Read Online Mr. Darcy Forever by Victoria Connelly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Connelly
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bonnet,’ Shelley said.
He muttered something and handed it to her.
‘ What did he say?’ Mia asked as he left the room.
‘ I have absolutely no idea.’
‘ Maybe he's a secret cross-dresser with a fetish for Austensian bonnets,’ Mia said and they both giggled.
It was at that precise moment that Bingley charged into the room like a cannonball, careening into Shelley at full speed.
‘ BINGLEY!’ she shouted. ‘ Must you do that?’
Mia laughed.
‘ Lord Almighty! Why can't he simply walk into a room? He always has to be firing on all cylinders!’
‘ He’s adorable,’ Mia said, giving him a pat on his chestnut head. He looked up at her and must have decided that Mia wanted to get to know him better because, before she knew what was happening, his front paws had left the ground and had been placed on Mia’s shoulders.
‘ Nooooooooo! ’ Shelley cried out on Mia’s behalf. Mia took a step back and Bingley collapsed to the ground. ‘Oh, your dress!’ Shelley said, stepping forward to examine it for damage.
‘ It’s okay, I think,’ Mia said.
‘ Yes, apart from one great dirty paw print on your left shoulder.’ She manoeuvred her friend towards the sink and started dabbing at her with a damp cloth. ‘I’m so sorry! That dog is a thorough nuisance. I can't think why I got him. Only last week, he ate my entire lasagne and the week before that he completely destroyed my limited edition Captain Wentworth cushion!’
‘ I’m sure he didn't mean to,’ Mia said, ‘and don't worry about my dress. I think Elizabeth Bennet might very well have sported a paw print on her shoulder, don't you think?’
Shelley grimaced, not looking convinced. ‘How about a shawl?’
Mia nodded. The shawl was the epitome of Austen heroine elegance and was very handy for accidentally dropping if one saw a handsome hero to pick it up.
Shelley disappeared upstairs and returned with a pretty sky-blue shawl which matched the trim of Mia’s dress perfectly. She draped it over her friend’s shoulders, covering up the offending paw print.
‘ We’d better get going,’ Mia said and Shelley nodded.
‘ Bonnets at the ready?’
Mia smiled. ‘Oh, yes.’
They left the house, their tiny purses hooked over their arms and hiding all manner of modern necessities like lip glosses and mobile phones. Shelley was also holding a pretty white parasol which she’d told Mia was for fighting off any potential rivals if there was a real-life Mr Darcy at the promenade rather than for shielding herself from the sun.
‘ Are you sure Pie’s all right giving us a lift into town?’ Mia asked.
‘ It’s the least he can do after all the tidying up I do after him,’ Shelley said. ‘But he'll have to get a move on if we're going to be on time.’ She turned back to look at the house but there was no sign of Pie.
‘ Oh, look – there’s Gabe!’ Shelley said, waving her parasol in the air at him.
‘ Hello,’ he said from his front door. ‘I wish I had a hat to tip. You look splendid – both of you! Off to promenade the streets?’
‘ Of course,’ Shelley said. ‘Oh, won't you come too, Gabe? You’d look fabulous in costume, wouldn't he, Mia?’
Mia glanced at him quickly. ‘Any man looks good in costume,’ she said and then bit her lip. That had sounded very rude and she hadn't meant it to.
‘ And what about my arm?’ Gabe said, tapping his sling.
‘ You could be Horatio Nelson,’ Shelley said, suddenly inspired. ‘Now there’s a real hero for you.’
‘ But wouldn’t I have to lose an eye as well?’ Gabe said with a laugh.
Mia couldn't help but smile at his comment and noticed that he was looking at her. What was his problem? Had he never seen a woman in Regency costume before?
‘ Bingley not accompanying you?’ Gabe asked.
‘ You must be joking! He'd rampage and wreck the whole promenade. I’ve shut him in the kitchen,’ Shelley said. ‘He’s been a bad boy this morning. Just look what he’s
He muttered something and handed it to her.
‘ What did he say?’ Mia asked as he left the room.
‘ I have absolutely no idea.’
‘ Maybe he's a secret cross-dresser with a fetish for Austensian bonnets,’ Mia said and they both giggled.
It was at that precise moment that Bingley charged into the room like a cannonball, careening into Shelley at full speed.
‘ BINGLEY!’ she shouted. ‘ Must you do that?’
Mia laughed.
‘ Lord Almighty! Why can't he simply walk into a room? He always has to be firing on all cylinders!’
‘ He’s adorable,’ Mia said, giving him a pat on his chestnut head. He looked up at her and must have decided that Mia wanted to get to know him better because, before she knew what was happening, his front paws had left the ground and had been placed on Mia’s shoulders.
‘ Nooooooooo! ’ Shelley cried out on Mia’s behalf. Mia took a step back and Bingley collapsed to the ground. ‘Oh, your dress!’ Shelley said, stepping forward to examine it for damage.
‘ It’s okay, I think,’ Mia said.
‘ Yes, apart from one great dirty paw print on your left shoulder.’ She manoeuvred her friend towards the sink and started dabbing at her with a damp cloth. ‘I’m so sorry! That dog is a thorough nuisance. I can't think why I got him. Only last week, he ate my entire lasagne and the week before that he completely destroyed my limited edition Captain Wentworth cushion!’
‘ I’m sure he didn't mean to,’ Mia said, ‘and don't worry about my dress. I think Elizabeth Bennet might very well have sported a paw print on her shoulder, don't you think?’
Shelley grimaced, not looking convinced. ‘How about a shawl?’
Mia nodded. The shawl was the epitome of Austen heroine elegance and was very handy for accidentally dropping if one saw a handsome hero to pick it up.
Shelley disappeared upstairs and returned with a pretty sky-blue shawl which matched the trim of Mia’s dress perfectly. She draped it over her friend’s shoulders, covering up the offending paw print.
‘ We’d better get going,’ Mia said and Shelley nodded.
‘ Bonnets at the ready?’
Mia smiled. ‘Oh, yes.’
They left the house, their tiny purses hooked over their arms and hiding all manner of modern necessities like lip glosses and mobile phones. Shelley was also holding a pretty white parasol which she’d told Mia was for fighting off any potential rivals if there was a real-life Mr Darcy at the promenade rather than for shielding herself from the sun.
‘ Are you sure Pie’s all right giving us a lift into town?’ Mia asked.
‘ It’s the least he can do after all the tidying up I do after him,’ Shelley said. ‘But he'll have to get a move on if we're going to be on time.’ She turned back to look at the house but there was no sign of Pie.
‘ Oh, look – there’s Gabe!’ Shelley said, waving her parasol in the air at him.
‘ Hello,’ he said from his front door. ‘I wish I had a hat to tip. You look splendid – both of you! Off to promenade the streets?’
‘ Of course,’ Shelley said. ‘Oh, won't you come too, Gabe? You’d look fabulous in costume, wouldn't he, Mia?’
Mia glanced at him quickly. ‘Any man looks good in costume,’ she said and then bit her lip. That had sounded very rude and she hadn't meant it to.
‘ And what about my arm?’ Gabe said, tapping his sling.
‘ You could be Horatio Nelson,’ Shelley said, suddenly inspired. ‘Now there’s a real hero for you.’
‘ But wouldn’t I have to lose an eye as well?’ Gabe said with a laugh.
Mia couldn't help but smile at his comment and noticed that he was looking at her. What was his problem? Had he never seen a woman in Regency costume before?
‘ Bingley not accompanying you?’ Gabe asked.
‘ You must be joking! He'd rampage and wreck the whole promenade. I’ve shut him in the kitchen,’ Shelley said. ‘He’s been a bad boy this morning. Just look what he’s
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