Christmas With Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly Read Free Book Online

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    ‘What?’
    ‘It seems rather risky to me,’ he said.
    ‘How can you say that?’ Dame Pamela asked. ‘These people are all Jane Austen fans and that makes us like family!’
    ‘But they’re not family.’
    ‘Look, Higgins, I’ve worked with countless people in my profession. I’ve met some gems and I’ve met some real stinkers too and I like to think that I’m a pretty good judge of character and there’s not one guest here that I wouldn’t trust with my life. Well, as long as we keep an eye on Benedict, that is. Just in case he decides to run away with it.’
    Higgins nodded as if in agreement. ‘And you’ll make sure you’ll return it to the safe afterwards?’ he said.
    ‘Of course I will. Really, Higgins, I do think you’re worrying about nothing.’
    ‘One should always remain cautious,’ he said. ‘Best safety lies in fear.’
    Dame Pamela blinked in surprise. ‘I didn’t know you knew Hamlet ,’ she said.
    ‘I have been known to read the Bard on occasion,’ Higgins said, giving a little nod of his head before leaving the room.
     
    ‘Hey!’ Dan said as he entered the kitchen. ‘I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you were watching Emma .’
    Robyn looked up from the rocking chair where she was holding a sleeping Cassandra, her long corkscrew curls tickling her daughter’s head. ‘I was but Cassie started getting grouchy. I think she wanted her nap so we came down here for a while.’
    ‘It’s certainly the place to be,’ Dan said, kissing Robyn before pulling up a wooden chair and joining her by the AGA whose heat was filling the room. ‘I’ve just been outside and it’s absolutely freezing. The drive’s completely covered and it looks like we’re all snowed in for the next few days.’
    ‘Good job nobody’s planning on going anywhere then, isn’t it?’
    Dan nodded. ‘I’m glad I brought Moby and Biscuit with me this morning but we’ll have to nip back to the cottage to feed the hens . Pammy’s said we can stay in the attic room. Higgins is making sure it’s all ship-shape. She didn’t want to put us all the way up there but all the other rooms are full.’
    ‘The attic room’s fine. Is the rocking horse still up there?’
    Dan nodded. ‘I can give Cassie her first riding lesson.’
    Robyn smiled. Dan had been talking about getting Cassie into the saddle since she’d been born but Robyn insisted on waiting until she started school. ‘That’ll be soon enough,’ she’d told him.
    They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching Cassie as she slept. Robyn stroked her red-gold hair. She’d inherited her father’s colouring although it had a tendency to curl like Robyn’s hair.
    ‘How are things going with Benedict?’ Robyn asked at last.
    ‘I’ve left him in the drawing room. He’s smoking his way through Higgins’s cigars.’
    ‘And you haven’t found out why he’s here?’
    ‘He keeps talking about the “spirit of Christmas”,’ Dan said, ‘but I don’t believe him. He’s never been the sort to put a family Christmas first. He’s hiding something, all right, but I haven’t winkled it out of him yet.
    ‘He seems nice enough,’ Robyn said.
    ‘Oh, he’s always been an affable sort.’
    Robyn grinned.
    ‘What?’ Dan asked her.
    ‘You said affable ,’ she said.
    ‘What’s wrong with that?’
    ‘Nothing!’ she said. ‘But you’re beginning to sound like a Janeite.’
    Dan grinned. ‘I’m not surprised,’ he said. ‘You can’t move around Purley these days without being assaulted by affables and amiables .’
    Robyn laughed. ‘I think it’s something we’re going to have to get used to with all these conferences.’
    ‘Yes, Pammy shows no signs of slowing down or thinking about retirement anytime soon.’
    ‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Robyn said, ‘otherwise I’d be out of a job.’
    ‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ Dan said. ‘If Pammy ever does retire, I’m sure you’d be running these