said, clapping her hands and causing several tourists to turn and stare. It was four o’clock and their time at Lyme Park was drawing to a close after a day of delightful walks and a delicious lunch. ‘How about a group photo at the spot where Elizabeth met Mr Darcy after his swim?’
‘What a good idea,’ Doris Norris said, smiling at Melissa who had cheered up immensely since their chat.
‘Excellent,’ Roberta agreed and she and Rose got into place.
‘Oh, dear,’ Dame Pamela suddenly said. ‘Who’s going to take the photograph?’
‘Anne will,’ Mrs Soames volunteered. ‘Get hold of the camera, Anne. Don’t stand there gormless and useless.’
Dame Pamela looked outraged on behalf of Annie. ‘Mrs Soames,’ she cried, ‘I insist that Annie is actually in the photograph – not behind the camera taking it!’ She then spotted a passer-by. ‘Would you do the honours?’ she asked, flinging the camera at the gentleman before he had a chance to protest.
All the gang were there. Katherine and Warwick had returned from their romantic walk up to Darcy’s lake. Robyn, who was still getting over her earlier encounter with Melissa, had noticed that the journalist was smiling now and seemed to be very chummy with Doris.
They all jostled together with the grand face of Lyme Park behind them.
‘Everybody say "Darcy"!’ Dame Pamela sang and the photo was taken. ‘I shall make sure everybody receives a copy and I’m sure Ms Berry would like one for her article, wouldn’t you?’
Melissa nodded politely. ‘Thank you.’
‘Is that it, then?’ Roberta asked, looking woeful.
‘I’m afraid so,’ Robyn said, ‘although we’ll be taking a look at the beautiful Derbyshire countryside on the way back to the hotel and we’ve got a wonderful tea to look forward to before heading home.’
‘I don’t want to leave,’ Roberta said. ‘I wonder if anybody would notice if I moved into a very small room in the house.’
‘What a silly thing to say,’ Mrs Soames said. ‘Now, can you all get out of the way so I can get a photo of the house? I don’t want you all in it.’
‘Charming!’ Rose said.
‘ So rude!’ Roberta said. Nevertheless, the group and other tourists moved aside so that the formidable Mrs Soames could get her perfect shot.
Doris shook her head but she was smiling. ‘For a reader of Jane Austen, she hasn’t really got a great command of the English language, has she? You’d think she’d have learned a few words that would make her more affable, wouldn’t you?’
‘And amiable,’ Robyn said, relishing the use of one of her favourite Austen words.
Melissa, who was listening and watching intently, smiled at the exchanges and everybody watched as Mrs Soames walked backwards across the lawn to enable her tiny camera to get all of the house in.
‘She’s getting a bit close to the water, isn’t she?’ Rose said. ‘Shouldn’t somebody warn–’
But it was too late. Mrs Soames, her camera pressed up against her face, took one step back too many and, with an almighty splash, landed in the lake, her huge bottom and bosom sending a gallon of water up into the air.
Screams and cries came from the crowd gathered which had swollen far beyond the Purley Hall holidaymakers now.
‘Somebody do something!’ Dame Pamela cried, clutching her hands in front of her as Mrs Soames continued to splash in the shallows. Dame Pamela caught Warwick’s eyes but he didn’t need to be asked because he’d already kicked his boots off and was heading towards the water, leaping straight in.
It wasn’t deep but Mrs Soames was flailing around so much that Warwick was soon fully immersed himself.
‘Get me out of here, you stupid man!’ Mrs Soames cried and Warwick grabbed her round her substantial middle and did his best to shift her onto dry land where Annie and Robyn helped to pull her out.
‘Oh, Mother!’ Annie said, her expression torn between anxiety and amusement.
‘Warwick!’
‘What a good idea,’ Doris Norris said, smiling at Melissa who had cheered up immensely since their chat.
‘Excellent,’ Roberta agreed and she and Rose got into place.
‘Oh, dear,’ Dame Pamela suddenly said. ‘Who’s going to take the photograph?’
‘Anne will,’ Mrs Soames volunteered. ‘Get hold of the camera, Anne. Don’t stand there gormless and useless.’
Dame Pamela looked outraged on behalf of Annie. ‘Mrs Soames,’ she cried, ‘I insist that Annie is actually in the photograph – not behind the camera taking it!’ She then spotted a passer-by. ‘Would you do the honours?’ she asked, flinging the camera at the gentleman before he had a chance to protest.
All the gang were there. Katherine and Warwick had returned from their romantic walk up to Darcy’s lake. Robyn, who was still getting over her earlier encounter with Melissa, had noticed that the journalist was smiling now and seemed to be very chummy with Doris.
They all jostled together with the grand face of Lyme Park behind them.
‘Everybody say "Darcy"!’ Dame Pamela sang and the photo was taken. ‘I shall make sure everybody receives a copy and I’m sure Ms Berry would like one for her article, wouldn’t you?’
Melissa nodded politely. ‘Thank you.’
‘Is that it, then?’ Roberta asked, looking woeful.
‘I’m afraid so,’ Robyn said, ‘although we’ll be taking a look at the beautiful Derbyshire countryside on the way back to the hotel and we’ve got a wonderful tea to look forward to before heading home.’
‘I don’t want to leave,’ Roberta said. ‘I wonder if anybody would notice if I moved into a very small room in the house.’
‘What a silly thing to say,’ Mrs Soames said. ‘Now, can you all get out of the way so I can get a photo of the house? I don’t want you all in it.’
‘Charming!’ Rose said.
‘ So rude!’ Roberta said. Nevertheless, the group and other tourists moved aside so that the formidable Mrs Soames could get her perfect shot.
Doris shook her head but she was smiling. ‘For a reader of Jane Austen, she hasn’t really got a great command of the English language, has she? You’d think she’d have learned a few words that would make her more affable, wouldn’t you?’
‘And amiable,’ Robyn said, relishing the use of one of her favourite Austen words.
Melissa, who was listening and watching intently, smiled at the exchanges and everybody watched as Mrs Soames walked backwards across the lawn to enable her tiny camera to get all of the house in.
‘She’s getting a bit close to the water, isn’t she?’ Rose said. ‘Shouldn’t somebody warn–’
But it was too late. Mrs Soames, her camera pressed up against her face, took one step back too many and, with an almighty splash, landed in the lake, her huge bottom and bosom sending a gallon of water up into the air.
Screams and cries came from the crowd gathered which had swollen far beyond the Purley Hall holidaymakers now.
‘Somebody do something!’ Dame Pamela cried, clutching her hands in front of her as Mrs Soames continued to splash in the shallows. Dame Pamela caught Warwick’s eyes but he didn’t need to be asked because he’d already kicked his boots off and was heading towards the water, leaping straight in.
It wasn’t deep but Mrs Soames was flailing around so much that Warwick was soon fully immersed himself.
‘Get me out of here, you stupid man!’ Mrs Soames cried and Warwick grabbed her round her substantial middle and did his best to shift her onto dry land where Annie and Robyn helped to pull her out.
‘Oh, Mother!’ Annie said, her expression torn between anxiety and amusement.
‘Warwick!’
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