CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
One Month Later . . .
The café was buzzing with people on this March afternoon.
Perched on a high stool at the counter, I licked my lips and reached for the glass of water Ellie had placed beside me. My mouth was dry with nerves.
But we’d decided it should be me, and I needed to do my family proud.
I wouldn’t let Dad down.
Mum was already an emotional wreck. She had a supply of tissues in her bag and had already gone through a few already, and I hadn’t even begun yet!
Blaize and Kitty had refused to do it, saying they were worried they would muck it up, and that anyway, I’d always been much better at reading out loud than they had.
I glanced around the room at the fond, expectant looks of the grown-ups, most of whom had known and loved Dad.
The children weren’t being quite so patient, and I smiled down at them as they chattered and fidgeted and looked around occasionally at their mums and dads.
They were seated together on a row of tables at the front, waiting for story-time to begin.
And now Ellie was standing up and thanking everyone for coming to the book launch.
‘You’re in for a treat,’ she smiled. ‘Most of you here were fortunate enough to know James Bennet. He was an extraordinarily talented man and he wrote dozens of stories to read to his daughters when they were little. And now his daughters are honouring their lovely dad by publishing the stories he told to them, so that other children will have a chance to appreciate the magic that flowed from James Bennet’s pen!
The stories have been beautifully illustrated by Yvonne, who’s here today with her proud parents.
’ She smiled over at them. ‘We’ve had some of Yvonne’s gorgeous art from the book blown up and displayed, as you can see. ’
Everyone glanced around the wall at the pictures and there was a round of appreciative applause.
‘And now.’ Ellie smiled at me. ‘James’s daughter Lizzie will read to you ‘The Duck Who Wanted to Dance’. Take it away, Lizzie!’
I glanced around at the expectant faces, took a deep breath and began reading, holding up the book so that the children could see the illustrations.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car draw into the car park, and my heart beat quickened.
I was smiling inwardly. I’d asked Dan not to come to the book launch because he’d only put me off and make me stumble over my words. And he’d promised he wouldn’t, but with a wicked smile, and I’d had a feeling he had absolutely no intention of missing me making a fool of myself!
I felt myself blushing as he entered the café, trying to be as quiet as possible. He must have cancelled a meeting for this, and I was suddenly really glad he had.
Dan’s support was everything to me.
I loved that he was always interested to know my thoughts and my feelings about things.
We were already talking about the exotic places we planned to visit together.
But at the same time, I knew he felt the same as me .
. . that as long as we were together, that was all that really mattered.
Dan wanted to be a part of my life because he cared deeply – and that, to me, felt wonderful.
The children were lapping up Dad’s story, wide eyes fixed on me as I read.
And when I’d finished and Ellie asked who would like another story, lots of hands shot up! Smiling, I smoothed the cover of another of the three books we’d self-published.
I thought about how amazed Dad would be if he could see us now, and I silently thanked Kitty for coming up with such a fine idea.
The world of reading – in particular, Jane Austen’s wonderful stories – had set me off on the road to romance, and sitting here, reading Dad’s books aloud, was making me feel happier and more at peace than I had in a very long time.
When the launch was over and everyone else had gone, I said goodbye to Ellie, who was in her office, and I wandered outside with Dan. The car park was now deserted.
‘You were so good,’ he murmured. ‘You had all those little kiddies eating out of the palm of your hand.’
I smiled up at him. ‘I know. I’m brilliant,’ I joked.
‘You are.’ He pulled me against him and gave a sexy growl close to my ear, then he tantalised me with his soft kisses on my temple and the side of my neck, until I told him we had to stop.
I gazed up at him, still wrapped in his arms. ‘I thought you were the most contemptible man I’d ever met. But now I know you’re the kindest and the most handsome.’
Dan chuckled. ‘I thought you were far too judgemental. But now I know differently. And ditching Wyatt in favour of me was definitely the right decision.’
‘It certainly was. You know, ever since our trip to Chawton, I keep asking myself what Jane would have done.’
‘So what would Jane have done right now?’
‘She wouldn’t have done anything. At least, I don’t think she would. Kissing in public car parks was frowned on in those days.’
‘Just as well we don’t live in Regency times, then, eh?’ he said, grabbing me and kissing me full on the mouth.
I pulled back a little. ‘So . . . you really don’t mind that technically, you’re my toy boy?’
He laughed. ‘Do I look as if I mind? Age is just a number.’
At which point I took his hand and pulled him over to the car, pointing out that the sooner we got back to his flat, the sooner we could pick up exactly where we left off . . .