but I thought we could do bit of shopping whilst we’re in costume. Oh, and Lorna Warwick is doing a book signing. I thought we could go to that. I'm desperate to read her latest.’
‘ His latest, don't you mean? Lorna’s a man - didn't you hear?’
Shelley frowned. ‘A man? You're kidding.’
‘ No,’ Mia said. ‘And a rather gorgeous man too. Wait until you see!’
Chapter 14 Barton Cottage
After the surprise meeting with Alec Burrows, Sarah and Mia had enjoyed a full English breakfast before taking a walk to the private beach on the estate. The May sunshine was gloriously warm and Mia wore a white dress covered in scarlet poppies and a sun hat which Sarah had forced onto her head before leaving. Ever-practical, Sarah was wearing a pair of light beige trousers and a sky-blue shirt with pockets full of tissues.
Mia had led the way through the wood she’d jogged through earlier, pointing out the place where she’d collided with Alec.
They soon found the track to the beach and ambled along together, taking in deep lungfuls of pure air.
‘ I won’t want to go back to London,’ Mia said.
‘ Yes you will. You’ve got all those auditions lined up, haven’t you?’
‘ I suppose,’ Mia said. And then she thought of another reason to look forward to going back to London – Alec. ‘What do you suppose he does?’ she asked.
‘ Who?’
‘ Alec!’
‘ I thought we came here to escape men. I seem to remember that was the bargain.’
‘ Really? I don’t remember that at all,’ Mia said, thinking of his bright grey eyes and the cute smile she’d drawn from him.
The rest of the day passed peacefully and with very little happening which was just how Sarah had envisaged it when she’d booked Barton Cottage. If only Mia hadn't run into that man. Trust her sister to be knocked over by the only man in Devon. And now, she wouldn't stop talking about him. There was only one thing for it in such situations and that was Jane Austen. So, that evening, after Mia cooked a light student-inspired supper of spaghetti, they settled down to watch the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility , screaming in delight every time they saw Barton Cottage.
Mia should have been out like a light that evening but she wasn’t. Instead, she walked across to her window and drew back the curtains. The night was inky black but, as her eyes adjusted, they were soon dazzled by stars.
Being the kind of person who always wanted to share her thoughts and feelings with the entire world, Mia knew that she'd have to wake Sarah up immediately so, leaving her bedroom, she crept across the landing to her sister’s bedroom and opened the door.
‘ Sarah? Are you awake?’
A muffled noise came from the bed in the corner of the room.
‘ Come on – wake up! You've got to see this!’
‘ See what? It's the middle of the night.’
‘ Wow!’ Mia said. She was at the window now and had drawn back the curtains. ‘Look out of the window. You can’t see anything. Come and see! Sarah – come and see .’
‘ Why would I want to look out of a window if I can’t see anything?’
‘ It’s so dark,’ Mia said. ‘I can’t see a single house. We’re the only people in the world,’ Mia said.
‘ I’m afraid not.’
‘ But you could believe it in a place like this. It’s just us and the stars. Look how bright they are! Come on, Sarah – look!’
Sarah obviously realized that she was going to get no peace until she joined her sister at the window. She pushed the duvet away from her, carefully placed her feet in her slippers so that they didn’t touch the floor and, bleary-eyed with sleep, shuffled in the direction she hoped was the window.
‘ Can you see them?’ Mia asked.
‘ Not yet,’ Sarah said.
‘ Let your eyes adjust.’
Sarah kept on looking. It was an odd experience and almost impossible to tell whether her eyes were really open for she could see nothing.
But then …
‘ Oh!’ she exclaimed.
‘
‘ His latest, don't you mean? Lorna’s a man - didn't you hear?’
Shelley frowned. ‘A man? You're kidding.’
‘ No,’ Mia said. ‘And a rather gorgeous man too. Wait until you see!’
Chapter 14 Barton Cottage
After the surprise meeting with Alec Burrows, Sarah and Mia had enjoyed a full English breakfast before taking a walk to the private beach on the estate. The May sunshine was gloriously warm and Mia wore a white dress covered in scarlet poppies and a sun hat which Sarah had forced onto her head before leaving. Ever-practical, Sarah was wearing a pair of light beige trousers and a sky-blue shirt with pockets full of tissues.
Mia had led the way through the wood she’d jogged through earlier, pointing out the place where she’d collided with Alec.
They soon found the track to the beach and ambled along together, taking in deep lungfuls of pure air.
‘ I won’t want to go back to London,’ Mia said.
‘ Yes you will. You’ve got all those auditions lined up, haven’t you?’
‘ I suppose,’ Mia said. And then she thought of another reason to look forward to going back to London – Alec. ‘What do you suppose he does?’ she asked.
‘ Who?’
‘ Alec!’
‘ I thought we came here to escape men. I seem to remember that was the bargain.’
‘ Really? I don’t remember that at all,’ Mia said, thinking of his bright grey eyes and the cute smile she’d drawn from him.
The rest of the day passed peacefully and with very little happening which was just how Sarah had envisaged it when she’d booked Barton Cottage. If only Mia hadn't run into that man. Trust her sister to be knocked over by the only man in Devon. And now, she wouldn't stop talking about him. There was only one thing for it in such situations and that was Jane Austen. So, that evening, after Mia cooked a light student-inspired supper of spaghetti, they settled down to watch the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility , screaming in delight every time they saw Barton Cottage.
Mia should have been out like a light that evening but she wasn’t. Instead, she walked across to her window and drew back the curtains. The night was inky black but, as her eyes adjusted, they were soon dazzled by stars.
Being the kind of person who always wanted to share her thoughts and feelings with the entire world, Mia knew that she'd have to wake Sarah up immediately so, leaving her bedroom, she crept across the landing to her sister’s bedroom and opened the door.
‘ Sarah? Are you awake?’
A muffled noise came from the bed in the corner of the room.
‘ Come on – wake up! You've got to see this!’
‘ See what? It's the middle of the night.’
‘ Wow!’ Mia said. She was at the window now and had drawn back the curtains. ‘Look out of the window. You can’t see anything. Come and see! Sarah – come and see .’
‘ Why would I want to look out of a window if I can’t see anything?’
‘ It’s so dark,’ Mia said. ‘I can’t see a single house. We’re the only people in the world,’ Mia said.
‘ I’m afraid not.’
‘ But you could believe it in a place like this. It’s just us and the stars. Look how bright they are! Come on, Sarah – look!’
Sarah obviously realized that she was going to get no peace until she joined her sister at the window. She pushed the duvet away from her, carefully placed her feet in her slippers so that they didn’t touch the floor and, bleary-eyed with sleep, shuffled in the direction she hoped was the window.
‘ Can you see them?’ Mia asked.
‘ Not yet,’ Sarah said.
‘ Let your eyes adjust.’
Sarah kept on looking. It was an odd experience and almost impossible to tell whether her eyes were really open for she could see nothing.
But then …
‘ Oh!’ she exclaimed.
‘
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