Mr. Darcy Forever (25 page)

‘
Well, Sarah’s so stuffy about these things. She thinks you have to be formally introduced by a mutual acquaintance and have known somebody for years before you can even contemplate having a relationship with them.’

‘
That must make life rather difficult.’

‘
Exactly. It does. It's why she never sees anyone.’

‘
But she must have had relationships in the past.’

‘
Oh, yes, but they've all been complete disasters.’

‘
Dear Sarah.’

‘
Yes, poor Sarah. I do feel sorry for her but she’s her own worst enemy.’

They stood in silence for a moment. Mia gazed down towards the estuary, drinking in the beautiful sight of the reflected moon. She didn't often get to feel like a heroine in a novel but right now, no author could have improved on the moment, not even Jane Austen.

‘
I could walk you to the door,’ Alec said at last.

‘
No, Sarah might see.’

‘
But what are you going to tell her about today?’ Alec asked as the moon dipped behind a cloud.

‘
As little as possible.’

‘
She’ll know you've been with me.’

‘
Yes,’ Mia said.

‘
And you're sure I shouldn't come in with you?’

‘
Quite sure.’

‘
Goodnight then,’ he said, bending forward to kiss her cheek.

Mia frowned, grabbing hold of his shoulders and kissing him on the mouth. ‘Goodnight,’ she said, watching as he disappeared into the darkness down the lane.

She crossed the lawn, the moon emerging from a bank of cloud to light her way. She’d never known how completely dark the countryside could be. Cities were constantly lit and it was almost impossible to see the heavens but, here, they were all-pervading. For a moment, Mia stood in the middle of the lawn, gazing up at the sky above her and feeling that it could swallow her whole at any moment. And what if it did? Would she care? She had never felt so at peace in her life. If some mystical force took her away right now, she would be happy because she had lived today fully and beautifully.

Opening the front door, Mia slipped out of her shoes but didn't have time to do anything else before a question was fired at her from the living room.

‘
Where have you been?’

Mia groaned. It was time to face big sister.

‘
On the estate – where do you
think
I’ve been?’

‘
With Alec?’

‘
Well, of course with Alec. There isn’t anyone else around here for miles.’

‘
It’s late,’ Sarah said. ‘I was getting worried about you.’

‘
But you've been out all day.’

‘
I’ve been back for hours. I tried to call you but your mobile’s switched off.’

‘
Sorry,’ Mia said, sitting down on the sofa opposite Sarah. ‘But I thought you wanted to get away from me. I didn't think you'd want me ringing you every five minutes. Where have you been, anyway?’

Sarah pursed her lips. ‘I told you - I went into Tavistock.’

‘
And was it nice – Tavistock?’

‘
It was pretty. I think you would have been bored there.’

‘
Which is why I stayed here. We can't always be with each other, Sarah.’

‘
But this week was so that we could do exactly that.’

‘
But we
have
been together. I don’t understand what you mean?’

‘
I mean, you seem to be spending more time with Alec than with me.’

‘
No I'm not. Don't be so silly.’

‘
I’m not being silly – I’m being serious.’

‘
Well, don't be. There's absolutely no reason to be serious about this. I'm sorry if you think I've been spending more time with Alec and I'm sorry that you don't trust him.’

‘
I didn't say that.’

‘
You don't need to - your face says it all. You made up your mind not to like him the moment he entered Barton Cottage and nothing's going to change your mind, is it?’

‘
I don't dislike Alec. I don't know why you think that.’

‘
But you don't trust him, do you?’ Mia was beginning to sound angry now.

‘
I just think you should slow down with all this. You know you have the naivety of Catherine Morland and the recklessness of Marianne Dashwood and that’s a lethal combination.’

Mia’s mouth dropped open at the Austensian insult. ‘Yes, well you have the conservatism of Elinor and the prudishness of Fanny Price and that’s a pain in the arse!’

Sarah’s eyes widened. It was like Elizabeth and Darcy in the scene where they both say too much and wound each other almost beyond repair.

Sarah got quickly from the sofa. ‘I don’t want to fight with you, Mia. I’m going to bed.’

Mia watched her as Sarah left the room. She really knew how to spoil a perfect day but Mia was determined not to let it get to her.

Marianne Dashwood indeed! She was nothing like her! Okay, so she sometimes let her heart rule her head but what was wrong with that? She was a passionate person and believed in spontaneity and saying what she thought. Sarah’s problem was that she was so shut off and set in her way of thinking and anybody who didn’t respond to the world as she did was rash and wild.

As she got up to switch the lamps off in the living room, she looked out of the window and across the moonlit lawn. This really was the most perfect place, she thought, and she’d fallen in love there. Life just couldn’t get any better.

Sarah had taken hours to get to sleep that night and had given up completely at one point, getting up to read a few chapters of
Sense and Sensibility
. It didn’t relax her, though, because it was the part where Willoughby was discovered to be a scoundrel and Marianne’s heart was broken.

But Alec isn’t Willoughby, she told herself as she got back into bed. You’re just being paranoid.

But he’s flirting with both you and Mia!

Yes. No matter which way she looked at it, she couldn’t get around that. She wasn’t imaging it.

But perhaps that’s just his affable personality and he doesn’t mean any harm in it. He’s just naturally friendly.

Sarah shook her head. Why didn’t she believe that?

Closing her eyes, she imagined herself back on Dartmoor with the wind in her hair and the realisation dawning on her that she was in love with this man. It was all so ridiculous. How could she possibly be in love with him when she'd only known him such a short time? She was behaving like Mia -
worse
than Mia because this went against the very grain of her being. She was a rational woman who was always in control of her life.

But you’re not in control now, are you?

Sarah sat up and thumped her pillow. Why couldn't love be rational like everything else? What right did it have to bulldoze through your reasoning and leave you spinning?

She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling knowing that falling in love wasn't the real issue here; it was the fact that Mia was so obviously falling in love as well.

And what are you going to do about that?

It was an impossible situation. Two sisters in love with the same man. How on earth could that have happened?

With so many questions whirling around her head, Sarah didn't manage to get to sleep until after three in the morning. After an appalling nightmare in which both she and Mia were chasing Alec across the tors of Dartmoor, she slept soundly, not waking until nine o’clock which was horribly late for her and she spent the rest of the morning trying to catch up with herself.

She was just about to take a book out into the garden when there was a knock on the door. Sarah froze, knowing that it could only be one person. What should she do? Ignore it and hide in the depths of the house?

There was a second knock and then a voice.

‘
Sarah? It’s Alec. I need to talk to you.’

She swallowed. She really didn’t want to talk to him. She wanted to banish him from her mind and move on but it was clear she wasn’t going to be able to do that until they left Barton Cottage.

‘
Come on!’ he called through the door, knocking again. ‘Let me talk to you.’

She could ignore him no longer, realising that it would just be postponing the inevitable.

Opening the door, she stared at Alec. ‘What do you want?’

‘
That’s not very friendly,’ he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

‘
Mia’s out. At least, I think she’s out. Her trainers have gone anyway. You’re very good at timing it for when Mia’s out jogging.’

‘
I saw her go up the lane. I hid behind a tree so she wouldn't see me.’

Sarah gasped at his subterfuge.

‘
Well, you know what she's like. She'd be linking arms with me and marching me off for the whole of the day and I wouldn't be able to get to see you.’

‘
But you're meant to be her friend, not mine,’ Sarah said.

‘
Who says?’

‘
I do. Mia’s the one you met first.’

Alec let out a loud laugh. ‘I’m not for sale to the first person who claps eyes on me! I think I should have a say in this, don't you?’

‘
But I'm busy,’ she said, not sounding very convincing even to her own ears.

‘
So I see,’ Alec said, nodding to the paperback in her hand. ‘A busy day of immersing yourself in fiction. You couldn't possibly squeeze in a quick conversation with a real person.’

‘
That’s right,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m on holiday and I can do precisely what I want.’ With that, she retreated back into the house and shut the door in his face. Her heartbeat was racing wildly. She wasn't used to being so rude but it had seemed the only thing to do.

‘
Sarah?’ he called through the door, banging on it with his hand. ‘SARAH!’

She stood perfectly still for a moment. She couldn't go in either the front rooms because the curtains were open and he would see her.

Stay calm. If you ignore him, he will leave.

But, the next thing she heard told her that he had no intention of leaving.

‘
Alec?’ She walked through to the sitting room and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight that greeted her.
Alec had taken full advantage of the window Sarah had opened earlier that morning and was in the process of climbing through it.

‘
What are you doing?’ she screamed.

‘
What does it look like?’

Sarah flapped her hands as Alec pushed his body through the window frame and came tumbling down on to one of the sofas.

‘
You impossible man!’ she cried but then started to laugh at the sight of him, crumpled in an ungainly heap amongst the cushions. Alec began to laugh too as he pushed himself back into a shape that vaguely resembled a man.