Mr. Darcy Forever (26 page)

‘
I’m nothing if not resourceful,’ he said, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.

‘
You should have just knocked again,’ Sarah said.

‘
You mean you would have opened the door?’

‘
No,’ she said.

Alec frowned at her. ‘Looks like I had no choice if I wanted to talk to you.’ He smiled at her and it was such a heart-melting sort of a smile that Sarah couldn't remain angry with him. He was like a naughty puppy that would completely wreck a room but then sit in the middle of it looking totally adorable and beyond reproach.

‘
Won’t you listen to me?’ he asked her, he's eyes pleading.

‘
I don't know what you can possibly have to say to me.’

‘
I just want to get a few things straight.’

Sarah sighed and sat down opposite him. She was still holding her book and her fingers tightened around it anxiously, as if she were holding onto a lifebelt.

‘
Before you begin,’ she said, ‘I want to say that I don’t like what you’re up to.’

Alec frowned. ‘What exactly am I up to?’

‘
If this is some weird kind of seduction game of yours, it won’t work – not this time.’

‘
Sarah – I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

She shook her head. ‘I know what you’re up to. You’re playing me off against my sister, aren’t you? Is that how you get your thrills? Have you done this sort of thing before?’

‘
No!’ he said in protest. ‘You’ve got me all wrong!’

‘
Have I?’

‘
Yes!’ he said, leaning forward, his eyes beseeching her.

‘
I’m not worried for myself, you understand, but when somebody messes around with my sister-’

‘
I’m not messing around with Mia.’

Sarah's eyes narrowed at him. ‘Because, if you try to trick her-’

‘
I have never tried to trick your sister,’ he interrupted again.

‘
You promise?’

‘
I promise. But I can't be held responsible if she flings herself at me.’

Sarah shook her head. ‘You must understand this about her: she’s young and she’s recklessly passionate and it would be wrong to take advantage of that. You do understand me, don't you?’

‘
Yes! I do,’ he said and he was suddenly on his feet crossing the room towards her. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. The book she had been holding fell to the floor.

‘
Leave it,’ Alec said when she made to retrieve it. ‘Listen to me. You can't just shut yourself off from this, Sarah. I know how you feel about me.’

‘
How do you know? I haven’t told you how I feel at all.’

‘
You don't need to. I can see it in your eyes.’

‘
That’s rubbish,’ she said, instantly lowering her gaze.

‘
No it isn't. Why do you keep running away from this? What's so wrong about it?’

‘
It’s wrong because of Mia.’

Alec sighed. ‘Can we just stop thinking about Mia for one second?’

‘
No,’ Sarah said.

‘
If Mia didn't exist-’

‘
But she does exist,’ Sarah said in her matter-of-fact way.

‘
But if this was just you and me here, are you telling me I still wouldn't stand a chance with you?’

‘
There’s no point talking like this.’

‘
No, you’re right,’ he said, his hands reaching up to cup her face. ‘No point in talking at all.’

Sarah gasped at his touch and didn't move when he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. A few brief moments of bliss followed but then Sarah broke away.

‘
I can't do this,’ she said. ‘It’s so wrong.’

‘
But it isn't. Can't you feel it? This feels right.’

Sarah closed her eyes and he kissed her again and there was no denying that it felt wonderful. But that didn't make it right, did it? Wonderful things weren't necessarily good for one. Sitting in the sun for hours felt good but it was liable to leave one with horrible sunburn. Eating a whole tub of chocolate ice cream felt good but that wasn’t good for you either.

‘
Sarah – admit it – this is meant to be. You know it is.’

She shook her head. ‘I – I have to think about this,’ she said.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a key scraping in the door. The two of them sprung apart just in time as Mia ran into the hallway. Her face was flushed red from her jog but Sarah suspected that it wasn’t nearly as red as her own face.

Sarah waited for realisation to dawn on Mia, feeling quite sure that it would but it didn’t. Mia merely looked from one to the other with an innocent smile on her face when she saw Alec.

‘
Were you waiting for me?’ she asked.

‘
Yes,’ Sarah said. ‘Of course he was.’

‘
What is it?’ Shelley said, her mouth half-stuffed with scone. Mia didn’t respond but her face had drained of all colour and she was staring into the middle-distance as if she’d seen a monster there. Shelley followed her gaze and her eyes settled on a tall, dark-haired man who was staring right back at Mia.

‘
Mia?’ Shelley tried again, grabbing her friend’s hand and squeezing it. At first, Mia didn’t seem to respond. There was a brief flicker of something in her eyes but it passed too quickly for Shelley to notice it. She merely got up, slowly and calmly, and walked through the maze of tables and chairs where people were enjoying their afternoon tea.

Shelley watched, spellbound. What was Mia doing? And who was the man?

‘
Alec?’ she whispered to herself. Was this the mysterious Alec whom Mia refused to talk about? He was certainly handsome with his dark hair and intense grey eyes but what was he doing here in Bath?

A few words were exchanged but Shelley couldn’t hear them above the mutterings of the tea crowd. What was being said? It didn’t really matter because of what happened next.

It was as if everything was in slow motion. Shelley watched as Mia’s hand rose in the air and slapped the dark-haired man across his cheek. The sound seemed to echo around the Pump Room and tea cups clattered in saucers and the pianist stopped playing. Shelley almost choked on her scone and was on her feet in an instant as if ready to spring to her friend’s defence but there was no need and she watched as Mia pushed her way through the sea of tables back towards Shelley.

‘
Are you okay?’ Shelley asked.

Mia sat down but then stood straight back up again. Her eyes looked glazed and she seemed to be twitching with restlessness.

‘
Mia – talk to me for goodness’s sake! Who’s that man? Is it Alec?’

Mia didn’t respond and Shelley looked back towards the dark-haired man. ‘He’s coming over,’ she said.

There were a few gasps from the tea crowd as the man pushed his way urgently through the tables and chairs.

‘
Stay away from me, Alec!’ Mia cried.

So it was Alec, Shelley thought.

‘
I just want to talk,’ Alec said.

‘
Well, I don’t want to talk to you!’

‘
I came all this way, Mia – please, just listen to me.’

‘
Get your hands off me!’

It was at that moment that one of the waist-coated waiters sidled over to their table.

‘
I’m sorry but I’m going to have to ask you to leave,’ he said, his tone polite but firm.

Shelley’s mouth dropped open in surprise and she realised that the whole of the Pump Room was now staring at them.

‘
But we haven’t finished our tea yet,’ Shelley said.

‘
If madam would accompany me.’

Shelley couldn’t remember having ever been called ‘madam’ in her life. She tried to catch Mia’s eye but she was still arguing with Alec as a second waiter did his best to escort them out of the Pump Room.

‘
My scone!’ Shelley suddenly said, doubling back to pick up the scone loaded with jam and cream. There was no way she was going to pay for something she hadn’t finished.

By the time she was outside, Mia had vanished into the crowds and Alec was nowhere to be seen either. Where had they gone? Shelley sighed. This wasn’t what she’d expected when they’d gone for tea in the Pump Room.

Mia ran through the streets of Bath, tears blinding her vision. What was Alec doing in Bath and why had he sought her out?

She looked back over her shoulder and saw him running after her. He was gaining on her.

‘
Mia!’ he cried and she could hear the anguish in his voice but she didn't stop running.

I have to get away from him.

But where? It was hard to run in a nineteenth-century costume and she wasn't sure how long she could keep it up for. She thought about diving into a shop but then she would be cornered. And then an idea occurred to her. The Jane Austen Centre. She could hide in the ladies’ there. It was tucked away down stairs and might just be the perfect hiding place. Even if he found it, he wouldn't dare follow her in, would he?

Mia picked up her pace as much as she could in her long dress and turned the corner at the end of the road which led to the Jane Austen Centre. If she was quick enough, she could make it inside before he saw where she’d gone.

Charging past the Regency-clad gentleman standing in the doorway, she dashed through the hallway, ignoring the shop for the first time in her life, and charged down the stairs to the toilets, thanking her lucky stars that they were empty because her face was streaming with tears.

She pulled a tissue out of her handbag and did her best to mop up her face. It was then that she saw the portrait of Mr Darcy on the opposite wall. It was a representation of Colin Firth in his famous role and was from one of the most romantic scenes from the 1995 adaptation of
Pride and Prejudice
- the moment where Darcy is watching Elizabeth at the piano and a look of total love fills his face.

Mia gazed at it for a moment. ‘Oh, Colin!’ she cried. ‘What am I going to do?’

‘
Don’t forget your DVD!’ Mia said to Sarah from the hallway. ‘It’s still inside the machine.’

‘
Of course it’s not still inside the machine. I took it out last night,’ Sarah said, wondering why Mia still perversely thought that a person with OCD could possibly forget anything. She walked through to the hallway and saw Mia standing in the open doorway, looking out across the lawn to the estuary. It was a perfect May morning. A blackbird’s rich song could be heard from the hedge and a light breeze carried the sweet scent of spring.

‘
I don’t want to go,’ Mia said as Sarah joined her.

‘
I’m afraid we have to.’

‘
Do we? Can’t we hide away somewhere on the estate? There are acres and acres. I’m sure we wouldn’t be discovered for weeks.’

‘
What – pitch a tent in the wood somewhere?’ Sarah said.

‘
Why not?’

Sarah laughed, quite sure that Mia was crazy enough to do such a thing.