"Oh man, you guys are going to love it! High ceiling entertainment room, Sauna sized master bathroom, Five guest rooms- two with walk in closets, Caroline-large marble outdoor patio, and it's in the nicest neighborhood! I've only met a few people so far but I already feel so welcome." Bing Lee sat in the backseat of the black town car, his eyes darting from the passing picket fenced houses to his two travel companions seated across from him. His face beamed with a blithely, anxious smile on his handsome jaw. Adjacent to him sat a rather surly looking young man with olive skin and dark features, hands and eyes glued to an expensive cellphone in his lap. Unlike the casual dress of Bing who wore a salmon colored plaid buttoned shirt, sleeves rolled up and blue jeans, his companion sported a white dress shirt, black trousers, suspenders, thin red tie and a serious expression.
"I'm sure it's perfectly suitable." Was his polite response although he remained fixed on his phone.
"Oh Darcy, you always did have a way with words." Teased the third passenger from beside him, a beautiful woman with a sheet of rave-black hair, sporting a navy V-neck tank top, dark skinny jeans and a smirk. She pushed her dainty manicured hand through her long locks, squinted her pretty almond-shaped eyes, furrowed perfectly plucked eyebrows and pouted. "Perfectly suitable." She mocked Darcy's deep voice, her strange expression capturing the young man's unpleasant facial composure. Bing chuckled at this, which stirred Darcy from his technology to glance to her, frown deepening.
"My sis has got you pegged!" Bing said with a good-humored laugh.
"Very funny, Caroline." Darcy said turning back to the cell in his lap, but his tone suggested he thought otherwise. His reaction stirred another laugh from the siblings.
"Oh relax, Darcy!" Caroline patted flirtatiously on the man's right knee then flipped her sleek river of hair. "You know I only jest with the highest of regard." Darcy blinked a few times irritably then opened his mouth but before he could retort Bing cut across the tension with his eager voice.
"Here we are! Rodolfo, please pull up next to the curb!" As directed the car slowed to a stop in front of a large estate surrounded by a regal white gate, complete with arches a lush green lawn, Greek style marble columns and a top balcony draped with baskets of brightly colored flowers. "Isn't it great?" Bing's voice was light with excitement and he didn't even wait for a response from his comrades before emerging to drink in the view of his new home.
"A bit over the top." Darcy muttered with his brash honesty, eyes on the grandiose property.
"I'll say," Caroline agreed from behind him and the two made their way out of the car.
"Isn't it a bit, um, spacious for you dear brother?" Caroline called out to Bing who stood at the curb with his hands on his hips and grin on his face. She approached him, pulling designer sunglasses out of her channel handbag and placed them on her eyes, partially to stop squinting in the sun's glare and partially to hide the judgment in her gaze. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable in a high-rise bachelor's loft in the city?"
"No way!" Was Bing's simple response, putting an arm around her shoulder while the other hand gestured to the mansion. "This is way better! Think of all the people I can host with this much room! More space means more guests." Caroline rolled her eyes but smiled at her brother.
"Typical Bing, always thinking of other people first."
"What's the address of this estate?" Darcy asked from beside the pair "So I can tell my assistant where to bring my things."
"Netherfield park." Bing removed his arm from Caroline and rubbed the back of his as he contemplated the land. "It apparently used to be a community park but the rec department lost funding so the government sold it to some wealthy owner of a successful cement company. He plowed over it, built this house and lived comfortably with his family for about a lifetime. He's retired now and the kids all grew up and moved out so he sold the place to finish off the years with his wife in Palm Beach."
"Ah Florida, nature's graveyard." Caroline said wistfully.
"Caroline…" Darcy chided, setting his deep eyes on her. She batted her lashes at him coyly and smirked. Although the two often had agreeable opinions, her lack of tact bothered Darcy. She did not mind his occasional scolding for she interpreted it playfully as opposed to irritation. Bing ignored the pair, grin still present on his features as he briskly began walking up the long rustic stone pathway to the house.
"What are you doing?" Caroline called after him.
"What does it look like?" Bing laughed, turning around yet continuing to walk backwards toward the estate. "I'm going to check out my new house! C'mon!" He turned back around and began jogging ahead.
"He does know we have a car with a driver…" Caroline said with a sigh but Darcy was already walking away, following Bing. She shifted weight on her heels, pouting for a moment before begrudgingly turning to the car. "Rodolfo, you're dismissed." She said with a slight bite before following the boys up the path.
"So Darcy, how long will you be joining my brother and I at Netherfield?" She inquired as she caught up to him, her heels clipping against the stone.
"I'm not sure," He confessed with a measured voice, hands in his trousers.
"Well, seeing as you own Pemberley you can really work from anywhere with a wifi connection, right? No boss to answer to in the office and all."
"I suppose." Was his curt response. They walked for a bit more before he spoke again. "I suppose I'll stay as long as it takes for Bing to get settled. Although, I'll need to fly out for the occasional meeting."
"Oh of course! Caroline's tone was flirtatious. "You are a very busy man after all." Darcy easily ignored her teasing and changed the subject.
"How about you? How long do you plan to stay with your brother?" She let out a breath, eyes finding where her brother now stood a bit in the distance at the entrance of the mansion, gesturing for them to join him as he held open the door.
"Oh, I don't know. You know Bing. He so easily makes friends yet whines when we're not around to hang out with him, even as he's surrounded by crowds of people who adore him. Like a puppy at the park. "
"He likes being around people he's close with. We both can relate to that." Darcy said simply causing Caroline to roll her eyes and smile, nudging him playfully.
"Of course. That's why we're here, isn't it?" Caroline glanced back at the shrinking neighborhood behind them, eyes narrowing skeptically. "Although I'm not sure why we're here. His medical school has a well-established branch in Los Angeles which I think is much more 'perfectly suitable' for people like us. More sunshine and beaches, less soccer moms and bake sales."
"Your brother wanted an authentic small town experience. It's his home and school after all, so his choice. Besides," Darcy glanced at her, his lips twitching up in a slight smile. "I detest the beach."
Caroline laughed. "Oh fine. L.A.s perfectly suitable for me. You'd be happy holed up in Pemberley's office typing away at your laptop and shooing people away."
"Yet here we are." Darcy replied, this time breaking out in a genuine smile as they headed up the estate's front steps.
"You guys sure like to take your time!" Bing said as they approached but his voice was pleased, showing no sign of annoyance at having to wait. "Come in! Welcome to your new home!"
"Ah yes, here we are." Caroline agreed and together the three of them stepped into their life at Netherfield.