A Weekend With Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly

Author:Victoria Connelly
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Romance, General, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9780007373352
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Published: 2010-09-15T23:00:00+00:00

As Robyn made her slow progress around the rest of the house, Katherine and Warwick were in the gift shop.

‘Look!’ Warwick said, holding up a hardback. ‘They have your book.’

Katherine looked at him wide-eyed. ‘Shush!’ she said. ‘Put it back.’

‘But I’m going to buy it. I want you to sign it for me. You should sign all these. They’ve got…’ he counted, ‘five.’

Katherine shook her head.

‘They should know who’s standing in their shop.’

‘Warwick!’

‘Aren’t you proud of your book? You’re being stocked at Jane Austen’s house!’

She smiled. ‘Of course I’m proud. I just don’t need everyone to know about it.’

‘You’re funny,’ he said.

She shook her head. ‘I’m sure you’d be the same. Writers are very modest people, you know. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be writers - we’d be performers or something, shouting our talents from every platform.’

‘But you’re speaking at this weekend,’ he said.

‘And it’s a rare exception to my rule,’ Katherine told him. ‘I love these weekends. I can be who I really am.’

‘And what’s that?’ he asked.

‘A Janeite,’ she said and then sighed in delight. ‘It’s just so wonderful being able to say that out loud.’

Warwick smiled.

‘I can proclaim my love for whatever books I want without fear of being judged. It’s wonderful and it’s great to see such a good range of fiction here although I can’t see any Lorna Warwicks.’

‘It doesn’t surprise me.’

‘No? But I’m sure they’d sell well here. Maybe we should suggest it?’

‘No!’ Warwick said.

‘Why not? You were all for me announcing myself a minute ago. Why not do our friend Lorna a favour?’

‘I want to see the garden,’ he said, scratching his nose and looking uncomfortable.

Katherine hastily bought a Jane Austen recipe book, a book about manners and, when she was quite sure Warwick was out of sight, an I Love Darcy bookmark.

‘Got anything nice?’ he asked her as she joined him.

She nodded. ‘Just some more books for the collection,’ she said, hoping he wouldn’t look inside her bag.

‘I wish I could show you mine,’ he said.

‘Your books?’

He nodded.

‘Do you have a shop? I’d love to see that.’

‘No,’ he said. ‘Everything’s done from home.’

‘I guess that’s easier these days,’ she said. ‘So many lovely old bookshops are closing. I guess rents make things so difficult. Did you used to have a shop?’

‘Er, no,’ he said, stopping to read a notice board in the garden about the flowers on display.

‘How many books do you have at any one time?’

‘Thousands,’ he said. ‘I can’t stop buying. Like you.’

‘I expect you’ve got a lot more than me, though,’ she said. ‘What’s your favourite?’

‘I rather like those roses,’ he said, pointing to the profusion of delicate blooms that encircled the cottage’s door.

‘No!’ Katherine laughed. ‘Book! What’s your favourite book?’

‘Well, I have some first edition Walter Scotts.’

‘Wow! I’d love to see them. Maybe I could visit some time?’

‘Well,’ he said, ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea. The place is a mess, it really is.’

‘Perhaps you just need a woman’s touch,’ Katherine said. ‘I’d be happy to help. I love a good sort out - especially if it involves books.

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