Ten Days with Mr Darcy (on hold)

Chapter thirty-six - Caernarfon

Jess stifled a yawn as she walked into the kitchen the following morning. Carys reached for the kettle. "Looks like you need a coffee."

"Tea will be fine, thanks."

"Shame. We have boxes of the Heroica stuff and I can't give it away." When Jess yawned again, she said, "Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"No, but it took me a while to fall asleep." She'd autopsied her late-night conversation in the car with Gareth until the early hours, picking it apart as she began to wonder if she'd missed her chance. Although he'd agreed to take her out he hadn't been as enthusiastic about the idea as she'd hoped.

"What did you think of the band?"

"They were great. I'm often working in the evenings so I don't get the chance to listen to live music that often."

"Jon mentioned that Gareth was playing."

Jess was glad Carys' had her back to the table. The mere mention of his name had caused a heated reaction that must have been obvious even to a casual observer. "Y..yes. He was very good."

"You wouldn't have said that if you'd been here over the summer," Carys muttered as she brought the drinks to the table. "It was awful."

"Why?"

"Gareth was...brooding. Something happened while he was working away, but he wouldn't tell me anything about it. Instead, he moped about the house like a depressed teen. All I heard from that stupid guitar was a bunch of mournful rock ballads."

Jess loaded a bowl with cereal and covered it with cold milk. "That must have been...interesting."

"Annoying. I was more than willing to offer him a sisterly shoulder to cry on, but it's difficult sympathising with someone when they won't tell you why they're miserable. In the end, I lost all patience with him and banished him and his guitar to the boathouse."

"Perhaps those coffee fans were getting him down."

"No, it couldn't have been that. The Heroica advert hadn't come out yet. Besides, if it was work related he would have told me. I think he met someone he liked and they didn't fancy him. Not sure why, though. He might be my brother, but even I can see he isn't totally ugly."

Jess laughed. "No, he's not ugly. Not at all."

"I know, right? But then, of course, he found that new girlfriend in London." The red-head leaned forward, as though imparting some big secret. "She's some relative of a friend of his, although I don't believe they can be that serious. He's never bought her here for a visit and he doesn't talk about her either, no matter how many times I ask."

"Perhaps she works in town and can't get away." If everyone else was keeping the fake girlfriend news from Carys, Jess wasn't going to be the one to reveal the truth. "You see the occasional picture in the paper, of course."

"Every photo I've seen she's draping herself all over him but he doesn't seem to be really into it." Carys stirred her coffee with a thoughtful languor. "I hope she likes him, and she's not just with him for the fame."

Jess offered Carys a reassuring smile. "Your brother's very sensible. I don't think he'd spend that amount of time with anyone unless he was comfortable with them. Talking of spending time, I accepted Gareth's kind offer to take me sightseeing last night."

A smile grew on Carys' face. "That's a great idea. I would have taken you around myself if I didn't have so many things I needed to do today."

Jess gave whispered thanks to her stars that Carys was busy. A day out for three wasn't what she'd planned for at all.