Ten Days with Mr Darcy (on hold)

Chapter twenty-three - Mr Darcy's kiss

At the end of the second Lambton Inn scene, Jessica felt a weight lift from her shoulders as Mr. Darcy bid her farewell and walked out of the door. It had been the worst experience of the day so far — the first of the two scenes where Elizabeth and Darcy were alone together. Before he'd spoken the first line, Sebastian had flashed a mischievous grin. He knew while they were performing together she was no longer able to rely on her friends for support or protection. As the crowd in front of her clapped their hands enthusiastically, Sebastian returned to the room to take his bow.

Without any warning he captured her hand in his, applying pressure to hold her firmly within his grasp as they waited for the audience to quieten. She wanted to pull away from him—his touch reviled her—but she couldn't do so in front of all those people.

When the public started to wander away, he stepped closer. "Now will you talk to me?"

Jessica said nothing.

"Still not prepared to give me a second chance? What about the end of the day? Are you looking forward to that final scene?" He moved closer, lowering his voice. "How will you feel when I claim my last kiss?"

"I'll probably throw up," she hissed through a fixed smile.

He pulled her to his side as they left the room through the door at the back. "I don't think you're being honest with yourself, do you? I know what'll happen. Once our lips come together you'll remember how much you loved having your very own Mr. Darcy. You won't be able to resist me."

"Oh, I think she'll manage," Laura said, standing in the inner hallway.

"He does think very highly of himself, doesn't he?" Mrs Green added from behind her. "You...Fox. You're not needed here right now, but I've heard that Rivers-Smithe woman is looking for you. Perhaps she wants to give you a more personal sort of farewell, before her husband comes home."

Faced with Laura's cold stare and Mrs Green's obvious dismissal, Sebastian scowled at Jessica. He offered the three of them a mocking bow and walked away.

"What was that about Mrs Rivers-Smithe?" Laura whispered.

Mrs Green checked up and down the corridor. "Her husband travels a lot. I understand she gets lonely." She cast a sympathetic glance at Jessica. "And it seems our Mr. Darcy has been particularly attentive. Mandy told me that she caught him one morning, returning to his room very early." Her companions seemed to be holding their breaths, waiting to see how she reacted to this latest news.

"It's okay, really. I'm no longer surprised by anything I hear about Sebastian."

They moved down the dark corridor, crowded with vases on pedestals, oil paintings and suits of armour, and turned the corner. In the next room Laura would receive her final proposal of the week from Mr. Bingley. Gareth was eroding the ancient carpet as he paced back and forth along it, but he stopped and smiled when he saw them. "Was everything okay?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," the older woman replied.

Mandy appeared then, checking that they were ready for the next scene. Laura and Gareth went in to take their places on the sofa, while Mrs Green sank onto a semi-upholstered bench in the corridor. Jessica couldn't sit. Instead, she wandered up and down as she replayed the final scene of the day in her head, wondering how she would ever get to the end.

Mrs Green studied her for a minute or two in silence, then said, "You're best off not worrying about it, you know."

Although her advice was kindly meant, it didn't stop Jessica dwelling on those upcoming scenes. She couldn't believe she'd fallen for such an obvious act. "Sebastian always seemed like the perfect gentleman. A real life Mr. Darcy."