Mr. Darcy Forever (20 page)

Sarah thought back to the time they’d spent together at the Jane Austen Centre. She’d watched him as he’d worked and had liked the polite way he’d dealt with people and the joyous ease with which he’d gone about his job. Each new angle he’d found had been a mini adventure – like discovering a new territory. It had been so much fun. And, of course, a visit to the Jane Austen Centre was always a treat for an Austen fan. Sarah had promised herself that she would travel light on this trip; it was something she always prided herself on. However, the temptation in the shop was just too much and she bought an armful of books and goodies including a beautiful framed silhouette of Jane Austen, a ‘Longbourn’ lip balm and a marvellous Jane Austen Festival mug.

After she was quite sure she couldn’t fit anything else in her suitcase, they left the shop and Sarah posed for Lloyd for a quick photograph on the steps outside the centre with the delightful ‘meeter and greeter’ who was dressed in full Regency costume.

‘
This is one extraordinary city,’ Lloyd said as they walked up Gay Street towards The Circus.

Sarah nodded. ‘It’s my favourite,’ she said. ‘I never tire of it no matter how many years I keep returning.’

‘
I wish I had longer here,’ Lloyd said.

‘
You’re leaving?’ Sarah said all-too-quickly. She bit her lip. She had sounded far too much like Mia.

‘
Well, my assignment is more or less complete.’

‘
Oh,’ Sarah said, trying desperately not to look at him for fear that he would see the disappointment in her eyes.

‘
But I've been thinking,’ he said as they entered The Circus, ‘I don't really have to get back. It's easy enough to download and submit my chosen photographs from the laptop in my hotel room.’

‘
Is it?’ Sarah said.

‘
And my next official assignment isn't until next week.’

‘
Right,’ Sarah said, trying not to get her hopes up.

‘
So, I've been thinking of staying on in Bath.’

‘
You have?’

He nodded, a little smile playing around his mouth. ‘I’d really like to get to know this city better,’ he said.

Sarah nodded, trying hard not to feel hurt that he hadn’t said he’d wanted to get to know
her
better. After all, she knew that her own modest beauty couldn’t possibly compare to that of Bath’s.

‘
Well, I think that's as good a reason as any,’ she told him. ‘And I'm sure you'll find plenty to photograph.’

He stopped walking for a minute and Sarah felt sure that he was about to reach into his bag for his camera but he didn't. Instead, he turned to face her. ‘That’s not the only reason I'm staying,’ he said.

‘
No?’

‘
No,’ he said. ‘I’ve just met somebody and I'd really like to get to know her better.’

Sarah said nothing. She wanted to count to ten because that always calmed her down but he'd be sure to see her lips moving if she did that and so she kept perfectly still and waited for him to say more.

‘
And I'm wondering if she'd like to get to know me better too.’

‘
Oh,’ she said last.

‘
Does she?’

‘
Well, I couldn't really say.’

‘
Couldn’t you? That's a funny sort of response. Don't you like me at all?’

Sarah allowed herself a smile at last. ‘You mean me?’

‘
Well, of course I mean you! Who else did you think?’

‘
One never likes to assume,’ she said.

He laughed. ‘You are funny,’ he said, ‘and I really do want to get to know you better. I want to know all about you. I want to know where you come from and what’s made you the person that you are today. In short, e
verything
. I want to know everything!’

‘
Are you sure?’

He nodded. ‘I might even tell you a little bit about myself in return.’

‘
Okay,’ Sarah said, ‘I think I can cope with that.’

‘
So, where do you want to begin?’

They’d stopped walking again and Sarah looked up at the grand columns and fine sash windows of The Circus. What was she going to tell him? She liked him, she really did, and she didn't want to start this relationship by hiding the truth from him but nor did she want to scare him off and the truth might very well do that.

‘
Let’s just take it nice and slowly,’ she said quietly and felt mightily relieved when he nodded in agreement.

Mia was hovering by the window in the front room of Barton Cottage.

‘
Where is he? He should be here by now.’

‘
Calm down. You’re going to wear holes in your sandals with all your pacing.’

‘
But it shouldn’t take him long to get here. Maybe I should go and meet him half way.’

‘
Mia! That’ll look awful!’

‘
Why?’

‘
You’ll look too keen. Just be patient and wait.’

Sarah watched as Mia flung herself into an armchair and pouted.

‘
You could make yourself useful and check on the food,’ Sarah said but Mia didn’t get a chance to do her bit in the kitchen because it was there was a smart knock on the door and she was out of her chair like a jack-in-the-box.

‘
Don’t rush!’ Sarah cried. ‘Let him wait a moment. It won’t do him any harm.’

‘
You really are perverse, Sarah. Why should he wait when I’m here to greet him right away?’

Sarah sighed. Mia had a lot to learn about propriety. Still, she got up from where she’d been sitting on the carpet as she’d tried to get the DVD player working for their evening’s entertainment and walked through to the hallway just as Mia was opening the door.

‘
Hello, lovely ladies,’ Alec said as he entered the house. He was carrying a bottle and Mia immediately snatched it from him.

‘
Ooooh! It’s champagne!’ she cried with glee.

‘
Only the best for my girls,’ Alec said, winking at Sarah.

Sarah smiled back but she couldn’t help feeling that he was being far too familiar with them both.

‘
Come into the kitchen, Alec. Sarah’s been preparing all sorts of treats for us both.’

‘
Well, something certainly smells good,’ he said.

They walked through to the kitchen at the back of the house and Sarah opened the oven. There on a baking tray sat dozens of tiny party treats from mini sausage rolls to onion bhajis.

‘
I thought it would be nicer to have lots of little bits to pick at whilst we’re watching the film.

‘
It looks great ’ he said.

‘
I’ll get some glasses,’ Mia said. ‘I want to get this champagne open!’

Ten minutes later, they were carrying their plates of food through to the living room. Alec sat down on the sofa opposite the television and Sarah watched in horror as Mia sat herself down on the carpet by his feet.

‘
Wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the sofa?’ Sarah asked.

‘
Nonsense,’ Mia said. ‘I prefer sitting on the floor.’

Sarah frowned, not liking the proximity of her sister to Alec nor the angle either.

‘
Did you manage to get the machine working again?’ Mia asked.

Sarah nodded, brandishing the remote control and hitting ‘play’. ‘I don't think I've ever watched a Jane Austen adaptation with a man before,’ she said.

‘
Why should it just be a girl thing?’ Mia asked. ‘I mean, they're great movies - nobody can dispute that. I think you’re going to really love it,’ she said, turning around to Alec and smiling at him.

‘
Good,’ Alec said, taking a sip of champagne. ‘Then we can watch
Killer Zombies Take Manhattan
afterwards and you can tell me what you think of that.’

Mia laughed. ‘You’ve got to be joking!’

‘
But I’m watching one of
your
favourite movies,’ he said, a teasing lilt to his voice.

‘
Yes but that’s because it’s good,’ Mia said, ‘and not filled with mindless violence.’

‘
There’s a lot of great wit and lyricism in
Killer Zombies Take Manhattan
. It’s a very underrated film,’ Alec said.

‘
Yeah, right!’ Mia said and then play-punched him.

Then the titles came up on the screen and a magical hush filled the room as if they were in a cinema. Sarah always loved the moment when a favourite film began. There was something so immensely calming about it even if one had seen it many times before which, with all the Austen adaptations, she naturally had. In fact, the pleasure seemed to increase with each viewing. There was a wonderful kind of anticipation that came from knowing exactly what was going to happen next - of being aware that the next scene would bring Colonel Brandon or that the moment when Marianne's twisted ankle was fast approaching. It was intensely pleasurable.

For a long time, Sarah had refused to go to the cinema. Not only were there issues of hygiene but there were issues of other people. She just couldn't believe that people went to the cinema not to see a film but to eat endless amounts of popcorn and other noisy food and to sit sending text messages. That's what had happened the last time she'd gone to the cinema. There'd been a special showing of the 1940 version of
Pride and Prejudice
starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson. Sarah had seen it a dozen times, of course, but had never seen it on the big screen so, doing her best to overcome her fears of being a member of the general public, she had got herself ready to go out and had taken great care to choose a seat that was central to the screen and equidistant from the screen and the exit. She'd also quickly clocked the man with the very large packet of crisps and the elderly lady with the enormous handkerchief, and was careful to sit nowhere near either of them.

For a while, she had been only one of a dozen or so people who had bought tickets for the screening and she was just congratulating herself on having chosen such a good seat when two young girls had walked into the cinema.

‘
Where shall we sit? one of them squealed.

‘
At the back?’ the other one replied.

Yes
, Sarah thought.
Sit at the back - miles away from me.

‘
I don't like the back. It's creepy. I want to sit nearer the front.’

The lights had dimmed and the trailers had begun, causing the two girls to trip over themselves on their hunt for a seat.

Hurry up!
Sarah willed them but they didn't seem in any hurry at all nor were they conscious of disturbing anybody.

Sarah sighed in exasperation when they choose seats three rows directly in front of her. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the film with them sitting there but she also knew that sitting in any seat that wasn't perfectly central would irritate her. She decided to choose the lesser of two evils and moved seats.

Then the film started and, for a few blissful moments, Sarah was swept away, enraptured by the beauty and grace of Greer Garson and the handsome snobbery of Laurence Olivier. And then the chatter began.