Mr. Darcy Forever Read Online Free PDF Page B

plants?’
    ‘ No - as in children.’
    ‘ Blimey,’ Mia said, ‘you’re not getting broody, are you?’
    ‘ I might be,’ Shelley said, the traces of a faint flush colouring her cheeks.
    ‘ What happens to our “No men, no children just fame and fortune” plan?’ But, before Shelley could reply, Mia caught sight of somebody sitting in the front room.
    ‘ Who on earth is that?’ Mia asked in a hushed tone.
    ‘ Oh, that's just Pie. He lives here.’
    ‘ He’s not your-’
    Shelley's mouth dropped open before Mia could even finish her offending question. ‘No way! He's here so I can pay my father his blasted rent.’
    It was then that a strange scraping sound was heard coming from the hallway at the back of the house.
    ‘ Oh, Pie! I thought I told you to close the kitchen door!’
    An enormous chestnut beast hurled itself along the corridor and Mia was almost knocked on to her back.
    ‘ Oh, Bingley!’ Shelley shouted, grabbing hold of the dog’s red collar and trying to restore some sort of order. ‘Are you okay, Mia? He didn't mean to scare you. He's friendly really.’
    ‘ What breed is he?’ Mia asked with a grin. ‘I can’t tell.’
    Shelley shook her head. ‘He’s a cross.’
    ‘ What’s he crossed with?’
    ‘ I don’t know. Something fat and greedy.’
    ‘ He’s lovely, though.’
    ‘ Don’t you believe it,’ Shelley said. ‘Nobody wanted him and I’m beginning to see why.'
    ‘ I had no idea you had a dog.’
    ‘ No, and neither does my father. He’d kill me if he knew I had an animal here.
    Mia bent down to pat the dog. ‘He is rather beautiful,’ she said. ‘I can see why you fell for him.’
    ‘ You can take him home if you want.’
    ‘ I think Mr Crownor would be even less sympathetic to my having a dog than your father.’
    ‘ You’re not still in the awful bedsit, are you?’
    Mia nodded. ‘Just for the time being.’
    ‘ I know,’ Shelley said, ‘fame and fortune are just round the corner, aren't they?’
    Mia smiled but there was a sad look in her eyes and, for the first time, Shelley saw doubt there.
    ‘ Come on,’ she said, ‘let’s have a cup of tea.’
    Mia looked anxious.
    ‘ A proper cup of tea,’ Shelley added, ‘although Dad’s sent his usual testers if you fancy giving them a try.’
    ‘ And what have we this week?’
    ‘ Erm, Camomile Dreams, Nettle Surprise and Fennel Twist.’
    ‘ I think I'll give those a miss if you don't mind.’
    ‘ That’s probably a good move. I mean, Camomile Dreams isn't too bad but you really don't want to smell the Fennel Twist. I came home last night there was the strangest fug imaginable and I found Pie in the kitchen with a mug of the stuff and I swear the whole kitchen had turned green.’
    ‘ You’d better let your dad know.’
    ‘ Yes, I think I shall fine him this time. Say six months’ rent.’
    The two of them ventured into the kitchen but, luckily, there was no green fug to greet them.
    ‘ There’s nothing like Quantock Teas to put you off herbal for life,’ Shelley said as she reached for a canister filled with regular teabags.
    ‘ Hey, that’s a pretty good slogan if you wanted your father’s business to go bust overnight.’
    Shelley laughed.
    ‘ What happened to your commercial?’ Mia asked.
    ‘ Daddy withdrew it,’ Shelley said.
    ‘ Why? I thought it was brilliant! How did it go again?’
    Shelley took a deep breath and then recited the commercial for which she’d done the voice-over. ‘Tick tock. Quantock. It’s time for tea.’
    Mia roared with laughter at the husky voice Shelley used. ‘Daddy said it was way too sexy and gave the completely wrong impression about the teabags.’
    ‘ I bet sales would have soared if he’d let it run its course.’
    ‘ I guess we’ll never know,’ Shelley said, silently bemoaning a lost career as a voice-over artist.
    Mia looked out of the kitchen window on to a small patch of emerald lawn.
    ‘ Who’s that?’ she suddenly asked, seeing