Noah gets out of the car first and I hear the increased roar of the crowds as they spot him. I watch furtively through the tinted window as he waves calmly to the surging throng. Then he leans back into the car and holds out his hand for me to join him. Taking a deep breath, heart thundering in my chest, I step out into the warm night. There’s a brief pause as I straighten my dress and we wait for the Admiral to disentangle his braces from his seatbelt, then, secure in the knowledge that nothing awful can happen as long as my dad remains right behind me, we begin our slow procession along the red carpet towards the cinema entrance. Noah is completely relaxed as he stops to make brief conversation with fans trying to get his attention. This is his world and I’m content simply to hover next to him in smiling silence, my hand held securely in his.
Until, all of a sudden I realize my father’s missing. Frantically I turn round and spot him talking to a presenter from E! Entertainment. My heart plummets to my Jimmy Choos and I feel the oh so familiar sense of impending doom as he begins to speak.
‘Well it has to be said my Victory’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer and, to be fair, she can be a bit of a social hand grenade, but apart from that, well you’d have to be a complete knob jockey not to realize that they’re absolutely perfect for each other.’
I freeze in embarrassment and glance up at Noah, only to find him grinning down at me in unadulterated delight.
‘Your father really is an absolute treasure,’ he murmurs in my ear. ‘I just knew he wouldn’t let us down. Shall we go in?’
THE END
Author’s Note
The beautiful yachting haven of Dartmouth in South Devon holds a very special place in my heart – not least because I met my husband there :-)
If you’re ever in the area, please take the time out to visit. The pubs and restaurants I describe are real and I’ve spent many a happy lunchtime/evening in each of them. The Anchorstone café at Dittisham is also a must for anyone who loves alfresco dining and sea food.
If you’d like more information about Dartmouth and the surrounding areas, here’s a link to the Tourist Information Centre.
http://www.discoverdartmouth.com/things-to-do/shopping/dartmouth-tourist-information-centre-p1509323
To all you Dartmothians out there, I know I missed off the Steam Railway - it was deliberate and I hope you’ll forgive me. It just made things too complicated to include…
Greenwich World Heritage Site in London is also another amazing place to visit if you’re ever in the Capital. The site houses The National Maritime Museum, The Queens House, The Royal Observatory, The Cutty Sark and The Old Royal Naval College. The Painted Hall in Claiming Victory is part of the Old Naval College. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it is absolutely breathtaking, and with its exuberant wall and ceiling decorations, is often described as the finest dining hall in Europe.
For more information visit: http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/
It’s also quite true that The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich has been host to many big screen blockbusters and TV dramas, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sense and Sensibility, The Queen, and Skyfall. If you’re interested to see the entire list visit:
http://www.ornc.org/venuehire/filming/past-features
~*~
If you enjoyed this book, I’d be really grateful if you would leave a review/star rating on Amazon. This is soo important and helps so much with both sales and of course my self esteem :-)
However, if you do decide to leave a (hopefully) nice review, could you please do so via the Amazon website and not via the ‘Rate This Book’ feature on your Kindle; those reviews don’t connect to the website half the time!
For any of you who would like to connect, or find out when Book Two of the Dartmouth Diaries is out, I’d really love to hear from you. You can contact me via my website at http://www.beverleywatts.com or my facebook page
And lastly, thanks a million for taking the time to read this story. I really hope we can continue on to the next one together…
Yours aye
Bev
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Author’s Note
Claiming Victory: A Romantic Comedy Page 18