out a light trill of laughter.
Knightley was plainly captivated.
A flicker of irritation – and something akin, perhaps, to jealousy – swept over her. Miss Fairfax had an uncanny ability to draw handsome men into her orbit like a blossom attracting every passing bee…which fact Emma found quite annoying. Not only was the girl pretty; she was clever, as well.
No wonder James – and Mr Knightley – were so taken with her.
“Well, it looks like Mr Knightley’s wasted no time introducing himself to Isabella,” Mrs Cusack remarked, echoing Emma’s thoughts. “And quite a handsome man he is, too,” she added. “One way or another, I hear wedding bells in the offing, mark my words!”
Emma’s lips were stiff from smiling. “I’d best refill the sandwich tray. If you’ll excuse me –?”
As she returned to the kitchen and took a fresh tray of egg-and-cress sandwiches from the refrigerator, she couldn’t help but wonder what Isabella and James had been talking about.
Whatever the subject, it had plainly made Mrs Cusack’s niece unhappy. And that hardly seemed like a conversation between two people who’d only just met.
She glanced out the window and her gaze went straight to the rose garden. Mr Churchill was gone, leaving Mark and Isabella to continue their conversation together.
Emma frowned. She wondered why the sight of Mark Knightley talking to Isabella Fairfax – and making her laugh – bothered her so much. It was surely only polite, meaningless chitchat between two acquaintances at a garden party. Nothing more.
Besides…she was interested in James,
not
Mark.
Jealousy’s such a petty, childish emotion, Emma Bennet
, she scolded herself as she took up the tray and headed for the door.
It’s beneath you. Stop it, at once.
But her irritation with Mark – and with Isabella Fairfax as well – remained firmly in place for the rest of the afternoon.
Chapter 19
As the last of the guests left, Emma stood on the doorstep and said her goodbyes to Hugh and Lizzy.
“I’ll call you next week,” she promised her sister. “Let me know once you’ve arrived safely in London.”
“I will. Thanks, Em. You ought to come visit us,” Lizzy called out as she stood beside Hugh’s hire car. “We’ve plenty of room. Why not next weekend? We’ll have lunch, go shopping…have a hen party.”
“I’d like that.”
“Bring Charli too, if you wish.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” Emma said. “Letting Charli loose in the city?”
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Lizzy promised. “And at least there’s no chance of another Ciaran incident.” She eyed her sister meaningfully. “He’s filming in Australia at the moment.”
Ciaran Duncan, the actor who’d stayed at Cleremont earlier in the summer during the filming of
Pride and Prejudice
, had swept the star-struck Charlotte off her feet with his attentions…and like Mr Wickham, the character he’d portrayed in the film, had almost convinced her to run off with him.
Emma shuddered at the memory. “What a disaster that nearly was. Although we needn’t worry – Charli got over him the second she caught him snogging Cara Winslow.”
Cara was the leading lady who’d played the part of Elizabeth Bennet.
“I’m sure daddy won’t object to a couple of days of peace and quiet,” Lizzy added. “Between the incident with Charli and Ciaran, and my wedding, he’ll welcome the solitude.”
“It seems I can’t escape you Bennet women,” Hugh said, and smiled over at Emma. “Thank you again. Please tell your father how much we enjoyed ourselves. We’ll see you and Charlotte at the weekend, I hope?”
“I can’t wait.”
She waved as they drove off, and noticed as she did that James’s Lamborghini was still parked nearby.
“Emma,” Mr Bennet called out from the kitchen, “will you help me bring in the plates and cups from the terrace, please?”
“Of course.” She shut the door and made her way back down the hall
Knightley was plainly captivated.
A flicker of irritation – and something akin, perhaps, to jealousy – swept over her. Miss Fairfax had an uncanny ability to draw handsome men into her orbit like a blossom attracting every passing bee…which fact Emma found quite annoying. Not only was the girl pretty; she was clever, as well.
No wonder James – and Mr Knightley – were so taken with her.
“Well, it looks like Mr Knightley’s wasted no time introducing himself to Isabella,” Mrs Cusack remarked, echoing Emma’s thoughts. “And quite a handsome man he is, too,” she added. “One way or another, I hear wedding bells in the offing, mark my words!”
Emma’s lips were stiff from smiling. “I’d best refill the sandwich tray. If you’ll excuse me –?”
As she returned to the kitchen and took a fresh tray of egg-and-cress sandwiches from the refrigerator, she couldn’t help but wonder what Isabella and James had been talking about.
Whatever the subject, it had plainly made Mrs Cusack’s niece unhappy. And that hardly seemed like a conversation between two people who’d only just met.
She glanced out the window and her gaze went straight to the rose garden. Mr Churchill was gone, leaving Mark and Isabella to continue their conversation together.
Emma frowned. She wondered why the sight of Mark Knightley talking to Isabella Fairfax – and making her laugh – bothered her so much. It was surely only polite, meaningless chitchat between two acquaintances at a garden party. Nothing more.
Besides…she was interested in James,
not
Mark.
Jealousy’s such a petty, childish emotion, Emma Bennet
, she scolded herself as she took up the tray and headed for the door.
It’s beneath you. Stop it, at once.
But her irritation with Mark – and with Isabella Fairfax as well – remained firmly in place for the rest of the afternoon.
Chapter 19
As the last of the guests left, Emma stood on the doorstep and said her goodbyes to Hugh and Lizzy.
“I’ll call you next week,” she promised her sister. “Let me know once you’ve arrived safely in London.”
“I will. Thanks, Em. You ought to come visit us,” Lizzy called out as she stood beside Hugh’s hire car. “We’ve plenty of room. Why not next weekend? We’ll have lunch, go shopping…have a hen party.”
“I’d like that.”
“Bring Charli too, if you wish.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” Emma said. “Letting Charli loose in the city?”
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Lizzy promised. “And at least there’s no chance of another Ciaran incident.” She eyed her sister meaningfully. “He’s filming in Australia at the moment.”
Ciaran Duncan, the actor who’d stayed at Cleremont earlier in the summer during the filming of
Pride and Prejudice
, had swept the star-struck Charlotte off her feet with his attentions…and like Mr Wickham, the character he’d portrayed in the film, had almost convinced her to run off with him.
Emma shuddered at the memory. “What a disaster that nearly was. Although we needn’t worry – Charli got over him the second she caught him snogging Cara Winslow.”
Cara was the leading lady who’d played the part of Elizabeth Bennet.
“I’m sure daddy won’t object to a couple of days of peace and quiet,” Lizzy added. “Between the incident with Charli and Ciaran, and my wedding, he’ll welcome the solitude.”
“It seems I can’t escape you Bennet women,” Hugh said, and smiled over at Emma. “Thank you again. Please tell your father how much we enjoyed ourselves. We’ll see you and Charlotte at the weekend, I hope?”
“I can’t wait.”
She waved as they drove off, and noticed as she did that James’s Lamborghini was still parked nearby.
“Emma,” Mr Bennet called out from the kitchen, “will you help me bring in the plates and cups from the terrace, please?”
“Of course.” She shut the door and made her way back down the hall
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