Mr. Darcy Forever by Victoria Connelly Page A

June. If only she could have seen that. She was a big Oli Wade Owen fan but perhaps the sight of him dressed as Captain Wentworth would have been more then she could have borne. She would have been sure to have swooned in the streets and that would never do.
    Mia forwarded the 1995 film to the Bath scenes and recognized the house in Sydney Place. She'd once taken a walk there and had regretted wearing her little ballet pumps instead of a sensible pair of trainers because it was a good walk from the centre of Bath but it had been worth it. She had felt like she’d entered one of the scenes from the film and could just imagine Anne Elliot emerging from the front door. That was part of the magic of Bath – it was like one big glorious film set and one could happily imagine that an Austen character would materialize from a shop or a side street at any moment.
    It was getting dark by the time Shelley had finished Mia’s dress. Mia had watched to the end of Persuasion and then returned upstairs.
    ‘ There you go, sweetie,’ Shelley said as Mia entered the room. ‘Try that on for size.’
    Mia did as she was told and Shelley helped her to do the dress up at the back.
    ‘ That certainly feels a lot better,’ Mia said.
    ‘ It looks gorgeous!’ Shelley said, peering at Mia’s reflection in the mirror from behind her shoulder.
    Mia nodded.
    ‘ What is it?’ Shelley asked with a frown.
    ‘ Nothing,’ Mia said.
    ‘ Don’t you like it?’
    ‘ I love it. It looks great.’
    ‘ Then what is it? What’s wrong, Mia?’ Shelley asked. ‘I wish you’d tell me. All the energy seems to have drained out of you.’
    Mia moved away from her and tried to get out of the dress which was, of course, impossible without Shelley's help.
    ‘ You used to tell me everything,’ Shelley said, following her and unbuttoning the back of the dress.
    ‘ There’s nothing to tell. Why do you think I have something to tell you?’
    ‘ Because I know you. Or, at least, I used to know you.’
    ‘ What could I possibly have to tell you?’
    ‘ Well, I don’t know!’ Shelley said, exasperation filling her voice. ‘I was kind of hoping you’d fill me in on that one!’
    Mia sighed. ‘If I had something to tell you, I’d tell you, believe me.’
    With that, Mia left the room and it was Shelley’s turn to sigh.
    ‘ I wish I believed you,’ Shelley whispered to herself, ‘but I don’t. I really don’t.’

Chapter 9
     
    In her hotel just off Great Pulteney Street, Sarah had unpacked and hung up all her clothes, frowning at the barely-noticeable wrinkles that her journey had produced.
    Her promenade dress in cream muslin with burgundy trim, was laid out across the bed and she was trying to remember the last time she’d worn it. It would have been the September before they’d visited Barton Cottage.
    ‘ Because we certainly didn’t come here the September after,’ she said quietly to herself, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking the dress. She remembered the day that she and Mia had their dresses made. They’d been introduced to a woman who specialised in period costume and had driven down to her home in Kent where they were measured for their special dresses. It had been a wonderful day and Sarah smiled as she remembered it. Their love of Jane Austen had certainly led to some fabulous adventures over the years. But it had also cost them their friendship too.
    Sarah stood up and walked to the window which looked out over Great Pulteney Street. Just a few years ago, Bath had been their special place and they’d looked forward to the Jane Austen Festival each year, taking time out from their busy lives to spend some quality Austen time together. But the last few years had meant no trip to Bath and Sarah had missed that so much that it hurt.
    So what had brought her here now, she wondered? It didn't seem right for her to be here without her sister. For a moment, she thought about the weeks that had led up to her making her