Mr. Darcy Forever (40 page)

‘
She does,’ Mia said. ‘I can’t believe it but she can’t wait for us to move in.’

‘
But what about your singing and your auditions? Are you really giving up on everything?’

‘
I gave up on those some time ago.’

Sarah looked sad. ‘But your singing was your whole world.’

‘
Not anymore.’

‘
Gosh,’ Sarah said, ‘I’m just trying to imagine my little sister as a mother. I always assumed that would be my role first.’

‘
And it will happen. I'm sure of it.’

‘
Just not with Alec,’ Sarah said.

‘
No. Not with Alec.’

There was a pause and they watched as a young couple walked around the garden together. They were holding hands and the two sisters watched their progress.

‘
I’ve met someone,’ Mia said suddenly.

‘
Really? When?’

‘
This week - here in Bath,’ Mia said.

‘
You have? So have I!’

‘
Really? Oh, God! He isn't called Gabe, is he?’

‘
No, Lloyd.’

Mia breathed a sigh of relief. ‘It wouldn't do for us to fall in love with the same man again, would it?’

‘
Er – no. Let’s not do that again.’

They left the Georgian Garden and walked the length of the Gravel Walk towards the city centre.

‘
Did you hear they’ve made a new version of
Persuasion
?’ Sarah asked.

‘
Yes!’ Mia said. ‘And Oli Wade Owen was right here in Bath. I can’t believe I missed him!’

‘
I read he’s getting married,’ Sarah said. ‘To that director woman, Teresa Hudson. Apparently, they have a daughter.’

‘
I read that too.’

‘
There seem to be a lot of secret children about,’ Sarah said.

Mia blushed.

They stopped at the top of some steps and Sarah linked Mia’s arm. ‘I think you should tell Alec,’ she said in a low voice.

Mia bit her lip and then nodded. ‘Everybody thinks I should.’

‘
And will you?’

‘
I really wish that I didn't have to have anything more to do with him but I think it would be unfair of me to make that decision for my son too.’

‘
Is Alec still here in Bath?’

‘
I’m not sure. I saw him yesterday but he might have left by now.’

Sarah reached inside her handbag and scribbled a phone number on a piece of notepaper. ‘This is his number. Give him a call.’

Mia took a deep breath. ‘Okay.’

‘
It’s the right thing to do.’

‘
I know it is.’

They hugged and Sarah felt a tumultuous mix of emotions.

‘
Call me, won't you?’

Mia nodded and a tear rolled down her left cheek.

‘
I don't want to leave you,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m so scared I won’t see you again.’

‘
You will,’ Mia said. ‘I promise.’

‘
Send William my love.’

‘
I don’t need to. You can give it to him yourself when you meet him.’

Sarah smiled. She’d never felt happier in her life.

Shelley was pacing up and down the kitchen whilst Pie was trying to make a cup of tea in the corner of the room.

‘
She said she’d ring as soon as she could. Why hasn’t she rung? I’ve tried her phone but it just goes to voice mail.’ She put the phone down on the kitchen table. ‘I know she’s got a lot to think about now but I wish she’d remember me too! I’m worried about her and I wish she knew that I cared so much. I sometimes wonder if she knows that.'

‘
You’re stressed,’ Pie said from the other side of the room.

‘
You’re damned right I’m stressed!’ she said, and then registered that Pie hadn’t just grunted as usual but had spoken real words.

‘
Come on,’ he said, walking across the room.

‘
Come on, where?’

‘
Upstairs.’

Shelley frowned but followed him upstairs. ‘What are we doing?’

‘
Come in here,’ he said, opening his bedroom door.

She looked up at him. His face was dark and serious but there was nothing unusual in that. She stepped into his room. It was the first time she’d been invited into it. She’d had a few sneaky peeks into it, of course, when Pie was out but it was quite a different experience to be invited in.

She looked around the room. It was pretty stark as rooms went apart from the feminine touches Shelley had placed there like the blue floral curtains and matching lampshade. Everything was pretty much in its place. There were no clothes on the floor or drawers spilling out their contents. There was also a curious smell.

‘
What
is
that?’ Shelley asked.

‘
Ylang-ylang.’

‘
Pardon?’

‘
Take your shirt off.’

‘
What?’

‘
And sit on the bed.’

‘
Pie!’ Shelley’s hands were firmly on her hips now and her forehead had crinkled in bemusement.

‘
Go on,’ he said.

‘
I’m not taking my shirt off. I’m not wearing anything underneath.’

‘
I’ll turn away,’ he said. ‘Take your shirt off and hug it to your chest.’

There was something in the tone of his voice that reassured him that he wasn’t up to anything suspicious.

‘
Ready?’ he said a moment later.

Shelley was sitting on the edge of the bed and almost leapt right off it when she felt his hands on her shoulders.

‘
What are you doing?’ Shelley asked in alarm.

‘
Sit still and relax,’ he said and, once again, she smelt the warm and exotic scent. He was massaging her!

‘
Oh, my God!’ she exclaimed.

‘
Stop talking.’

Shelley heard a sudden crack in her shoulder. ‘Oh! Was that me?’

‘
I’m just ironing out your kinks. There are quite a few.’

‘
Yes, I’m very kinky,’ she said with a giggle.

‘
Shush,’ he said.

‘
You’re good! You should do this for a living.’

‘
I do,’ he said.

‘
Oh!’ Shelley said. ‘
Oh!
’ Suddenly, all of Pie’s mysterious comings and goings made sense. He always smelt sweet. He worked the most peculiar hours. There were always women leaving messages on the house answer-phone.

Shelley closed her eyes and sighed in bliss as Pie worked his way down her spine.

‘
Oh, that's so good! Hey! You're not going to charge me for this, are you?’

Pie laughed. It was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh and it was a delightful sound. ‘I’m sure we can work something out.’

Shelley smiled. She really hoped they could.

By the time Mia returned, Shelley was completely blissed out from her massage and had calmed down to such an extent that she didn’t feel it necessary to leap on Mia as soon as she walked through the front door.

‘
You look happy!’ Mia said. ‘What’s that smell – more teabags?’

‘
No, it’s ylang-ylang. Pie gave me a massage.’

‘
Really?’

‘
It’s his job.’

‘
Oh,’ Mia said.

‘
But never mind about that
now
. How did it go with Sarah?’

They went through to the living room together and sat down.

‘
It was – it was – strange,’ Mia said.

‘
Good or bad strange?’

‘
Good, I think,’ Mia said. ‘We cried a lot.’

‘
And you told her about William?’

‘
Of course.’

‘
What did she say?’

‘
She wants to see him.’

‘
Well, of course! So do I!’ Shelley said. ‘What else did she say? Did you tell her about Alec in Bath?’

‘
Yes.’

‘
And?
’ Shelley said in exasperation.

‘
I think she guessed he was Alec’s as soon as she saw the photos and she thinks I should tell him about William too.’

Shelley nodded. ‘It’s the right thing to do.’

‘
I know it is but it's not going to be easy or pleasant.’

‘
Nothing concerning that man is ever likely to be pleasant,’ Shelley said. ‘But you’ve done an amazing thing today, Mia. I’m so proud of you.’

Mia nodded and her eyes were brimful of tears once more.

‘
I couldn’t bear it when you and Sarah weren’t speaking. You guys used to be the
best
of friends. I’ve never seen anyone closer! Boy, I’d
kill
to have that closeness with anyone and I know how much it must have hurt you when you fell out like that.’

‘
It’s been like walking around with an open wound for three years,’ Mia said, pushing her hair out of her face and mopping it with a tissue. ‘I’ve missed her so much. Even when I hated her, I loved her too.

‘
But it’s going to be all right now, isn’t it?’

‘
I think so,’ Mia said. ‘But I really wish I didn’t have to see Alec again.’

‘
Yes,’ Shelley said. ‘There’s no easy way of getting out of that, is there? But let's not worry about that now. I think you’ve had more than enough angst for today. I'm going to make us a slap-up lunch and then we’re going to get dressed up and go into town. I’ve got us tickets for the Dame Pamela Harcourt recital and wait until you see the dresses I’ve lined up for us to wear!’

Dame Pamela Harcourt was one of England's greatest actresses. She had played all the great Shakespearean roles from Lady Macbeth to Juliet but, amongst the Janeites, she was more
famous for her roles as Marianne Dashwood in
Sense and Sensibility
and, more recently, Lady Catherine de Bourgh in
Pride and Prejudice
.

That afternoon, she would be reading extracts from Jane Austen and taking questions from the audience and the room was packed with enthusiastic fans.

‘
I used to think I was going to be a huge star of stage and screen like Dame Pamela,’ Mia said as they took their seats three rows from the front.