for a moment and I can see his brain ticking at a million miles a minute. “Just pick the venue and Adrian and I will organize everything.” His eyes find mine. “All you have to do is buy a dress and show up on the day. I know how busy you are.”
“What’s the rush?” I ask.
His eyes continually flicker between the road and me. “Well, I’ve done it now. As far as I’m concerned we’re already married.”
Already married.
I smile broadly. Well, if that isn’t the most perfect piece of information I have ever heard.
“We’re not married, Cam.” I smile.
His hand slides up my thigh and under my dress. “It can’t come soon enough for me, Bloss.”
“You do know I love you, right?” I smile broadly.
He smiles sarcastically as he looks at his son in the rearview mirror. “Yes. Everyone in the car loves me. I’m a rock star.
“Oh, man.” Owen sighs. “He’s doing that great thing again, Mom.”
I laugh. “Yes, he is Owen.”
“Destination is on your left,” our map lady tells us, and Cameron brings the car down to a slow roll.
“Is this it?” Cam frowns as he looks up the long driveway.
I shuffle through the papers and retrieve the address to read it out.
“Yes, this is it.” He frowns as he looks around.
A long pebble driveway that disappears into the paddocks is in front of us, and it has an old letterbox with a little plaque hanging down.
Pemberley
“What’s Pemberley?” Cameron frowns.
I scramble through the papers. “I don’t know.” I read the paperwork again. “Oh, look, it’s the name of the property.” I bunch my shoulders up excitedly and Cam raises his eyebrows in surprise.
My mouth falls open in surprise. “Oh, Cam. That’s the name of Mr. Darcy’s property.”
“Pretty cool,” he mutters under his breath. We turn in to the driveway and start up the long pebble driveway that disappears up into the distance. There’re green fields for as far as we can see with huge oak trees sporadically planted throughout the property.
“This is beautiful.” I smile in wonder as I look around at the lush, green countryside.
“Oh look, Mom,” Owen calls excitedly. “Look at that huge climbing tree.”
I laugh as we keep going. “This is a super-long driveway.”
“Sure is!” he yells.
We keep going and going and going, and I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. I grab Cameron’s hand and hold it in mine. “This is so exciting, Cam.”
He smiles and kisses the back of my hand. He’s loving this. Owen and I are literally bouncing in our seats.
Finally, a house comes into view, but it’s hard to make out from a distance. “Is that the house?” I crane my neck as I try to see.
“I think so,” Cam mutters as he concentrates.
“I can’t see it. I can’t see it,” Owen calls from the backseat.
“We’ll be there soon, buddy and you can see it then,” Cam replies.
As it gets closer, coming more into focus, the car falls silent. It’s white with a green tin roof, two stories with a big wrap-around veranda. It looks like it would have been a stately home back in its day. I say back in its day because in the present time it looks absolutely dilapidated.
Cam pulls the car to a stop and we all sit and stare at it for a moment.
Wow.
Cam’s eyes flicker over to me as if scared to say anything. I swallow the lump in my throat and slowly open the car door.
I take the keys and Owen climbs out of the car, bouncing toward the tree.
“Owen. Stay with me, please,” Cam calls.
The veranda has wide floorboards that have worn through in some places. The posts have no paint left on them, and you can’t see through the windows because they’re so dirty.
“Is this safe to go in?” Cam frowns.
I shrug. “She did say that nobody has been here for ten years,” I reply as I peer in through the window. I shrug. “Come on.” I grab the keys and try to open the door, but the key doesn’t fit. I try another and another, having no luck.
“Here, give them to me. “Cam takes the keys and shuffles through them as he tries to unlock the door. I pick up Owen and put him on my hip. We turn back to look out over the property and my breath catches. It has the most beautiful view I have ever seen, with green rolling hills and mountains in the distance. There’re so many beautiful oak trees and a tranquility