Free Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field by Melissa Nathan

it.
    She was relieved to find out that her new friend Wills didn’t think less of her after her tete a tete with
    Mr. Noble. In fact, it was rather the opposite.
    As soon as Harry and Jazz had finished their spar, Wills had turned round to her. ‘May I be the first to congratulate you,’ he murmured. ‘You have answered back the great Harry Noble.’
    ‘Is he always this pretentious?’ she asked.
    Wills tried not to laugh out loud. ‘Believe me, you’ll get used to the bastard.’
    Jazz snorted. ‘What, like I got used to PMT?’
    At this he did laugh out loud. A great, manly bellow of a laugh. Jazz couldn’t help but join in. She was hooked. Nothing was as attractive to her as a man laughing at one of her jokes. Except a crowd of men laughing at a string of her jokes.
    ‘Probably,’ he said finally. ‘Perhaps that’s why women seem to get on better with him than men.’
    ‘Most women,’ reminded Jazz, ‘only want one thing.’
    She looked over at Jack and George, already deep in conversation. When she glanced back at Wills, she actually blushed to find he had stopped laughing and was studying her.

Chapter 7
    The first rehearsal had been just a read-through of the play. Jazz thoroughly enjoyed it. The adaptation had been very cleverly done - there was even a hint at a final snog with Darcy and Elizabeth, which didn’t feel too anachronistic. However, every time Jazz looked at her Darcy, she felt seriously concerned. She certainly wouldn’t be resorting to method acting with Brian Peters.
    As soon as she and Mo were back in the flat, Jazz made a tape-recording of her part with long pauses for the other parts. Harry wanted everyone to be off scripts within a fortnight. She vowed to play the tape at every single opportunity. It took her three exhausting hours to make it.
    Afterwards she and Mo met up in the lounge for their usual late-night tipple. Thank goodness Mo hadn’t yet realised that her diet might be affected by alcohol. They were discussing George.
    ‘There goes Action Man out the window,’ sighed Jazz, feeling almost nostalgic.
    ‘Oh? Why?’
    ‘Haven’t you been watching George at rehearsals? Talking to the blond guy with next stamped on his forehead. The bloke called Jack who’s playing — wait for it - her lover.’
    ‘Really? I didn’t think she liked him.’
    ‘Oh come on, she was practically salivating all over him.’
    ‘Actually, I thought she wanted me to come over and save her at one point,’ said Mo. ‘Good thing I couldn’t be bothered.’
    ‘Are you mad? She all but sketched him her favourite wedding dress design.’
    Mo frowned heavily. ‘The tall guy with the pink cheeks?’
    ‘Yes, the one whose lap she had to be hoovered off at the end of the rehearsal.’
    ‘Nope. Can’t see it myself,’ said Mo and finished off her Baileys.
    ‘Has your diet stopped blood getting to your brain?’ asked Jazz in wonder. ‘George was giving signals so big she was practically using semaphore.’
    ‘Bollocks!’ scoffed Mo. ‘You may be able to understand George’s body language, but to the rest of us, she’s as unreadable as a - a - Thomas Hardy novel.’
    Jazz stared at Mo in disbelief. Mo continued, determined to put this subject to rest for the evening:
    ‘Look. I’m very fond of your sister - you know I am, but …’
    Jazz didn’t want to hear any more. Didn’t Mo know the rules? Only Jazz could criticise George.
    ‘… But between you and me, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on inside her pretty little head. As for her flirting with anyone,’ Mo snorted, ‘I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.’
    ‘Well, that’s because you haven’t been feeding your brain for the past month,’ scoffed Jazz. ‘Your brain cells are slipping out of your ears, I can see them. I keep treading on them in the bathroom.’
    ‘You’re just jealous.’
    ‘Jealous of what?’
    ‘My new sleek body.’
    Jazz was shocked. ‘Are you calling me fat?’
    ‘Yes,