Mr. Darcy Forever (28 page)

The agonising seconds ticked by and, finally, Mia replaced the phone in its cradle.

‘
Who was it?’ Sarah blurted.

‘
I don't know,’ Mia said. ‘It was all silent and then they hung up.’

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Her secret was safe - for now.

Where had she gone? Shelley had run down more streets than her dainty shoes were really capable of and was now standing in front of the Pump Room again. She'd tried ringing Mia’s mobile but it was obviously switched off and she had been forced to leave an angst-ridden message for her.

‘
If only she told me what was going on,’ she said quietly to herself. ‘I might have been able to help.’

How could you possibly have helped
? a little voice inside her said.

‘
I don't know,’ Shelley said. ‘Perhaps I could have slapped Alec too!’

She certainly wanted to slap him now for having scared her friend off like that. What was she going to do?

She dialled a number on her mobile and waited.

‘
Pie? It's Shelley. Is Mia there? Are you sure? Have you looked upstairs? I don't mind waiting. This is important.’ Shelley sighed as she listened to the huff puff of Pie walking up the stairs. ‘Oh,’ she said moment later. ‘Well, if she comes back before me, tell her to give me a call, okay?’

Shelley tried a different number. ‘Gabe? It’s Shelley. Is Mia with you? Yes, something is wrong only I'm not quite sure what.’

Mia knew that she couldn’t hide in the ladies’ toilets in the Jane Austen Centre forever, no matter how kindly Mr Darcy was looking after her. Splashing her red face with cold water, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could handle this. What was she getting so worked up for? Hadn't she'd moved on from this ages ago? So why had she responded the way she had?

It was just the shock of seeing him again, she told herself. It had brought it all back to her. She hadn't been prepared; she'd just been enjoying tea and scones - she hadn't expected her past to walk in on her like that.

Venturing forth from the ladies’, Mia slowly walked back up the stairs, passing the gift shop before braving the great outdoors once again. She paused on the steps beside the Regency gentleman who nodded towards her as she looked up and down Gay Street. There were a good number of people around but, luckily, she could see no sign of Alec. Taking a deep breath, she turned right, walking up the street that had once been home to Jane Austen and entering the splendour of The Circus.

She needed to walk. She couldn't go back and face Shelley just yet. She had to think things through.

You knew this was going to happen
, a little voice inside her said.
You're going to have to face this properly sooner or later.

‘
I know. But can't it be
later
?’ she whispered.

She followed the curve of The Circus round to the right aware that the sun had disappeared behind thick dark clouds and that the temperature had dropped. Mia now wished that she was wearing jeans and a proper coat rather than her flimsy Regency gown and shawl. It was no protection against the autumn elements.

She entered Brock Street. It was an impressive street lined with beautiful three-storey Georgian houses, and linked The Circus to The Royal Crescent but was often overlooked by tourists en route from one to the other. Mia had a vague idea of where she was going – knowing that there were benches by the green which overlooked The Royal Crescent. Perhaps she could sit there for a while and gather her thoughts.

But she didn’t get that far. As soon as she entered The Royal Crescent, she saw him. He was standing by the railings, shielding his eyes as if that might help him in his search for her.

Mia stood frozen for a moment, not knowing what to do and, in that instant, he spotted her.

‘
MIA!’ he shouted, causing a group of tourists to turn around.

Mia turned and ran but, despite her years of jogging, she knew she couldn’t outrun Alec – not when wearing such a restricting dress. How on earth had heroines managed to outrun heroes in Jane Austen’s time? she wondered briefly. Not that you’d want to outrun most of them, she couldn’t help thinking. But it wasn’t Mr Darcy or Henry Tilney who was chasing her now; it was Alec.

‘
You shouldn’t have rung me so early,’ Sarah told Alec as he entered her house.

‘
How was I to know Mia would answer the phone?’ he said. ‘Anyway, don’t you think it’s time we told her?’

‘
No!’

‘
You’ve got to face it some time.’

‘
Why?’

‘
Because I want the whole world to know how I feel about you, Sarah!’

Sarah walked away from him. This was all happening too fast, she thought, and her head was spinning. Everything was so new and strange. She wasn't used to being in a relationship and she certainly wasn’t used to a man in her house. She watched as Alec paced the front room. He didn't really look at home there and she felt anxious about the possibility that he might want to move in with her. However,
not
having him there was equally scary.

‘
Everything’s so neat,’ he suddenly said.

Sarah swallowed hard and nodded. This was usually the deal breaker. Once he realised just what she was like, he'd run a mile.

‘
You don’t mind?’ she asked tentatively.

‘
No, I like it,’ he said.

Sarah smiled, relief filling her.

‘
I could do with a bit of organisation in my life,’ he said.

‘
Could you?’

‘
Yes,’ he said, moving towards her. ‘And I think you’re just the woman for the job.’

Before she could respond, he was kissing her and all thoughts of incompatibility vanished. How easily our worries fade when we're being kissed, she thought. Sarah was no longer thinking about the fact that she'd never seen Alec’s own house and didn't know how tidy he was. Nor was she thinking about her sister and the problem that was still lurking out there in the future and would have to be faced.

At least, she wasn't thinking about these things until they stopped kissing. Then, all her worries and concerns flooded her mind once more.

‘
This is all wrong,’ she said.

‘
Why? Tell me why.’

‘
Because you're meant to be in love with Mia.’

‘
Why?’ Alec said, his forehead etched with bemusement.

‘
Because she's the one who met you - and she cares for you so much.’

‘
Mia’s a child,’ he said. ‘You're the one I love.
You
. Sarah. And I want you to tell me that you feel the same way because I know you do.’

Sarah shook her head. ‘This shouldn't be happening.’

‘
Stop punishing yourself! Why won't you let yourself have a bit of fun?’

‘
Because it will be at the expense of my sister.’

‘
She’ll get over it. She's a grown woman, for goodness’ sake.’

‘
But it's my job to protect her.’

‘
Why?’

‘
Because I always have.’

Alec groaned and flopped down into a chair. ‘Do you want to be with me or not?’

Sarah sat down next to him and picked up his hands gently in hers. ‘Of
course
I want to. There isn't anything else that I want more.’

‘
Well, then,’ Alec said simply.

‘
We have to tell Mia.’

Alec shook his head. ‘No.
You
have to tell Mia.’

Sarah closed her eyes, knowing he was right. ‘Okay,’ she said.

‘
You’re going to tell her?’

‘
Yes.’

‘
When?’

‘
I don't know.’

‘
Do it tomorrow. Don't put it off. Just get it over and done with.’

She nodded.

‘
She needs to know if she's going to have a brother-in-law.’

Sarah's eyes widened and Alec smiled at her before reaching into his pocket for a small blue box. He handed it to Sarah. ‘Open it!’ he said.

Sarah’s fingers were shaking as she opened it up and tears well up in her eyes when she saw the diamond solitaire, perfect in its simplicity.

Alec took it out and placed it on her ring finger. ‘You’re shaking, Mrs Burrows.’

‘
Kiss me,’ she said. So he did and it was the first time in Sarah's life that she wasn't worried about a man wearing shoes in her front room.

But her happiness was short-lived because she knew she had to tell Mia. She might have been able to hide an affair from her sister but she couldn’t hide a marriage.

Just get it over and done with
. Alec’s words echoed through her brain. He'd made it sound so simple and easy but she knew that it would be the hardest thing she’d ever have to do.

How was Mia going to respond? Would she realise that Alec and Sarah were the better match and that it had been wrong of her to think she had a future with him? She’d be absolutely delighted with the news and Sarah would be flabbergasted at Mia’s offer to be her bridesmaid.

She shook her head. That wasn't going to happen, was it? It would most likely end in carnage with faces being slapped and noses being punched.

Picking up the phone later that evening, Sarah rang her sister’s mobile.

‘
I’m coming into town tomorrow. Do you want to meet me for lunch? It's my treat.’

‘
Oh, dear. I was so looking forward to the mouldy lettuce in my fridge,’ Mia said. ‘Of course I’ll come to lunch. I love it when my rich sister treats me.’

‘
You’ll be on time, won't you?’

‘
I’m always on time.’

‘
No you're not. You’re always late!’

‘
Early, late - what's the difference?’

‘
Be on time, Mia.’

Sarah heard her sister laugh. ‘All right,’ Mia said. ‘What’s all this about? Have you met someone?’

‘
We’ll talk tomorrow.’

‘
You
have
met someone, haven't you?’ Mia said. ‘Oh, tell me about him! What’s he called?’

‘
I’ve got to go.’

Mia laughed again. ‘Rather talk to a row of numbers than your sister?’ she teased.

‘
I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Tomorrow always comes so much faster when you're dreading it. Holidays take an absolute age to come around but deadlines and days for breaking bad news rush in upon one.

Sarah had left for London first thing in the morning even though she didn't need to. She simply couldn't stay at home and so she walked the entire length of Oxford Street, Regent’s Street and then down Piccadilly before finding a bench in Green Park. It was a warm May morning and the park was full of bare-armed tourists. Sarah sat watching them for a while, wondering if they were about to have lunch with sisters they had betrayed in the worst manner possible.