In Want of a Wife Read online

  “I told you I’m fine living with you for a while, if you need me to.”

  “I know you said that. But you’re a grown man, and you shouldn’t have to live with your old mom. I’m really fine. I can navigate the house now without weeping over everything that reminds me of your dad. You’re doing enough by moving here and helping with the business. You don’t have to live with me too. So move into Pemberley House with Charlie. It’s time.”

  Despite his assurances to his mother, he was relieved at her pressure. He was willing to do what he needed to help his mother, but he’d be much more comfortable if he could once again have his own place. “Okay. I will.”

  “I know you loved your old apartment, but Pemberley House is something special. I’m so glad Charlie’s family has a unit there and he was looking for a roommate. You’re going to love it.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  “Your dad and I looked at buying a unit there when they went on the market, but we decided we’d be happier in a house. But the building and estate are gorgeous. And I don’t think it’s all old people living there either.”

  “Uh-huh.” Pemberley House was a historic mansion on a large piece of property in Abingdon that had been converted into condos ten years ago. His friend Charlie’s parents had bought a unit as soon as they’d come onto the market, planning to use it when they retired, but Charlie had recently gone through a painful breakup with his girlfriend of five years, and he’d needed a new place to live. Since the condo was sitting empty, his parents had offered it to him.

  Vince was happy to share the place with Charlie for a while, but he could well imagine the other tenants of the building. The prices were too high for most young people. Nearly all the homeowners were retired couples and middle-aged professionals.

  “There are some young people there.” His mother slanted him a mischievous smile. “Your little friend lives there.”

  “My little friend?” He really had no idea who she was talking about.

  “Liz Berkley.”

  He gave a jerk. “She lives there?”

  “Yes. Her family owns a unit. She’s living in it with her older sister right now. So you should have plenty of opportunity to get to know her.”

  “Oh.”

  He told himself that wasn’t an important piece of information. Liz held no particular interest to him, other than being vaguely annoying.

  But his body didn’t seem to understand that fact. His blood was pumping with excitement.

  His heart didn’t understand it either.

  It was beating way too fast.

  Two

  LIZ HAD SPENT HER TWENTY-five years surrounded by beautiful things, so there was no reason for her to be so consumed by the lingering memory of Vince’s handsome face and fine body.

  She couldn’t get him out of her mind.

  Those broad shoulders. Big hands. Wry gray eyes. Mobile mouth.

  She kept seeing them for the rest of the day, and every time she visualized him, she got excited all over again.

  She would have gotten over it quickly. She was sure of it. She wasn’t the kind of woman who acted this way about men, even very handsome and incredibly sexy ones. But she wasn’t given the chance to forget about Vince.

  She nearly collided with him on Thursday evening, stepping onto the elevator in her own building.

  Pemberley House had been built in 1895 by a millionaire named Edward Knightley, who wanted to indulge his new wife. The original mansion had twenty-five bedrooms, a grand ballroom, and fifty acres of gardens surrounded by a stone wall. The property was passed down through each generation of the Knightleys, despite the fact that its upkeep ended up bankrupting the family. Finally, ten years ago, its current owner gave up at last and converted the mansion into twelve different condo units, each one unique and beautiful and quickly snapped up by local families, including Liz’s own.

  She and her older sister, Jane, lived in the southeast, upper-floor unit. The other residents were older couples or middle-aged professional women. The only unmarried men at Pemberley House were sixty-five-year-old Mr. Woodson and the only surviving Knightley, a thoughtful, competent man who lived in a detached cottage and managed the property.

  Liz had no idea what Vince was doing here, stepping off the elevator that had been installed when the mansion was converted. But it was definitely him.

  Exactly as she remembered with his steel-gray eyes, his lean, athletic body, and his sober, slightly arrogant expression.

  She had her arms full of bunches of flowers since her mother had overdone the decorations at the luncheon she’d hosted earlier that day and Liz had offered to take the leftovers. She couldn’t see well over the tops of the tulips and hydrangeas she carried, and she started to step onto the elevator as soon as the doors slid open since most of the residents took the stairs.

  She made a little exclamation of surprise as she almost ran into the man stepping off, and then she gaped for a moment as she took in his appearance.

  Vince.

  Every bit as unjustly handsome as he’d been this morning.

  When she’d never expected to see him again.

  Her response was like the afternoon she’d found a Chippendale table for sale at a flea market for ten dollars. Exactly the same rush of excitement, thrill of unexpected delight, wave of visceral appreciation.

  What was he doing here?

  And why did she still find him so unbelievably attractive?

  He was now dressed in jeans and a blue-gray T-shirt that was slightly damp with sweat spots, despite the fact that it was a coolish spring evening. The sweat did nothing to make him less sexy.

  “I’m so sorry,” Liz said when she’d recovered enough to make her voice work. “I didn’t see you there.”

  She smiled at him, determined to be pleasant despite their rivalry that morning.

  He paused and reached back to hold open the elevator doors so she could get on, but nothing close to a smile passed across his expression. He didn’t reply with words either.

  Rattled by her response to him and by his lack of response to her, Liz fumbled with her armful of flowers in an attempt to hit the button for her floor.

  Evidently understanding what her awkward maneuverings were aimed at, Vince reached over to press the button for the second floor. Pemberley House was three floors, and the six upper units were all two stories each.

  “Thank you,” she said with another smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you visiting someone?”

  It didn’t speak well of her—at all—but her initial feeling at this thought was jealousy. Jealousy. That Vince had been visiting Em or Anne or another of the single women who lived here.

  She didn’t want him dating any of her friends. Despite his obnoxious character, part of her wanted him for herself.

  He made a slight gesture of his head that might have been a shake, like his answer to her question was no, but again he didn’t use any words. His gray eyes were on her face as the elevator doors closed, but there was still no hint of a smile.

  “What the hell?” she demanded to the empty elevator as it started to ascend.

  What kind of man didn’t bother to answer a direct question or not smile in response to a friendly greeting?

  Definitely not a very nice one.

  He might be handsome, but that was clearly all he had going for him.

  This morning obviously hadn’t been an aberration for him. It was his normal character.

  If Em or Anne or anyone else wanted him, then they could have him.

  She preferred friendly people.

  When the elevator reached her floor, she hurried to the front door of her unit. She let herself in and immediately realized that her sister and friends were all out on the terrace.

  Ever since she and Jane had moved in, they’d had a regular Thursday-night ritual with Em and Anne. Since Liz was later than normal today, the others had started without her.

  She dropped the flowers onto the marble-
topped island and then made her way out through the french doors and onto the terrace, where Jane and her two friends were gathered around the wrought iron table.

  “I ran into a very rude man in the elevator,” she announced as she pulled an empty chair back from the table. “He was at the estate sale this morning. He was rude then, and he’s still rude now.”

  The others all laughed, proving they knew exactly who she was talking about.

  “He hasn’t said hi or smiled or anything,” Em said with a shake of her pretty blond head. “Even though he’s walked from the parking lot six times now and has obviously seen us sitting here.”

  “Six times? What’s he doing?”

  Em poured their favorite pink champagne into a glass and handed it to Liz. “He’s moving in.”

  “Moving in?” Liz felt that rush of excitement again, even though most of her mind had already decided that she didn’t like Vince at all. “Who’s he moving in with? The only empty unit is—”

  “The Fieldings.” Em was a year older than Liz, but they’d been friends for most of their lives. She was the only daughter of a rich, indulgent father, and so she was used to getting her way and taking control of conversations, events, and situations. But she had the biggest heart Liz had ever known. “Their son, Charlie, is moving in. He’s had a painful breakup with a long-term girlfriend, so he needs a new place to live. And evidently he’s gotten himself a roommate.” She paused for effect. “A Darcy roommate.”

  “Darcy?” Liz’s gaze flew to Anne, who’d dated one of the Darcy sons in college. But it couldn’t be this man. His name hadn’t been Vince.

  “Not Robert,” Anne said quietly. “He’s still in the Navy. This is Vince.”

  Liz tried not to be relieved, but she was. It was completely irrational, but she didn’t want Anne to have emotional ties to Vince. He might be obnoxious, but he felt like hers. She didn’t want him to be Anne’s.

  “He’s the older one.” Jane managed to get a few words in before Em answered again. Jane was twenty-seven and had always been prettier and more popular than Liz—with the slim build and dark, silky hair that her mother and Riot also had—but the two sisters were very close and had lived together for four years now. “Em talked to his mom earlier today and got the whole scoop.”

  “What’s the scoop?”

  Em cleared her throat, taking control of the conversation again. “He’s twenty-nine. He worked in the finance department for some superstar company in Blacksburg for a long time, but he’s moved backed to help his mom with the store, now that his dad has died.”

  Liz’s chest contracted strangely. “Oh. I guess that’s pretty nice of him.”

  “Mrs. Darcy is afraid that he’s only doing it out of duty. That it’s not what he really wants. Maybe he’s been pouting or something—I don’t know. She’s obviously worried about him. But she thinks it will be good for him anyway. She says he needs a wife.”

  Experiencing that same sudden tightening of her chest, Liz managed to keep her tone light. “If he’s going to move back to help her, he should do it willingly and not be resentful about it. And I’m not sure why she thinks he’s going to settle down just because she wants him to. He looks like the kind of guy who’s going to do exactly what he wants.”

  “That’s what I think too, but if he’s here, she’ll be able to keep her eye on him. She was even hinting that I would be a good match for him, but I had to tell her that I’m not planning to get married.” Em had dated in college, but she hadn’t dated since. She had plenty of money and plenty of friends and a job working for the local newspaper. It hardly paid anything, but it gave her something to do. She had thousands of followers on Instagram. She’d always claimed to be perfectly happy without a romantic partner, and as far as Liz could tell, she’d meant it. “But I’m thinking one of you might be a good match for him. I told Mrs. Darcy I’d see what I could do.”

  Liz met Jane’s eyes with a smiling shake of her head and then turned to Anne, who was the quietest of the four of them, exchanging with her a similarly amused glance.

  Best to make light of it, rather than let herself feel what she’d first felt at the idea. Resistance. She didn’t want Vince to be paired up with anyone else.

  But she also didn’t want any of her friends or sisters to know that she’d had such a strong reaction to the man. She’d be teased to no end, and then they’d probably embarrass her in trying to get them together.

  She could just picture Vince’s cool, lofty glare at her friends’ indiscreet matchmaking attempts.

  She wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “It might be weird for Anne,” Em pronounced in her normal confident tone, “since she dated his brother. He’ll do for Jane or Liz though. And just think, if you married a Darcy, then maybe your families could go through with the merger of the two companies and you wouldn’t always be worried about money.”

  “Not worrying about money would be nice, but that guy is too cool and intimidating for me,” Jane said. She’d always dated warm, friendly men who were able to draw out her reserved sweetness.

  “And I could never go for a guy who doesn’t smile,” Liz added. “So he’s yours.”

  “I don’t want him.” Em swallowed down the last of the champagne in her glass with a frown.

  “Then he won’t work for any of us. His mom is out of luck.” Despite the detachment in her voice, Liz’s eyes followed the tall, upright figure as it strode quickly from the parking area to the building, carrying two boxes stacked on top of each other.

  “Maybe he’s just shy or something. Maybe he’s not as rude as he seems.” Then, as if to test her theory, Em stood up and leaned over the railing to call down, “Are you moving everything in today?”

  Liz leaned over to see that Vince had stopped on the sidewalk to look up to their terrace. For just a moment his gaze met hers over the distance but then shifted almost immediately to Em.

  Liz wondered whether he’d speak, now that he’d been confronted by a direct question. Surely even he wouldn’t be quite so impolite as to ignore it.

  “Yes,” he said curtly, starting to walk again.

  “There’s already furniture in the unit,” Em said, sitting back down with a satisfied smile. “So I guess he and the Fielding son are just going to use what’s already in there.”

  “Oh look,” Jane said, before anyone could reply to Em’s last comment. “Here’s someone else. Maybe this is the Fielding. You said his name is Charlie?”

  “Yes. That must be him.”

  The second man looked about the same age as Vince, but he had lighter hair and wasn’t as tall. He was carrying a large box.

  Em was never one to let her questions go unanswered. She stood up again and called down when the man approached. “Good evening.”

  The man stopped and looked up with a smile. “Hello there!”

  “He sounds a lot friendlier,” Jane said softly, standing up and moving to Em’s side to look down.

  “Are you moving in too?” Em asked.

  “Yes. My parents own one of the upper units, so they’re letting me use it.”

  “Excellent. We’re glad to have you in the building. When you’re done moving in, stop by to say hi. And bring Vince with you. We’re hanging out right next door.”

  “I will,” the man said with another wide smile.

  When he’d disappeared into the building, Liz waited until Jane and Em sat down before she said, “Well, at least one of our new neighbors is a nice guy.”

  “Give Vince a chance. Maybe he’s not so bad.” That was Jane, who had always been much nicer than Liz.

  “Okay,” Liz replied. “I’ll withhold my judgment until I have a real conversation with him, but I don’t hold out much hope for his being a nice guy, after what I witnessed this morning and just now.”

  “I think he’s a match for one of you,” Em said. “I’ve got a feeling about it, and you know how good my feelings always are.”

  The others laughed, and Li
z didn’t bother trying to argue.

  But she already suspected that Vince wasn’t a nice guy, and it didn’t matter how sexy he was.

  He wasn’t a match for her.

  AN HOUR LATER, THEY were still chatting on the terrace when there was a knock on the door.

  The reaction was immediate and kind of amusing. They all jumped up and ran inside excitedly.

  Since she was one of the people who lived in this unit, Liz beat Em to answering the knock. She swung the door open to see Vince’s handsome glower.

  Beside him, the other man was smiling, so Liz smiled back at him. “Come on in. I’m glad you came over.”

  It was clear in the first two minutes that Vince had been dragged over here against his wishes. He didn’t speak and didn’t smile. Just sat stiffly in the chair Liz gestured him into. His friend Charlie was a third-grade teacher, and his family obviously had a lot of money.

  Charlie loved the historic mansion and loved the well-kept grounds and loved his room in the unit next door and basically loved everything about his new living situation. He certainly seemed to enjoy having an audience of four friendly, attractive young women.

  Charlie might come from money, but he wasn’t in the slightest bit spoiled. He seemed like a really good guy. Vince was a frowning statue, and it annoyed Liz.

  Why couldn’t he make normal conversation and act like a civil person?

  Liz’s mother always told her she was too smart and mouthy for her own good. Too much like her father. She said what she thought too often, and it sometimes got her in trouble.

  She’d learned to restrain her tongue when she had to, but she felt no obligation to restrain herself at the moment. Vince Darcy was acting like an arrogant jerk when everyone had been nothing but friendly to him.

  He deserved to be punished a little.

  She leaned forward and gave him a wide smile he couldn’t ignore. “Are you happy to be moving back to Abingdon, Vince?”