that the phone rang. Dan popped Cassie into her high chair from where she sat watching Higgins whilst he went out to answer the phone.
‘Dan?’
‘Robyn!’
‘Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice.’
‘Are you okay?’ he asked.
‘I’ve just had a really awful conversation with Melissa,’ she said.
‘The journalist?’
‘Yes.’
‘So I take it she isn’t a full-blown Janeite yet?’ Dan asked.
‘We all thought it was going to be so easy,’ Robyn said with a sigh. ‘Play her a few choice scenes and read her a few wonderful passages and she’d be converted in no time.’
‘And that’s not happening?’
‘Not at all,’ Robyn said. ‘I can’t seem to get through to her. Anyway, take my mind off it for a few minutes and tell me what’s going on with you.’
‘Oh, you know,’ he said.
‘I don’t actually,’ Robyn said, ‘because I’ve never left you two alone before, have I?’
Dan laughed. ‘Well, everything’s fine.’
‘Are you sure?’ Robyn asked. ‘Your voice sounds funny.’
‘Does it?’ Dan said.
‘Yes,’ Robyn said. ‘It does.’
‘Just a frog in my throat,’ he said, clearing it.
‘Cassie okay?’
‘Of course,’ he said, briefly recounting the tale of the doll down the sofa.
‘And the hens?’
Dan cleared his throat again. ‘All fine,’ he said. He was most certainly not going to tell her about the hen escapade nor the exploding washing machine incident because he knew she’d only worry.
‘I miss you guys so much,’ she said.
‘We miss you too,’ he said.
‘And the horses are okay? And Moby and Biscuit? Do watch Biscuit with my scarves,’ she said. ‘He’s taken a liking to the sky-blue one recently for some reason.’
Dan winced.
‘Dan?’
‘Yes?’
‘You sure everything’s okay?’
‘Soup is ready, sir,’ Higgins’s voice carried through to the hall.
‘Is that Higgins?’ Robyn said. ‘What’s he doing there?’
‘Oh, he just made a big vat of soup and brought some over for us. Kind, eh?’
‘Yes,’ Robyn said. ‘Perhaps he thought you’d be lonely.’
‘That’ll be it,’ Dan said.
‘Well, I suppose I’d better get back to it and make sure everyone’s okay,’ she said. ‘I wish you were both here with me.’
‘Me too, Dan said.
‘I’ll see you this evening, okay?’
‘Bye, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘Love you!’
‘Love you too – kiss Cassie for me.’
Dan hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen where Higgins was monitoring Cassie’s progress at the table with her bowl of soup. Her cheeks and chin were orange but her eyes were bright with delight.
Chapter 13
Doris Norris was taking a photograph of the front of Lyme Park from across the lake when she saw Melissa approaching.
‘Ah, my dear!’ she called. ‘Are you any good with cameras?’
‘You want me to take a photo of you?’
‘That would be absolutely marvellous,’ Doris said, handing her tiny red camera to Melissa. ‘Get Pemberley – I mean Lyme Park – in the background, won’t you?’ she said, smiling brightly.
Photo taken, Melissa returned the camera to Doris.
‘Would you like me to take one of you?’ Doris asked.
Melissa shook her head. ‘No, thanks.’
Doris peered at her closely. ‘You’ve been crying!’ she said. ‘Oh, my dear girl! Whatever is the matter?’
The tears started again and there was no stopping them this time. Doris took a step closer and hugged her.
‘You just let it all out. Whatever it is. Let it all out.’
Doris wasn’t sure how long she stood there holding Melissa but, when the young woman finally looked up, her face and eyes were red.
‘Come and sit down,’ Doris said and the two of them found a bench together.
‘I’m sorry,’ Melissa said. ‘I’m making a real mess of everything this weekend.’
‘No you’re not,’ Doris said.
‘Everybody hates me, don’t they?’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘I’ve seen the way they look at me when I’m texting. Dame
‘Dan?’
‘Robyn!’
‘Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice.’
‘Are you okay?’ he asked.
‘I’ve just had a really awful conversation with Melissa,’ she said.
‘The journalist?’
‘Yes.’
‘So I take it she isn’t a full-blown Janeite yet?’ Dan asked.
‘We all thought it was going to be so easy,’ Robyn said with a sigh. ‘Play her a few choice scenes and read her a few wonderful passages and she’d be converted in no time.’
‘And that’s not happening?’
‘Not at all,’ Robyn said. ‘I can’t seem to get through to her. Anyway, take my mind off it for a few minutes and tell me what’s going on with you.’
‘Oh, you know,’ he said.
‘I don’t actually,’ Robyn said, ‘because I’ve never left you two alone before, have I?’
Dan laughed. ‘Well, everything’s fine.’
‘Are you sure?’ Robyn asked. ‘Your voice sounds funny.’
‘Does it?’ Dan said.
‘Yes,’ Robyn said. ‘It does.’
‘Just a frog in my throat,’ he said, clearing it.
‘Cassie okay?’
‘Of course,’ he said, briefly recounting the tale of the doll down the sofa.
‘And the hens?’
Dan cleared his throat again. ‘All fine,’ he said. He was most certainly not going to tell her about the hen escapade nor the exploding washing machine incident because he knew she’d only worry.
‘I miss you guys so much,’ she said.
‘We miss you too,’ he said.
‘And the horses are okay? And Moby and Biscuit? Do watch Biscuit with my scarves,’ she said. ‘He’s taken a liking to the sky-blue one recently for some reason.’
Dan winced.
‘Dan?’
‘Yes?’
‘You sure everything’s okay?’
‘Soup is ready, sir,’ Higgins’s voice carried through to the hall.
‘Is that Higgins?’ Robyn said. ‘What’s he doing there?’
‘Oh, he just made a big vat of soup and brought some over for us. Kind, eh?’
‘Yes,’ Robyn said. ‘Perhaps he thought you’d be lonely.’
‘That’ll be it,’ Dan said.
‘Well, I suppose I’d better get back to it and make sure everyone’s okay,’ she said. ‘I wish you were both here with me.’
‘Me too, Dan said.
‘I’ll see you this evening, okay?’
‘Bye, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘Love you!’
‘Love you too – kiss Cassie for me.’
Dan hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen where Higgins was monitoring Cassie’s progress at the table with her bowl of soup. Her cheeks and chin were orange but her eyes were bright with delight.
Chapter 13
Doris Norris was taking a photograph of the front of Lyme Park from across the lake when she saw Melissa approaching.
‘Ah, my dear!’ she called. ‘Are you any good with cameras?’
‘You want me to take a photo of you?’
‘That would be absolutely marvellous,’ Doris said, handing her tiny red camera to Melissa. ‘Get Pemberley – I mean Lyme Park – in the background, won’t you?’ she said, smiling brightly.
Photo taken, Melissa returned the camera to Doris.
‘Would you like me to take one of you?’ Doris asked.
Melissa shook her head. ‘No, thanks.’
Doris peered at her closely. ‘You’ve been crying!’ she said. ‘Oh, my dear girl! Whatever is the matter?’
The tears started again and there was no stopping them this time. Doris took a step closer and hugged her.
‘You just let it all out. Whatever it is. Let it all out.’
Doris wasn’t sure how long she stood there holding Melissa but, when the young woman finally looked up, her face and eyes were red.
‘Come and sit down,’ Doris said and the two of them found a bench together.
‘I’m sorry,’ Melissa said. ‘I’m making a real mess of everything this weekend.’
‘No you’re not,’ Doris said.
‘Everybody hates me, don’t they?’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘I’ve seen the way they look at me when I’m texting. Dame
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