Christmas With Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly Read Free Book Online Page B

joined sisters Roberta and Rose, Gemma joined Adam and Kay, and Robyn and Dan joined Katherine and Warwick.
    ‘Everybody knows that I adore a quiz!’ Dame Pamela began, standing to the left of the great fireplace, ‘and this is a special Christmas-themed quiz.’
    A cheer went up in the library.
    ‘And there’s a special Christmas prize too. A beautiful set of hampers from Fortnum and Mason filled with Christmas goodies.’
    Necks craned to get a look at the prize.
    ‘And runners up prizes of signed photographs of me as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice .’
    ‘A hamper’s more use,’ Mrs Soames said to her neighbour.
    ‘So, let the quiz commence!’ Dame Pamela said. ‘Question number one. Janeites have another reason to celebrate the Christmas season because it marks Jane Austen’s birthday but what was the exact date of her birth?’
    Katherine and Robyn exchanged glances as if to say that no question could be easier for an Austen fan, for who wasn’t aware of when their idol had came into the world?
    ‘The sixteenth of December 1775,’ Warwick whispered.
    ‘Of course,’ Katherine said, writing the answer down in her neat script with a fountain pen that Warwick had bought for her for her last birthday. He’d had it engraved with the words ‘so much in love’ which was a quotation from Pride and Prejudice and Katherine loved it dearly.
    ‘Next question,’ Dame Pamela said, ‘it’s a quote and I want to know who wrote it and whom they wrote it to. Ready? “You are all to come to Pemberley at Christmas.”’
    ‘Oh!’ Dan said. ‘That’s from-’
    Robyn hushed him. ‘Don’t give answers away to the opposition!’ she warned him.
    ‘But that’s from Pride and Prejudice ,’ he said excitedly.
    Robyn smiled across at Katherine and Warwick. ‘That’s the only Austen novel he’s read,’ she explained, nudging him gently in the ribs.
    ‘Okay, then,’ Katherine said. ‘Who said it, Dan?’
    ‘Well, I don’t know that much,’ he admitted.
    ‘It’s Elizabeth,’ Robyn said. ‘It’s right at the end in a letter she writes to the Gardiners.’
    Katherine nodded in agreement and wrote it down.
    ‘A tough one now,’ Dame Pamela said. ‘In the winter of what year did Jane Austen receive a marriage of proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither?’
    There was a ripple of laughter around the room as there always was at the mention of his name.
    Warwick took a deep breath. ‘Well, I’m stumped.’
    ‘It must have been the early eighteen hundreds,’ Robyn said. ‘Eighteen-’
    ‘1802,’ Katherine finished.
    ‘Give Robyn a chance!’ Warwick said. ‘She was probably going to say that.’
    ‘Actually, I was going to say 1803,’ Robyn confessed.
    ‘That might be right,’ Warwick said.
    ‘It’s 1802,’ Katherine said. ‘Trust me.’
    ‘Ready for the next question?’ Dame Pamela asked. ‘Which festive drink in the eighteenth-century was made from arrack, water, lemon juice, sugar and spices?’
    ‘Warwick?’ Katherine said, pointing her fountain pen at him.
    ‘Why would I know the answer to that?’ he said.
    ‘Because you’re known to like a tipple!’
    ‘Oh, all right – it’s punch,’ he said with a grin.
    ‘Next question,’ Dame Pamela said. ‘In Emma , who was – and I quote – “snowed up at a friend’s house once for a week”?’
    ‘Oh, it’s that odious Mr Elton,’ Robyn said. ‘His poor friends have to endure him for a whole week! Can you imagine.’
    ‘Could be worse,’ Warwick announced. ‘Could’ve been Mr Collins.’
    Robyn nodded. ‘Imagine having to entertain both of them at once. Wouldn’t that be awful?’
    ‘They’d probably absolutely adore each other,’ Warwick said.
    ‘I don’t think they would,’ Katherine said. ‘I think Mr Collins would probably feel threatened by Mr Elton.’
    There was no time to discuss the fictional meeting between these two literary anti-heroes any longer for Dame Pamela was ready with the next