Free Happy Birthday, Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly Page A

time.’
    ‘Not the time for what?’
    ‘For writing a book.’
    ‘I know,’ he said, ‘but I can’t help myself. With a book he was regardless of time .’
    ‘Pardon?’
    ‘ Pride and Prejudice – a reference to Mr Bennet reading but I’m like that when I’m writing,’ Warwick said.
    ‘Oh, I see,’ Dan said. ‘I’m still not used to everyone talking in quotes and I really should be by now.’ He paused, waiting for Warwick to pull himself together and realise that he was getting married in about an hour’s time. He cleared his throat. ‘Don’t you think you should be getting dressed?’
    Warwick looked up again as if surprised that Dan was still there. ‘In a minute,’ he said, and returned to his writing.
    Dan left the room, an uneasy cocktail of confusion and anxiety flowing through him.
    His mobile rang.
    ‘Dan?’
    ‘Robyn?’ he said, relieved to hear a friendly voice amongst all of the chaos. ‘Is everything okay?’
    She paused before answering. ‘I’m not sure,’ she said.
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘I mean, Katherine’s been acting strangely. She keeps asking me all these questions about married life and – well – I’m not sure what’s going on.’
    ‘Oh my God! Warwick’s been acting weirdly too. He’s been sitting in his room writing all morning. He’s not even dressed yet. I can’t seem to get through to him.’
    ‘Oh, Dan! What are we going to do? I’m really worried.’
    Dan cast his eyes to the ceiling in despair. This was the first time he’d ever been a best man and he had no idea how to cope in such a situation.
    ‘Listen, can you get to the stables?’ he asked.
    ‘I think so but I can’t be too long. The carriage is arriving in an hour.’
    ‘Meet me there in five minutes, okay?’
    ‘Okay,’ Robyn said and hung up.
     
    Leaving the hall a moment later, Dan walked down the main drive towards the stables. Ordinarily, he would have enjoyed an excuse to get outside and breathe in the warm, sweet smell of the horses but he was feeling too stressed today to take pleasure in such things.
    He was the first to arrive in the yard. The horses had all been let out in the fields hours ago and were being taken care of by a teenager in the village called Georgia who was crazy about horses and spent every hour she could in the yard at Purley. Dan walked across to the tack room to check up on things. Everything was in good order just as it should be. Georgia was worth her weight in gold.
    It was just as he was looking at his watch and wondering how long Robyn would be when a woman entered the yard. But it wasn’t Robyn; it was Carmel Hudson.
    ‘Dan!’ she said, her eyes appraising his Regency outfit and her smile informing him that she was very pleased with it. ‘Oh, dear. Is this a bad time?’
    ‘Not a bad time,’ Dan said, ‘just a busy one.’
    ‘I just wanted a quick word really,’ she said, ‘in private.’
    ‘Oh,’ Dan said.
    She motioned towards a stable. Dan looked surprised for a moment.
    ‘It’s about my riding lessons,’ Carmel said, smoothing her hands down her electric blue dress.
    ‘Right,’ Dan said, as if it all made perfect sense and he followed her into the stable without thinking that there was anything unusual in that.
    ‘I tried to ring you last night but you weren’t answering your phone.’
    ‘We had guests,’ Dan explained.
    ‘And you didn’t call me back?’ she asked, a sulky, teenage-like expression on her face.
    ‘No, sorry. We’ve got a wedding here today and I’m the best man.’
    ‘I bet you are,’ Carmel said, her silky voice slow and provocative and, before Dan knew what was happening, her arms had fastened around his neck and she was leaning up to kiss him.
    ‘Mrs Hud-’ his voice was suffocated by another kiss. Dan was, of course, strong enough to fend her off but he was also sensible enough to realise the delicacy of the situation and didn’t want to anger her. However, he most certainly did not kiss her