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Authors: Tracy Kiely
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I’m sure that he will see your point once you explain it to him. He can’t mean for you to be left out.” The woman paused to thumb through the pile of magazines spread out on the low coffee table before her. “I haven’t heard of any of these. They’re all foreign. Don’t they even have People ?”
“I imagine that they just carry the local magazines.”
“Well, that’s shortsighted, then. Most of the people who stay at these places aren’t from here, are they? No, they aren’t,” she continued, answering her own question. “Nine times out of ten, they are Americans, and the people who run these types of establishments should remember that.”
“If you say so,” said Ian, staring miserably at the floor.
Another person entered the room now. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Aunt Winnie. It was John. I immediately ducked my head and intently studied the festival guide. Happily, I was not John’s focus. “Ian! Valerie!” he called out. “It’s splendid to see you again! How are you? How’s Forever Austen going?”
I peeked up. Ian? Forever Austen ? This was Richard Baines’s son? Well, well. Better and better.
“Hello, John,” said Valerie. “We’re fine. The magazine’s going splendidly, of course. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason,” John replied. “One hears things, is all. Economy’s in the tanker, you know.”
“Well, not for Forever Austen, ” Valerie replied testily. “ It’s doing just fine.”
“Excellent, that’s excellent.” John’s eyes now landed on me. “Well, hello again!” he boomed. “I was hoping to find you.” Both Ian and Valerie now seemed to notice my presence in the room. Ian smiled politely at me. Valerie did not.
“Hello,” I offered with a quiet smile.
Turning to Ian and Valerie, John said, “Ian and Valerie Baines, I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Elizabeth Parker. She is also here for the festival. Elizabeth, the Baineses run the magazine Forever Austen. ”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said before glancing back down at my festival guide. My hope that this move would deter further attention from John was, as it turned out, a rather silly one.
“Is that the guide for the festival?” asked John. “Why, you’ve no need for that! Not with me around. I’m the best guide there is! You are going to the ball tomorrow, aren’t you?”
When I reluctantly nodded, John clapped his hands. “Excellent! Then I will claim a dance! I know them all, of course. Many of my partners consider me to be one of the best Regency dancers.”
I paused. Unlike Catherine Morland, I experienced no reflection of felicity in being already engaged for the evening, for I knew that to go previously engaged to a ball does not necessarily increase either the dignity or the enjoyment of a young lady. Besides, I think I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than stand up for an hour with John; it would be insupportable.
Oh, I missed Peter.
Realizing that John was waiting for an answer and that Ian and Valerie were watching me as well, I produced a strangled cough and muttered, “Well, I’m not sure what our plans are right now…”
Aunt Winnie entered the room. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see her. “There you are!” she said upon seeing me. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I said, quickly getting to my feet, but John wasn’t ready to end our encounter.
“Ah, Ms. Reynolds,” he said, “I was just introducing your lovely niece to my friends, Ian and Valerie Baines. As you probably know, they run the magazine Forever Austen. ”
Aunt Winnie said her hellos and then turned back to me. “Well, we’d better be off, if we don’t want to be late meeting Cora and Izzy.”
“Late?” repeated John. “Oh, but I was hoping to show you around Bath this evening!”
“You were?” I asked with some astonishment.
“That is very gallant of you, John,” said Aunt Winnie, “but I’m afraid that we’ll have to take a rain check on your kind
“I imagine that they just carry the local magazines.”
“Well, that’s shortsighted, then. Most of the people who stay at these places aren’t from here, are they? No, they aren’t,” she continued, answering her own question. “Nine times out of ten, they are Americans, and the people who run these types of establishments should remember that.”
“If you say so,” said Ian, staring miserably at the floor.
Another person entered the room now. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Aunt Winnie. It was John. I immediately ducked my head and intently studied the festival guide. Happily, I was not John’s focus. “Ian! Valerie!” he called out. “It’s splendid to see you again! How are you? How’s Forever Austen going?”
I peeked up. Ian? Forever Austen ? This was Richard Baines’s son? Well, well. Better and better.
“Hello, John,” said Valerie. “We’re fine. The magazine’s going splendidly, of course. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason,” John replied. “One hears things, is all. Economy’s in the tanker, you know.”
“Well, not for Forever Austen, ” Valerie replied testily. “ It’s doing just fine.”
“Excellent, that’s excellent.” John’s eyes now landed on me. “Well, hello again!” he boomed. “I was hoping to find you.” Both Ian and Valerie now seemed to notice my presence in the room. Ian smiled politely at me. Valerie did not.
“Hello,” I offered with a quiet smile.
Turning to Ian and Valerie, John said, “Ian and Valerie Baines, I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Elizabeth Parker. She is also here for the festival. Elizabeth, the Baineses run the magazine Forever Austen. ”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said before glancing back down at my festival guide. My hope that this move would deter further attention from John was, as it turned out, a rather silly one.
“Is that the guide for the festival?” asked John. “Why, you’ve no need for that! Not with me around. I’m the best guide there is! You are going to the ball tomorrow, aren’t you?”
When I reluctantly nodded, John clapped his hands. “Excellent! Then I will claim a dance! I know them all, of course. Many of my partners consider me to be one of the best Regency dancers.”
I paused. Unlike Catherine Morland, I experienced no reflection of felicity in being already engaged for the evening, for I knew that to go previously engaged to a ball does not necessarily increase either the dignity or the enjoyment of a young lady. Besides, I think I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than stand up for an hour with John; it would be insupportable.
Oh, I missed Peter.
Realizing that John was waiting for an answer and that Ian and Valerie were watching me as well, I produced a strangled cough and muttered, “Well, I’m not sure what our plans are right now…”
Aunt Winnie entered the room. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see her. “There you are!” she said upon seeing me. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I said, quickly getting to my feet, but John wasn’t ready to end our encounter.
“Ah, Ms. Reynolds,” he said, “I was just introducing your lovely niece to my friends, Ian and Valerie Baines. As you probably know, they run the magazine Forever Austen. ”
Aunt Winnie said her hellos and then turned back to me. “Well, we’d better be off, if we don’t want to be late meeting Cora and Izzy.”
“Late?” repeated John. “Oh, but I was hoping to show you around Bath this evening!”
“You were?” I asked with some astonishment.
“That is very gallant of you, John,” said Aunt Winnie, “but I’m afraid that we’ll have to take a rain check on your kind
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