoon.”
“Well, I have debate finals tomorrow. The two
winning teams win a prize for themselves and their university… another overseas
trip to wherever the finals are held next year, I suppose. Rumor has it, it’s
Sydney, Australia.”
“Good,” Blair said, “But you have to eat so
you and Darcy are staying for dinner. It’s so boring with just family, even
though I love them all of course. The only thing they have to talk about is me
and my scandalous career in music and if I’m eating well or if I’m depressed,
you can imagine.”
“Sort of,” Paige said.
“Good. Soon you have to meet the relatives.
Darcy can’t keep putting it off forever. Somehow he’s managed to avoid them,
until now.”
After lunch, which was delicious, the sky
covered over.
Instead of going swimming in the lake the
group decided to go back to the house. Once there, they dried off and Paige was
waiting in the library when Darcy came in drying his hair. He took Paige’s
hands.
“I hope you can stay for dinner. I have to
warn you, though. Ryan and Mackenzie said they have nothing planned this
weekend, so Aunt invited them… but I think you’ll find Mackenzie has changed
quite a lot over the previous two years… and we could always leave early. My
family are going to be… insulted though, if we don’t make an effort.”
Paige paused then said, “I better brush up
on my manners.” .
“Don’t be stupid. They’ll need to brush up on
theirs. I should warn you, they are all a bit… cray cray.”
Darcy smiled, “Apart from that, thank you for
giving me a chance to impress you again,” he smiled.
Is that what she was doing? Paige hardly
knew her own mind when she was around Darcy. His world was both weird and
intoxicating.
