The Delany Bennets by Desiree Kannel

Author:Desiree Kannel [Kannel, Desiree]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: 2023-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

By now, Dr. Darcy’s behavior should not surprise her, but Lizzy hung up the phone, puzzled by the call. She had agreed to meet him, mostly out of curiosity. He used the words “urgent” and “private” making her think it had something to do with Jane. Lizzy sat at her desk, staring at the door, debating whether to contact Jane. Could something have happened at Netherfield that morning? Or perhaps he wanted to apologize—or explain—his behavior from Monday night? She gathered her papers and sighed. Only one way to find out. At the last minute, she shoved the Y2K folder into her bag, thinking that if their conversation veered into hostile territory, she could pivot into something neutral.

The other interesting thing about his call was that he suggested they meet in the Ancestors Garden. It surprised Lizzy he even knew about it.

He stood up as she approached, and she noticed a leather satchel on the bench and a gym bag on the ground. She assumed that he, like her, would head home afterward. As she got closer, she noticed the satchel was older and well-worn, like a child’s cherished teddy bear.

“Thanks for meeting me on such short notice,” Darcy said with a quick nod of his head. Lizzy, still unsure, nodded in return. “You caught me before heading home,” she said. She sat down on the bench and placed her bag on her lap. He sat down next to her, his bag in between them.

“Home to Longbourne?” he asked.

Lizzy chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the only home I have. Right now, at least.”

He turned to her quickly. “Are you thinking about leaving, moving out soon?”

Lizzy blinked at the direct and personal nature of the question. “Maybe? Why, may I ask?”

Darcy shrugged. “It seems like that’s a Southern thing; a family’s grown daughters staying at home until …”

“Marriage?” she laughed. “I don’t know if it’s a Southern thing, but the situation suits Jane and I just fine for now. Longbourne is big enough that we don’t run all over each other. It’s conveniently located plus …”

“Plus what?”

“Plus, it suits us financially, if you must know.” She was growing impatient. “Is that why you called to see me? To discuss my living arrangements?”

“No, I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head. “It’s been a long day.”

She agreed. “So, how was your first day of instruction? I hope you weren’t disappointed.”

“Of course not. Why would I be?”

Lizzy shrugged. “Oh, you know. Some people seem to harbor a below-average view of Black colleges.”

He smiled. “Don’t let my Aunt Catherine hear you say that. She graduated from Howard and is forever grateful to them and all the other HBCUs. Howard wasn’t the only university willing to accept her, but she says it was the only one that treated her as a serious student. She’s been loyal to them ever since.” He nodded his head towards an abstract sculpture about 20 feet away. “In fact, I was thinking about talking to her about donating a piece from our family’s collection to add to the sculpture garden here.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.