First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 34

The photos—even the painting—really had not done the house justice. Even from afar, Liz could appreciate that. She watched it as they drove, the shape of it growing from the horizon as if it had always been there and always would be. Framed by sweeping branches and meticulously manicured flowerbeds, it looked like it belonged.

A portion of the land donated for the park had been turned into a parking lot with an almost direct line of sight to the side of the house. She continued to stare at it as she stepped out onto the asphalt.

The house was large, but not overwhelming. A comforting, settling size. The stonework seemed to almost gleam in the bright sunlight, the columns pristine and white. All the exterior shutters were thrown open, though they were much too far to see inside. It would have felt like peeping, anyway. The grounds around it were manicured impeccably, with great blooms of bushes in pink and white and yellow. It was hard to tell where the private land ended and the public began, other than a few gentle signs and significant curves of the convenient pathways. Although Liz never would have imagined so—when she first heard about the sharing of the Darcy land, she had imagined huge fences and thick privacy brushes to keep the outside out—the layout of the park gave her the distinct impression that it had been purposefully designed to have as little separation between the two as possible. There were no ragged edges of finality, but seamless fusion.

When it became too... What was the word she wanted to describe her feelings in that moment? Painful? Was it painful to look at that beautiful house with its inviting land? No, that wasn't right. Uncomfortable wasn't strong enough; embarrassing was too personal. Whatever the reason, she turned away.

The rest of the parking lot was almost entirely empty, just a few stray cars in spots towards the entrance. By the sidewalk edging the park were four spots reserved for electric cars. She looked at the chargers and thought about Darcy's stupid Tesla with far less venom than usual. Following her aunt, they stepped up one after the other over the curb. Mr. Gardiner was already reading the trail map. "I can't decide—do you want a longer walk or a shorter one today?"

"A prettier one," Mrs. Gardiner requested.

"That's not helpful!" he argued with a laugh. "I suppose we'll just have to explore and find out." He folded the map up again and stowed it in his back pocket before stepping off the pavement and into the park.

They found the apparently noteworthy—at least according to Maeve—gazebo. It was down a path that snaked off from the main just beyond a few pieces of playground equipment and a swing set. The pathways snaked lazily around the shrubbery, showing off the manicured and wild nature from every possible angle. After walking for a time, they came to an area with fewer trees, the path widening into a clear space.

Liz pulled to a halt as a little sound of excitement passed her lips.

The box was long and green, built of wood, not composite, with a shingled roof. Windows were cut into the sides as well as into the double doors. It sat nestled on a tall white pole with a silver hook on the front, perfect for tying a dog's leash. There were two metal dog bowls filled with water to the side and a shiny metal label on the front declared it an official Little Free Library. Double rows of books on both shelves were easily discernable through the windows.

Grinning, Liz skipped ahead to open the doors. She ran her fingers over the spins, the sharp edges of the new paperbacks, the curves of the dustjackets on the hardbacks, and the gentle ridges on the broken spines of the older books. Her perusal paused, bringing a small grin to her face, when she passed over a particularly battered copy of Clouds Above a Kingdom. It looked very similarly worn to her own.

After what seemed to her only a few moments of silence but was actually closer to a minute, Mr. Gardiner asked in a tone that hinted at jest, "Are you ready, Lizzie, or would you like to postpone the rest of the walk?"