Christmas with Mr Darcy (an Austen Addicts story) Page 10

  ‘You’d better take him through to the West Drawing Room right away before Mrs Soames finishes him off,’ Adam said with a wink.

  Dan nodded and the traitor was led away.

  Adam continued his search through the rucksack, placing items onto the side table in the hallway.

  ‘One gold watch,’ he said, handing it to Robyn.

  ‘Thank goodness!’ she said.

  ‘A silver cross?’

  ‘That’s mine!’ a young woman stepped forward to claim her missing necklace.

  ‘And-’ Adam rooted around, surfacing with a little ring box which he opened. He gave a long low whistle. ‘A rather lovely antique diamond ring. Who’s is this?’

  A few guests moved forward to take a look but nobody claimed it.

  ‘No sign of the first edition?’ Dame Pamela asked anxiously.

  ‘I’m afraid not,’ Adam said, placing the unclaimed ring on the table and checking the side pockets of the rucksack.

  ‘Pammy?’ Dan’s voice called from the West Drawing Room.

  Dame Pamela walked across the hallway and disappeared into the room. Everyone waited and, a moment later, there was a cry and Dame Pamela emerged, a gigantic smile on her face.

  ‘It’s the first edition!’ she said. ‘He had it hidden in his jacket!’

  Everybody cheered and Warwick made the most of the moment and pushed his way through the guests. ‘Adam?’ he said.

  Adam looked up from the rucksack which he was still searching through. ‘Yes? You okay? You look a bit washed out.’

  ‘That ring box – the red one.’

  Adam’s eyebrows rose. ‘Is that yours?’

  Warwick nodded, glancing quickly behind him to check that Katherine wasn’t watching.

  ‘Ah!’ Adam said with a knowing smile as he handed him the box. ‘Very nice.’

  Warwick quickly placed the ring box in his jacket pocket and then jumped as Katherine’s arm snaked around his body.

  ‘You were fabulous out there with Dan,’ she said.

  ‘Was I?’

  ‘Like a hero from a Lorna Warwick novel,’ she said, smiling up at him.

  He grinned. ‘You’re so wonderful,’ he told her. ‘Come on. I’ve got a surprise for you.’

  ‘What, right now?’ Katherine said.

  ‘Not that kind of surprise!’ he said with a laugh. ‘It’s much better than that.’

  ‘Really?’ Katherine said. ‘This I’ve got to see!’ And the two of them left the crowd and headed up the great staircase together.

  Roberta flopped down into an armchair by the bedroom window. ‘I’ve never been so relieved in all my life!’ she said.

  Rose had picked up the three volumes of Pride and Prejudice and was flipping through the pages. ‘So what edition is this, then?’

  ‘I have absolutely no idea,’ Roberta said. ‘I’m only glad it’s not the first.’

  ‘But it looks really old. It’s probably still worth tens of thousands of pounds.’

  Roberta gulped and stood up. ‘We have got to get it back to the library – right now!’

  The two of them left the room, the three old volumes hidden in the hessian bag once more. Most of the guests had dispersed and the sisters found themselves blissfully alone in the library. They were just about to take the books out of the bag when Higgins entered.

  ‘Can I help you, ladies?’ he asked, eyeing them with suspicion.

  ‘No, thank you,’ Rose said. ‘Well, actually, there is something you might be able to help me with but you probably don’t know the answer.’

  ‘What is it, madam?’ Higgins said. ‘I tend to know the answer to most questions.’

  Rose nodded. ‘The portrait in the hallway?’

  ‘Of Dame Pamela? It was painted in 1977 by Robert L Sheldon.’

  ‘No, not that one – the other one,’ Rose said, skilfully leading Higgins out of the library.’

  Roberta waited a moment until they were out of sight and then dived into the bag. One, two, three volumes – all neatly back on the shelf. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as Rose came back in.

  ‘I hope you’ve done it.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Roberta said. ‘Now, get me out of here. I don’t want to see another old book as long as I live!’

  Chapter 17

  Warwick swallowed hard. The time had come. He turned to Katherine and steeled himself. He was making the right decision. He knew that. He’d never loved anyone in his life as much as Katherine and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  ‘So, what’s this surprise then?’ she asked crossing the room and closing the space between them.

  ‘You know I said I’d left your Christmas present at home? Well, I didn’t.’

  ‘You found it?’

  ‘No, Adam found it – in Jackson Moore’s rucksack.’

  ‘Jackson Moore stole my Christmas present?’ Katherine said indignantly.

  ‘But we’ve got it back - only the paper’s gone so I’m afraid you can’t unwrap it.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Merry Christmas, Katherine.’

  As soon as Katherine saw the tiny box, she gasped. There was only one thing a box like this could hold and that was a ring. She looked up at Warwick.

  ‘Open it,’ he said.

  Her fingers shook as she opened the box. It was a beautiful diamond ring – its single stone almost smoky with age.

  ‘Do you like it?’ Warwick dared to ask.

  ‘Warwick – I love it.’

  ‘Because I can get you a modern ring if you prefer. Only I found this amazing place which specialises in antique jewellery and this is Georgian. Well, the guy said it was Georgian. Maybe it’s just old, I don’t know.’

  ‘No, it’s Georgian,’ Katherine said. ‘Warwick, is this what I think it is?’

  He smiled hesitantly at her. ‘I’m not going to tell a lady which finger to wear a ring on but I’m hoping – very much – that you’ll wear it on this one.’ He picked up her left hand and kissed her ring finger.

  ‘Oh, Warwick!’

  ‘Katherine, will you marry me?’

  Katherine’s eyes glittered with tears. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll marry you.’

  They kissed and then they hugged and then they cried and then Warwick placed the ring on Katherine’s finger, his hands shaking with excitement.

  ‘It’s so beautiful,’ Katherine said.

  ‘No, you’re so beautiful,’ Warwick told her, ‘and I love you so much.’

  ‘I love you too,’ Katherine said and they kissed again.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Warwick asked a moment later.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Katherine said, blinking her tears away.

  ‘Are you sure?’ He stroked her hair and gazed at her. ‘You look,’ he paused, ‘a bit dazed!’

  Katherine laughed. ‘I am,’ she said. ‘I never thought that you were planning this. I thought-’

  ‘What?’ Warwick said, his head cocked to one side.

  ‘I thought you were up to something.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said, ‘but you were making me anxious and I didn’t know what to think.’

  ‘Katherine!’ he cried. ‘You know I wouldn’t hide anything from you – nothing terrible, anyway! You must know that by now.’

  She nodded. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, trying to banish the insecurities of her past.

  ‘But I had to hide this from you because it was a surprise!’ he said.

  ‘I know!’ Katherine said.

  ‘And it was a good surprise, wasn’t it?’ he asked, a tiny smile on his face.

  ‘It was the best surprise in the world,’ she said.

  ‘Good,’ he said and they kissed again.

  ‘Hey,’ Katherine said a moment later, a huge smile on her face, ‘maybe Dame Pamela will let us get married here!’

  Warwick laughed. ‘A wedding at Purley?’ he said. ‘What a wonderful idea!’

  Jackson Moore hadn’t
said a single thing since being shoved unceremoniously into the West Drawing Room an hour ago. Dan and Adam were standing guard, watching as their prisoner sat hunched in the corner of the room, muttering incomprehensibly to himself and occasionally stroking his moustache. Higgins had brought in tea and scones but he hadn’t touched anything.

  Dan looked at his recently-found watch. ‘Well, the police should be here at any moment.’

  ‘They said they were coming by road?’ Adam said.

  ‘Apparently, the roads aren’t as bad as we think outside Church Stinton but this last stretch is pretty hairy and we might have to walk him down the driveway.’

  Adam nodded. ‘I used to want to be a policeman when I was about four.’

  ‘Me too,’ Dan said and they grinned at each other. ‘Listen, I’m going to ring the hospital again to check on Doris. Will you be all right keeping an eye on our fugitive for a moment?’

  ‘Sure thing,’ Adam said. ‘If he tries to steal those scones, I’ll call through for assistance.’

  Dan saluted him and left the room.

  Dame Pamela, Robyn, Cassie and Benedict were sitting in the library by the fire when Dan entered.

  ‘I’ve finally been able to talk to someone at the hospital,’ he said. ‘Doris is going to be fine. She did have a heart attack but she’s stable now and her family has been contacted.’

  ‘Oh, thank goodness!’ Dame Pamela said.

  ‘Poor Doris! This is one Christmas she’ll never forget,’ Robyn said, kissing the top of Cassie’s head as Dan joined them by the fire.

  ‘It’s a Christmas none of us are going to forget,’ Dan said. ‘And there’s news from the police too,’ he added. ‘Apparently, Jackson Moore’s got previous charges against him. It seems he goes from conference to conference preying on unsuspecting victims.’

  ‘So, he wasn’t a Janeite after all,’ Robyn said. ‘I was talking to Mia and Kay and we were all suspicious about him.’

  Dame Pamela shook her head. ‘I still can’t believe he thought he’d get away with it. It was badly done, wasn’t it, Higgins?’ she said as her butler entered the room.

  ‘It certainly was, madam.’

  ‘Yes, he shouldn’t have picked on Jane Austen fans,’ Robyn said. ‘He met his match this time.’

  Dame Pamela smiled. ‘He most certainly did.’ Her gaze settled on Benedict and she let out a long sigh. ‘And I owe somebody an apology,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry I suspected you, Benedict.’

  ‘All in the past, Pamsy,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘I was just so confused by everything and, well, you must admit that we don’t see you very often.’

  He nodded. ‘I know and that’s something I was trying to make amends for.’

  ‘Really? That’s why you’re here?’

  Benedict gave a funny little cough. ‘Well, I – erm – I had a bit of a scare recently.’

  ‘What sort of a scare?’ Dan asked.

  ‘A medical scare,’ Benedict said.

  ‘Oh, god! Are you all right?’ Dan said.

  ‘I’m absolutely fine,’ Benedict said. ‘Had a spot of cancer but it’s all fine now,’ he said, casually waving a hand, as if it might have been a common cold he’d caught. ‘Only these things make a chap think, don’t you know, and I realised I wasn’t spending enough time with the people I love most in the world.’

  ‘Oh, Benedict! You know you’re always welcome here, don’t you?’ Dame Pamela crossed the room and Benedict stood up to receive her hug. ‘You should have told us!’

  ‘I don’t like to worry anybody,’ he said.

  ‘But that’s a big sister’s job – to worry about her little brother.’

  Dan stood up and gave Benedict a hug too. ‘You’re sure you’re okay?’

  ‘Never better, Danny boy. Never better.’

  Dan took a deep breath. ‘Good heavens! What a day. How’s about a drink, everyone?’

  ‘How’s about some mulled wine?’ Dame Pamela said.

  Higgins went off to fetch the mulled wine, bringing back a large silver jug and four thick glass goblets.

  ‘This is certainly one conference that shall go down in the history of Purley Hall,’ Dame Pamela said as she gave her ruby earrings a little tug and thanked her lucky stars that none of her jewels had seen the inside of Jackson Moore’s pockets.

  ‘I hope it hasn’t put you off running them,’ Robyn said, worried in case Dame Pamela was leading up to saying just that.

  Dame Pamela finished her mulled wine and held her glass out to Higgins for a refill. ‘Of course it hasn’t, my dear. Jane Austen fans are made of strong stuff. In fact, I was just thinking of an Easter conference. What do you think? Perhaps we can discuss it after a little bite to eat. Higgins? I think mince pies are in order, don’t you?’

  ‘Certainly, madam,’ Higgins said and he left the room forthwith.

  An Interview with Victoria Connelly

  Did you always want to be a writer?

  Absolutely! I used to make up my own versions of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories and I started writing my first novel when I was fourteen – bashing it out on a manual typewriter with a bottle of Tipex by my side, and giving it to my friends to read during maths lessons at school.

  What inspires you to write?

  Everything. I’ve been inspired by all sorts of things like films, stories told to me by friends, my fears and my obsessions – I’ve even been inspired by junk mail. I have so many ideas for future books that it’s quite scary but also very exciting. I love that inspiration can come from all sorts of things and that it can happen at any time and anywhere.

  Where do you write?

  We recently moved to a cottage in rural Suffolk and I have my own study at long last! It looks out over a little garden to fields full of horses. It’s lovely and quiet and it’s lined with books and lots of photographs and paintings. I absolutely love it.

  What's a typical day like as a writer?

  I aim to about 1,000 words a day and, if I achieve that, I tinker around with my website, Twitter and Facebook, answer emails and read.

  I also love to potter around the garden with our hens and go for lovely walks with our dog to rejuvenate the imagination.

  If you weren't a writer, what would you like to do?

  I’d probably like to work in conservation – taking care of animals, the countryside or old historic buildings. Or maybe something in the film industry. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to work in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop!

  What sort of books do you like to read? Do you have a favourite author?

  My favourite novel is HE Bates’s The Darling Buds of May – a lovely romantic comedy about a family who live in rural Kent. I also adore Miss Read’s Fairacre books, and anything by Sophie Kinsella, Amy Tan and Rosamunde Pilcher. But I’ll occasionally break from women’s fiction and read a thriller. I love Scott Mariani’s Ben Hope books and the novels of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

  What do you think of social media? Are you a fan of it?

  I have to say that I love Facebook and Twitter. You can find me on both (@VictoriaDarcy on Twitter) and I’m forever posting up photos on Facebook. This is, of course, a terrible distraction from the actual business of writing but it’s also wonderful to connect with readers and I feel like I’ve made so many friends.

  What was the inspiration behind your Austen Addicts books?

  I’d been visiting lots of Jane Austen locations including her home in Chawton, Hampshire and I kept thinking how beautiful these places were and how much fun it would be to write about them and the idea for the trilogy came very quickly. It would be three separate books about three sets of Austen addicts and each would be set in a different Austen location. So A Weekend with Mr Darcy is set in Hampshire, The Perfect Hero (Dreaming of Mr Darcy in the US) is set in Lyme Regis, and Mr Darcy Forever is set in Bath.

  I also wanted to explore what it was like to be an Austen fan in the twenty-first century and how so many o
f us use Austen to escape from the stresses and strains of the modern world.

  Do you have a favourite character from the trilogy?

  It’s really hard to choose just one character because I love them all even the dreadfully bossy Mrs Soames! But I do have a special affection for Katherine and Warwick because it was their story that came to me first. Dan Harcourt is also a favourite of mine – he’s the hero I’d be most likely to run away with!

  Which is your favourite Jane Austen novel?

  It’s got to be Pride and Prejudice for its warmth, its wit and its love story. Not only does it have the best hero and heroine ever but there’s a cast of fantastic ‘love to hate’ characters too. Mr Collins and Lady Catherine have got to be two of literature’s greatest creations.

  Do you have a favourite film or TV adaptation of an Austen novel?

  I think it has to be the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice because Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle give such wonderful performances as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet and there are some magical moments like Mr Darcy watching Elizabeth when she is at the piano; the moment he helps her into the carriage and their hands touch; and Elizabeth’s mortification when she bumps into him at Pemberley. I also adore the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion staring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds.

  What’s next from Victoria Connelly? Can we expect any more Austen Addicts books in the future?

  Well, never say never! I am toying with the idea of another novella because, at the end of Christmas with Mr Darcy, there’s a marriage proposal and I would love to revisit Purley Hall for a summer wedding.

  In the meantime, there’s another romantic comedy coming in 2013 called Wish You Were Here. I’ll also be teaching a special one-day course for budding novelists at beautiful Assington Mill in Suffolk. The course is called ‘Novel in a Day’ and I’m really excited about it.