Dreaming of Mr. Darcy (25 page)

Adam made a quick visit to the Cobb after he parted from Gemma but left before the excitement with Oli and Teresa and headed home. As he pulled up in his driveway, a familiar head popped around the gate.

‘Nana!' Adam cried, getting out of the car quickly. ‘What on earth are you doing here?'

‘I wanted to see you,' she said, sounding horribly out of breath. ‘You didn't return my phone call.'

‘Yes, I did.'

‘Well, not to my satisfaction,' she said. ‘Now what's been going on with you and that bed-and-breakfast girl?'

‘Kay.'

‘Yes, Kay.'

‘Come and sit down first. How did you get here, anyway? I hope you didn't walk.'

‘I didn't fly, did I?'

‘But you're not meant to walk so far.' He gave her attire the once-over. She was wearing a scarlet jumper, a pair of floral trousers in blue and white, and bright pink wellington boots.

‘Not walk so far? I used to walk miles and miles in my time—farther than any of you youngsters nowadays. Anyway, I had my stick with me and had a nice little rest by that stream.'

‘Where's your stick now?' Adam asked, wanting proof.

Nana Craig nodded towards the hedge, and Adam saw the candy-striped aid.

‘Come on,' he said, shaking his head and ushering his nan into the house. He put the kettle on and reached into a cupboard for biscuits. ‘Here,' he said. ‘You must be starving.'

Nana Craig peered inside the Charles and Diana tin with a frown.

‘I think you have some specimens in here from about the time of their wedding,' she said.

‘Nonsense,' Adam said, ‘I replenish that tin every week. Or so.'

Cautiously, Nana Craig chose a fruit shrewsbury, giving it a sniff before eating it.

‘So what is so urgent that you have to walk halfway across Dorset?' Adam asked, placing two mugs of tea on the old kitchen table and pulling out chairs for them both.

‘A walk can't kill me. I need to keep moving at my age, or I'll seize up and solidify.'

‘But you shouldn't take risks when you don't have to you. I worry about you,' Adam said, placing a hand on hers.

‘And I worry about you too, which is why I came over here. Anyway, it's nice to get out and talk to somebody, even if it is only Sir Walter,' she said as the cat waltzed into the kitchen in case he was missing out on anything. ‘Now, what on earth is going on?'

Adam sighed. ‘I told you—Kay's in love with that actor.'

‘Yes, but I didn't like him,' Nana Craig said, dipping her hand into the biscuit tin and chancing another fruit shrewsbury.

‘I'm afraid it doesn't matter who
you
like. It's who Kay likes that matters.'

‘So you've said nothing,' Nana Craig said, biscuit crumbs cascading down her chin.

‘I told you, there was nothing to say. She's in love with Oli Wade Owen.'

‘She
thinks
she's in love with Oli Wade Owen, and she probably thinks that only because she hasn't been given a choice.'

Adam shook his head at his nan's logic.

‘She doesn't know what's on offer,' Nana Craig continued. ‘It's rather like the contents of this biscuit tin. If there was more on offer than these rather soft fruit shrewsburys, I might have made a different choice.'

‘I don't think it's that simple,' Adam said.

Nana Craig shook her head. ‘You've got to tell her, Adam. It's the only way.'

There was really nothing more Adam could say to convince his nan, and luckily, he didn't have to, because his phone rang.

‘Hello?'

‘Adam? It's Gemma.'

‘Gemma!' Adam said. ‘Don't tell me, you've changed your mind about the Hollywood film?'

‘I'm afraid not,' she said. ‘It's Kay.'

‘What about her?' Adam interrupted quickly.

‘Something awful's happened. I think you should make sure she's all right.'

***

Somehow Kay managed to get through the rest of the day. After replacing the photograph of Annabel in Oli's notebook, she got on with her chores, moving through the bed and breakfast like a domestic whirlwind. She vacuumed and mopped, scrubbed and polished, and tucked and folded until there wasn't a single square inch that had been neglected. She then went shopping, replenishing her cupboards with everything that a guest could possibly request and a few other items she knew she might use to console herself, once the guests had gone. She filled every second with activity, because that way, she didn't have to think.

Before she knew it, it was evening, and the cast returned to the bed and breakfast. Well, most of them did. Oli and Teresa were noticeable by their absence, and it was soon assumed that they found a room together elsewhere. It was a little after seven o'clock when a tall man in a suit turned up to pack and collect their belongings.

Kay followed him up the stairs to show him to their bedrooms. ‘Did they send any message?' she dared to ask him.

‘Not by me,' he told her. ‘I'm just the runner and was only told to collect their things.'

‘Where are they staying?'

‘Just outside Bath, I believe,' he said politely.

So he'd gone. And without even saying good-bye.

Kay watched as the man did a thorough job of emptying the wardrobes and drawers, packing everything neatly away.

‘I think that's about it,' he said at last.

‘Yes,' Kay said quietly. ‘It really is.'

She followed him back downstairs, and he nodded politely to her as he left. That was it. No message, no forwarding address; she didn't even have his mobile phone number. Captain Wentworth wouldn't have behaved in such a manner; Kay felt sure of it, and Mr Darcy's good opinion would have been lost forever at such behaviour.

Kay walked through to the living room where Sophie and Beth were sitting with Les Miserable and offered everyone dinner. It was eagerly accepted, because everybody was too tired to bother changing and going out to dinner that evening. Kay was relieved, because it meant she'd be kept busy and have company too.

She was walking back to the kitchen when she heard Beth groan loudly.

‘God! Can you believe that today?' she said. ‘Oli and Teresa! I'd never have guessed that in a million years.'

‘Well, you'd better start believing,' Sophie said. ‘I hear they're getting married.'

Kay's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a scream.

‘All I can say is it's about bloody time,' Les Miserable said.

‘You knew they were a couple?' Beth said.

‘Of course I bleedin' knew.'

‘How?'

‘I've been working with Teresa for years. It's been a well-kept secret from the media, I warrant you, but industry insiders have known what's going on for ages.'

‘Blimey,' Sophie said.

‘I wish someone had told me,' Beth said. ‘It might have saved me hours of flirting.'

‘I reckon you would have flirted anyway,' Sophie said.

‘And who could blame me? They're not married, and what sort of relationship is it anyway, if they don't want anyone to know about it?'

‘A private one,' Sophie said. ‘Not everybody wants their love lives to be fodder for the national press.'

‘I think it's really weird. Besides, Oli's been messing around for years.'

‘Not anymore,' Les said. ‘Not if Teresa has anything to do with it.'

There was a pause for a moment before Beth spoke again. ‘Oh, my God! Do you think Annabel is his daughter?'

‘Of course she is,' Sophie said.

‘But she called him Oli all the time,' Beth said.

‘Maybe she doesn't know,' Sophie said, ‘or maybe she's under strict instructions
not
to call him “Daddy”. If I were Teresa's daughter, I'd do
exactly
what I was told, wouldn't you?'

‘God!' Beth said. ‘How can Oli be in love with Teresa, of all people?'

‘There's nothing stranger than love, and I've never seen such a passionate kiss in my whole life,' Sophie said.

‘Don't!' Beth said. ‘It was disgusting.'

‘You're just jealous that he wasn't kissing you.'

Kay couldn't bear to hear any more and hid in the kitchen to prepare dinner and then spent the rest of the evening cleaning pots that didn't need cleaning before going to bed and crying herself to sleep, putting a merciful end to what was probably the worst day of her life.

When she drew her curtains the next morning, she wished she could go straight back to bed. She didn't want to face the day ahead, because it was the day that everyone was leaving. This was the last breakfast she would prepare for the actors, and then they would be gone. If she wanted to see them again, she'd have to hire their films or watch them on television, but they'd never again sit on her sofa or pop their heads around the kitchen door asking for more coffee.

Breakfast was a quiet affair that morning. Les Miserable looked as glum as ever, and Beth looked pouty and petulant.

‘I don't want to go to Bath,' she complained, pushing the remains of her toast away from her.

‘I thought you'd like the shops,' Gemma said. She'd come in late the night before, and Kay guessed she'd been with Rob.

‘I suppose there is that consolation. But why can't we film it in London?'

Sophie looked at her as though she were quite mad. ‘You have read
Persuasion
, haven't you? You can't make a film version of
Persuasion
and not shoot in Bath.'

‘Oh, don't be so exact. It doesn't have to be Bath, does it, Les?'

‘Of course it has to be bloody Bath, you idiot. Jane Austen
is
Bath. You don't hear of bloody Jane Austen's London, do you? It's Jane Austen's Bath, isn't it?' he said.

Sophie and Gemma giggled.

Beth tutted in annoyance.

Kay left them to their debate.

‘Kay?' a voice said about half an hour later. She turned around to see Gemma standing in the kitchen doorway, and she knew it would be for the last time. ‘We're ready.'

Kay nodded and joined everyone in the hallway.

‘You've been the best host ever,' Sophie said. ‘I wish we could take you with us to Bath.'

Kay smiled weakly. She'd wanted to go with them as well, until the day before. Now the thought of seeing Oli again was too much.

‘I'll miss you, Sophie,' Kay said. ‘Come back and visit, won't you?'

Sophie nodded and gave her a big hug.

‘Bye, then,' Beth said, giving Kay the briefest of hugs.

‘Take care of that ankle, won't you?' Kay said.

‘There's nothing wrong with my ankle,' Beth said.

Les Miserable moved forward and extended a hand. ‘Thanks for putting us up and putting up with us,' he said without a glimmer of a grin.

‘You're very welcome,' Kay said.

And then there was Gemma.

‘I feel like Dorothy in the
Wizard
of
Oz
when she has to say good-bye to her new friends,' Kay said with a sad smile.

‘Oh, don't,' Gemma said, ‘or you'll start me off!'

The two hugged, and Kay felt tears threatening to spill.

‘Come on, come on,' Les said. ‘Got to get a move on, or we'll all be in trouble with you know who.'

‘Take care of yourself,' Gemma said.

‘You too,' Kay said. ‘And keep in touch, won't you? Come and visit if you're ever in Lyme Regis.'

‘I will,' Gemma said.

Sophie, Beth, and Les were already out of the door, and when Gemma was quite sure she had a moment's privacy, she doubled back.

‘Kay,' she said, ‘Oli gave me this to give you, the rat!' She handed her a little envelope. ‘I told him the least he could do was to give it to you himself, but he refused. Do you want me to stay whilst you open it? I could give him your reply, if you want.'

Kay shook her head, knowing that whatever was in there would probably make her cry, and Gemma had already seen enough of her tears.

Gemma gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. ‘If it's any consolation, I told Oli exactly what I think of him.'

‘
Gemma!
' Les's voice bellowed from outside. ‘Get a bloomin' move on!'

‘Got to go,' Gemma said, and Kay gave a little smile and watched as her friend left. Kay then looked at the envelope with her name scrawled across it in blue ink and felt that there was something inside it—something round. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment and her imagination whirled in a direction she could hardly hope was real. Oli had left her a ring and a note of explanation. The whole scene on the Cobb with Teresa had been only an elaborate cover to fool the press. It
wasn't
Teresa he loved. How could it be, when he was in love with Kay?

With shaking hands, Kay opened the envelope. Sure enough, there was a note, but there was no ring. She frowned as a shiny gold button fell into the palm of her hand. She examined it for a moment, not quite knowing what to make of it, and then she unfolded the sheet of paper, quickly reading the brief message.

Dear Kay—I hate leaving without saying a proper good-bye, but all this has happened so fast. I hope you will understand, and I know you will, because you are such a lovely girl.

I thought you might like the enclosed. It's one of Captain Wentworth's buttons, and it fell off during filming. I told the girl from costume it had rolled off the Cobb into the sea, so it won't be missed. I had a feeling you might like it.

Love,

Oli x

Kay stared at the letter in disbelief and then read it through again. Was that it? Was that all she meant to him?

‘He
knows
I'll understand!' she shouted into the hallway. ‘It was okay to use me like that because I'd understand!'