And so we retraced the steps of Earl Brownlow on his daily pilgrimage to his beloved wife’s memorial. I let Emma do the talking, all about the synergy benefits she anticipated from merging Highbury Foods’ marketing activities with Donwell’s. The path ended at a road and we waited there for a couple of cars to pass. Directly opposite us was the cross, standing perhaps twenty feet tall on Little Gaddesden’s village green. A few minutes later, we were climbing the steps up to it and reading the simple inscription: ‘In remembrance of Adelaide. Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’
Emma turned to me, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. ‘When you first told me this story, I remember saying something like “That’s true love”. But at the time I didn’t know what true love was.’ Her voice faltered. ‘I do now.’
I reached for her hand, took a deep breath. ‘I can’t make long flowery speeches, Emma. If I loved you less, I could talk about it more, but with me what you see is what you get.’ I laid her hand against my cheek, covered it with mine. ‘Only you would have put up with me like you’ve done over the years, all that lecturing and criticising – even though it had absolutely no effect! Not that I’d want it any other way, you know I love you just as you are. There’s only one thing I want to change about you, and that is – I’d like you to become my wife.’
With my other hand, I brought the little box out of my pocket and flipped it open with my thumb. Her eyes widened as she saw the ring, diamonds encircling a large emerald. A tear spilled onto her cheek and I wiped it tenderly away.
‘This belonged to my mother, but if you don’t like it – ’
‘Oh Mark, it’s perfect.’
I took the ring out of its box and slipped it onto her finger; a man giving a woman a token of his love, beside a memorial to another love, from another time.
Digestif
Hartfield, the following Christmas
~~EMMA~~
While Mark carved the turkey beside me, I studied the faces around the dining table. They were the same as last year, with the addition of George and Saffron. But in other respects this Christmas Day was completely different from the previous one.
So many changes in such a short time. My name: Mrs Emma Knightley. My shape: I was five months pregnant. My relationship with Mark: the only tension between us today was whether I should risk a small glass of wine with my meal – although I gave up on that one as soon as Dad and Izzy weighed in with their expert advice. And among our presents to each other were another bottle of Eau Pour Homme and another souvenir of Ashridge; only now we understood – and valued – their significance.
And the changes didn’t stop there.
Kate and Tom had called earlier with baby Anna, now six months old. But this year they came without Flynn. It looked as though the only attraction Highbury had ever held for him was the girl whose skin he’d once compared to uncooked pastry. He hadn’t set foot in our village since the previous January, apart from a fleeting visit with Jane to collect their belongings. They were apparently working all hours to make Flynn’s Cook-in at the Brook Inn a success. I’d only watched the TV programme once; I switched off in disgust when Flynn broadcast his secret recipe for minestrone soup, which was uncannily like the one I’d entrusted to him the first day we met.
At least Jane seemed to spare us the occasional thought. She ordered several of my new Highbury Foods luxury hampers, to be delivered to Randalls and Kings Row; and further afield, to the Campbells in Weymouth and the Dixons in Ireland. Tom, the eternal optimist, was even hopeful that she could persuade Flynn to come to Anna’s christening in a month’s time.
I thought Mark showed admirable restraint. All he said was, ‘I’ve always had a very high opinion of Jane Fairfax, but even she has her limitations.’
And I was actually warming to Robert Martin. He and Harriet were over from India for a couple of weeks and we’d been out with them several times. I began to think that they were quite well suited after all, in a Beauty and the Beast sort of way.
On the business front, there were three major developments. First, the merger between Highbury Foods and Donwell Organics was going to plan and would be completed within six weeks. Second, following some promising research results, I’d launched Harriet’s Secret Recipes; only a limited range of products to begin with, but sales were going extremely well. Finally, Philip had handed in his resignation; this was no great loss and even less of a surprise. Ever since Dad had announced the merger with Donwell Organics, Philip had been thoroughly disgruntled. He assumed, quite rightly, that John would be Finance Director of the new company and started job hunting almost immediately.
As Gusty had never found the work she believed was waiting for her in Surrey, she was more than happy to leave Little Bassington behind. When I bumped into her in the high street on Christmas Eve, she informed me that people round here hadn’t a clue how to run a proper business, so she and Philip were off to Bristol, where their talents would be appreciated. And, by the way, her sister knew a man who’d had to share a house with his in-laws and the marriage had only lasted six months; how was dear Marrrk finding it?
I glanced at dear Marrrk now. He didn’t look at all the worse for wear after living with Dad for almost a year. In fact, he looked positively irresistible …
When we’d finished lunch, I got to my feet with a long-suffering smile. ‘Would you excuse me? I feel very nauseous, I’d better go upstairs and lie down for an hour or so.’
Izzy pursed her lips. ‘That nausea’s going on far too long, you really should see Doctor Perry about it. Or speak to one of my NCT contacts – ’
‘No need for that,’ I said calmly. ‘Mark will soon sort me out with one of his little remedies. I believe it’s something to do with reiki, he has the most wonderful touch. Coming, Mark?’
‘You bet.’ He lifted a sleepy Emily off his knee and carefully handed her to John.
As we left the room, I heard Dad say, ‘Mark certainly seems to be very gifted in that department, Emma says he’s thinking of writing a book, The Joy of Reiki.’
John gave a snort of laughter. ‘I think she’s pulling your leg, sounds very like The Joy of Sex.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Dad sounded aghast.
‘Haven’t you heard of it? Came out in the early seventies, been a bestseller ever since.’
Mark shut the door behind us and grinned. ‘Trust John to spoil our fun. Do you think Henry’ll believe him?’
‘Dad will believe exactly what he wants to,’ I said, tucking my arm through his. ‘I’m sure he still thinks we only share a room so that you can protect me from the Highbury Humper.’
By the time we reached the top of the stairs, the noise from the dining room was no more than a distant murmur; at the far end of the house, our bedroom was swathed in silence. We stood there for a few moments, just looking at each other.
Then the man of my dreams took me in his arms and kissed me, long and hard.
I closed my eyes and gave myself up to the joy of ‘reiki’.
Author’s Note
This book was inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, in particular this extract from Volume III Chapter II:
(Emma)
You have shown that you can dance, and you know we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it at all improper.
(Mr Knightley)
Brother and sister? no, indeed!
About the Author
Juliet describes herself as ‘a nineteenth-century mind in a 21st-century body – actually, some days it’s the other way round’. The youngest of four girls, she was born and bred
in North-East England, where she met her future husband. Unlike Anne Elliot in Jane Austen’s Persuasion, she got married despite pressure to wait until she’d finished her degree, and emerged from the University of Nottingham with a First in French and Russian. Thirty years later she is still married, has two teenage children and lives in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
The Im
portance of Being Emma won The Big Red Reads Fiction Award 2011 and was short-listed for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance 2009. Juliet’s second novel, Persuade Me was short-listed for the Festival of Romance Best Romantic Read Award 2011.
Juliet’s stories are modernisations of Jane Austen’s novels.
www.julietarcher.com
www.twitter.com/julietarcher
More Choc Lit
From Juliet Archer
Persuade Me
Short-listed for The Festival of Romance Best Romantic Read Award 2011.
When do you let your heart rule your head?
When it comes to love, Anna Elliot is stuck in the past. No one can compare to Rick Wentworth, the man she gave up ten years ago at the insistence of her disapproving family. What if she’s missed her only chance for real happiness?
Since Anna broke his heart, Rick has moved on – or so he thinks. Out in Australia, he’s worked hard to build a successful career – and a solid wall around his feelings.
The words ‘forgive and forget’ aren’t in Rick’s vocabulary. The word ‘regret’ is definitely in Anna’s. So, when they meet again on his book tour of England, it’s an opportunity for closure.
But memories intrude – the pure sensuality of what they once shared, the pain of parting … And she has to deal with another man from her past, while his celebrity status makes him the focus of unwanted attention.
With Anna’s image-obsessed family still ready to interfere and Rick poised to return to Australia, can she persuade him to risk his heart again?
This contemporary re-telling of Jane Austen’s last completed novel is the second book in Juliet Archer’s Darcy & Friends series, offering fresh insights into the hearts and minds of Austen’s irresistible heroes.
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
www.amazon.co.uk/Persuade-Me-Darcy-Friends-ebook/dp/B005NIXSLW
More irresistible heroes from the Choc Lit selection for you to try:
Trade Winds
Christina Courtenay
Short-listed for the Romantic Novelists’Association’s Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction 2011
Marriage of convenience – or a love for life?
It’s 1732 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it’s a man’s world. She believes she’s being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather – and she’s determined to stop it.
When help appears in the unlikely form of handsome Scotsman Killian Kinross, himself disinherited by his grandfather, Jess finds herself both intrigued and infuriated by him. In an attempt to recover her fortune, she proposes a marriage of convenience. Then Killian is offered the chance of a lifetime with the Swedish East India Company’s Expedition and he’s determined that nothing will stand in his way, not even his new bride.
He sets sail on a daring voyage to the Far East, believing he’s put his feelings and past behind him. But the journey doesn’t quite work out as he expects …
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
www.amazon.co.uk/Trade-Winds-ebook/dp/B00457XELG
The Silver Locket
Margaret James
Winner of CataNetwork Reviewers’Choice Award for Single Titles 2010
If life is cheap, how much is love worth?
It’s 1914 and young Rose Courtenay has a decision to make. Please her wealthy parents by marrying the man of their choice – or play her part in the war effort?
The chance to escape proves irresistible and Rose becomes a nurse. Working in France, she meets Lieutenant Alex Denham, a dark figure from her past. He’s the last man in the world she’d get involved with – especially now he’s married.
But in wartime nothing is as it seems. Alex’s marriage is a sham and Rose is the only woman he’s ever wanted. As he recovers from his wounds, he sets out to win her trust. His gift of a silver locket is a far cry from the luxuries she’s left behind.
What value will she put on his love?
First novel in the trilogy, followed by The Golden Chain (May 2011) and The Penny Bangle (May 2012)
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
www.amazon.co.uk/The-Silver-Locket-ebook/dp/B004D4ZYTQ
Starting Over
Sue Moorcroft
New home, new friends, new love. Can starting over be that simple?
Tess Riddell reckons her beloved Freelander is more reliable than any man – especially her ex-fiancé, Olly Gray. She’s moving on from her old life and into the perfect cottage in the country.
Miles Rattenbury’s passions? Old cars and new women! Romance? He’s into fun rather than commitment. When Tess crashes the Freelander into his breakdown truck, they find that they’re nearly neighbours – yet worlds apart. Despite her overprotective parents and a suddenly attentive Olly, she discovers the joys of village life and even forms an unlikely friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship develops into something deeper, an old flame comes looking for him ...
Is their love strong enough to overcome the past? Or will it take more than either of them is prepared to give?
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
www.amazon.co.uk/Starting-Over-ebook/dp/B003Y8XQ74
Turning the Tide
Christine Stovell
All’s fair in love and war? Depends on who’s making the rules.
Harry Watling has spent the past five years keeping her father’s boat yard afloat, despite its dying clientele. Now all she wants to do is enjoy the peace and quiet of her sleepy backwater.
So when property developer Matthew Corrigan wants to turn the boat yard into an upmarket housing complex for his exotic new restaurant, it’s like declaring war.
And the odds seem to be stacked in Matthew’s favour. He’s got the colourful locals on board, his hard-to-please girlfriend is warming to the idea and he has the means to force Harry’s hand. Meanwhile, Harry has to fight not just his plans but also her feelings for the man himself.
Then a family secret from the past creates heartbreak for Harry, and neither of them is prepared for what happens next …
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-The-Tide-ebook/dp/B003Y8XQOC
Please don’t stop the music
Jane Lovering
How much can you hide?
Jemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail – until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts.
But Ben has secrets too. When Jemima finds out he used to be the front man of hugely successful Indie rock band Willow Down, she wants to know more. Why did he desert the band on their US tour? Why is he now a semi-recluse?
And the curiosity is mutual – which means that her own secret is no longer safe ...
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Please-Dont-Stop-Music-ebook/dp/B004LROOFK )
The UnTied Kingdom
Kate Johnson
Winner of Best Book Award from Long & Short Reviews.
The portal to an alternate world was the start of all her troubles– or was it?
When Eve Carpenter lands with a splash in the Thames, it’s not the London or England she’s used to. No one has a telephone or knows what a computer is. England’s a third world country and Princess Di is still alive. But worst of all, everyone thinks Eve’s a spy.
Including Major Harker who has his own problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in Yorkshire. Turns out the best person to help him is Eve.
She claims to be a popstar. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for ‘spy’. Eve knows all about
computers, and electricity. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad.
And Harker is falling in love with her.
Read reviews and purchase from the Kindle store:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-UnTied-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B004URV5SA )
Introducing Choc Lit
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