Jane and Bingley (Countdown to Christmas Book 8)

by Jenni James

  CHAPTER SIX

  Four Calling Birds

  Charles approached Jane’s house and took the steps two at a time. When he almost slipped on the last one, he decided to slow things down a bit as he approached her door. Gotta love looking like a dork as you get ready to take a hot girl out on a date. There were some days he felt like he was eighteen again, all sweaty palms and bumbling feet.

  When she opened the door with that sweet smile, his world collapsed around him. “Hello,” he said, not sure if he was capable of saying another word.

  “Hi.”

  She looked charming in a blue-and-white coat, white pants and snow boots, and a matching blue scarf and hat. Part of him wanted to call the whole thing off and stay indoors, sipping hot cocoa and staring into those pretty eyes of hers. Who was he kidding? He was dying to taste those lips again too.

  But slowly. He had to work slow and casually, or he’d never convince her he was sincere. Isn’t that what Grammy was always saying? “Treat a girl like she’s worth the wait, and you’ll keep her forever.” Jane Bennet was so worth the wait.

  “Have you eaten yet?” he asked her.

  “Um, yes, a little.” She bit her lip. “I wasn’t sure what we were doing.”

  “We’re going back to La Caille, so I hope you’ve got some room left.”

  He loved the confused look on her face. Honestly, why were they going anywhere? Why wasn’t he proposing this second and sweeping her off to Vegas and then on a romantic honeymoon?

  “Why La Caille again? I mean, don’t get me wrong—it was so wonderful—but you told me to dress like this, and I . . .”

  He grinned and pulled her out of the doorway. “It’s fine. We’re not going in the restaurant this time. Now, lock up and let’s go before I change my mind and decide to snuggle with you on the couch instead.”

  “But . . .” She pouted as she slipped the key in place, locking the door. “What if I want to snuggle all day on the couch?”

  His heart skipped a beat and then jolted to a stop. There was nothing, nothing he’d like to do more. “But you wouldn’t get your present for the day.”

  “Fine. Then let’s hurry this time because I’d love to be held by you and just talk tonight.”

  He took a deep breath, attempting to calm his rising heart rate. “You win. First, on to four calling birds.”

  Ryan, the groundskeeper, greeted them as they pulled onto the restaurant grounds. Charles had arranged for him to give them a tour. Jane might have thought the restaurant itself was beautiful, but he couldn’t wait to show her the whole property. La Caille had something like twenty-four acres spread out to call home. And this time, he was taking her to see all of the peacocks. No one knew the birds better than Ryan did, and Charles couldn’t wait to surprise her with how cool La Caille really was.

  As they toured the property, even Charles was impressed with all they had going on. Ryan showed them the delightful hidden-away cottages for rent and the winding paths, perfect for romantic rendezvous or for photos. Apart from the large lake on the property, there was also a vineyard, garden, gazebo, and of course elegant bridges, streams, and ponds. But it was the peacocks that really fascinated Jane—just like he knew they would.

  One particularly large Indian Blue peacock followed them for some time. His cheerful call was exactly what Charles hoped it would be.

  Jane caught on immediately. “Oh, so you’re my calling bird!” She grinned and reached out to pet him—they were on the cobblestone path leading back from one of the cottages. He called again, but didn’t move. Tilting his head, he blinked at Jane and waited.

  “He wants you to feed him,” Ryan said as he fished something out of his pocket. “Here. Take these dried peaches.”

  “Thank you.” Jane was all smiles as she approached the bird with her offering. “Here you go, sir.” She glanced back at us. “What’s his name? Does he have one?”

  Ryan nodded. “Not all of the birds do, but this is Taj Mahal. He’s about three or four years old, but he’s been this friendly since he was a baby. One of our frequent guests named him, and it sort of stuck.”

  “I love it. It’s the perfect name.” The bird called again, and then leaned in and quickly snatched a piece of dried peach from Jane’s hand. Soon, other peafowl were swooping in and landing around them. White, green, blue—so many beautiful colors! Charles didn’t think he’d ever seen Jane so enchanted before.

  “Oh wow! This is amazing!” she gasped as she glanced around at the fifteen or so birds.

  They called and chirped at her, and she broke apart the peaches to make sure everyone got one.

  There was something so graceful about them. “They’re rather tame. Is it because they’ve always lived here?” Charles asked.

  Ryan nodded. “That, and peafowl are very peaceful birds. They believe in harmony, more than, say, a rooster or turkey—they don’t battle that much. Instead, they prance around, showing off their feathers.” He pointed to Taj Mahal. “What you see now is nothing. By this summer, his tail will be in long and full again. Every fall, they lose their tail feathers, but come mating season, they grow back.”

  “I believe they might be the most beautiful birds I’ve ever seen.” Jane crouched down as a smaller bird cooed its way over to her legs, begging for more treats. She was able to pet his soft feathers before he scattered back a few feet. “I would love to have some of my own.”

  “They make incredible pets. Most of these birds will live thirty years easily, if they’re well fed and cared for.”

  “Really?” She giggled as a larger green peacock pushed his way through the others to coo right up at her. “I’ve never seen such friendly birds before, and I would’ve never guessed they’d still be out and about in all the snow.”

  Charles’s heart warmed as he watched the way her whole face lit up around the birds. Her wonder made him wish he’d known her when she was a child.

  Ryan shrugged. “They love the snow, and will still roost in the trees at night as long as it’s clear out. During storms, you’ll find them huddled together in some of the shelters we have around here, but mostly, they do just fine in these temperatures.”

  “My, aren’t you greedy?” She laughed as the larger male continued to nudge her hand with his head, his top feathers waving frantically as he did so. Jane looked up with her joyful grin, her eyes connecting with Charles’s. “Aren’t they amazing? I think I’m in love.”

  Right then, Charles knew he had to surprise her with her own birds. He didn’t know how yet, or when, but he vowed that Jane Bennet would have peafowl of her own one day.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Five Golden Rings

  The next morning, Charles rang Jane’s doorbell. It was still dark outside. Perfect. He’d always wondered what she looked like first thing in the morning.

  “Who is it?” she asked through the door. Her groggy voice made him smile.

  Someone was definitely enjoying her holiday without having to get up early for school.

  “Me.”

  “Ugh. Are you serious?” She groaned as she opened the door. “When you said you’d be here in the morning, I actually thought you’d wait until the sun rose first.” Yawning, she clutched her robe and stepped back into the apartment.

  “Are you saying you don’t like surprises?” he asked as he stepped over the threshold. He was careful not to tilt the package he held.

  She flipped on a light and then squinted adorably at him. Her hair was every which way, which only caused him to smile more.

  “I’ve never known a woman to be so grumpy about getting gifts.”

  “Yeah, well, this is a little excessive.” She pushed her hair off her face and attempted a sad chuckle. “Admit it. You just wanted to come here so early to laugh at me.”

  He was about to answer, but her eyes must’ve cleared enough to see him because she groaned again. “Are you kidding me? Who looks as good as you do this early in the morning? It should be outlawed.”

 
; “Well, my dear, very few women have ever seen me this early in the morning. Consider it an incredible compliment.” He pointed to the table. “Now, sit down so I can give you your five golden rings.”

  “What?” She walked over and sat. “This couldn’t wait until later?”

  “Ungrateful wretch.”

  She pouted. “I so am. But seriously, what did you expect?”

  “Exactly this.” He leaned over and kissed her pout and then pulled out the box he’d been carrying in his bag.

  “Donuts?” she asked as he set it on the table.

  “Yep. Golden, deliciously glazed donuts. See, they’re rings.” He smiled.

  “Holy cow, they smell amazing.”

  “Nah, that’s the hot cocoa.” He pulled two large travel mugs from the bag too.

  She dug into the box and melted as she took her first bite of donut. “You’re a saint. A woke-me-up-too-early saint, but a saint nonetheless.”

  “Sure you don’t mean monster? I mean, I wouldn’t want this all to go to my head here.”

  “I would laugh, but this is too good. I could seriously eat this whole box. I suggest you don’t watch.”

  “Hey! I think not.” He reached over and snatched a donut for himself. “Remind me next time to go for an even dozen.”

  “I thought this was my gift.”

  “Touché.” He nodded as he took a bite of his. “Remind me never to argue with you.”

  She took a sip of her cocoa. “Mmm… Yeah, it’s pretty fruitless to attempt to argue with a woman.” Setting her elbows on the table, she leaned forward. “Besides, it was probably your grammy and mom, anyway.”

  What in the . . . ? How could women flip conversations so easily? “What was?”

  “The other women who’ve seen you this early in the morning.” She grinned and took another bite.

  To his great mortification, he could feel his cheeks going warm. “I refuse to answer that question.”

  She giggled. “You don’t have to. I can see it on your face.”

  He was about to protest when she added, “And I love it!”

  Charles knew when he’d been beaten, and he’d also learned a long time ago—from his grandpa, actually—when it was best to keep his mouth shut. This was definitely one of those times. Instead, he leaned over too and watched those mischievous eyes of hers dance about before he smirked and took a swig of his own cocoa. Nothing was better than silence and cocoa. Nothing. Except maybe being in the presence of a pretty girl at the same time.

  The rest of the day was spent exploring and laughing and learning about each other, something that had been a long time coming. They discussed everything from books to television shows to favorite cars and dream holiday destinations.

  “I’ve always dreamed of traveling to London!” she gasped. “Are you kidding me? You’ve been twice?” She scrambled and knelt on the couch, where they’d been sitting for nearly an hour. All at once, she was as giddy as a thirteen-year-old. “What was your favorite place? Did you do a lot of touring? What were you there for?” Jane tugged on his shirtsleeve. “Come on, I’m dying to know everything.”

  Fascinated by this new side of her, he was a bit stunned. He liked her this way—there was something so real, so unexpectedly free and sweet. “I was there for business meetings both times, so I didn’t have a lot of time to explore. However, I did take one of those double-decker buses and did a quick tour around London that way.”

  “Was the city as beautiful as everyone says it is?”

  He shook his head. “It’s even more amazing than anything you’ve heard—more beautiful than anything you could possibly imagine. I think it’s one of the most gorgeous cities in the world. Very well kept, not a lot of garbage, and stunning architecture everywhere. Some of the most incredible examples of the time periods around. The British certainly take care of their history.”

  “Oh, stop! I’m so jealous right now!” She leaned against the back of the couch and grinned. “Tell me more. I want to imagine every bit of it.”

  “I’ll answer any questions you have. But first, haven’t you wanted to explore other places too?”

  Jane bit her lip and glanced around the room, and then leaned in and whispered. “You. Have. No. Idea.”

  “Why are we whispering?” he whispered back while stifling another chuckle.

  “Because no one knows this about me. And I mean no one. Not even Eliza knows how badly I want to travel.” She sighed. “And I will one day. I mean it. I’ll see everywhere—Russia and China and Japan and Australia—Oh! And New Zealand too! And Ireland and Scotland, and of course England, but Turkey, Austria, Iceland, Spain, Italy…”

  The first thing he would do once they were married was get her a passport. Every break they had, he’d whisk her away on a new adventure. He’d never felt such a need to do so much for someone else, but he’d be hung if he didn’t give her this dream of hers. And he couldn’t wait to see the joy on her face as she saw the world for the first time, as they traveled it together.

  As he pulled into his driveway, the reality that his world would never be the same after that day hit home strong and hard. Honestly, if he didn’t manage to win her hand after all this, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Six Geese-a-Laying

  Jane grinned in her bed as she closed her eyes, reliving the day she’d just had. Was this really happening? He was just wonderfully chill and fun and easygoing. And perfect. Dang it. Why did he have to be so perfect?

  When she woke up, that deliciously warm feeling that stretched from her head to her toes was still there. Lightness. Giddiness. Everything. It was all there. And she couldn’t wait to see what that day would bring.

  She’d promised to take care of Eliza’s place and water the plants—something she’d completely forgotten about when she was there a few days ago—so they agreed to meet up in the afternoon. Though to be honest, she easily could have had him over sooner. Like, right now. Why did she wave him off when he offered to run errands with her?

  But how was she to know she’d spend the whole night dreaming about him and then the whole morning missing him? Sure, he said he was in love with her, but she’d been there before, so her heart wasn’t as willing and trusting as it could have been. And it’s better to be cautious, right?

  She missed him. And the more they were together and talked, the more she could see this crazy future with him. He was making her dream of a life with him again, but this time, it was better somehow. This time, they were uncovering even more about each other than before.

  She wished she could call Eliza up and tell her everything. Jane needed some girl time, but she wouldn’t call. No matter how exhilarating her life was becoming, she wasn’t willing to interrupt the newlyweds.

  As she grabbed her purse and drove out of the complex, her cell phone rang. Her heart began to beat excitedly. Was it Eliza? Or better yet, Charles? It took a couple of tries to answer the phone, but it was her mom.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she asked as she pushed the disappointment away.

  Her mom laughed. “You sound like you’re happy. Do you have any news?”

  Jane grinned and ruefully shook her head. Her mother could fish out the most hidden secrets from anyone. And the woman was completely good at reading a situation and knowing when something fabulous was going on. It was a gift Jane certainly didn’t have. “What do you mean?” The last thing she needed was her mom to find out about Charles. She’d never hear the end of it.

  “What do I mean? I mean, you sound happy. Now stop being silly and tell me.”

  “I’m just enjoying my break from school.”

  “Mm-hmm … Your break from school that you’re spending with Charles Bingley, right?”

  Jane almost swerved the car. “How do you do it?”

  “Do what, dear? Know when my daughters are about to get married?” She laughed. “Call it mother’s intuition. And also, it helps that Marianne down the street came over to tell
me she saw you and Charles at La Caille the other night, and wants to know if you’re back on again.”

  “And how does Marianne even know Charles and I were dating in the first place? As a matter of fact, how does she even know what Charles looks like?” What in the world?

  “Hush. She doesn’t. She just described him to me, and since I saw you two sneak off one after the other at the wedding, I sort of put things together.”

  “Are you kidding me? That doesn’t even make sense.” Her mother was also the master of half-truths and exaggerations. This conversation was not going well.

  “No, I’m not kidding. Now, I’ve been recovering from all the wedding drama before Christmas, and I’ve been completely neglecting my motherly duties. So, I’m back. Thanks to Marianne. And anyway, Dad and I would like you guys to come over tomorrow for dinner. We’re anxious to get to know Charles again.”

  Jane could’ve died. “Mom, no. What you mean is, you’re anxious to start grilling Charles, and I’m not going to let that happen.”

  “Why not? He’s a big boy. Besides, if you two are going to get married—and trust me, if the man is taking you to La Caille, things are getting serious—anyway, if he becomes a member of the family, then he needs to spend time with us and get to know us. You know, so he’s comfortable.”

  “I don’t know, Mom. I think this may be a little too soon.”

  “What? You want to keep him, don’t you? This isn’t too soon at all. You’re forgetting how awesome we are, or you wouldn’t be saying this. We throw fun dinner parties, remember?”

  Jane took a deep breath. “I remember.” She also remembered how many guys she’d dated who didn’t have that much fun meeting her family. There were days when she wished she could actually say no, but then, she’d hurt her mom’s feelings, so she didn’t … but there were days.

  And Mom was in full guilt-trip force. “I’ll make lasagna. Your favorite.”