Northanger Abbie

Jane Austen Association Book 3

By

Kailin Gow

Published by Sparklesoup.com

Published 2025

Copyright © 2025 by Kailin Gow

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Any electronic copies of Red Genesis that appears on the internet or through sharing in whole, without written permission from the publisher or author, is an illegal copy. Please respect the hard work of the authors and publishers by not supporting illegal pirating activities.

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First Edition

Printed in the United States of America

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.”

~ Jane Austen

This book is dedicated to Jane Austen. It is because of Jane Austen that we have these wonderful romances and beloved characters. I was fortunate to visit Bath during college and to follow JTane Austen’s footsteps there and into becoming a novelist. Northanger Abbie is based on Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, which I encourage you read in addition to this book. This version is meant to enhance and tell the story in a way to encourage modern romance readers to also enjoy the classics.

SUMMARY

A Jane Austen Association Book based on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.  

Jane Austen Association UK branch founder and member Abbie Moore receives an offer to work and live in Bath, where Jane Austen had lived. She is now the new Assistant Director and Producer on a new Keely Lee film, Northanger Abbey, being filmed in Bath. 

As she helps Keely prepare for the film production, Abbie gets caught up in a romantic adventure of her own in Northanger Abbie. The Jane Austen Association Series books combine travel guide along with the romantic story to provide a wonderful escape along with a Happy Ever After, for ages 16 and up!

PROLOGUE

Keely

––––––––

THROUGH THE WINDOW, I watched Abbie get out of her taxicab, get her luggage out of the trunk and take the catwalk to the door.  She seemed nervous, excited, maybe a little apprehensive.  Midway, she turned to look out at the luscious green lawn of Royal Crescent.  Her smile told me she liked what she saw, and it pleased me greatly.

She’d done such a great job with hair and makeup on my previous project, Emma, and I had greatly appreciated working with her.  I knew I could count on her to take over Ayra’s tasks as my new Assistant Director and Associate Producer.

But as Abbie turned to the door, she tripped over her luggage, scrambled to right herself and then stood there red-faced. I suddenly wondered if she might be too young for such a huge responsibility. She was only twenty-one or so, and straight from a background as a social media influencer before she became part of the crew on my last film, Emma.

I opened the door before she even had a chance to knock.  “Abbie, welcome to Bath.”  With a sweeping gesture, I welcomed her in.

“Hi, Keely.  I hope I’m not too early.”

“You’re right on time,” I said.  “You can leave your luggage here.  I’ll have Hugh bring them up to your room later.”  I led the way to the large and sparsely furnished living room.

“You look great,” she said.

“Thank you.”  I looked down at my at-home attire; tan linen pants with a cream-colored knitted sweater that matched my clumsily upswept hair. I had no doubt I was the perfect image of the professional woman on a well-deserved break.

“I look a mess,” she went on.  Wearing loose fitting jeans and a tattered checkered shirt over a black t-shirt, she looked very much like a young traveler fresh off the train.

“Please forgive the lackluster décor,” I said as we arrived in the living room.  “We’ve been quite busy getting this new script ready and... well with so many things.”

The only thing we’d had time to buy for the living room were two brown leather loveseats that faced each other while the massive fireplace remained the focal point.  We’d yet to hang curtains to adorn the windows, and the room had no lamps or knickknacks.

“I’ve heard of Royal Crescent before, but I never imagined it’d be so grand,” Abbie said.

Hugh and I had fallen in love with the gorgeous townhouse of Royal Crescent... the Royal Crescent.  The iconic curved building, a wall of thirty townhouses in a magnificent Georgian architectural style was a call from the past.

“I’ve promised myself a visit to One Royal Crescent.  It’s a museum, you know.  The only home completely open to visitors.  Well, of course there is 16 Royal Crescent, the hotel, but one could hardly meander through the halls willy nilly,” Abbie went on.

She seemed so nervous, and I wished to calm her.  “I’ve been meaning to visit it myself.  We should go together.”

“I’d like that.”

A strong male voice boomed from the stairs, and I had to smile on hearing Hugh on the phone with a client.

“Oh,” I said gesturing to the voice.  “That would be my husband, Hugh. He’s set up his law office on the second floor of the house.”  I sat down and Abbie took the loveseat facing me.  “Tea?”

She smiled, her gaze on the dainty tea set.  “That would be nice.”

I poured tea into one of the delicate cups and handed it to her.  “Your trip here went well?”

She nodded.  “The train was right on time.  It took just over an hour to get here.”

“Have you worked on anything since finishing Emma with us?”

Her face lit up as she nodded.  “After Emma I dove into my other love; hair and makeup tutorials on TikTok, especially tutorials that revolve around the styles of Jane Austen’s era” Abbie said.  “I have a pretty good following, with many regularly waiting for my latest post.  Despite that following, however, money isn’t coming in as much as I would like.  That made Ayra’s call all the timelier.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

“I was so thrilled.  We had discussed the possibility of my working with you soon after Emma, but... well, as the months passed, I thought...”

I nodded.  “It’s been almost a year.  Getting the script right wasn’t easy.”

“I fully understand.”

“And, of course, you won’t be volunteering this time,” I said.  “You’ll be a full-fledged employee with a salary and benefits.”

She nodded, clearly relieved to hear me say it aloud.  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the trust you have in me.  I have to admit, I really need that salary.”

“I’m assuming that Ayra filled you in on what I need from you.  There will be quite a lot more responsibilities.”

“Yes, she told me.”  Nodding, she took a tentative sip of tea.  “And, I have to admit, being here in Bath, the very city Jane Austen moved to and...”

“Was inspired to write...”

“Persuasion,” we called out together.

Giggling like schoolgirls, we suddenly clammed up when Hugh entered the living room.

“You girls are getting off to a good start,” he said.

“Abbie shares my love for...”

“Don’t tell me,” Hugh said with a playful grin.  “Jane Austen.”

I nodded.  “With Ayra and Jai expecting their first child, Abbie has offered to step in and be my assistant.”

She smiled.  “It’s a privilege and a thrill to work with you, Keely.  I kept on the sidelines while you worked on Emma, but I watched you closely.  You have a way with your actors, and I admire your vision of Jane’s work.”

Hugh smiled.  “I can assure you that buttering her up is quite effective.”  He gave us a quick salute and disappeared down the hall.

“Don’t listen to him,” I said.  “You don’t need to butter me up.  I’m sold on your talent. The way you stepped in and took charge of wardrobe, hair, and makeup when we were understaffed was the kind of leadership I needed in this small production.”  I took a sip of tea and looked pensively at her from over the rim of my teacup. Setting the cup down, I said, “You do know what story we’re working on.”

She nodded.  “Northanger Abbey.”

I didn’t want to badger her, but I felt a certain reluctance.  “And you feel up to the task?”

“Ayra told me to be ready for everything and anything.”

“That’s right.  As my assistant... more precisely Assistant Director and Assistant Producer, you must be ready for just about anything.  Assisting can be a pretty wide and vague role.  It could mean anything from finding extras for a scene, ensuring sets are ready and have the right look, making sure everyone is on set on time and every other little detail that might arise.”

“I understand.”

“Good.  I have a feeling we’re going to work well together.”

She set her teacup down and fidgeted.

“Come,” I said, getting to my feet. “I’ll show you to your room.  If you liked everything about the Royal Crescent, I think you’ll be very happy.”

We headed up the stairs, passed the second floor where Hugh’s office was and onward to the third floor.  I led the way down the hall to the back of the house.

“Here’s your room.”  I pushed open the last door at the end of the hall.

“Oh.  This is lovely, Keely. It’s how I pictured a room at the Royal Cresent will look like.”

I smiled. “Hugh and I are trying to furnish this place in the same exact style. We’re trying to preserve the integrity of its heritage. I’m so glad you appreciate it.”

Abbie grinned. “I’m part of the Jane Austen Association, U.K. branch. Of course, I appreciate everything Jane Austen, especially if you can have anything regency-inspired.”

“I knew you would appreciate the little touches. I personally decorated this room with a Jane Austen touch. The type of wallpaper. The floral comforter with the matching lace-trimmed curtains.”

Abbie clapped. “I see! Wow. For me, you didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”

The timing was so perfect with sunlight flooding the room.

“Please,” I said.  “I just wanted the room to be bright and welcoming.  It really was a pleasure fixing it up for you.”

While the furniture was plain and simple, I’d put up curtains with coral and yellow flowers that warmed the room while a thick coral comforter hugged the bed that was adorned with a variety of pillows and cushions.

“You have your own full bathroom there, a good-sized closet there and here you have a desk to work at... look over the script... things like that.  And of course...”  I walked to the window.  “You have a pretty decent view of the garden below, and Bath.  The Circus is just over there.”

Abbie came to my side and gasped at the sight of Bath that opened up below her.  “This is so perfect.  I’m already inspired and can’t wait to get started.”

“Come.  I have one last thing to show you.”

I led her back down the hall and took the stairs up to the roof.  “You’re welcome to come sit up here whenever you like... to read, work, or just take in the sights.”

Our rooftop terrace gave us a magnificent view of Bath Abbey and the river Avon beyond that.

“I’ll be sure to spend a lot of time up here.  This is magical, Keely.  Just magical.”

“I’m happy to hear that. I know you spent a lot of time studying the Regency style, which was what I liked about your TikTok and YouTube videos on historical makeup, hair, and wardrobe. That was what Ayra and I was very impressed with, especially since you were so young to become one of the top social media influencers in that space. If something is out-of-place, I’m sure you would be the one to spot it.” 

Abbie blushed a lovely peach. “I started watching Jane Austen films with my mother and sisters since I can remember. 8 or 9 years old? Then I started making Jane Austen clothing for my dolls when I inherited my great grandmother’s antique dollhouse. Ever since then, I just fell in love with the period’s style and literature.”

“Sounds like you’re perfect for the Jane Austen Association and my film crew.” I headed back down the stairs to the third level.  “Take a moment to rest or freshen up.  Hugh will help me bring your luggage up, and you can get settled in.  Then we’ll go take a little tour of Bath.  How does that sound?”

“Perfect.  I’m eager to discover the town that attracted Jane Austen.”

“Me, too.  Believe it or not, I’ve not had much of a chance to play tourist here, although Hugh and I moved our offices here almost a year ago.”

Abbie asked, “From Derbyshire?”

“Actually, when Hugh, my father Donald Lee, and I were working out of Moon Manor on a legal case, while I was directing Emma, that was just a temporary office while on location. My father’s European Law film branch was located in London, but we decided to close it and have it run out of our Bath location. My father finally handed the UK law firm branch to Hugh and I to run so Hugh has been very busy with that.”

Abbie laughed. “It’s still amazing and such a beautiful story how you and Mr. Hugh were together throughout the filming of Emma. I couldn’t even tell. Who would have thought the actor Hugh Pembroke, playing the leading male character in Emma, was actually a real life lawyer dating our director Keely Lee.”

I waved the comment away. “Well, it didn’t start that way. My longtime friend Hugh just so happened to stepped in when we needed it, and everything came together perfectly.”

Abbie smiled, and touched her cross necklace. “That’s beautiful how things work out so faithfully.”

“Yes,” I said. “Even when things are the most chaotic, that’s when we must have the most hope.”

*****

WALKING THROUGH THE historic town, Abbie and I took it all in, meandering up one street and down another.  It was easy to imagine Jane Austen walking the same streets and perhaps going into some of the same shops we passed by.

I opened the little tourist pamphlet I’d picked up and read, “Nestled in the rolling hills of Somerset, England, Bath offers beautiful Georgian architecture sure to charm every visitor.”

“Sounds promising.”

We came to the unusual bridge that crossed the River Avon.

“And we’re now at one of the highlights on this list of ‘must see’.  The Pulteney Bridge.”

“Designed by Robert Adam, it was inspired by a bridge in Italy,” I read.  “Was terminated in 1774.”

“So, Jane could have walked right here, in this very spot.” 

“I’m sure she did.”

“I believe she moved here in 1801.”

“The bridge is lined with shops and homes that were built into the structure, making for a special cross over the river.  In the middle of the bridge, we stopped to look around.

“Standing right here you would never guess that you were on a bridge,” Abbie said.  “It’s like walking down a normal street.”

“That appears to be what the design of the bridge was meant to do.  Have you seamlessly crossed from one part of town to the other without even noticing you’d crossed the river?”

We resumed walking.

“Do you think Jane stopped here to buy chocolates?” Abbie said as we passed a chocolatier.

“Or perhaps she came in here to buy a book,” I countered pointing to an antique bookstore.

“Hmm,” she mused.  “I wonder if, back in the day, she might not have had her books on sale in that very shop.  Can you imagine?  A Jane Austen novel fresh off the press, before the world had a chance to read it.”

I laughed.  “It’s an intriguing thought.”

“It’s all too charming.”

“So, this bridge connects Bathwick to the center of the city,” I said, glancing at my pamphlet.  “It was named after Frances Pulteney, the wife of a well-to-do landowner and member of Parliament.”

We walked on, keeping Bath Abbey’s bell tower as our goal.

“That is going to be for another day,” I said, admiring the impressive structure.

“Oh, look,” Abbie said, pointing to a large building across the way.  “That’s one of those Roman bath houses.”

“A natural hot spring,” I said with a nod.

We walked on in silence, breathing in the history that was sure to enhance our upcoming project.

We passed a spa, a pub and Sally Lunn’s eatery.

“We don’t have time to stop in today,” I said.  “But I hear the buns here are a must.”

“I’ll be sure to make time when I come back.  It smells divine, even out here.”

We made our way to Southgate where we promised to shop the next go around, but we couldn’t resist going into the Fashion Museum that displayed historical pieces as well as modern fashions.

On entering, we were both speechless.

“This is like a time capsule,” Abbie whispered, clearly in awe of the magnificent silk gowns.

Indeed, and I could already envision my heroine in similar gowns.  We were in the museum for nearly an hour when I finally glanced at my watch.

“I’m afraid it’s already time to head back,” I said as I led the way out of the museum.  “And there’s still so much to see; Prior Park, the Circus and, of course, the Abbey.”

“I hear that it’s lit up at night,” she said.  “It would be great to see that some time.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “You will. You’ll be here for a while for the pre-production and then the filming. You’ll get to know Bath pretty well.” We slowly made our way back home, both lost in our thoughts and visions of Northanger Abbey.

When we arrived at my door, Abbie stopped and turned to me.

“Keely, I just wanted to thank you, up front.”

Frowning, I looked at her.  “Thank me for what?”

“When Ayra told me of the position, I was thrilled but also concerned with what type of accommodations I would find.  When she told me of your plan to have me stay here at your home...”  She choked up and pressed a grateful smile.  “Not only does this save me the expense, but also the trouble of finding something suitable.”

“I’m glad the arrangement suits you,” I said.  Putting my hand to her shoulder, I smiled reassuringly.  “But, believe me, I have rather selfish reasons for wanting you near.”

Abbie smiled and said, “You won’t regret hiring me and giving me this chance to prove myself as your assistant. I can’t wait to get started.”

ONE

Abbie

––––––––

I AWOKE EARLY THE NEXT morning, just before the full rays of the sun warmed the sky.  I’d slept soundly, more than I would have expected considering the changes in my life.

Lying back in the gently scented sheets, I looked at my surroundings and marveled at it all.  Staying with Keely and her husband was like winning the lottery.  I couldn’t believe my luck. Keely was one of the most talented and smartest women I know. Her two films, Pride and Prejudice and Emma were incredibly well-received and have won several prestigious awards. Although Hugh was in Emma, he was also very talented, bringing his character to life, while helping Keely and her father work on an interesting legal case. Apparently, Keely and Hugh were childhood friends back in California where Keely’s father began his internationally-known law firm. I didn’t expect to be a guest staying in their home in Bath as her assistant, but guessed it was because Keely wanted me nearby. She hardly sleeps and works around the clock.

I rose, took a quick shower and prepared for the day ahead, although I had no idea what to expect. Would we start work?  Would we finish our tour of Bath?  Visit a few of Jane’s old haunts? So simple jeans and a white blouse it was.

Looking out the window, my heart filled with the history of the place and the strong sense of being so close to Jane Austen.  Even in the home I’d slept in, I could feel her.

The previous evening, I’d wandered through much of my new home, pinching myself at every turn.

In addition to Hugh’s law office and Keely’s production office, the second floor housed an informal living space and a full bathroom.

On the third floor was the bedroom Keely shared with her husband and a second guest bedroom, both with their own bathrooms.

Keely had truly been modest in commenting on her sparsely furnished living room.  The rest of the house was immaculate and cozy, with warm colors, interesting antiques and the occasional flair for the dramatic, like the ornate chandelier in the formal dining room and several abstract works of art in the halls.

With the house silent and still, I didn’t dare emerge from my room for fear of waking Keely or her husband.

I sat by the window and opened the book I’d started on the train ride over.  The intriguing romance had quickly captured my imagination, and my arrival in Bath seemed to accentuate my sense of romance.

After only three pages, a knock sounded at the door.  I looked at the antique clock on the wall; not yet seven.  I set the steamy romance down and went to the door.

“Keely,” I said, surprised to see her up so early in the morning.

“Good.  You’re up.”

“I’m an early riser.”

“As am I, especially when I have a project in the works.”

She looked past me and I invited her in.

“Are you settled in?  Do you need anything?”

“No.  Everything is fine.  Perfect.  I couldn’t dream of a better situation.”

She glanced at the book I’d left on the desk.  “Oh, My Rapture?” she said with a teasing grin.

I bit my lower lip.  “It’s an intriguing love story.”

“I’m sure.”  She looked more closely at the book.  “A.B. Bind.  I’ve never heard of this author.”

“Do you need me for something?”

“I’m going to be a little busy today finishing up with the Lee Law Firm Hugh is setting up.  Just a few last-minute details.”

“Okay.”

“I would like you to go back into town, immerse yourself in the culture, the feel, the language of the town.  Find out as much as you can about the people and the history of the area.  What was and is expected of high society.  I’ll give you the tourist pamphlet I have, and you can go visit as many spots as you like.  I’ve highlighted a few spots Jane was known to patronize.”

“Sounds great,” I said with a nod.  “I would love to get to know Bath a little more.”

“And I need a good location to stand in for Northanger Abbey.”

“You mean, like Bath Abbey?”

She nodded.  “While I would love to use that location, I’ve been told it would be close to impossible.  If you can convince them to let us use it, I would be forever grateful.  Forgoing that, I would like you to find something suitably large and historical... high ceilings, beautiful stained glass.  It needs to be grand.  Who knows.  Perhaps I could get permission to use Bath Abbey for some of the exterior shots, but another location for the interiors.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

“Why don’t you come down for some coffee and breakfast.  We can discuss it further,” Keely said.

I nodded.  “I’ll be right down.”

She left me and I closed the door behind her, still blushing from her discovery of my reading material.  Returning to the steamy book, I picked it up, eager to quickly finish the few paragraphs of the spicy chapter.

“We have no right to be here,” Catherine said, her eyes begging him to argue with her.  More than anything, she longed to stay with him.

“And no one has the right to know that we are here at all,” he said.  “We are alone.  We are adults.  We are aware of our feelings and needs and...”  He leaned in closer, his warm breath on Catherine’s cheek.

His hand snaked around to the small of her back, bringing her closer to him.

“Pastor,” she whispered, her voice heavy with want.

“Your lips rightly belong to me, do they not?”

She nodded as she parted her lips, eagerly awaiting his.

Blushing profusedly, I slammed the book shut and hurried out to meet Keely in the morning room for breakfast and then off to see what I can do about Bath Abbey and the other duties Keely had already assigned me.

TWO

“I didn’t see you all day yesterday,” Keely said as I entered her office on the second floor.  “I take it you visited the city as I suggested.”

“I did,” I said, taking a seat facing her.  “For such a small town, there certainly is a lot to see.  Of course, I had to stop at the Jane Austen Centre.”

She smiled knowingly.  “I knew you would.  It was closed yesterday, but I’m glad you took the initiative to go take a look.”

“I sincerely feel the ghost of Jane everywhere in the city.  Did you know that she often frequented the Grand Pump Room?”

Again, she smiled.

“I wanted to go in but the queue.  I would have waited hours.  Any fan of Jane’s would surely want to stop and sit at a table.  After all, it is said to be the setting for the Northanger Abbey novel.”

“Imagine that,” Keely said, that knowing smile still on her lips.

“You knew.”

“That, I did.  I may not have had the time to roam the streets, but I have read up on it.”

“It was such a lovely afternoon.  I must have walked for hours.  I left here to go to Bath Abbey, strolled through Prior Park, stopped in for a pint at one of the local pubs and I spent quite a bit of time at the spa chatting with a few clients.”

“And...?”

“Prior Park had many couples strolling about, hand in hand, admiring the garden.  There were only a few families, but I did spot several socialites enjoying the sun.”

“The Palladian bridge has been used in various films, if ever you wish to film a few shots there... very lovely.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“And, of course, those luxurious homes up to the hill overlooking that Palladian bridge, and the city of Bath beyond, are just incredible.”

“Yes.  I’ve heard of those homes.  Quite prestigious.”

“The gravel path leads you right to them.  It’s quite a special sight.  You also have an underground icehouse.  Cool... to say the least.”

“And the spa?”

“Interesting place.  Baths, spa, pool, and women who spoke of a life of leisure as though that lifestyle was afforded to everyone.”

“Did you happen to have time to shop?”

“Not really.  Why?”

“I have a treat for you tomorrow night.”

“Oh?”

“There’s a charity ball.  It’s a very ritzy affair that Hugh managed to get us an invitation to.  There should be socialites galore there.”

I fidgeted and absentmindedly ran my hand down my crinkled blouse.  “I don’t think I have anything acceptable for a ball.”

She waved my objection away.  “A ball... well, it’s not a ball in the classical sense of the word.  More of a social dance.  A get together for high society.”

“Still...”

“I’ll tell you what... why don’t you go into my closet...”  She looked me up and down.  “You seem to be about the same size as me... perhaps a little thinner around the waist.  “You have caramel colored hair like mine... perhaps a touch lighter... and you have the same brown eyes.  I’m certain my color palette will suit you fine.”

I stood there, silent.

“Go on.  You have my full permission.”

“Keely,” I said, finally finding my voice.  “I can’t.  I can’t just go through your closet that way.  Frankly, I cannot even envision myself entering your private quarters.”

She laughed.  “You’re being far too formal, but... all right.  Let’s go up and have a look together.  Does that suit you better?”

“Much.”

Once in her closet, my gaze immediately fell on an electric blue dress with a high collar, modest skirt and cinched waist.  “That is really pretty.”

“It is one of my favorites.”  She grabbed the hanger and handed me the dress.

“What about you?” I said. “What are you going to wear?”

She pulled out a sparkling dark emerald mini dress with a low cut back.

I held the blue dress up in front of myself and glanced in the mirror.  “It is such a striking color.”

“Go try it on, and if it fits right, I have sapphire teardrop earrings that go well with it.

I hurried to my room, excited about the dress and the ball.  I’d expected my stay with Keely to be exciting, but I hadn’t expected the excitement to begin so soon.

I slipped into the dress that fit as if it’d been tailored specifically for me.

“How’s it look?” Keely called through the door.

I quickly opened the door to face her.  “It couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Indeed.  You look lovely.”  She held her hand out to me.  “And here are the earrings.”

She dropped the gems into my open palm.

“I would be mortified if I lost one of these.”

“You won’t,” she said with more confidence than I felt.

*****

THE SOCIAL DANCE WAS held in an insanely opulent home.  As Keely and I walked up the grand steps to the front entrance, my stomach turned on itself several times.

“Stop fidgeting,” Keely said, grasping my hand and holding it steady.  “You’ve just as much right to be here as anyone.  This is a charity event, remember.  We are all here to raise money for a good cause.”

I nodded, but my voice caught in my throat preventing me from saying anything.

A stiff cold butler met us at the door, took our names and gestured that we enter.  Classical music accompanied the clink of champagne glasses and the delicately quiet conversations of the rich and richer.

“This really is high society,” I whispered, unsure how I felt.

“They are among the wealthiest in the area.”

Keely swept two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and handed me one.  “To your very first official assignment; mingling with the upper crust.”

We clinked glasses and took a sip, but as Keely turned, she smashed into a dashing young man, spilling her champagne all over her emerald dress.

“Oh, no,” she let out, shocked.

“Oh,” I shouted to the young man.  “Please, could you hand me a napkin.”

The startled young man looked at me a moment, then turned to take a napkin from the tray of a passing server.  “Here you go.”

As I prepared to help dab the champagne out of Keely’s dress, she grabbed the napkin from my hand.

“Don’t let him get away,” she whispered.  “Talk to him.”

“What?” I said, confused.

“Talk to him.”

Flustered, I froze for a moment, then quickly straightened up to face the young man.  “Thank you.  I appreciate your help.  I’m sure we’ll be able to salvage the dress.”

Ugh.  Salvage?  Couldn’t I find a more appropriate word?

“It’s the least I can do considering my part in the accident,” he said.

“Well, at least it’s champagne and not red wine,” I added, trying to minimize the incident.

“Well, that’s a relief,” he said smiling a smile that lit up his entire face. His blue eyes sparkled under his dark lashes that fanned out over high cheekbones and an aristocratic nose. Standing tall with wide shoulders in a dark tailored suit, he looked like a young tech millionaire or dashing financier. Clearly, he was one of the wealthy patrons who was there to bid on an auction for charity.

“I’m Abbie,” I said, holding my hand out to him.  “Abbie Moore.”

“Nice to meet you, Abbie,” he said with a warm smile.  “I’m Gabriel Tillsbury.”

“A pleasure.”

He held up a finger.  “Let me get your friend another champagne.”

Before I could say anything, he disappeared into the crowd.

“He’s a looker,” Keely said as she came closer.  “I’m not really into blond, blue-eyed men, but he definitely is a looker.”

I nodded in agreement with Keely. She had an eye for talent and beauty, clearly having cast some of the most beautiful people in her films.

As he meandered through the crowd, I noticed how he smiled and chatted with various people as he got Keely’s champagne.  There was an ease about him that was alluring. Gallant, easy-going, charming...he was like any one of the dashing young men in a Jane Austen novel.

“Confident,” Keely said.  “Cool and confident, but without an ounce of arrogance.  I like that.  Grab onto him.  He could possibly open a lot of doors for you.”

Biting my lower lip, I nodded with little conviction.  “Judging by the look in many of these women’s eyes, I’d say we’re not the only one who noticed him.”

“Indeed, he does draw a lot of attention.  Perhaps I could find a role for him in Northanger Abbey.  Women would flock to the theatre to look at that handsome face.”

He came to us, his eyes apologetic as he handed Keely her drink.  “I am so terribly sorry about this unfortunate collision.”

“No harm done,” she said, quickly taking a sip of the bubbly.

“You ladies are new here,” he said.  “I’ve not seen you around town before.”

“I’ve been here for nearly a year,” Keely said.  “While Abbie arrived just a few days ago.”

“Ah,” he said, his smile broad and sincere.  “It is always a pleasure to welcome a newcomer.  Have you had a chance to visit the city yet?”

“Only a small portion.  I spent over an hour strolling through Prior Park yesterday, and took time to try a native brew in one of the local pubs.”

“Well, if ever you need a knowledgeable guide, let me know,” he said.  “I know Bath like the back of my hand.”

He held his hand out, palm up, then turned it over to look at the back.  “Yep, I’d know that hand anywhere.”

I chuckled as my heart skipped a beat.  Could he tell?  Could he see the effect he was having on me?  “I would greatly appreciate a tour.  I feel like I’m missing out on so much information.”

“I promised Abbie a more thorough tour,” Keely said.  “Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time as I would like.  My husband and I are still settling in.”

“Where, might I ask, are you staying?”

“Royal Crescent.”

His brow shot up, clearly impressed.  “One of the apartments?”

Keely smiled.  “We have a full townhouse... one of the central ones... with a large yard, gardens and triple garage at the back.”

Again, his brow shot up.  “A terrace on the roof?”

“Of course.”

Keely had been so modest, it was strange to suddenly see her so boastful.

“Abbie is staying with us,” she added.

“So, an entire townhouse to yourself.  That makes for a lot of space.”

“Yes,” Keely said.  “And we very much need that space.  You see, my husband has opened a law office here in Bath and he will be working from home.  The Lee Law Office, a satellite office from the London one.”

Gabriel nodded.  “What luck to work in a home with such an exceptional architectural style... Georgian, I believe.  Beautifully curved building.  Truly spectacular.”

“It is quite spectacular,” Keely agreed.

“Austere symmetry in the front and do as you like at the back.”

“That’s what they say,” Keely said.

I frowned, not understanding the comment.

Gabriel smiled.  “Some say it is all fur coats and no knickers.”

Keely laughed, while I remained confused.

“Queen Anne front with Mary Ann back.”

Again, Keely laughed, while Gabriel leaned in closer to explain.

“The symmetry of the front of the building must remain.  The beauty of the façade is of utmost importance, while owners are free to do as they like in the back; garden, patio, garage... as you like.”

I nodded my understanding.

“You are an amusing young man,” Keely said.  “Very amusing, indeed,  but I will leave you two young ones to your discussion as I’ve just spotted someone I’ve been dying to talk to.”  She winked at me and hurried off.

I pulled in a long, shaky breath as Gabriel set his perfectly blue gaze on me.

“Forgive me for pointing it out, but... you seem a little nervous.”  He offered me his arm and I gratefully took it, setting my shaking hand on his forearm.  He led me out to the patio where the late evening sun still dappled a faint light on the warm colored stones.

“I must admit, I’m not truly accustomed to this sort of affair.  I come from a small town.  A modest town.”

He chuckled and set his hand over mine, pressing it into the warmth of his forearm.  “Your modesty is refreshing, both the financial modesty and...”  He looked at the neckline of my dress.  “That blue is magnificent on you.”

“Thank you. It’s actually Keely’s, but she was so generous to lend me her dress since I didn’t have the chance to shop for one.”

Gabriel smiled, “Keely’s got great taste. Is she perhaps married to Hugh Pembroke?”

I nodded.

“So she’s Keely from the esteemed Lee family of America, and he’s Pembroke, a minor aristocrat in England,” Gabriel said, smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling. “What a pleasure to finally meet them and someone who is well-acquainted with them. As far as shopping for a dress to these occasions, there are plenty of shops to choose from in Bath,” he said. “As you know, Bath has always been a great city of culture and social gatherings since the Roman days. The entire town is meant to be one social gathering after another.”

“Oh,” I said, looking down at my dress, “I guess I do need to freshen up a bit more than usual.”

“No, not necessary,” Gabriel said. “You look perfectly fine to me.”

THREE

I walked down to the breakfast room floating on a warm cloud.  I’d had several heated dreams about Gabriel, adding to the immediate infatuation I felt for the man.  He was like every book boyfriend come alive. Handsome, charming, confident, masculine yet so easy-going. He’d been such a gentleman, so attentive and kind.  No false charm.  No practiced come-ons.  No fakery. Very authentic and real. Just pleasant conversation with a kind and warm human being.

I already longed to see him again.

“Good morning, Abbie,” Keely said as I walked in.  “Coffee?”

“Don’t get up,” I said as she prepared to do so.  “I’ll get it.”

I went to the counter and poured myself a cup and took a sip before even making my way back to the table where Keely sat.

“I’m glad you’re down early,” Keely said between bites of her jam covered toast.  “We have a lot to do today.”

“Where do you want to begin?”

“Well, you could begin with a good breakfast, then we’ll head out to look at a few locations.  I’m also hoping to pick up a few props... I don’t know, maybe a thrift store or antique shop.  Did you find a suitable location to sit in for Northanger Abbey?”

“Not really.  Other than Bath Abbey, nothing is as dramatic and grand.”

“I don’t mean to put too much pressure on you, Abbie,” Keely said as she finished her toast.  “But, we are on a shoestring budget with this film.”

“I understand.”

She shook her head and seemed troubled.  “I had counted on a few major investors...”  She shook her head some more.  “Everyone wanted to take this movie in a different direction.  Damn, one of them wanted to make it a musical.  You know, the whole song and dance thing.  Sorry, but I don’t do song and dance.  I love them... when someone else does them, but it’s just not me.”

“I saw what you did with Emma and with Pride and Prejudice.  There’s something very earthy and real about the way you portray these characters.”

She nodded, clearly pleased with her previous work.  “Anyway, this tight budget means that I can’t really afford a costume designer.  We’ll have to find a thifty way of getting our characters dressed.”

“Being the home of the Jane Austen Centre, I’m sure we can find someone in town who can help us out.  I believe I saw a rental shop, but didn’t really have time to check it out.”

“I think I know the one you mean.  I’m not sure how good their work is.  I think they rent out these costumes to Jane Austen fans who simply want to dress up... and then there’s the festival.  But I fear their gowns might be just that... too costume-like.  This is a movie, not Halloween.”

“I see what you mean.  I’ll have a look.”

“We also need a bookstore for the scene between Catherine and Isabella.”

“Right.  I think I saw three.  Two were clearly too modern, but perhaps the third one can work out.”

“Oh,” Keely said as she set her forehead in her hands.

“Is everything all right?”

Weary, she looked at me and sighed.  “My husband’s estate, is financing a big chunk of this, along with my father, Donald Lee, who couldn’t stand to see his daughter give up her dream to do this movie.”

“You feel the weight of the world on your shoulders?”

“The weight of the universe. Normally, this isn’t the way to finance a film, but since Barnaby, the star from the first film I directed, Pride and Prejudice, felt jilted by my partner and Co-Executive Producer Ayra, you know her, he tried to discredit my name as a director and everything my production company does.”

I gasped, “Oh yes, I read it online. Or rather, I watched how critics blasted him on social media. How he thought just because he was a bigger more well-known name than you, he could take over your production, act like the director of your film, and even tried to steal the PGA credit from Ayra. Wow, what a bully. Who would have thought.”

“I know,” Keely said. “I was just casting him as my leading male character. Who knew he had an agenda to try to get PGA credit on my film when he was just hired as an actor.”

I gulped. “Is it true he tried to hit you with a lawsuit, too? How you tried to make the moves on him?”

Keely threw her hands up in the air. “As if! There was no way I would even go after him, knowing my best friend Ayra had been arranged with him.”

“Didn’t he even tried to claim Ayra, the Executive Producer was trying to make the moves on him, too?” I asked.

“Yup, he didn’t take her rejection of him very well.”

“What a mess,” I said.

“Tell me about it. Hugh is still trying to countersue on behalf of me and Ayra.”

“One lawsuit after another,” I said.

“Yes,” Keely said, shaking her head. “Who knew. So, now the bigger studios are not going to try to touch any of my projects until after the trial.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, giving Keely a hug. “We’ll make it happen, Keely,” I said, setting my hand over hers.  “I’ll help out however I can. We’ll find a way to get this thing done properly and cheaply.”

*****

WEARING GOOD WALKING shoes, Keely and I headed into town to roam the streets of Bath.

“There’s the rental place I was telling you about,” I said as we turned down a quiet residential street.

We stopped in front of the large home, its front window showing off some of the better costumes.

“My, Abbie,” Keely said, impressed.  “This is a small shop in the woman’s own home.  How did you find it?”

“I told you; I walked for hours and hours.  Soon I will know Bath like the back of my hand.  Come,” I said, taking the lead.  “Let’s see what the owner has to say.”

We stayed in the rental shop for well over an hour.  Edna, the shop owner, had an impressive array of gowns from the Jane Austen era.  But as Keely has feared they lacked the detailed finishing touches that a movie needed.  Most, while pretty, looked cheap and quickly made.  Only a handful of gowns were good enough to impress Keely.”

“I think that a lot of these could be used by extras and minor characters.  But these won’t hold up to scrutiny in close-ups of Catherine, or Isabella, or Eleanor.”

“I understand,” Edna said.

“The choices are varied enough... that’s good.  Then again, what about men’s wear.”

“I’m sorry,” Edna said.  “Men just aren’t into Jane Austen the way the women are.  Year after year, I add more gowns to my collection and still never have enough when a Jane Austen Festival is held.  But the men, I barely rent out what I have.”

Keely nodded as she looked at the selection.  “Well, you do have the basics.  Formal wear for the balls, outerwear for the outdoor scenes... I think we can try to manage with what you have. What about hats?”

“Oh, I have a great selection of top hats. Riding caps and bonnets.”

After checking out her great hats, we gave Edna a list of the gowns that we would like to put in the movie as some needed mending.  Others would have to be adjusted for the actresses when the time came.

“That was a true find,” Keely said as we emerged from the shop.  “While it still leaves me having to dress my female leads, at least I can dress the other women at low cost.  Good work, Abbie.”

“Wait until you see the bookstore I found.”

We turned the corner and came face to face with busy shoppers.

“Mrs. Pruitt?” Keely said to the older woman.

“Keely?  Keely Lee, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And, of course, you must remember my daughter, Peggy.”

“Yes,” Keely said.  “I believe we met briefly at a Jane Austen reading a month or so ago.”

“So please to see you again,” Peggy said, glancing at me.

“Oh,” Keely said.  “And this is my friend... and assistant, Abbie Moore.”

“Moore?” Peggy said.  With a very friendly smile, she reached out to take my hands in hers.

“That’s right,” I said.

“Would you happen to know an Andy Moore?”  Her eyes lit up on saying his name.

“Well, I certainly would.  That’s my older brother.  He’s away at Oxford.”

She gasped and giggled as she gave my hands a final squeeze before releasing me.

“Hello, ladies,” a tall and dapper young man called out as he came up behind Mrs. and Miss Pruitt.  “Did I hear someone mention Andy Moore?”

I’d had no idea my brother was so popular.

The dapper man looked at me and smiled.  “Oh! How enchanting to see you once again.  You’re the pretty young girl from the ball last night, right?  The highlight of my evening.”  He squeezed himself between the two women and turned to Peggy.  “This pretty young girl was at the ball last night.”

“Yes.  Yes,” Peggy said, clearly annoyed.  But she looked at me and winked. “I heard you the first time.”

“She’s just pissed because she had to miss the ball.”

She slapped his arm with the back of her hand.  “You can be sure I will not miss the ball this coming Saturday at the Grey house.  It is said to be even more prestigious.”

“And I must add,” the young man went on with a gleam in his eye as he looked straight at me, “that you, little lady, were by far, the most fascinating girl at this ball.”

Peggy slapped him again.  “Oh, you just love to infuriate me.  You absolutely know that I’m always the belle of the ball.”  Again, she winked at me.

At my stunned face, Keely smiled.  “Don’t worry about them.  They’re brother and sister.  He does love to tease her.”

“You mean torment me.  And he’s quite good at it.”  She glared at him.  “Too bad you’re unable to put such effort into more worthy endeavors.”

“Oh,” I muttered simply.

“Yes,” Mrs. Pruitt said as she looked from one child to the other.  “Much to my chagrin, they continue to behave like children.  Well, I must leave you all.  I do have errands to run.”

“Very well, mama,” Peggy said.

“It was a pleasure meeting you,” I said to the woman who hurried off.

“So, what’s this I hear about Andy Moore?” the young man said.

“John,” Peggy said.  “The pretty girl from the ball just so happens to be Andy’s little sister.”

“Oh, my,” John said with a surprised grin.  “Imagine that.  Now, isn’t it a small world, indeed?”

“That, it is,” Peggy said, her pleasant smile quickly returning.

“May I ask, how is it that you know my brother?” I asked both of them.

John let out a boisterous laugh then grinned at me.  “It just so happens, little lady, that Andy Moore is my very best friend at Oxford.  He’s practically like my brother.”  He puffed out his chest and brought more arrogance to his grin than I would have thought possible. 

I frowned, surprised to find that my brother would befriend such a man.  While he was jovial enough and he obviously had an abundance of confidence, something about him rubbed me the wrong way.

“In fact,” he went on, “he’s coming to meet us here in Bath any day now.”  He looked to his sister.  “Imagine how surprised he’ll be to find his sister here.”

Shocked, I glanced back at Keely.  “I had no idea.  He said nothing to me about coming here.  Then again, he didn’t know I was here either.  Of course he’ll want us to get together.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Keely said.  “In fact, if your brother is looking for a part time job right out of college...”

“Grad school,” I corrected.  “He’s been in school forever.  But, yes.  I’m sure he would consider it.”

“You know, Andy mentioned he had a little sister,” John said as he came to stand uncomfortably close to me.  “I knew I should have asked you to dance last night when I had the chance.  We could have discussed your brother at length.”

And yet, I didn’t remember seeing him at all at the ball.  I wondered if that information would wound his ego.

“I must absolutely remedy that at the very next opportunity.”

I gave him a tight smile.

Peggy suddenly stepped forward, hooked my arm in hers and proceeded to walk down the street, leaving Keely to walk behind us with John.

“I know Andy quite well,” Peggy said, her smile sultry.  “He and John have been friends for ages.”

“He always was a very social young man, always eager to make friends.”

“He did mention you once, but he never said how absolutely charming you are.”

“Thank you.”

“I do hope we become good friends.  Nothing would please me more.”

I smiled and instantly felt close to her.  Yes.  Friends.  That would be nice, I thought.

FOUR

Another Saturday, another charity ball.  While Keely had been kind enough to lend me one of her dresses for the previous ball, I wanted something all my own this time.

I’d gone to one of the high-end vintage shops and found an elegant lace dress trimmed with pearls at the neckline.  Nude in shade, it didn’t scream ‘look at me!’ but gently invited a second glance.

The moment we arrived at the Grey residence, a stately home bordering Prior Park, Hugh walked off with the host to talk business while Keely quickly found potential investors for her movie.

Standing there alone, I suddenly felt so out of place.  I knew no one.  Absolutely no one.  Though Keely had suggested I mingle and socialize with the locals, I felt lost and suddenly wished to go home.

“Hello there, stranger.”

I turned to the warm and kind voice to see Gabriel Tillsbury who stood there, a welcoming smile on his face.

“Gabriel,” I said.  “How wonderful to see you again.”

“I do understand how a familiar face can be a comfort in situations like this.”

“Indeed.  In fact, I realize that I neglected to thank you for being so gracious and courteous last week.  It was truly a pleasure talking with you.  You made me feel right at home.”

“Abbie!”

The high-pitched and excited voice rang in my ears as Peggy rushed toward me, quickly pulling me in for a hug. 

Right behind her, John calmly sauntered over.  “Abbie.”  He took my hand in his and cooly kissed it.  “How very pleasant to see you once again.”

I could have sworn he shot a questioning glare at Gabriel.

“It’s nice to see you both again,” I said.  I tried to shoot an apologetic glance at Gabriel but was unable to meet his gaze as John placed himself between us.

Before I knew what was happening, Peggy was escorting me away from Gabriel, chattering all the way.

“I love your dress,” Peggy said.  “Very pretty.  A little lackluster for my taste, but still very pretty.  You have a very nice figure.”

“Thank...”

“As you can see,” she went on, “I like to command attention.”

And, indeed, her daring silk dress demanded that all eyes turn to her.  Cut unbelievably low, the tangy orange hue radiated vibrancy and fun.

“That is a pretty risqué dress.  I don’t know how you find the confidence to walk around like... well... it’s very sexy.”

“Oh, Abbie,” she gushed, holding me close.  “I’m in the middle of reading this book... so steamy... so hot....  The heroine dresses for attention.  She doesn’t shy away from daring necklines and slits up to there. She dresses to draw men in.  And oh.  Ooh, la, la.  The things they do.”

“Really?” I said, intrigued.  “That’s so interesting.  I’m in the midst of a pretty steamy novel myself.”

“Abbie.”  She stopped walking and faced me, taking my hands in hers.  “Truly?  What are you reading?”

“Oh, My Rapture.”

Peggy giggled.  “You have my full attention.  What is this Rapture about?  I must know.”

“Well, the hero is in training to be minister of his church.  However, after he meets a beautiful woman, he’s unsure if he truly understood the ‘calling’.  Then when he touches the woman for the first time, kissing her... he really questions his calling after that.”

“Salacious.  I like it.  Tell me more.”

“He can’t stop thinking about her and wants to spend every waking moment with her.  He imagines her in a variety of compromising ways.  He imagines kissing every inch of her body.”

“Oh, Abbie.  Come Monday, we must go to the bookstore together to find more books like it.  If you’re anything like me, you just can’t get enough of these novels.”

As we stood there, talking about salacious novels, I saw Gabriel and realized how I’d left him with a word.  How rude of me.  I had to go and apologize.

But before I could make a move, I saw the pretty girl on his arm and was struck with such an inconceivably uncomfortable sensation in my heart.

No.  He couldn’t possibly be in a relationship with someone, especially someone as pretty as the girl next to him.  He’d been so sweet and kind.  And never had he made mention of woman in his life.

How positively retched of him to keep such information from me.

“Come,” Peggy quickly said on seeing my reaction.  “I’m sure John would love to dance with you, and he’s a very fine dancer, too.  You’ll see.”

She thrust her hand high in the air and waved as she whisper/shouted, “John!”

With an enormously pleased grin on his face and his chest proudly puffed out, he came over to us, walking like an overblown peacock.  “You both scurried off so quickly, I thought I’d offended you.”

“Not at all,” I said.

“Abbie scarcely knows a soul here,” Peggy said.  “Would you do her the honor of dancing with her, big brother?”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to impose,” I quickly said.

He immediately held his arm out for me.  “No imposition at all.  It would be my pleasure.” His eyes looked me up and down. “My pleasure indeed. I wouldn’t deprive you the pleasure of standing close to my warm body.” He grinned, wriggling his thick eyebrows up and down.

Inwardly, I almost vomited. Could this guy hear himself?

He guided me to the dance floor, took my hand in his, his other hand at my waist, and skillfully guided across the floor.

“You’re an elegant dancer,” he said.

“I dare say, the credit is all yours.  I’m merely following your lead.”

He smiled, but something in his eyes left me with a sense of unease.

“Tell me, Abbie Moore, what brings you to Bath?”

“Work,” I said.

“I’m intrigued.  Do tell me more.”

“I’m working on a movie.”

“Oh!  I should have known.  With the face of an angel... you’re a movie actress?”

“No.  No.  No,” I said with an embarrassed laugh.  “I’m the assistant producer.”

“Even more impressive.”

“I’m working with Keely on her latest Jane Austen production.  I worked with her last year on the production of Emma.  She’s very talented and it’s a privilege to work with her.”

“I’m sure.”

“And now we’re starting work on Northanger Abbey.  It’s all quite exciting.”

He seemed thoroughly uninterested.

“I’m also the assistant director.  It’s more than I expected.  I do hope I’ll be able to impress Keely.”

“Right.”

“If I screw this up, I may not get another opportunity.”

John smiled.  “I’m sure you’ll do a great job.”

I pressed an uncertain grin.  “Tell me more about your friendship with my brother.  How did you two meet?”

“We quite literally bumped into one another.  We both reacted like typical males overrun with testosterone.  We threw a few punches, yelled a lot and when all was said and done, we sat there laughing at ourselves and each other.  He introduced himself.  I introduced myself.  The rest, as they say, is history.”

“And you introduced Andy to Peggy?”

He laughed.  “Peggy is quite capable of introducing herself to anyone she fancies.  She has a way of insinuating herself into situations she finds agreeable, and it would appear that she found Andy quite agreeable.”

“Are they an item?”

He smiled.  “He’s been my very best friend for years, and perhaps one day I’ll be able to call him my brother-in-law.”

I smiled, happy for my brother. But why didn’t Andy ever mentioned Peggy or the Pruitts to us?

FIVE

Peggy was such a fun and vivacious girl, exactly the type of sister I would have wanted.  The thought of her one day becoming my sister-in-law made me giddy with plans for all the girly things I tended to do alone.

As I dressed to meet her in town for afternoon tea, I dared myself to venture toward something less tame.  Peggy had such a way with fashion.  She knew exactly how to pull off a plunging neckline while still looking classy.

I pulled out a long-sleeved, slightly ribbed and modestly transparent shirt of the palest yellow.  I’d bought it on a lark, thinking I might one day have the courage to wear it.

I held it up.  “Well, today is the day.”

I pulled the shirt over my yellow bra.  With jeans, a black leather belt and leather booties, I was ready to go.

“Off again so soon?” Keely said as she caught me at the door.  “You just barely arrived twenty minutes ago.”

“I know, but I have a lead on a very interesting bookstore.  Not only is it an antique store, but I’m told they would be thrilled to appear in a Jane Austen production.”

“Then, by all means,” she said as she opened the door.

*****

“OVER HERE, ABBIE!”

I turned to see Peggy waving, her brilliant smile drawing in everyone who passed by.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” I said, coming to her side.

“Don’t be silly,” she said, grabbing my hand.  “You’re right on time.  Come on.  I believe Mary, the store manager, will be there for just another hour.”

We hurried to the store aptly named The Old Bookstore.

“Quaint,” I said as we stood in front of the display window.  “I like it already.  Just the perfect amount of old-world charm, without looking neglected or rundown.  And there seems to be nothing to scream ‘modernity’.  I do hope Mary will agree to let us use it.”

We walked in to the sound of the bell ringing overhead.

“Hello,” a pleasantly plump woman called from behind a counter.  “How can I help you ladies?”

“Mary,” Peggy said, stepping closer.

“Oh, Peggy.  Sorry, dear.  I didn’t realize it was you.”

“That’s quite all right.  Mary, this is my friend Abbie.  She’s the one I told you about.”

The older woman shook her head in confusion.  “I’m sorry.  Remind me what you told me.”

“She’s making a movie... based on a Jane Austen novel.  She would like to shoot a scene here in the store.”

“It really is a lovely store,” I said, admiring the wooden bookcases that housed so many classics.  “And there’s just enough room to have camera and lighting set up here while the scene plays out there,” I said, gesturing to the tight yet sufficient space.

“What Jane Austen novel are you committing to film, dear?”

“Northanger Abbey.”

“Oh.  I do love Jane Austen, but that particular book is not really my favorite,” Mary said with a grimace.  “It’s a little too spicy for me.”

Peggy and I exchanged amused glances.

“All that talk about trashy romances.  I’m much more partial to Sense and Sensibilities myself.”

I suddenly began to get a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach.  If she wasn’t a fan of Northanger Abbey, would she refuse us access to her store?

“Then again,” she went on with a sudden blush on her cheeks, “I can see how it can appeal to the younger crowd.”

“Does that mean you’ll let us use you store?” I said, crossing my fingers behind my back.

“Oh. Of course, dear.  What an honor it would be to appear in a Jane Austen movie. What a boost for the shop.”

I reached over the counter to give her a hug.  “Thank you so very much.  I will need the approval of my producer, Keely Lee, and she’ll be the one to negotiate the rate.”

“Rate?  Oh, dear.  I’d be happy to do it just for the honor.”

“You may have to close shop for a day... perhaps two.”

“Oh.  Well, in that case, it would be a pleasure to meet with your Keely.”  She handed me a business card.  “Have her call me and we’ll set up a meeting.”

We left The Old Bookstore and headed to one of the more popular tea houses.

“You’re pleased,” Peggy said.  “I can tell.”

We sat at a table by the window and ordered tea.

“I know that many of the buildings throughout England are well preserved, but that bookstore is straight out of a Jane Austen novel.  I don’t know how to thank you.  I’d found other bookstores that would have been adequate, but I hadn’t seen this one.”

“I’m happy to help.”

We sipped our tea and daintily ate our finger sandwiches.

“How fun it must be to work on a movie set,” Peggy said with a coquettish smile.  “Do you meet many celebrities?”

“Not really.”

“Too bad.”

“It’s really not as glamourous as most people think.  It’s a lot of hard work.”

“Do you have other locations you need?  I can help you.  It gives me something to do over the summer.  I may as well assist you.”

“Actually, what I really need now is a talented seamstress.  Keely and I visited a rental shop in town.”

“Edna?”

“Yes,” I said.  “That’s the one.  She has some impressive gowns that would work fine for our secondary characters... perhaps even for some of the extras, but Keely isn’t convinced it’s good enough for the main characters.”

“Say no more.  I know the perfect seamstress.  I can introduce you.”

“I don’t just need someone who can sew, Peggy.  She has to know Jane Austen’s era.  If she can design... that would be a plus.”

“I’m sure you’ll be pleased.”  She smiled knowingly.  “Come on.  I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

We finished our tea, and Peggy eagerly led me to an older part of town.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

“You’ll see.”

She stopped at an old apartment building and went to the door.  Skeptical, I followed her inside and up to the third floor.  To my surprise, she stopped at the first door and pulled out a key.

“Surprise,” Peggy said as she threw the door open.

Stunned, I stared at her.  “Are you telling me that you’re a seamstress?”

“Not quite.”  She led the way inside where Mrs. Pruitt and John were seated in the drawing room.

I stared at Peggy, wondering why she’d brought me to her family home.

“Mama, you remember Abbie?”

“I do,” John was quick to say as he shot to his feet.  “What a pleasure it is seeing you again, Abbie.”

Mrs. Pruitt stood up and gently pushed John aside.  “Yes, I remember.”

“Mama, Abbie needs a seamstress.”

“Oh?”

“You see, Abbie,” Peggy said.  “My mother is one of the finest seamstresses in all of Bath.”

“And you’re familiar with the styles of the Jane Austen era?”

Mrs. Pruitt smiled as she nodded.  “It’s my specialty.  After all, you can’t very well live in Bath without some knowledge of Jane Austen.”

“Wait here a minute,” Peggy said as she disappeared down the hall.

“So this is a part of the work you do for this movie you’re making,” John said, his flirtatious grin reaching out to his ears.  “How fascinating.”

It didn’t seem to fascinate you much when I told you about it at the charity ball, I wanted to say.  “Yes.  It is, indeed, fascinating.”

“Have you been doing this long?” Mrs. Pruitt said.  “Dear, you’re so young.”

“I’ve worked on a previous project... you know, hair, make-up, what costumes I could manage.”

“You must be very talented.”

“I also have a TikTok channel where I give tutorials on how to do hair and makeup.”

“Ticlock?”

“TikTok, Mother, TikTok,” John said slowly.

“Oh, yes.  You young people are all over the place.”

“Voila!” Peggy called out as she returned to us.  “Here is one of mama’s finest gowns.”

I gasped.  It was beautiful.  Perfect for Catherine’s second ball.

Blush rose with an embroidered overlay, the bodice hugged her breasts in an appealing manner.  The skirt flowed nicely to the floor and the tiny puff sleeves were perfect.

“You did this?” I said to Mrs. Pruitt.

Nodding, she beamed.  “My best work.”

“This is very fine work,” I said on taking a closer look.  “Very fine work, indeed.”  I turned to Mrs. Pruitt.  “It must take you days to put something like this together.  Do you really think you could get a dozen or so done, let’s say in a month or so?”

“Once I put my mind to it, I can put together a gown in three days, depending on the complexity.”

“That would be wonderful,” I said as I continued to admire her work.  “Of course...” I bit my lip.  “I’m afraid we’re limited in how much we’ll be able to pay you.  How much would you charge for a gown like this?”

“Well, of course I would need you to cover the cost of fabrics, lace, ribbons... all that sort of thing.”

I nodded.  “That goes without saying, of course.  But what of your time?”

“Well, if the gowns are to be on loan... I mean, after all, once the movie is finished, you’ll no longer have a need for the gowns, will you?”

“No.  That’s right.  We don’t need to hang onto them.”

“Then, I can charge you just a fraction of the price.  Who knows?  Maybe I can then rent it out for festivals or even sell it for a fair price.  Oh, when the ladies learn the gown was used in a Jane Austen movie, it’s sure to sell for a very good price, indeed.”

“Then it’s settled.  I don’t even need to pass this by Keely.  I’m certain she’d approve.  Can we shake on it?”

She held her hand out.

“I’ll send you a list of the types of dresses we need and for what character.”

“I’ll get started as soon as I have your list.”

I smiled, ecstatic.  Now our heroine and her friends would be more suitably dressed.

SIX

I spent the next few days pouring over the script as Keely had asked.  I wrote a few notes in the margins, circled a few lines of dialogue that I found questionable and added a few things here and there.

Finally finished, I went to Keely.  I found her on the rooftop terrace.

“Oh, Abbie.  Good.  I was hoping to catch you before you went out.”

“I’ve run through the script.” I set it down on the table.

“And?”

“I love it.  I made only a few minor suggestions.  There were a few lines of dialogue that didn’t seem to flow very well.”

“I’m glad you picked up on that.  I had my doubts as well.”

“It’s all in there,” I said, tapping the script.

“Good.”  She pushed a thick folder to me.  “This is my cast... at least, what I have so far.  I’d like to know what you think.  And in case you don’t know how I work, I refer to all of them by their character name... always.”

I smiled.  “Yes.  I remember.”

I opened the folder.

“Catherine Mooreland and her brother James,” Keely said.  “Those two are official and have been signed.”

“I love Catherine’s eyes, pretty smile.  Very enchanting,” I said. “James... handsome, but in a subtle manner.  Very nice.”

“Then we have Isabella and her brother?”

I looked at the photo and cocked my head one way and the other.  “I don’t know.  She’s not... saucy enough.”

“Saucy?”

“You know.  She looks a little too innocent.  Can she really be as flirtatious as Isabella is?”

Keely took the photo from my hand.  “Yes.  In the photo she gives off that innocent vibe, but, believe me.  I saw her audition tape.  She is Isabella.  When this girl turns it on, watch out.  She can heat up the screen like you won’t believe.”

“Is she signed?”

“Not yet,” she said.  “Her agent is making a fuss over a few thousand dollars, but I hear she’s very eager to take on the role, so...”

She flipped to the next photos.  “Here you have Henry, his sister Eleanor and his older brother, the arrogant and very dashing Frederic.”

“Henry is quite handsome.  I like him,” I went on as I looked at the next actor. “And Frederic certainly does have that arrogant gleam in his eye.”

“Yeah.  He’s a natural for Frederic.  I just hope that natural arrogance doesn’t give me any trouble.  I’ve had enough of working with arrogant actors.”

“Is there any other kind?” I said with a teasing grin.

She chuckled and looked at the photos again.

“He’s very much what I would imagine Frederic to look like,” I said as we both looked at his photo.  “I just hope they’ll all accept our offer.”

“I’m glad you approve,” she said.  “It took some convincing to get him on board.”

“So who’s left?”

She gave me a list.  “Henry’s father, the Captain.  He’s the only important role left to find.  I mean, we don’t even have anyone in mind.”

“What about Charles Monohan?  He’s older and distinguished.

She shook her head.  “He’s in the States filming a series.

“Oh.  How about Mark McCallister?”

“He’s not well these days.  He went into the hospital two days ago.”

“Peter Boller?”

“Not really right for the part.”

“Nathan Foster?”

“I never really thought he was any good.”

I laughed.  “Yeah, I agree.  Well, I think I’ve run through all the older, distinguished actors I could think of.”

“Thanks.  I appreciate the effort.  I think in the end we’re going to have to go with a lesser known actor.”

“Well, truth be told, I think it’s for the best.”

“Right.  With the budget we have, we can’t very well be paying millions to each actor.”  She tapped the list.  “Anyway, the rest of the missing cast consist mostly of a maid here and there, and of course I could use more dancers and revelers for the ballroom scenes.”

“I’ll put the call out for the minor roles and extras.”

Keely stood.  “I think that’s all for now.”

“Good.  I wanted to stop by Mrs. Pruitt’s apartment to see how her designs are coming along.”

“Great find, that Mrs. Pruitt.  I can’t believe I’ve known the woman for over six months and never even knew she could thread a needle.”

I laughed.  “I’ll be sure to bring back photos of what she has so far.”

I headed out, eager to see what Mrs. Pruitt could really do on a large scale.  When I’d first mentioned her to Keely, she’d had doubts.  How could one woman complete so many gowns in such a short amount of time?

I reached the Pruitt’s apartment and knocked.

“Come in,” came the call.

I opened the door to find Mrs. Pruitt seated at the kitchen table.  “How’s everything coming along?”

“I’m afraid it’s too soon to tell,” she said.

Frowning, I looked around.  “Is Peggy here?”

She shook her head.  “She’s at the bakery in town, the one right before the bridge.”

“I know the one.”  I looked at the few scribbles of designs on the sheets of paper and tried not to panic.  Was Mrs. Pruitt going to let me down?  Oh, please.

I walked out and made my way to the bakery.  It was a beautiful spring day with the scent of the oncoming summer in the air.  The streets were filled with townspeople running errands while the occasional tourist tried to take the perfect selfie in front of various buildings.

The day was perfect for a long stroll, and I could have walked through the town endlessly, just taking in the sights, but I reached the bakery and looked inside.

At the cash register, I spotted her and tapped the window.  She looked back, smiled and held one finger up.  I waited out on the sidewalk, taking in the sun while she finished her purchase.  Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and let the warmth fill me.

Such a splendid day.  On hearing the door to the bakery open, I assumed it was Peggy and quickly turned to greet her but slammed into a hard body.

Looking up, I gaped.  Gabriel, so handsome in jeans and a casual white shirt open at the collar.  My lips made the move to form a smile, but then I saw her, that girl, standing nearby, her arm in his.

I leaned back, slightly dizzy.  “My apologies,” I said curtly.  “I must look where I’m going.”  Trying to get away, I tripped over myself, and Gabriel grabbed my arms to steady me.

“Abbie?” Gabriel said, surprised by my reaction.  “Abbie, I’ve been wanting to see you.”

Why? To gloat and smash in my face your pretty girlfriend?  Well, I wasn’t about to let that happen.

“I need to catch up with...”  I rushed to get away, but Gabriel caught my arm.

“Abbie, please,” he said gently.  “I just want a word with you.  It won’t take but a minute.”

“I’ve no time, Gabriel.  Sorry, but I really must rush off.”

My gaze went to the pretty girl’s face despite my resolve to ignore her.  She smiled, not a victorious or proud smile, but simply a warm, open and friendly smile.

“I would just like you to meet my...”

Oh.  I can’t bear to hear this.

“... sister.”

“Sister?”

Gabriel smiled with that knowing gleam in his eye.  “Yes.  My little sister Elizabeth.”

She smiled as she held her hand out to me.  “My friends all call me Izzy, as I hope you will.”

Oh, my God. Of course.  His sister.  Why had I been so quick to jump to conclusions?  His sister.  His little sister.  It all made so much sense now.

“So pleased to meet you, Izzy,” I said, shaking her delicate hand.

“Izzy just recently made the move back to Bath,” Gabriel said. “During her years away, her friends moved on, got married or simply left for the big city and a big career.  A new friend would be well appreciated.”

She smiled.  “I don’t wish to impose, but yes.  It would be lovely to spend time with you.  Gabriel has already told me what a lovely person you are.”

“Sounds good,” I said.  “I would love to get to know Gabriel’s sister.  If you’re as warm and kind as he is, I have no doubt we’ll get along fabulously.” Still reeling from learning that she was his sister and not a girlfriend, I smiled.

“I love your style,” Izzy said.  “That shirt is very pretty.”

While I appreciated the comment, I sensed her desire to find common ground with fashion. 

She flattened her pale grey shirt against her flat belly and kicked a leg up to show her outdated jeans.  “I’ve never been one to keep up with trends very much.  I never know what suits me well enough.”

“I’d be more than happy to give you a hand,” I said.

As we chatted about local boutiques and where to get the best deals, Gabriel quietly walked away to go speak with two gentlemen.

“Gabriel was kind enough to accompany me on my first stroll through Bath before he heads home,” Izzy said.

“Oh,” I said, a little surprised.  “I would have thought he’d invite you to stay with him.”

“Oh, no.  I’m at the family residence on the edge of Bath.”

“And Gabriel?”

“He has his own place just barely outside of town.”

I shot a few glances at Gabriel and the two gentlemen; an older man with a very regal stance.  He appeared to be in his late fifties but was clearly a man who took good care of himself.  With greying blond hair that was clipped short, he had a thick chest and muscular arms that showed even through his shirt.

The other man was younger, with a shock of blond hair and piercing blue eyes that stared straight at me in the most disconcerting way.

In his late twenties or early thirties, he gave off a strong arrogant vibe.

The older man joined in looking at me, and I had to find out who they were.

“Who are those two distinguished gentlemen that Gabriel is speaking to?” I said after a moment.  “And why are they both looking at me so intently?”

“The older gentleman is our father, General Tillsbury.  The younger, clearly more arrogant one, is our older brother, Frank.”

A sense of unease filled me as their gazes lingered.  Then they began their approach, and I desperately wished to see Peggy emerge from the bakery to save me.  The General as well as the older brother had expressions far too stern to be happy with me, though I couldn’t think of a single reason why.

Gabriel quickly came to set himself between us.  “Father, Frank, this is Abbie Moore.  Abbie, this is my father, General Tillsbury, and my older brother, Frank.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

The General shook my hand in a minimalist manner while Frank held onto it for too long a moment.

“Very pretty, this Abbie.”  He eyed me much as one would an article of clothing they contemplated throwing out.  “Pretty, indeed... in a bit of a milkmaid sort of way.”

Did he just insult me?

In that very moment, Peggy finally emerged from the bakery and Frank’s gaze immediately met hers.  He let go of my hand and turned to her, his eyes on fire.

“Well, well,” he said.  “So, Bath does have some exquisite beauties after all.”

Peggy’s face lit up.  “And look at me, dressed to pick up bread from the bakery no less.  Perhaps one day you’ll have the chance to see me in my finest.”

“One can only hope.”

As the pair stepped away slightly, Gabriel came to me.

“Are you still looking for a place to film Northanger Abbey?”

“Yes,” I said.  “Yes.  Do you have any suggestions?”

“Indeed, and I just spoke with my father to get his approbation.”

“Oh?”

“Tillsbury Estates,” he said simply.  “Oh, you may find it modest compared to the likes of Northanger Abbey, but I do believe it could be suitable from the right angle.  Hang on a second.”  He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it.  “Here you go.  This is a picture taken from a drone last fall.”

“Gabriel,” I whispered in astonishment.  “This is beautiful.  So regal and grand.  It would be perfect, I’m sure.”  I looked at him and then the General.  “Of course, I would need to take a closer look and my producer, Keely, is the one who needs to make the final decision.”

The General nodded deeply.  “It would be an honor to have you come stay at our family home.  Come see with your own eyes if it’s suitable and enjoy our hospitality.  Then, if it is to your liking, your producer can come have a look.”

SEVEN

I rushed to Royal Crescent to tell Keely the good news.

“I think I’ve found our Northanger Abbey,” I said as I walked in on her lunch.  “Oh.  Sorry.  I didn’t mean to barge in like that.”

“No, please,” Keely said with an eager smile.  “If you’ve found our Northanger Abbey, I want to hear all about it.”  She gestured to the chair across from her.  “Sit down.  Please, sit down.”

I sat down and took a deep breath.  “I don’t want to get my hopes too high,” I said.  “After all, I would need to go out there to ensure it suits our needs.”

“Okay,” Keely said as she continued with her lunch.  “Go and check it out.”

“Would you prefer to come with me?  I’ve been invited to go tomorrow.”

“No.  For one thing, I trust your judgement.  After all, you know what we’re looking for.  But, more importantly, I have to fly to the States to meet with a few Hollywood actors who’ve shown interest in my project.  I also want to finalize a few of those contracts.  There’s a very good-looking young man who is interested in playing Frederic and a statuesque beauty who would be willing to take on the role of Eleanor.  Her agent claims she wanted to play Isabella, but she’d be happy with Eleanor.  She’s just dying to do anything Jane Austen.”

“How long will you be gone?”

Keely shrugged.  “If all goes well, a few days.  If these actors don’t work out and I have to keep looking, maybe a few more days.”

“Well, I should have a recommendation for you about the Abbey by then.”

“Where is it, exactly, that you’re going to visit?”

“Tillsbury Estate.”

She stopped eating suddenly and straightened up in her chair to look straight at me.  “Tillsbury Estate?  Abbie, that would be quite the coup.  That place is huge.”

“It does appear so.”

“That would be incredible.”  She resumed eating, but I could see in her eyes that the gears were turning.  “Remember that you have to consider all the crew, the lighting and all that.  Ask if we’ll be able to do modifications.  Can we bring in certain decorative items?  What about catering?  And equipment?  Are they aware how disruptive we can be?  Are they aware that we’ll take over parts of the estate for... let’s say minimum two months... perhaps three.”

“I’ll be sure to bring all of this up when I meet with them.”

She looked at me.  “Spend as much time there as you need.  If I’m not back in time, I authorize you to reserve the place for three months... if the price is right, of course.”

Thrilled, I nodded.  “I’ll go give them a call to confirm my arrival.”  Smiling to myself, I left her and immediately pulled my phone out.

“Gabriel?”

“Abbie.  Yes.  So, what’s the verdict?”

“I can go and check it out.  We may need it for three months.  Is your family comfortable with that?”

“I don’t see why not.  The place is so big, you could take up half the place for your production and we would never know it.”

“Great.” I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so excited.  Oh, maybe when I found out Keely had hired me... but somehow the level of excitement was different this time.  Something was different.

“I’ll come pick you up first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll be ready.”

I ended the call and leaned up against the wall with a sigh.  Dreams of my stay at the Estate filled me.  Would Gabriel be there?  I would hope so.  At the very least, he would stop by... every day.

I couldn’t help but think so.

What excited me so? Visiting the Estate or the chance to spend so much time with Gabriel?

Oh.  Yes.  I could spend the entire week with Gabriel, strolling hand in hand through their magnificent gardens.  We could dip our toes in the frigid waters of the creek that filled their pond.  Gabriel would push me back onto the warm grass and look into my eyes.  He’d bring his finger to my lips, it would linger as his gaze sizzled with fire.

I finally peeled myself off the wall and continue to my quarters to prepare my suitcase.  What did one bring to such an estate?  Comfortable jeans to walk the grounds, as well as comfortable shoes.  A nice sweater for the chill of evening, several colorful blouses with interesting necklines for dinner with the family.

I thought of the Estate and imagined what it would be like.  While part of the Estate was obscured by magnificent tall trees that surrounded the property, the photo showed enough for me to see that it was a beautiful gothic structure.  There was even something dark and mysterious about the place.

Perhaps haunted.

EIGHT

That night I curled up with my steamy novel, giving the hero Gabriel’s face.

The war had ravaged the town, leaving few buildings standing.  The smell of smoke from bombs and fires and more bombs filled the air.  Not a tree stood.  Not a flower bloomed.

“Catherine.  You’re alive.”

She turned to him and ran into his arms.  “Armand.  Oh, Armand, I thought I had lost you forever.”

She suddenly felt light-headed and weak.

“When did you last eat?  When did you sleep?”

“I don’t know,” she muttered as he held her up.

“Come.  I have private quarters nearby.”

Once inside, she felt better, more secure.  The only light in the room was a fire that burned in the hearth.  A chill ran through her.

“Oh, Catherine,” he said, his lips hovering over hers.

She longed for the taste of his lips, but his lips dropped to kiss her bare shoulder and onward to kiss the swell of her breast.

I suddenly slammed the book shut and stared out into my room.  I’d experienced a few chaste kisses before, but...

Suddenly flushed, I stood and paced before the window.

The swell of her breast.  The swell of my breast.  My skin tingled as I thought of Gabriel and his lips.  I returned to my bed, and with thoughts of Gabriel playing the part of Armand, I fell asleep.

I ran through darkened halls, lost in the labyrinth that was Tillsbury Estates.  Behind me, Frank chased an ugly snarl on his handsome face.

“There’s no point running away,” he called out.  “Girls like you don’t often get attention from men like me.  I know you want it.  Denying it is pointless.”

He was infuriatingly full of himself.

In my anger, I tripped over my gown, and he was instantly on me, his lips finding the swell of my breasts.

“Get off her,” Gabriel said, suddenly looming over us.  “How dare you take such liberties with her.”

“I would wager that the girl has never had such excitement.  Admit it, Gabriel.  A girl needs more than simply holding hands on an afternoon stroll through the park.  She needs fire.  She needs to be wanted, to be needed.”

Gabriel pulled Frank off me and punched him, sending him flying back to hit the wall and sink to the floor.

“Is that excitement enough?” Gabriel said to me.

Thrilled by his forceful way with his older brother, I nodded.  He came to me, quickly sweeping me up in his arms and pulling me to him.

“Kiss me,” I whispered.

He came closer, closer.  My lips parted and his warm mouth enveloped mine.

I woke up, damp with perspiration and with my night dress on the floor beside the bed.

“Heavens, Abbie,” I chastised myself.  “What’s gotten into you?”

Then I remembered that Gabriel was to come get me within the hour.  I rushed to take a shower, dressed, and grabbed my small suitcase to head downstairs.

Leaving my suitcase by the front door, I headed to the breakfast room.

“Good morning,” I said on finding Keely and Hugh having breakfast.

“Abbie,” Keely said.  “I’d begun to think you’d forgotten about your trip to Tillsbury.”

“No.  Not at all.”  I sought an explanation for being so late in coming down.  To stall, I headed to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup.  “You know how it is.  One never knows how to dress for this sort of thing.”

“You look fine, Abbie.”

I’d opted for a flowing white cotton skirt with a raspberry shirt with a frilly trim at the neckline.

“Tillsbury?” Hugh said.  “Tillsbury Estates?”

“That’s right,” I said as I sat down and grabbed a toast from the pile on the table.  “If everything is suitable, we’ll be shooting the movie there.  From the photo I saw, it certainly is large enough.”

“Gabriel Tillsbury should be here to pick her up shortly,” Keely added.

“I’m hoping to see as many rooms as I can.”  I gestured to my phone on the table.  “I’ll take plenty of photos.”

“Good.”

“Tillsbury Estate,” Hugh repeated.  “Why does that name sound so familiar?”

“Probably because Abbie met up with Gabriel Tillsbury,” Keely offered.  “I told you last week how they hit it off.”

“No.  No.  It’s not that.  No, I think something happened there... a long time ago.  I think I saw something about a murder case there a decade or so ago.”  He shrugged.  “Anyways, I’m not sure about it except to say that some sort of crime happened there.”  He continued to think it over, then pointed his fork at Keely.  “The more I think about it, there was a cover up.  Someone died under strange circumstances in that place, but crucial evidence mysteriously disappeared.”

“Please, Hugh,” Keely said.  “It’s probably just idle gossip.  You know how people are when there’s talk about old buildings that are dark and mysterious.  Besides, you’re scaring Abbie.”

He shrugged.  “I believe it was one of my clients who told me about it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Abbie.  I’m sure nothing of the sort happened there and you’ll have a wonderful time.”

“In any case,” Hugh went on.  “It’s a massive estate and it cost a fortune just to maintain it.  Like most castles and estates, people inherit them but underestimate the cost of upkeep.  In some cases, the property taxes alone are enough to bankrupt the poor soul who accepts such an inheritance.”

“But the thought of inheriting a castle,” I said, immediately caught up in the romance of it all.  “Who can resist a castle?”

“Well, if ever you do, be sure to accept any means possible to pay for it.  And letting a production company use the estate for their movie... well, that can be a pretty sweet deal.”

“I hardly think the Tillsbury family needs these funds,” I said in their defense, although I had no idea what their financial situation was.

“Either way,” Keely said.  “I do hope Tillsbury Estate will be to Northanger Abbey what Moon Manor was to Emma.”

Yeah, I thought.  I hope so, too.

“Well,” Keely said as she finished off her coffee.  “I have to get going if I don’t want to miss my flight.  Honey, would you mind bringing down my luggage”

“With pleasure.”

NINE

With Keely and Hugh gone, I paced in front of the window looking out for Gabriel.  The sun peeked through the growing number of clouds that threatened to obscure it entirely.  But the day was warm, the wind was light, and it would be a perfect day for visiting an estate.

As I walked back and forth before the window, my flowing white skirt caressed my legs with every step, and I was happy with my choice.  I’d opted for flat sandals that had the slightest embellishment at the toe, and I’d put my personal items in a pretty little purse that matched my raspberry blouse.

But as I looked down at my sandals, I noticed a stain on my raspberry shirt.

“Oh, no.  No!”  I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a cloth to wet it, then scrubbed the shirt.  “No.  No,” I let out as the stain refused to disappear.

Coffee.  I was certain it was coffee.  No doubt I’d spilt a drop, or a drop had splattered on me when I’d poured my coffee.  And now it had had time to set.

Darn.

I rushed back to the front window to ensure Gabriel hadn’t arrived, then ran up the stairs to my room where I quickly changed into an apricot shirt with satin trim at the hem and sleeves.

After a quick glance in the mirror, I ran to the stairs and thought I heard the door open downstairs.

“Abbie,” Gabriel called.

I rushed down the stairs and spotted him.  He had, indeed, opened the door slightly and was peering inside.  I took the last steps at breakneck speed, but three steps from the bottom, I missed a step and screamed as I dove headfirst.

Gabriel caught me before I hit the floor.  “Hey.  Hey.  Where are you going like that?  You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I heard you... I...  I didn’t want you to...”  I hung onto him.  “Thank you for catching me.  I do believe you saved me from breaking my neck.”

“Then again, had I not called out your name, perhaps you wouldn’t have raced down the stairs.”

“I see your point.”

He set me on my feet.  “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” I said, straightening my skirt.

“You look very nice, by the way.  That color is nice on you.”

“Thank you.  You don’t look too shabby yourself.”

He smiled.  “I do my best.”

“My luggage is in there,” I said pointing to the sitting room.

“This is a really nice place,” he said.  “I’ve been to the Royal Crescent Hotel before, but I’ve never seen one of these units.”

“Yes, and they’ve fixed it up really nice.  Keely really wanted to maintain the original architectural details and she did her best to marry classics from the era to certain modern elements.  Of course, Hugh, I’m sure, was very helpful with all that as well.  They both have great taste.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty much what I would expect from someone like Hugh Pembroke.  The Pembroke family is known to be quite elegant, in every sense of the word.  And while I know little about Keely Lee, it’s clear that her home is a reflection of her own elegance.  After all, for them to have a spare townhouse here in Bath...”  He stopped suddenly and looked at me.  “Did you know that Bath was once a vacation retreat for well-to-do aristocrats?”

“No.  I didn’t know that, although, I can easily see why.  It’s a lovely town with so much to offer; beautiful shops, plenty of greenery, the River Avon.  And, of course, the Roman baths.”

He nodded.  “Back in Jane Austen’s day, it was all the rage to come to Bath.  The Roman baths drew many who believed in the medicinal properties of the water.”

“You know so much about the town.”

“Well, anyway, that was all to say that Pembroke, like many other aristocrats, enjoys his fashionable summers in Bath.

“I had no idea Keely was married to an aristocrat.  She never talks about him in that way.”

“No elegant lady would,” he said with a grin. 

“Is this all the luggage you have?” he said on seeing my modest suitcase.

“It’s small but it packs a lot.  After all, I’ll only be at Tillsbury Estate for a few days.”

He picked it up and we headed out to his car.

I was surprised to see the modest car he drove.  A dull grey/blue, the small sedan looked like it’d seen better days.  Considering the enormity of Tillsbury Estate, I would have thought he’d drive something more sporty... more luxurious.

He set my suitcase inside the tiny trunk and came to open the door for me.

“Watch your fingers,” he said once I was seated.  He slammed the door shut and came around to the driver’s side.

“Ready to go?”

Before I could answer, he drove off pointing out interesting buildings here and there.  He knew so much and seemed pleased to share that knowledge.

“I’m sure you’ve already walked the Circus.”

“Indeed,” I said with a bit of a blush.  “I’ll admit it wasn’t quite what I expected.”

He chuckled.  “Did you expect clowns and acrobats?”

I giggled, feeling incredibly silly.  “How absurd of me.”

“Circus; Latin for circle, circular,” he said, his tone not at all condescending.

“That makes much more sense.”

“The Circus and Royal Crescent are among the best examples of Georgian architecture.”

“To be frank, I know absolutely nothing about architecture... just what’s pretty and what isn’t.”

“Few people know this, but it is said that the Georgian architectural design of the Circus is meant to represent the sun,” he said as we drove the circular street.  “All of these homes built in a circle... three segments... it’s truly genius.  And Royal Crescent, where you live, well that is to represent the moon... a crescent moon.”

“It certainly is a peculiar structure.  So original.”

“One of a kind.”

“I do know about the Ha-ha out on the front lawn of the Crescent,” I offered, wanting to show him that I had learned a few things since arriving in Bath.  “It’s the ditch that separates our lawn from the public park, which leads to Royal Victoria Park.”

I turned to him, eager to share more.  “Did you know that the park was opened in 1830 by the eleven-year-old Princess Victoria seven years before she ascended to the throne.  Imagine that.  Eleven years old and you’re opening a park.  And a pretty big one at that.  I think it’s nearly sixty acres in size.”

He chuckled, clearly amused.  “Ah,” he said with a pleased laugh.  “A girl who’s done her homework.”

“And the park includes a children’s area and a Botanical Garden and more.”  I tapped my hands onto my lap.  “Anyway, all that to say that I learned of the Ha-ha one day from a neighbor.”

“How so?”

“Well, it all happened one day when a resident of Royal Crescent, Mr. Page, scolded a tourist who’d come up to the lawn with his three huge dogs.  They’d unfortunately relieved themselves on the pristine lawn, and Mr. Page was not happy.  Not happy at all.  He quickly told the dog owner to hop over the ditch and return to the public park.”

“Sounds like a wonderful fellow.”

“Oh, Mr. Page means no harm.  He lives alone since his wife died and he sometimes takes his loneliness out on tourists.”

“What else have you learned about the city?”

“While scouting for locations, I was forced to get to know the town the day that I walked from here all the way to Prior Park.”

“Prior Park?”  He looked at me in astonishment as he waved.  “That’s clear the way over there.”

“Yes, it is.  And while I happened upon the Palladian Bridge, I had wanted to find the green half penny bridge but never found it.  Oh, what a day that was.  I have to admit that I hadn’t really anticipated such a walk but... Bath really is a town that is best appreciated on foot.”

“I completely agree,” he said.  “I imagine that your wanderings brought you to Kennet Canal, or perhaps Sidney Gardens, where, of course, I’m sure you know that Jane once lived at Sidney Place.”

I frowned.  “No.  I didn’t know that.  How could I have missed that?  I must go one day.”

He smiled.

We drove on through the town and he spoke about the owner of this house or that.  He even told me the history of certain buildings, what it had been back in the day and how it’d come to be as it was today.

“Great Pulteney Street is one of the largest in Bath,” he said as we turned onto the wide street lined with three story townhouses.  “Thomas Baldwin was to extend the city East and Southward... a whole new town was planned.”

“What happened?

“The French Revolution.  Banks collapsed.  All that good stuff.  It put a stop to many a plan.”

“Well, I think it’s just as well.  Part of Bath’s charm is it’s size.”  I looked at him.  “How did you come to know so much about the history of this place?  Were you once a guide, or something.”

He laughed.  “Perhaps I should have been.  At least then, all of this trivial knowledge would be worth something.”

“If trivia is knowing the history of a place, then I believe it’s knowledge well worth sharing.”

“One day we must stroll the city together, the parks, the waterfront... perhaps a boat ride to Bradford on Avon.  A drive out to Bathampton.”

“Sounds like a wonderful day.”

The car choked a bit as we arrived at an intersection.

“It’s seen better days,” he said as he hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.  “I’m looking into buying something more reliable.  But I do love the classics”

I smiled and again wondered how one could have Tillsbury Estate and not have the car to go with it.

“I don’t really spend much time at the Estate anymore,” he said as if reading my mind.  “Maybe a few weekends every now and then, nothing more.”  He chuckled.  “I like to check up on my father and sister every once in a while.  Wouldn’t want them getting into any mischief.  Oh, and then there’s my brother.  When he's around I do tend to check on them a little more.”

“Do you not trust him?”

He shrugged.  “Trust him.  Hmm, I never thought of it like that.  Frank is trustworthy when it comes to his career, his money, his world.  But maybe not so much when it comes to personal relationships and other people’s feelings.”

“How far from Bath do you live?” I said.

“Not far at all.  I typically go to Tillsbury Estate on foot.  It’s a lovely walk through a gorgeous forest and it takes just under an hour, although I usually dawdle and linger around the lake.

“How nice that you’re so close.”

“Yes.  I was rather fortunate to have the church provide that house for me.”

“The church?”

“Yes,” he said with an uncertain smile.  “I did tell you that I was pastor in the neighboring town, didn’t I?”

“I don’t believe you did.”

“My apologies.  It’s usually the first thing that I say about myself.  You must have really caught me off guard for me to omit that bit of information.”

“But... you don’t look like a pastor.  You’re... you’re so young and handsome and...”  I looked at him and tried to imagine him at the pulpit of a church. Tall, muscular...masculine, he was every book boyfriend come alive.  The two images just didn’t mesh. “When I pictured a pastor, I think of old man Pastor Kent at my family church. He’s as old as my grandfather.”

Gabriel laughed. “Not all pastors are old. We are human, too. And most of us start out young and unmarried.” His eyes twinkled at me in amusement. “Besides, I’m not that young,” he said.  “I’m edging towards thirty rather quickly.  Just another four years.”  He shot me a cockeyed grin.  “And as for handsome... do you really think so?”

“Well...”  I smiled and blushed and looked away before looking his way again.  “I mean... yes.  You’re a goodlooking man.  I’m sure I’m not the first girl to say so.”

“Well...”  He actually appeared to blush as he laughed.  “I’ll admit that today is one of my more well-groomed days.  My hair is typically a mess and I’m rarely close-shaven.  But thank you.”

“I didn’t know a pastor was allowed to look like that?”

He laughed a little more.  “You mean like a normal guy?  Yes.  The church does allow us to look normal.”

“I didn’t mean...”

“I’m teasing.  I understand what you mean.  You expect the prim hair and collar.”

“Well...”  I shrugged.

“Today, it’s quite common to see young pastors wearing jeans, a casual shirt and a light jacket, much like I have now.  The church, in general, has become more democratized, although if you wish to dress in your Sunday finest, that’s okay, too.”

He glanced at the necklace around my neck; a simple chain with a silver cross, a gift given to me by my father. “You can wear anything you like, so long as you feel comfortable.”

“You must be something up there at the pulpit.  I’d like the chance to see you someday.”

“I’m there every Sunday for mass at ten and at four.  I think you would fit in perfectly.”

I suddenly thought of the steamy novel I’d just finished reading.  “You know, I’m not... you know...”

He chuckled.  “No.  I don’t know.  You’re not...?  Religious?  Catholic?  Anglican?”

“No, I just... I’m not as innocent as you might think.”

“Oh?”  He smiled broadly, a warm and sincere smile that reached his eyes and made me want to melt into his arms.

Remembering the hot dream I’d had of him, I suddenly felt his arms around me.  I felt the rush of his breath against my cheek.  A desperate need to get close to him filled me.

“The truth is,” I said, wiping the image from my mind. “I’m addicted to some very romantic and racy novels... steamy, actually.  I simply devour them. The more salacious, the better. They’re all so very... so very engaging.”

“I see.  Well, I suppose that’s the type of story many healthy young women are reading these days.  I assume it’s a way for young women to learn about what it is to be in a loving relationship like the one between her husband and herself.”

“I imagine, yes,” I said, suddenly uncomfortable.  I felt like he could see all my dreams, all the moments I fell into his arms, all the times I longed to feel his lips over mine.

“Song of Songs,” he said. “Some may think that is racy but it’s all about how a man cherishes his wife and how she cherishes her husband. God does intend for such a relationship.” He paused. “So, does that mean that you’re presently in a relationship such as the ones you read about?”

I blushed, shaking my head. “Oh, no.  Not at all.  I... I’m... I’m very much... you know... single.”

“Oh.  Now that is a surprise.”

“Really?  Why?”

“I happen to have noticed a very dashing young man who constantly looks your way whenever you enter a room, namely at the two balls you attended.  The man couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.”

“Oh,” I said rather dismissively.  “That must be John... John Pruitt.  He may be interested in me, but the feeling is not mutual... not at all.  While he seems to think highly of himself, he really isn’t my type.”

“He’s not,” Gabriel said, clearly surprised.  “You must be the only woman in all of Bath who doesn’t find him appealing.”

“He’s boorish and unrefined in the worst way.”

“So, tell me, young Abbie, what is your type of man?”

“Oh, I’d say a man who is strong but kind, self-assured, but not arrogant, humorous with the capacity to be downright silly at times.  Humble and caring.”

Staring out at the road in front of him, he remained silent.  He’d suddenly grown quite solemn.

“What about you?” I ventured quietly.  “What’s your type?”

A slow smile came to his lips.  “A girl who is sweet and kind.  A girl who knows how to have fun, who doesn’t take herself too seriously.  That said, however, the girl who appeals to me and the one who I’ll ultimately marry are two separate things.”

“Why?  Why would you not marry the woman who is everything you want her to be?

His smile faded and he concentrated on the road ahead.

“Gabriel?”

“Having the Tillsbury name can be a bit of a burden at times.”

“That is to say...?”

“There are certain... expectations put on my siblings and me.  Social standing is very important to my father.  The possibility of marrying a girl with no social ties of importance would be completely unacceptable.”

“But that’s horrible.  How can your father dictate who you marry?”

He pulled the car up in front of the imposing structure that was Tillsbury Estate.  With a frustrated huff, he killed the motor and looked at me.

“That’s just the way things are.”

TEN

I had preconceptions.  My imagination had run overtime with wild visions of a home that was ostentatious, a little creepy, intriguing and filled with mystery at every turn.

In my vision, Tillsbury Estate was grand, even larger than life.  The moment I saw it, it would leave me in awe of its beauty and captivating architecture, and I could envision working there for weeks to come.

But as Gabriel and I arrived at the gates to the estate, I knew it would be far grander than I could have ever imagined.

The gate itself, black wrought iron with an intricate design of roses, vines and a large ‘T’, was enough to impress anyone.  However, I was surprised to note a few spots of rust that ran up the posts that held the gate in place.  The hinges were also rusted.

“What an imposing welcome,” I said as I forced my gaze away from the rust and followed the stone wall that disappeared on either side of the gate into a tangle of bushes and low hanging branches.

Hmm.  Couldn’t the tangle of bushes or low branch offer someone the means to climb over the wall?  It seemed like a curious thing to neglect.

“Yes,” Gabriel said with a smile.  “My father likes it that way.  Of course, it could use a coat of paint.  The General has been meaning to hire someone for some time now.”

To my surprise he got out of the car and went to a box on a post by the gate.  He pulled a key out of his pocket, unlocked and opened the small metal door and reached inside to pull down a lever.  The gate, while creaking loudly, slowly opened.  Gabriel returned to the car.

“There was a time when we had an intercom linked to the main house and the gate would be opened from inside, but it broke a while back and we haven’t had the chance to fix it yet.  This is the best that we can do for now.”

I nodded my understanding.

He gently pressed on the accelerator and slowly entered the highly private property.  Once beyond the gate, he stopped the car and again got out.  He returned to another box on the inside post and pulled a lever.  The gate creaked even more loudly and ultimately closed with a loud clang.

He returned to the car with a smile.  “Now you can say that you are officially at Tillsbury Estate.  Everything you see from here on in, as far as you can see, belongs to the Tillsbury Estate.”

The car rumbled a bit as it rolled over the paving stones that had seen better days.  Many were chipped, cracked or missing altogether.

“As you can see, maintaining a mile long drive to the main house has proven rather difficult these days.  For one thing, it’s virtually impossible to find appropriate paving stones, but finding the manpower to repave the drive is unthinkable.”

“It’s still beautiful,” I said, seeing the bright side.  “I mean, all these trees on either side; so tall and majestic.  It’s enough to make you forget all about the condition of the road.”

He nodded.  “Thankfully the forest floor is covered in pine needles minimizing undergrowth.  It’s one less thing to have to worry about.  The men who maintain the property are busy enough as it is.”

“I can imagine.”

As he drove on, the forest thinned out until we were once again under the high sun that was so bright and welcomed.  The green grass that now surrounded us seemed to go on forever.  A few well-trimmed decorative trees dotted the flat grounds as did several well-worn water fountains.

“Such a perfect place for a picnic,” I whispered.

“Do you have any outdoor scenes to shoot for your movie?”

I nodded.  “Oh. Yes.  Quite a few, actually.  The grounds here are so immense that we could use different portions of it to serve as a vast variety of locations.  Much of the story revolves around Northanger Abbey, but there are a number of other locations as well.”

As we drove on, we came to a large but unimpressive house... or at least it was a structure of sorts.

I frowned.  Was this it?  For all the majesty of the gate, the forest, the cobblestone road... all that to led to a pleasant, yet quite unimposing building?

The two-story structure with thatched roof was cute and quaint and quite acceptable in so many ways... but not a grand abbey.

A pebbled drive led to behind the building where a smaller structure stood; perhaps a garden shed... or guest house?

But this wouldn’t do.  It wouldn’t do at all.  Northanger Abbey was huge.  It might, however, be adequate to serve as the Thorpe’s home.

Gabriel let out a light laugh as he looked at me and saw my dismayed expression.  “This was once the groundkeeper’s quarters.  Mr. Cooper was also the first person to greet any visitors.  The General was very fond of him for Mr. Cooper was a loyal servant to my father; a trait my father appreciates.”

“Oh. It is a very pretty house.”  I looked at the windows on the second floor.  Two of them were cracked and the vines that grew along the side wall had crept up to try to invade the house.

“Mr. Cooper and his family lived here for over twenty years.  His two children, once old enough, helped him with whatever tasks they could.  It was a wonderful decade as I’d befriended his son, Nathan.  In the fall we would work together gathering dead leaves.  Of course, my father didn’t approve of my working with ‘the help’.”

“You said ‘lived here’.  Do they not live here anymore?”

He shook his head.  “We had to let him go two years ago.  Truth be told, I think the house had grown too small for him and his family, and he’d grown weary of the large task.”

“I see.  It’s a shame.  The house looks a bit abandoned and neglected.”

“It doesn’t just look a bit abandoned and neglected.  It is abandoned and neglected.  It’s been this way since the Cooper family left.”

“Pity, but I do believe it could serve a purpose in this movie.”

We drove on, and finally the immensity of the main house came into view.  It was unmistakable.  I’d seen hotels that were smaller.  Schools that were smaller.  Hospitals that were smaller.  Surely the building had several thousand square feet of floor space.

Incredible.

So incredible, I gasped.  I couldn’t hold it in.  I’d wanted it to be stoic and mature and worldly.  I hated the thought of being the innocent and naïve girl from nowhere who’d never seen anything impressive before.  But my awe could not be contained.

The dark grey, almost black building was larger than I could have ever imagined.  Three stories high with a sharply slanted roof that promised a roomy attic, I felt so suddenly small and tiny as Gabriel brought the car along the large loop that led to the front door.

“This is it,” he said as he stopped the car and turned off the motor. “Home, sweet home.”

“I’m speechless.”

“Ready for the grand tour?” he said as he opened the car door.

It’s going to take me weeks to visit this entire place, I thought.  How many rooms could this building have?  Dozens.  Surely dozens upon dozens.

I stepped out of the car and looked up at the imposing building.  The dozens of windows on the first and second level were comprised of clusters of three tall, narrow rectangular windows. 

However, on the third floor, the clusters of three were comprised of pointed arch windows, each framed with a border of red stained glass.  Between each cluster of three, a flying buttress added definition.

I looked all around me while Gabriel pulled my suitcase from the trunk of the car.

“There’s something so... intimidating,” I said.

“Or perhaps a little spooky,” Gabriel said with a teasing chuckle.  “Would be perfect for a horror movie, wouldn’t it?”

“I can’t imagine how frightening it must be at night”

“For years there have been rumors about ghosts and the like.”

“Have you ever seen any?” I said, fascinated.

“Never.”  He gestured toward the porch.

The main entrance was so majestic.  Huge and heavy-looking double doors were at the top of a dozen or so steps.  On either side of the door there were dark red flowerpots, each holding a tall, thin evergreen.  Two lampposts offered a golden glow against the dark stone, even in the light of day.  The steps fanned out from the porch, each step wider and wider until they reached the drive and there, curled slightly back on themselves.

The huge double doors suddenly burst open, and Lizzy ran out, squealing all the way as she came down the steps.

“Abbie!  Oh, I’m so happy.  You guys finally made it.”  She gave me a hug.

“Don’t mind me,” Gabriel said with a sarcastic grin.

“Oh,” Lizzy said, giving her brother a hug and a wet kiss on the cheek.  “You know I’m always happy to see you.  I thought you would get here sooner.”

“That’s my fault,” I offered.  “I wasn’t quite ready when Gabriel arrived to pick me up.  You know how packing can be sometimes.”

“Do I ever.  I’ve travelled the world plenty of times and have never once packed my luggage adequately on the first try.  I must always pull everything out and pack anew.”

“I need to go talk to Dad,” Gabriel said, carrying my suitcase up the steps.  “Do you have time to show Abbie around?”

“Time?  I have all day to show you around, Abbie.”

“Great,” Gabriel said.  He looked at me.  “I’ll leave your suitcase to your room and catch up with you later.”

“Perfect.”

The moment he disappeared inside, Lizzy turned to me and grabbed both of my hands.  “I’m so happy you’re here.  I have to tell you sometimes, I really miss having another woman around.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love my dad and my brothers, but... well.  You know.  Talking to another woman is so different.”

“I know what you mean. I have an older brother too.”

“Oh, so you do know,” she said. “Maybe we can be like sisters to each other then? Growing up, I always wanted one.”

“Me too,” I said. “I always wanted a sister, too.”

She smiled warmly, hooked her arm in mine and took the path that led around the huge building.  “I know you must be dying to see the interior, but I thought I’d show you the gardens while the sun is still so high and bright.  The greens of the lawn, the trees and the blooms are at their most beautiful this time of day.”

“Fine by me.”  I pulled out my phone.  “Do you mind if I take pictures and notes along the way?”

“Of course not.  After all, that’s what you’re here for, right?”

Arm in arm, we walked along the path as Lizzy pointed out various flower bushes and decorative trees.  A small wrought iron table with two chairs was set in a cozy but shaded corner surrounded by blooms.  Out by a fountain, a larger more massive table with three benches invited visitors to sit in the sun while enjoying their meal or drink.

“That water fountain over there,” I said.  “Is it functional?”

She shook her head.  “I’m sorry to say that, no, it no longer works.  Sad really.  I used to love to watch the water gush out the top and trickle back down to the water basin.  It hasn’t worked for years.”

“It’s so pretty.  I wonder if our crew could make it work.  They could perhaps finagle something with a motor right there beside the fountain, but out of view of the cameras.  I think it could be the perfect backdrop for several scenes.”

“Well, they are certainly welcomed to try.”

“And that covered bridge over there,” I said, pointing to the heavy looking structure.

“A Palladian bridge.  It’s somewhat smaller, but was inspired, I believe, by the bridge at Prior Park.”

“Does water run under it or is it just decorative.”

“There’s a stream.  It’s quite lovely.”

“Yes.  I think we’ll be able to use that... use it a lot.”

We arrived at the garden.  Tall rose bushes bordered the path.  Yellow, white, pink, red and even blue roses bloomed, but the bushes seemed overgrown and neglected.

The wild rose bushes gave way to a highly structured garden.  Two-foot-high hedges created a mosaic pattern with narrow paths passing here and there.  But while the hedge seemed well trimmed and kept, everything else was left to grow as it would... or, as was the case with a bed of tiny, mini dahlias... die.

I took photos, although I couldn’t really imagine any scenes being shot there.  Perhaps we could shoot a few evening shots where the dim light would obscure the dying status of some of the plants.

“Oh,” Lizzy said as she waved two men over.  “I’d like you to meet Trent and Kirby, our groundskeepers.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said as I shook their hands.

“A pleasure meeting you, Miss.”

“Abbie will be working on a movie here at Tillsbury Estate.”

“That’s an impressive undertaking,” Kirby said.

Lizzy looked at me.  “If ever you have questions about the property, a tree you’d like to have trimmed, bushes cleared away or a new flower bed added to a specific spot, you can talk to them and see what can be done.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“It would be our pleasure doing whatever we can,” Trent said.

Kirby nodded his agreement.

“Thank you both,” Lizzy said, the simple nod of her head dismissing them.

We walked on.

“I saw the small suitcase you brought,” she said as we emerged from the rose alley and stepped onto a stone patio at the back of the house.

“Yes.  I thought it would be best to pack light.”

“I think I should warn you.  My father is rather strict when it comes to dressing for dinner.”

“Oh?”  I did a quick mental inventory of what I’d brought and had to hope it would be adequate.

“The General is a little old fashioned that way.  Decorum is a priority.  Always has been.  To him, dinner is a formal affair, regardless of who is at the table.  Believe it or not, even when he is entirely alone for the meal, he is appropriately attired.  Luncheon and breakfast, he doesn’t really care.  More often than not, he’ll have breakfast in his private quarters, and lunch may be on the go.  Everyone typically does their own thing, but dinner.  Dinner is a big deal.”

“Well noted.  I may not have packed a lot, but I think I have something that will be quite appropriate for dinner.”

“Good.”  She leaned playfully into me.  “If ever you’re in a bind and you need something... a decorative scarf, an elegant necklace, or earrings... let me know.”

“Thank you.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Come on,” she said as we reached the back door.

In contrast with the old and weathered stone walls, the back entrance was comprised of a long series of extra wide windows and sliding glass doors.

“I’ll show you some of the more impressive parts of the estate, then we’ll go get ready for dinner.”

She slid back the glass door which brought us directly to a large and open living space that took full advantage of the view from the wall of windows.

“This room is the most modern of all of them,” Lizzy said.  “We have a modern television, sound system, internet connection, and comfortable recliners for easy living.”

Modern, indeed.  This would not do.  It would not do at all.

“Don’t worry,” Lizzy quickly added.  “The rest of the house is very traditional... like walking into the 17th century.”

I looked up at the ceiling. At least fifteen feet up, It was so intricately ornate.  The wood trim created an X pattern that was painted glossy black.  All were trimmed in gold with insets between the Xs of what looked like crystals.

Modern, yes, but still with a respectful nod to previous eras.

We left the room and took to the corridor, and I had to gasp again.  The ceiling rose to over twenty feet.  Pointed arches on either side rose to just below the ceiling with the groin vault seated atop clusters of colonettes.

Our footsteps echoed loudly as we walked.

“It must be impossible to sneak up on someone here,” I remarked.

“As children, we always ran around barefoot, except when the cold settled in.  It was the only way to run around without annoying the General.”

“Don’t you feel so small in here?” I said, surprised I’d said it aloud.  “I mean, in all the immensity.”

She shrugged and looked around as if really seeing it for the first time.  “I grew up here.  I guess I got used to the massive size.  After all, I knew nothing else.”  She stopped to look up at the ceiling.  “I think my father, and his father before him and his grandfather before that... being tall and imposing men... I don’t know.  Perhaps they needed such expansive space to avoid feeling suffocated and confined.”

I laughed.  “That’s certainly one way of justifying it.”

“Speaking of my grandfather and great-grandfather.”  She turned to face two immense oil portraits on the wall.  “They are both responsible for most of what you see here at the estate.  Bernard, my great-grandfather, spent most of his time ensuring the structural integrity of the building while Wilbur, my father’s father, made sure everything looked good; new paint, new stain, new rugs and tapestries and furniture.  Of course, all antique or very well-made replicas.”

Looking up, she pointed to the decorative band beneath the pointed arches.  “If you look up there, you see the trefoil... they resemble a three-leaf clover, then, below that, the quatrefoil... or four leaf clover... and that is followed by another motif that is like a pointed arch divided by a tiny colonette. A lot of those details were destroyed during a fire back in the late 1800s.  Don’t ask me how you can have a fire in a building that is essentially stone, but that’s what they say.”

“Gabriel mentioned ghosts.”

She laughed.  “No matter where you go in this big old house, you’re almost certain to hear strange sounds.  A bang or a boom or a screech or cry.  Of course, on closer inspection we’d find that a branch had tapped against a window, a door hinge needed oil, or a fox had caught a bird that’d cried out.

“So you never saw anything?”

“There were plenty of times when I saw something I couldn’t fully explain, but I don’t want to fill your head with outrageous notions.”   

We then arrived at the drawing room which could be used for a number of scenes, as would the sitting room and front foyer.  The kitchen, while impressive, would not feature in the movie at all.

With a grand gesture, she brought me to another room.  “And, la pièce de résistance, the ballroom.”

I let out a dreamy sigh and literally waltzed into the room.  “Oh, Lizzy.  This is so beautiful.”  One, two, three.  One, two, three.  One, two, three.  I danced across the floor, my arms out to hold an invisible dancing partner.  The room was so big with ample room for musicians and more than enough room for fifty, seventy, perhaps even a hundred guests. 

“Were we to shoot a scene with thirty or forty guests,” I said as I came back to her.  “We would have more than enough room for the crew to work around the dancers.  This is great.  Keely is sure to love it.”

The high ceiling, the chandeliers, the tall windows... all so perfect.  Even the hardwood floor, embellished with dark wood inlay, seemed in good shape.

“As you can imagine, it’s a room we rarely use these days.” Lizzy said.  “I was a young, adolescent girl the last time anyone danced across that floor.”  Her eyes misted over as she looked about the room and the corners of her lips pulled down slightly.  “As a young girl, there were many nights that I hid on the stairs, listening to the music and the laughter and the gaiety.  The room would fill with cheer that easily echoed up to the second and third levels.”

“It must have been a wonderful time.”

She nodded.  “I once peered down from the top step as the guests arrived.  Beautiful gowns in every color.  Elegant updos with fanciful barrettes.  And the men... oh, how handsome they all were.”  She turned to look at me.  “I think it’s wonderful that you’re going to shoot a Jane Austen movie here.  Having your cast and crew here... dancing in this room, with lively music... it is sure to bring this place back to life.”

As we headed up the stairs, I wondered what had made her choose those curious words.  Bring the place back to life?  Her tone and her words and her sadness related to the past all seemed to point to one thing; she was not happy here.

Tempted to question her about her life at Tillsbury Estate, I simply followed her as she showed me a series of rooms. 

“Yes,” I said of a small sitting room.  Heavy velvet wallpaper of royal blue trimmed with gold covered the walls.  “This would be perfect for the scenes where Catherine goes to see Miss Thorpe... or perhaps Mrs. Allen.”

She nodded and smiled, but I could see that she didn’t really know what I was referring to.  Had she never read Jane Austen?  It seemed impossible that any woman living in Bath wouldn’t have.

“And finally,” she said on reaching an open door.  “This is where you’ll be sleeping while here.”

I peered into the dark room.  The furniture was deep dark brown, almost black.  Despite the fully drawn blood red curtains that let the sunshine in, the dark furniture and deep velvets of the curtains and bed covering seemed to suck all the light out of the room.

There was something gothic, mysterious and almost eerie about the room.  But there was also something so intriguing and beautiful.

“I know that most modern esthetics give us brightly lit rooms with tons of sunshine the reflect off of white walls and pastel furnishings, but this is the way my father likes it... just as it would have been hundreds of years ago.”

“I love it,” I said on entering the room.  “Of course, it’s not what I’m accustomed to, but I do love it.”

I walked around the room and ran my hand over the antique furniture.  Atop the dresser was a delicately crocheted doily on which sat a gilded hairbrush and matching hand mirror.  The armoire wobbled slightly as I opened its doors, but it was otherwise sturdy.  One side had a series of shelves while the other side had a pole with a dozen padded hangers.  A sachet of potpourri sat on the second shelf, leaving the interior with the faint scent of lavender.

“It’s so romantic,” I whispered as I continued to look about the room.  It was so typical of the steamy novels I enjoyed reading so much.  I’d started a new one, Rhapsody in Love.  Just thinking of the hero, Orlando, left me tingling all over.  While he showed himself to be harsh and, at times, cold, it was plain to see that he was a tortured man.  In that manner, he was so much like Gabriel.  There were many peculiarities in their ways, their patterns of speech, their intellect... both men shared so much.

I glanced at the bed.  Yes, I could have shared a room just like this with Orlando... with Gabriel.  I was suddenly eager to return to the pages of that steamy novel.

“I’ll leave you to freshen up,” Lizzy said, breaking into my daydream.

“Huh?” I said, turning to her.  “Oh.  Yes.  Yes, of course.”

“Please, be downstairs in the front foyer in half an hour.  I’ve not yet shown you the formal dining room, so I’ll wait there to escort you.”

“Thank you.  I’ll be ready.”

The moment she stepped out and closed the door behind her, I grabbed the suitcase Gabriel had brought up for me and laid it on the bed to open it.

Formal dinner.  How formal?  A gown?  A cocktail dress?  Pearls?  Silks and satins?

No.  After all, this wasn’t a ball.  It was dinner.  Just dinner.

Dress nice.  Classy.  Elegant.

Okay.  A pair of simple black slacks that fit well.  I could start with that.

I pulled every item out of my suitcase and placed them in the armoire.  I had a white, long-sleeved blouse with lace collar, a pale blue shirt with capped sleeves and cinched waist, and a chartreuse sleeveless blouse with pale yellow flowers embroidered along the collar.  While they all seemed appropriate, I stopped when I came to the mustard yellow shirt with puffed sleeves and scalloped collar and hem.  Yes.  This was the perfect one for this first dinner with the distinguished General Tillsbury.

I laid everything out on the bed, rushed into the adjacent bathroom for a quick shower, brushed my hair back and dressed for dinner.

With five minutes to spare, I stepped out of my room to go meet Lizzy at the bottom of the stairs.

“Do I look all right?” I said as I came to her.

Dressed in an elegant but simple beige shift dress and a string of pearls, she had me doubting my choice.

“You look wonderful,” she assured me.  “Father will love you.”

We headed to the dining room.  Formal; it was an understatement.  Like much of the home, it was dark and mysterious.  From the high ceiling, painted blue and trimmed with dark wood, hung three large chandeliers that offered just enough light to see the table and its occupants.

The General, wearing his military uniform, was in a deep discussion with his sons, his head low as he spoke.  Gabriel sat a seat away from him to his right with Frank, also a seat away, to his left.

The family resemblance of the three men was unmistakable.  The same strong chin, the same arched brow and the same deep, piercing gaze.  However, the General and eldest son lacked Gabriel’s perpetual upturn of his lips.

Lizzy loudly cleared her throat, and the three men immediately ceased their discussion and stood as we entered.

“Elizabeth and Abbie,” the General called from his place at the head of the table.  “How beautiful you both look.  Come,” he directed.  “Come sit on either side of me so that I may put an end to these tedious business discussions with my sons.”

What an imposing and impressive man he was.  So commanding and authoritative.  How must it have been, as a child, to grow up with such a father?  Had he always been so... hard?

How was it like to have a father you address by title, “The General” all the time instead of “Father”, “Dad”, or “Pops”? The air of formality was thick around the dining table. I swallowed the lump of uncertainty in my throat and walked around the table, smiling at Gabriel as I passed by him. 

“You look wonderful,” he whispered as he pulled my chair out for me.

I glanced down at the sportscoat he’d pulled over a dark blue button-down shirt.  I was surprised to find that he’d paired that with dark blue jeans.

And he’d done something different with his hair. He’d swept it back in a way that was very becoming.  He looked so handsome, I suddenly wished we were alone.

He smiled and gestured that I take my seat.

I sat down as did Lizzy.  Only then did the men sit back down.

“Have you had the grand tour yet, Abbie?” General Tillsbury said, his booming voice echoing in the room.

“Half the grand tour, actually,” I said.  “Your home is so immense.  And what to say of the grounds.  I dare say I might not have enough time to see it all before I go back to the Royal Crescent.”

He smiled, although there was something tight and reserved in that smile.  “You could always extend your stay if you wish.  Although I can certainly understand your desire to return to Royal Crescent.  Royal Crescent; yes.  Now that is a lovely spot to summer.”

I smiled.  “It is, indeed, very lovely.”

“You know,” he said, “the history of this estate is just as remarkable as that of Royal Crescent.  It was originally built in 1592 by Lord Rupert.  He and his wife, Sarah, had a large family.  Ten children.”

“Ten?” I said with a gasp.  “Oh, my.  How could they have managed?”

“But in 1602, Sarah died while giving birth to the eleventh child, who also passed away.  After that, Lord Rupert, re-married but remained heartbroken and unable to find the strength to tend to his children.”

“I can understand why.  It must be horrible.”

“He moved his family out and the Earl of Canterbury moved in, followed by Lord Avery, the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.  It is then that my great-grandfather bought the prestigious property.”

A servant came around to serve the soup, an aromatic watercress soup.  And I was happy to have a reprieve from the extensive history of the estate.

Following the Tillsbury’s lead, I picked up my spoon and scooped the creamy potage away from me, careful to scrape the bottom of my spoon against the edge of the bowl to ensure no drops would fall and stain my ensemble.

“It’s been in my family for every generation since then,” General Tillsbury continued on as though he’d temporarily been put on ‘pause’ and could now resume.  “Of course, there have been a number of modifications over the years.  The plumbing has been modernized as has all the electrical wiring.  And there have been a number of repairs.  The kitchen was brought up to date, as were most of the bathrooms.”

“Dad does love to keep everything in tiptop shape,” Lizzy said.

“Tell me, Abbie,” the General said.  “How do you like living with Hugh Pembroke.  I hear he’s a brilliant man, though I’ve never had a need for so talented an attorney.”

Surprised by his question, I hesitated for a moment.  “I don’t really see much of him.  I spend more time with Keely.  But he is a very nice man.  So smart.  He’s a very well-known attorney.”

“Yes.  He does have quite the reputation... a good one, of course.”

“I read that he recently won the Brunson vs Matheson trial,” Frank said.  “Many had bet against him.  It was an impossibly complicated case to win.  But he won.  So now he’s set up a law firm in Bath. Many say he’s a genius.”

Not particularly interested in discussing Hugh, I pressed a tight smile.  “Yes.  Genius.  Just as Keely Lee is.  Hugh was brilliant in Keely’s movie, Emma. But, who isn’t? Keely is such a talented award-winning director. Her adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was spectacular. Then Emma just came out with such rave reviews. You know, this is going to be her third Jane Austen movie.”

“Jane Austen, you say?” General Tillsbury said.

“Yes.  I worked on Emma last year and now we’re working on Northanger Abbey.”

The General cleared his throat.  “Rumor has it that Jane Austen spent a night or two here while she lived in Bath.”

I gasped with excitement.  “No!  Truly?”

Seeing his surprised reaction, I quickly contained my emotions.

“I mean, did she really?”

“It’s just a rumor,” Lizzy said.  “We’ve never found any evidence of her staying here overnight.  There’s not even any evidence that she ever came here at all.”

“Well, that’s okay,” I said.  “Just the thought... even the remote possibility, well, it is inspiring.”

Our soup bowls were taken away and the main dish was brought out.  Small roasted potatoes, broccoli rosettes and a lamb chop.

A slightly questionable gravy was set on the table.

“Please forgive the simple meal,” the General said.  “Keeping the estate well-manned has proven difficult lately.  Getting good service is nearly impossible. Especially with the rising costs of basic necessities these days.”

“Thank God we have our own vegetable and herb gardens,” Gabriel said. “At least we have that. Some of the people in my church had to cut staff at their restaurants or shops because of it.”

“That’s so sad,” Lizzy said. “I know. Mrs. Crumpett had to return my paintings that were on displayed for sale at her shop because she had to close her shop after how many years her family’s had it. It’s so sad what’s happening to the economy.”

“At least we’re able to sell some jam made from the strawberries in our gardens and teas made from the herbs here,” Gabriel said.

“Herbs?” I asked.

“Yes,” General Tillsbury said. “We have a garden full of herbs near the kitchen. We use our own herbs for every meal here. My wife planted it.” He looked away, and there was a stark silence that came over the room.

I took a bite of the lamb with a bit of potato and nodded.  “Delicious. I can taste the freshness of the herbs and spices. Very good.”

Truth was the lamb was a little tough and dry, and the potato overcooked.  As for the broccoli, parts were crispy and raw, while other rosettes were soft and watery. However, the herbs were fresh and pungent, as they should.

“It’s very kind of you to say,” Gabriel said.  “Julia, our new chef, has been struggling a bit since she began here.  She’s all alone in the kitchen and desperately needs an assistant.”

“We have one lined up and should be here to assist Julia before your movie starts filming here,” Lizzy said.

“Oh,” I said.  “Don’t worry about that.  We can get a caterer.  After all, we’re going to be a large group.”

“Absolutely not!” the General said with such intensity that I immediately regretted the suggestion.  “We will tend to your needs, no matter what they may be.  If Julia needs three assistants, then that is what she will have.”

We finished our meal, and our desserts were brought out.

“This is where Julia’s talent shines,” Lizzy said.  “She may not have a way with lamb, but her desserts... Oh.”  She made the gesture of a chef’s kiss.  “This is her specialty; Spotted Dick.”

Indeed, the steamed pudding dessert was excellent as was the custard that was served with it.  In relative silence, we ate our tasty dessert.

“Well,” the General said as he stood and set his linen napkin on his empty dessert dish.  “I will leave you young people to discuss whatever you will, and I trust that one of you will show Abbie the highlights of our esteemed estate.  I bid you all good night.”

“Don’t worry, Father.  I’ll be sure to do that,” Lizzy said.

Towering over me, General Tillsbury set his huge hand on my shoulder.  “I’m confident that you will find it quite suitable for your needs,” he said with finality.

The moment he left the room, the invisible tension that had hung over us dissipated.  I let out a relieved breath and could have sworn that Lizzy, Frank and Gabriel did the same.

Silence reigned for all of three seconds before the three Tillsbury children burst out laughing.

“Forgive us,” Gabriel said.

“Yes,” Lizzy added.  “Please, forgive us.  It is simply a habit from our childhood.  Father leaves, and we, once again, breathe freely.”

Frank chuckled deep in his throat.  “I think it’s about time we learn to behave more... maturely.  After all, we do have a guest.”

“Right you are, Frank,” Gabriel said, his tone not the least bit apologetic.

“Frank,” Lizzy said, nudging his elbow.  “Why don’t you come take a look at that fountain that doesn’t work.”

He frowned.  “Why?”

“I’d just like to have you take a look at it,” she said, gesturing toward Gabriel and me.

I hid a shy smile.

Oblivious to Lizzy’s attempt at leaving Gabriel and I alone, Frank looked at her with open annoyance.  “Elizabeth, I am not inclined to go out to the garden, much less look at an old fountain that hasn’t worked for years.  I don’t see what you...”

Lizzy stood and tugged on Frank’s arm.  “Will you just come with me.”

He stood and reluctantly followed her out, muttering expletives all the way.

All alone, Gabriel and I looked at one another.

“You must think we’re a pretty nutty family,” Gabriel said.  “I hope we haven’t made a bad impression.”

“Not at all.  Lizzy is positively precious.  Frank, while perhaps a little standoffish, seems like a nice enough fellow.  And you...”

He smiled.  “What about me?”

“Well, you’re kind and thoughtful and down to earth.  You seem very well grounded for someone who grew up in this.”  I gestured with my hands as I looked around the opulent room.

“Believe me.  After a while you get used to all this and it comes to mean very little.  When you stop to think about it, it’s all just stone and mortar.”

I arched a brow.  “Well, that’s certainly one way of looking at it.”

“Don’t get me wrong.  I’m quite aware that I grew up privileged.  I’m also aware that many barely have a roof over their heads.  What I’m trying to say is that a large and impressive home, in it of itself, is not enough to make for a happy childhood... for a happy life.”

I nodded.  “I see your point.”

“There came a point in my life when I saw a different perspective.  I realized early on what was truly important in life.”

“And what’s that?”

He gently patted my hand and stood.  “Come, I’ll show you where I spent most of my time as a boy.  You’ll see that the opulence of Tillsbury Estate had little to do with it.”

He led me out of the dining room to a small, almost secret exit.

“Back in the day, chamber maids would pass by here.  Sheets, bedding, towels... all that stuff was laundered just down there and this door led out to the many clothes lines that crisscrossed the yard.”

We walked out into the faint light of the evening.  No fresh green lawn.  No decorative trees.  No water fountains.  In disarray, the area seemed to have taken on the vocation of a storage space for items they were not yet ready to do away with.  Empty boxes were left to disintegrate under the rain.  Metal pieces from cars or other such machinery was left to rust.

“Come on,” Gabriel said, taking my hand and leading me down a barely visible path.  “We must hurry before darkness settles in.”

Moments later we arrived at a tiny pond, barely the size of a large swimming pool.  Tall grass grew around the pond except for a narrow band of sand.

“Here, I was in my own little world, away from the formalities my social status demanded.  I would come here to read, or draw, or catch frogs and butterflies.”

I smiled at the image he created.

“The General never came this way,” he went on.  “No.  To him, this portion of the grounds was relegated to ‘the help’ and was not fit for us Tillsburys. Thank God our mother was the opposite. She was kindness and sweetness embodied. She was romantic, loved stories, read lots of books to us when we were growing up. It’s the reason why Lizzy is an artist. A landscape artist, and Frank is in the military. He travels all over the world. And I’m a Pastor, trying to help the people and the community around me.”

“Your mother,” I said. “She seems like a wonderful person.”

“She was,” Gabriel said. “She was the most positive, kind person I knew. She was so sweet, she brought life to this place. The General adored her. After she died, he was never the same.”

Gabriel’s face fell as he held back tears. It seemed his mother’s death had an impact on him and his siblings as well.

A dog or was it a wolf howled in the background, startling me.

“Look,” I said pointing to just about the trees.  “The moon is already rising.”

He leaned ever so slightly into me, and we simply stood there, looking at the moon and breathing in the evening air. The Tillsbury Estate was strangely romantic, but eerie as though there were secrets hidden within the walls.

ELEVEN

I slept soundly that night.  The excitement of the day had worn me out, but I awoke the next morning refreshed and eager to see more of the estate.  So many crooks and crannies remained to be seen, I was sure.

Hurrying downstairs, I found Gabriel and Lizzy in the bright and sunny breakfast room.  Such a sharp contrast from the rest of the house.

The large round table set in a rotunda of windows was covered with a white linen tablecloth.  A jug of orange juice, a pot of coffee and cream and several jars of jam were set in the center of the table.

“Good morning,” Gabriel said.

“I hope you slept well,” Lizzy added.

“I did.”  I sat between them.  “Thank you.”

“I hope you’re hungry,” Gabriel said.  “Agatha makes the most delicious breakfast you can imagine.”

“Agatha?  I thought Julia was the chef.”

“Julia is only here for afternoon tea and dinner.  Agatha is the one who prepares breakfast and luncheon.”

“Her eggs Benedict are to die for,” Lizzy said as she nibbled on her toast and jam.  “I highly recommend you try them.”

“As a matter of fact,” Gabriel said as a servant walked in.  “That’s precisely what I requested this morning.”  He looked up at the servant.  “Thank you, Beatrice.”  He took the plate and set it in front of me.

“Oh, Gabriel.  I don’t want to take your breakfast.”

“Could you please have Agatha prepare another?” he told Beatrice who nodded as she left the room. 

Gabriel looked at me.  “Please.  I insist.  It’ll take Agatha only a few minutes to prepare another plate for me.”

“This is all so elegant,” I said as I picked up the beautiful silverware.

“Juice?” Gabriel said, picking up the pitcher.

“Yes.  Please.”

“Coffee?” Lizzy countered.

“You two are spoiling me,” I said with a laugh.  “At this rate, I’ll never want to leave.  But, yes.  Coffee would be wonderful.”

While Gabriel poured a small glass of orange juice for me, Lizzy prepared my coffee with cream.

“It’s a pleasure,” Lizzy said.  “It’s also to counter my father’s strict decorum.  Hopefully our hospitality will soften his stringent demands.”

“Please, don’t concern yourself with that.  Last night might have been a little... well, surprising, but now that I know what to expect...”

Lizzy let out an ironic chuckle.  “Don’t be so sure.  Father has a way of surprising us... still.”

I tasted the eggs and had to exclaim, “Wow.  This really is good.”

“Better than the lamb last night?” Gabriel said with a playful grin.

I smiled, but didn’t want to say anything against Julia’s cooking.

“Don’t worry,” Lizzy said.  “Julia knows she’s in over her head.  But with the new assistant coming, all should go well.”

Beatrice returned with Gabriel’s dish of eggs Benedict.

He thanked her and turned to me.  “The General does like to eat well.  That’s why he was so disappointed when Francois retired last year.  He was a superb French chef, but closing in on seventy, he was ready to call it quits.”

“How loyal of him to stay so long,” I said.

“Yes,” Lizzy added.  “And unfortunately, he brought his wife with him when he left.  She was an amazing pastry chef.  Her croissants...”  She gazed up to the ceiling and licked her lips.  “Oh, I can still taste that buttery heaven.”

“It took weeks for my father to accept his resignation,” Gabriel said.

“The estate was once a bustle of activity,” Lizzy said.  “We had a staff of over fifty men and women who worked tirelessly to keep every room in the house clean, to maintain the gardens, to repair anything and everything that needed repairs.  But now... now we have Julia and Agatha to prepare our meals, Beatrice, who served dinner last night and breakfast this morning.  Then we have Vincent who drives the General everywhere he wants to go and also tends to his various automobiles.”

“Don’t forget Trent and Kirby who tend to the grounds.”

“Right.  And that’s it.”

“It’s such an enormous home,” I said.  “However do you manage?”

They simply shrugged.

“And to think there was a time when we considered opening the estate to the public... a hotel,” Gabriel said.  “All the rooms are still aptly furnished.  We even converted a few of the rooms into conference rooms for meetings and such.  But that was not to be.  Once that plan was set aside, many of the guest rooms had to be closed.  Of course we’ll open them again for your movie.”

I nodded.  “But don’t worry about tidying up.  We have a crew that can take care of that.”

Lizzy let out a breath, clearly relieved.

“That was truly one of the most delicious breakfasts I’ve ever had,” I said as I finished my last bite.

“Agatha does have a way with her Hollandaise sauce.  She refuses to share her secret, but it is always a delight.”

Lizzy delicately dabbed her napkin to her lips.  “Well, this was truly lovely.  I was hoping to go for an early morning walk.  You could have a closer look at that bridge, we’ll cross the stream and walk through the forest to the river.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said.

“Mind if I join you ladies.”

“Of course not,” Lizzy said.

*****

THE SUN, STILL RATHER low on the horizon, had not yet warmed the air.  Crossing the expanse of the green lawn in the sun was pleasant enough, but once in the shade of the massive trees, a chill ran through me.  Wearing dark jeans and a thin red blouse, I quickly regretted my decision to leave my jacket behind.

“Here,” Gabriel said, shrugging off his cardigan.

“Oh, Gabriel.  I can’t have you do that.  I should have known better than to step out so inappropriately dressed.”

“Please.  Look.  I have a warm, long sleeved shirt underneath.  It’s no bother at all.”

With a nod, I accepted his offering.

Lizzy, a secret smile on her lips as she side-eyed us, chuckled softly.

“What amuses you so, little sister?” Gabriel said.

Her smile broadened.  “You, big brother.  Just your charming and darling self.”

We walked on and reached the Palladian bridge.

“My grandfather had this bridge added... oh, what... sixty years ago,” Gabriel said.  “He very much fancied the Italian architect, Andrea Palladio.  As you can see, it resembles the bridge in Prior Park.”

“Yes,” I said.  “I can see the resemblance.  But it’s such a massive structure simply to cross a tiny stream.  Back home we’d simply lay a log over a stream and keep our balance as we crossed it.”  I let out a laugh.  “As you can imagine, we fell into the water on more than one occasion.”

They both laughed.

“As this bridge is so solid and sturdy, there isn’t much to offer laughs,” Gabriel said.

I thought I detected a touch of disdain in his tone, as if displeased with the elaborate bridge.

I stopped midway and looked down at the stream.  “This is going to be perfect for so many scenes.  It really is quite a lovely spot.”

We walked on, taking a narrow pathway that bordered the stream for a while before entering the forest.

“This, too, is perfect,” I said of the tall trees with little undergrowth.  “There’s plenty of room for the actors to move about and the filming crew won’t have any trouble setting up.”

“If you continue down that path,” Lizzy said as we reached a fork, “it’ll bring you to Gabriel’s house.”

“And how far away is that?” I said.

“Not far at all,” Gabriel said.  “It’s a pleasant walk.  Perhaps one day, if you have the time...”

The suggestion hung there, and I wanted to snatch it up and say, yes, yes.  I would love to see your home.

We walked on, and Lizzy fell behind, taking her time as she admired the scenery.

“Should we not wait for Lizzy?” I said as Gabriel continued on.

When he said nothing, I looked back to see a strange man approaching Lizzy.

“Gabriel,” I said, alarmed.  “Gabriel, look.  There’s a man.  A strange man.”  I turned to go to her, but Gabriel grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“It’s all right,” he said.  “He’s not a stranger at all.  Lizzy knows him quite well.”

“Oh?” I muttered, watching the smile that quickly brightened Lizzy’s face when she saw him approach.

She ran to meet him, throwing her arms around his neck as they collided with one another.

“Come,” Gabriel said.  “We’ll leave them for a bit.”

Perturbed, I followed him.  “Who is he?”  And why is he meeting her here in the forest, I wanted to add.

“Henry.  Henry Covington.”

Utterly unsatisfied by his brief answer, I waited for more.

“Lizzy seems quite taken with him,” I said when Gabriel remained silent.

“I beg you remain discrete on the matter,” he said as he suddenly turned to face me.

“Of course, Gabriel.  That goes without saying.”

He took in a deep breath before speaking, then, “Lizzy met Henry seven years ago and fell madly in love with him.  They nearly got engaged.”

“Seven years ago?  Then why is their relationship still so secret?”

“The pandemic destroyed the Covington family business, diminished their status and ultimately ruined their reputation.  Lizzy was forced to put an end to their romance.”

“Oh, Gabriel.  That’s horrible.  What on earth does the pandemic have to do with love?”

“It’s not the pandemic exactly.  It’s the aftermath.  Like I said, the family lost everything.”

“All right.  I’ll change my argument then.  What does a failing business have to do with love?”

“More than you can imagine,” he muttered as he turned and continued down the path.

“Gabriel,” I called after him.  “I don’t mean to pry, but... please.  Explain your rationale.”

He turned to me.  “It’s not my rationale, Abbie.  You saw how our father is.  Status is everything to him.  He could not... would not allow her to marry such a failure.  The moment the news got out about the family business, he forced her to end it with Henry.”

“Gabriel, that’s so awful.”

He nodded.  “So you understand why they now meet in secret.” 

“Yes.”

“And you understand why it has to remain a secret.”

“Of course.”

“They’re positively mad about one another and can’t bear to be apart.”

“I can see that.”

“I know I can trust you,” he said.  He looked down at the cross I always wore on a thin, gold chain.  His gaze softened and his lips curved into a somewhat sad smile.  Reaching out, he took the cross and gently fingered it.  “You have a good heart.  That’s plain to see.”

He leaned in and my heart instantly raced.  Was he going to kiss me?  Were we going there?

Yes.  I wanted his tender lips over mine.  I tilted my face up, ready to receive him.

But, alas.  That kiss was not to be as a loud giggle came from Lizzy, quickly dousing whatever Gabriel’s intention might have been.

We backed away from one another and glanced back at Lizzy who was leaning playfully into her beloved Henry.

How happy they seemed together.

Gabriel and I continued walking, partially in silence and partially with him pointing out various plants and trees.

“Do you think you’ll be using this portion of the property?” He said as we arrived where the stream flowed into the river.

“Absolutely,” I said.  “This is all so perfect.  I think our biggest problem might end up being which spot to shoot from.  We just have so many beautiful spots from which to choose.”

“General Tillsbury will certainly be pleased to hear that.  I do believe this movie making business will perk him up somewhat.  It’s a wonderful way to show off Tillsbury Estate.”

As we stood looking out onto the river, the backs of our hands brushed against one another.  Tingles ran up my arm and my cheeks were suddenly on fire.  I had to fight to keep my fingers from reaching out to his.

Was he doing the same?  Fighting the attraction?

“We should head back,” he said softly.  “The General may want to lunch with us seeing that we have a guest.”

TWELVE

With Gabriel off to work at his church, Lizzy offered to show me more of the estate.  As we walked through the high-ceilinged corridor, I was tempted to ask her about Henry.

Would they elope?

Did she fear her father’s ire should he find out?

Did Henry have plans to rebuild his family’s business and wealth?

“I’m so sorry I left you and Gabriel alone yesterday,” she said.  “But today I’m all yours.”

That was the extent of any sort of reference to her time with Henry.  It would have been entirely ill-mannered of me to press for more information.  After all, her affair with Henry was none of my business.

“I still have so much to show you,” she said.

She led me to the back staircase.  Narrow and dimly lit, the stairs led down to the basement.

“Ooh,” I let out in an eerie whisper.  “This is wild.”

Lizzy flicked on another light.  While we could see where we were going, the lighting was minimal, leaving many eerie shadows that seemed to creep out of every corner.

“You can bet that I’m never going to come down here by myself,” I whispered.  Did I fear awakening the ghosts that most surely occupied the creepy underbelly of the estate?

Yes!  Indeed.

“Once upon a time, much of this was storage space.  There were several cold rooms for storing food, and I believe there was a time when unused furniture was stored down here. And rumor has it, because of its cooler temperature, bodies may have been stored here for nearby cemeteries before transporting them there.”

“Bodies?” I felt a chill creep up my back and wrapped my arms around myself.

“Yes,” Lizzy said.  “It does tend to remain chilly down here.  Even on the hottest days of summer, it’s cold and damp.”

Our steps echoed as we walked on until we reached another staircase that led back up.

“Enough with the dark and dank basement,” Lizzy said as we reached the main floor.  “Let’s head up to look at all the rooms.”

Good.  Yes.

“How many rooms are there?”

“Hmm.”  She hesitated.  “I’m not really sure.  Twenty?  Perhaps thirty?”

“How many would be available to the cast and crew of the movie?”

“Oh, the twenty or thirty rooms are all yours.  I’m not counting the rooms we live in.”

“Good.  Sounds very good.”

One room after the other, we walked through them.  I took photos, took plenty of notes and knew Keely would love working here.

The rooms were of different sizes, different colors and differently furnished.

“We have so much to work with.  Is it okay if we use the furniture in these rooms?”

“Sure.  Use everything you need.”

We headed up to the third floor.

“There was a time when the servants’ quarters were up in the attic.”

I grimaced at the thought.

“Then there was a time when their quarters were on the third floor,” she went on.  “Over time, occupants preferred the view from the third floor... on the side where the sun rose, of course.  The servants, what little we now have, were moved to the far side.

After looking into a dozen rooms, Lizzy then turned back before showing me the last room at the end of the hall.

“Why don’t you show me that final room?” I said.

“That one is permanently closed.  There’s no need to see that one.”

“What’s so special about it?  Why is it closed?”

She looked solemnly at me.  “My father closed the room years ago.”

I remained silent.

“Ever since my mother’s passing.”

“Oh,” I murmured, suddenly regretting my push for an answer.  “I’m so sorry, Lizzy.  I had no idea.”

“That’s all right.  There was no way you could have known.  It’s not something that we talk much about... my mother’s death, that is.”

“Of course.”

“As you can imagine, this is not a topic with which you should ever engage my father in conversation.”

“Of course,” I said again.

But as she went on, I couldn’t help but think about what Hugh had said about a mysterious death at Tillsbury Estate.  He’d mentioned the possibility of something criminal.  Mrs. Tillsbury’s cause of death remained undetermined.

I looked at the closed door, my imagination running wild.  What was in the room that it needed to be kept so secret and locked up?  Was there proof of a struggle?  Was her dresser drawer filled with letters that spoke of what had ultimately brought her demise?

Biting my lower lip, I regrettably followed Lizzy as she continued to other rooms.

“And that’s it,” she said as we left the last room.

“That is plenty,” I said.  “Thank you so much for taking the time.”

“It was a pleasure.  If you need anything else, let me know.  I’ll see you downstairs for dinner.”

Nodding, I watched her walk away, my mind racing with too many thoughts, too many plans and too many questions.

“First things first,” I said to myself.

I returned to my room and went through my photos and notes, getting rid of what I didn’t need and clarifying my somewhat cryptic notes.

I sent a few of the more impressive photos to Keely, then prepared for dinner.

Switching my black slacks of the previous evening for a simple black A-line skirt, I topped it with my white shirt with the lace collar.  Simple, sure, but classic... yes.

*****

ON THIS EVENING, THE dinner conversation revolved more around business, and I had little to contribute.  General Tillsbury monopolized much of the discussion with the talk of banks, investors, shareholders, losses and gains.

The meal itself was better than the previous night with poached salmon on a bed of lettuce and a light but tasty sauce.

Dessert on this night was an impressive trifle.

“Stunning,” Gabriel said.  “Positively stunning.”

Through the clear glass of the deep dish, the sight of the layers of sponge cake, whipped cream, custard and bright red berries was indeed quite stunning.

We devoured the scrumptious dessert in relative silence.  But as the General finished his last bite, he resumed his business discussion, and Gabriel and Frank quickly joined in.

Tired from my day and bored by the conversation that seemed destined to drone on and on, I was eager to leave the table and return to my room.

Lizzy led the call.  With the men still deep in their discussion of money and finance, she excused herself, offering to leave them to their brandy and cigar.

I followed her example, and we escaped.

“My father’s favorite topic, I’m afraid to say.”

We climbed the stairs and parted ways.

Once in my room, alone with myself, I let out a loud and tired breath.  I was exhausted, but my mind raced from one thought to the other.  And every thought revolved around Mrs. Tillsbury.

I plopped down on the bed and opened my laptop.  Throughout dinner, while the General had droned on about nothing that could interest me, my mind had wandered to the mystery of that closed off room.

Tillsbury of Bath, I typed.

Only a few articles came up.  I clicked on the first one:

What Killed Mrs. Tillsbury?

It’s been just over a week since Oliver Grathe, Bath’s coroner, has looked into the untimely death of Mrs. Margaret Tillsbury.  Said death has, understandably, left General Tillsbury in a deep depression.

Questions remain after Grathe’s inconclusive report.  The death of Mrs. Margaret Tillsbury at Tillsbury Estate has left many wondering how the vibrant and healthy young woman could have died so suddenly and with no detectable cause.

“I saw her three days before she died,” her neighbor, Hannah Jackson, told the Herald.  “She was perfectly fine.  No sign of ill health whatsoever.”

General Tillsbury, distraught by the death of his young wife, is determined to get answers and is quoted as saying, “To my dying day... I will not rest to my dying day.  I must know what killed my wife.”

Hmm, I thought as I stared at the screen.  An inconclusive report.  What did that really mean?  Had the coroner not been able to determine the cause of death?  Or had he been paid to ignore whatever evidence he might have found?

I clicked on the second article.

Trouble at the Tillsbury Estate 

Rumors of an affair have led many to suspect foul play following the sudden death of the estate’s young mistress, Mrs. Margaret Tillsbury.

The effervescent woman could be seen at every charity ball and social affair in Bath, and the loss is felt by everyone.

What is more troubling is the coroner’s inability to confirm a cause of death.

Very mysterious indeed.

Just like the first article.  Nothing substantial. Just gossip. Hopefully the third will tell me more.

Bath is Aghast

What horrors have taken over Bath?  The sudden and suspicious death of Mrs. Margaret Tillsbury has left many scratching their heads.

Beloved by all, admired by many and always a cherished guest at every social event, Margaret Tillsbury was found dead in her bed last Monday morning.

The coroner is tightlipped about the case, and the police even more so.

Who could benefit from her early demise?

Who indeed?

They all seemed to read like a tabloid; trashy, filled with rumors, innuendo and speculation.

I had essentially found nothing.

THIRTEEN

Setting the death of Mrs. Tillsbury aside, I slammed my laptop shut and opened my steamy novel instead.

The hero, Orlando Phipps, was a drop-dead gorgeous man who had much wealth but a nasty temper.  His temper didn’t keep dozens of women from throwing themselves at him.

Melinda, however, was different than all those women.  Soft, quiet, demure and uninterested in Orlando’s money, she ignored him.

And he couldn’t stand it.  Her cool and slightly standoffish manner intrigued him.

I opened the book to the page that I’d last left.  The final chapter.

“I noticed how you left early yesterday,” he said.  “You were the only one to leave.  Everyone stayed to the end of the meeting.”

“I was finished with what I had to do.  The remainder of the meeting didn’t concern me,”

“Still, you could have stayed a little longer.  I would have appreciated your input.”

“I really don’t know what you expect of me, Orlando.  I do my job, and I do it well.  Beyond that, I owe you nothing.  Besides, you have plenty of beautiful women throwing themselves at you.”

“You’re different,” he said as he stepped closer.  “You’re nothing like any of them.”  He cupped her cheek and leaned in.

My breath caught in my throat at the thought of the impending kiss.  Would it be sweet and gentle, or rough and wanton?

She backed away suddenly.

No.  No.  Don’t back away.  I need this kiss.

“The only reason you seek to approach me at all is because I have no interest in you.  Is that what titillates you, Mr. Phipps?”

“This murder case is turning out to be more complicated than any of us had anticipated.  I need your input.  They say the husband has a solid alibi, but I suspect it’s not that solid.”

“I’ll look into it tomorrow.  Or better yet, ask one of them.  They seem determined to impress you.”

“Look.”  He sucked in his cheeks.  “I’m not the monster you think I am.  I’m just tired of the gold-digging women who quite literally have no interest in me as a man.  All they want is what I can provide for them.”

Melinda dropped her gaze to his chest.  Yes.  She had seen how the women behaved around him, and she had heard what they said.  It was all about the money.  The millions, perhaps even billions he’d inherited.

“You,” he went on.  “You treat me like a man.  When you look at me, there are no dollar signs in your eyes.  When you talk to me, it’s not to try to maneuver your way into my life... into my bed.  When I’m with you, I feel...”

Melinda swallowed and knew right then that she wanted him.

“I feel like myself when I’m with you,” he went on.  “I can be myself.  Money or not, that’s all I want.”

He pulled her in to kiss her, his lips devouring hers.

Yes, I thought as I closed the book and let out a satisfied sigh.  With visions of Gabriel’s face coming in close to kiss me, his hands warm as he pulled me closer, I set the book on the nightstand and turned off the lamp.

The moment I laid my head on my pillow, I was with Gabriel.

He looked good.  He smelled good.  He sounded good.  Everything about him drew me to him.

Hand in hand we walked along the stream, humming a nondescript tune until we reached a flat and grassy area.  Without saying a word Gabriel pulled his shirt off.

My, oh my.

Mr. Pastor, I wanted to say.  Why have you been hiding that ever so sexy body?

But he wasn’t done yet.  He pulled off his shoes, his socks and, finally, his trousers.

Strong, muscular legs stuck out from his baby blue boxers that brought out the striking blues of his eyes.

“Let’s go for a swim,” he suggested.

I looked down at myself.  A simple, white and transparent shift dress was all I wore.  No bra.  No underwear.  No shoes.  It was so unlike me.  While I wasn’t a prude, exposing myself wasn’t something I was apt to do.

“Come on,” Gabriel said, his smile as brilliant as the sun.  “It’s a beautiful day for a swim.”

I pulled the shift up over my head and stood there before him in all my nudity.  A warm breeze brushed over my skin, sending shivers of delight throughout my body.

“You’re quite beautiful,” Gabriel said, looking down at my breasts, my belly and down to my legs.  “Very beautiful.”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he picked me up and as I wrapped my legs around his waist, he carried me to the water.  Chilly at first, the warmth of the water soon enveloped me as we went in deeper and deeper.

“This is nice.”  I wrapped my arms around his neck, thrilled by the sensation of his chest against mine.  Never could I have imagined such a moment; so magical.

“I told you it was a perfect day for a swim.”  He swirled me around in the water.  “This has always been my favorite place.”

“I can see why.”

He held me tighter, crushing my breasts against his chest.

“You’re so... so different,” I said looking into his eyes.  “I’ve never seen you so bold and forward.”

“There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to take the bull by the horns, as it were.”

I smiled.  “Am I the bull in this scenario?”

He pulled me closer, tighter.  “You are the princess I’ve long waited for.  I never want to let you go.  I want to hold you in my arms forever.”

And I want to be in your arms forever, I wanted to say, but his lips met mine, and all that mattered was his mouth.

His soft and tentative kiss quickly became rushed and urgent as his lips covered mine with such violent hunger.  His lips were suddenly cold and hard, with a complete lack of emotion.  His hold tightened to the point of pain.

“Gabriel,” I said through his biting lips.

He pulled back, his eyes dark and unrecognizable.  “What is it, my love?  What troubles you so?”

Behind him, something thrashed about in the water.

“Behind you.  Something is moving in the water.  What is it?”

“Don’t mind them,” he said.

“Them?  Who?  Who is in the pond with us?”

“Don’t mind them,” he repeated, his tone robotic.

General Tillsbury, his great chest bare, his whiskers dripping with reddish water, emerged from the water.  In his arms, Margaret struggled against his hold, gasping for air.

Setting his massive hand over her face, he forced her underwater.

She thrashed violently, fighting for her life.

“Gabriel,” I cried as I pushed him away.  “You have to do something.”

“Don’t mind them.”

“It’s your mother.  Oh, Gabriel he’s going to kill her if you don’t do something.”

He shook his head.  “Don’t mind them.”

Margaret managed to surface just long enough to take a breath, but seconds later the General plunged her into the water again.

“Gabriel!”

“Don’t mind them.”

“But you have to stop him.”

“Don’t mind them.”

“No!  Stop!”

“Don’t mind them.”

“No!” I shouted into my room as I sat up in my bed, drenched in sweat.

FOURTEEN

I tried to fall back asleep.  It was still in the middle of the night, and there was no point getting up so early.

But the nightmare troubled me more than I’d thought, and it kept me up for hours.  How could it not? When I tried to close my eyes, I could still see the unfamiliar expression on Gabriel’s face.  Even an hour later, I was chilled by the way Gabriel’s demeanor had so suddenly shifted.  Added to that was my horror at the actions of General Tillsbury. 

There was no point trying to sleep.  I sat up and, over and over again, reviewed the dream that had begun with such promise.  The grassy opening by the river resembled that of the pond where Gabriel had brought me.

Yes, dreams often had a note of reality, of something seen or heard or felt during the day.

So then what did that dream – that dream that had turned into a nightmare – what did it say about the General?

Only when the still distant sun began to light the sky ever so faintly, did I finally lie back down and fall back asleep.

But with a start, only an hour or so later, I sat up with a start.  I had to do something.  I had to know more about Mrs. Tillsbury.  I had to find out what had happened. Really happened.

And this meant that I had to find a way to get into her room.

I quickly showered, then pulled my hair back into a loose bun.  I slipped into a mini houndstooth skirt, topped it with a black, short-sleeved knitted sweater and headed out.

I went down to the breakfast room and joined Lizzy.  The moment I walked in, she quickly seized a small item that’d laid on the table and slipped it under the flowerpot on the small pedestal nearby.

A key?  I could have sworn it was a key that she had suddenly seized.  The key to what?

“Good morning, Lizzy,” I said as I sat across from her.  “Is everything all right?”

“Oh, yes,” she said with a complete lack of conviction.  “A bit of troubled sleep, but nothing that a good cup of coffee won’t remedy.”

“My sleep was slightly troubled as well,” I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee and added some cream.  “Let’s see if your remedy really works.”  I took a sip.

I smiled and was rewarded with her tight and almost sad grin.

“What is it?  You can tell me, Lizzy.  You can tell me anything.  Is it Henry?”

Oh.  There I was prying into her affairs when it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Her gaze quickly scanned the surroundings to ensure no one had heard me.  “No.  It’s not that.  I will confess that I spent much of the night thinking of my mother.  The room that is closed off; not only have I not returned to the room, but I’d not gone to that portion of the house since mother’s passing.  I guess it brought back emotions I hadn’t anticipated.”

“I’m so sorry.  Had I known...”

“I wasn’t here the night she passed away, and I imagine that...”  She looked at me with sad eyes.  “I often feel like there’s something that’s incomplete.  Like I’m missing something.  People have mentioned a lack of closure; that I never had the chance to say goodbye.”

“What about the funeral service?”

“My father thought I was too young to attend,” she said.  “In his attempt to shelter me from the pain of seeing her in her coffin, he instead left me with an ever-aching emptiness inside.”

My gaze immediately went to the flowerpot on the pedestal beside her.  The key I’d seen... was it the key... the key to that secret room?

“I should have never pressed to see all the rooms.  My curiosity sometimes gets the best of me.  I really am so sorry.”

“No.  You have no reason to apologize.”  But as she spoke, her gaze trailed away from my face to something of interest outside.  “No,” she said, getting to her feet.  “You did nothing wrong.”

I glanced back to see Henry in the distance.

“Please enjoy your breakfast,” she said.  “I’ll catch up with you later.”

I nodded as she rushed off.

Breakfast?  How could I possibly enjoy breakfast when the key to that secret room lay right there within reach?  If I didn’t reach out to take it now, I may never again have the chance.  What if Gabriel arrived suddenly or Frank or, heaven forbid, General Tillsbury.

No.  The time to act was now.

I got up, went to the flowerpot and took the key, quickly slipping it into my skirt’s pocket.

“Morning, Miss Abbie,” Beatrice said on entering.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

“Will you be having breakfast?”

“Not yet, thank you.”  I quickly collected my wits and took a much-needed sip of coffee.  “I had a horrible night and just came down for a few sips of coffee.”

“As you wish.”

The moment she retreated, I hurried out and ran up the stairs to the third floor.  The silence that greeted me sent a chill up my back and for a moment I questioned my motivation.

Was this just idle curiosity?  Was my wild imagination reading more into Mrs. Tillsbury’s death than the story deserved?

No, I convinced myself.  I wanted to find evidence that could prove foul play on General Tillsbury’s part.  He wouldn’t be the first man to fall out of love and wish to dispose of his spouse.  He also wouldn’t be the first man to get so angry, to see red and to take his rage out on his wife.

I reached the last door at the end of the corridor, glanced back to ensure I was still alone, then slipped the key into the keyhole.  It jammed and I had to wiggle it to get it in.  When I turned it, there was resistance.  I increased the pressure but feared breaking the key in the lock.  I pulled it out and considered my options. 

I had to try again.  “You’ve come this far,” I whispered.

I slipped the key back in, and it went in more easily.  This time it turned in the lock and while there was still some resistance, it seemed to give with every push until, finally, the door opened.

The room was dark, the curtains drawn to keep out any hint of sunlight.  I stood there for a long moment as the aura in the room swirled around me.  I could sense Mrs. Tillsbury, her fear, her terror... those last gasping moments of her life, or was that all in my imagination?

I took a step inside, and the sensation intensified.  The light from the hall was just barely enough for me to see where I was going as I fully entered the room.

The room smelled slightly musty, but with an ever so faint hint of lavender.

I went to the windows and pulled back one of the panels of curtains.

The large room seemed to come alive.  Some of the furniture was covered with heavy white linen.  What had been left uncovered was appealing if somewhat outdated.  A heavy mahogany wardrobe, its doors left open was against the wall to the right, while a small writing table and delicate chair sat in the far corner with a large dresser pushed up between it and the bed.

The bed had been stripped of its sheets, but pillows and cushions were piled up in the center of the mattress.

A pretty pale-yellow wallpaper with red and orange flowers covered the walls and thick carpeting covered the floor.

I walked around the room, looking for anything of interest.  Squeezing in between the large dresser and the edge of the bed, I reached out to try to open the top drawer.  Tugging back gently on the drawer pull, I stopped suddenly when I heard a creak behind me.

I froze and concentrated on just listening.  Another creak.

Damn.  My breaths suddenly came in short, sharp puffs and I grew slightly dizzy.

I backed up and turned to leave the room but came face to face with Gabriel.

“Gabri...”

He stared at me, his gaze as stern as it was confused.

“I... I... I know how this must look, but...” 

Please say something, I wanted to say.  Anything.  Just say something.

But he just stared at me.

“This is surely going to sound crazy,” I said, trying to smile and minimize the severity of what I’d done.  “But, I mean, I had this really wild dream last night and it made me think...  Um, Mrs. Tillsbury... I mean, your mother... Margaret... her cause of death was never confirmed and... well, I couldn’t help but wonder... because, you know, these things happen sometimes, that, well...  sometimes husbands... well, they can...”

He continued to stare as sweat beaded on my brow.  My hands grew clammy just as my mouth went dry.

“I’ve heard of men who can get angry,” I said with much difficulty.  “Men who get angry with their wives, and... things get out of control.  Tempers flare.”

“You had a nightmare,” he said, his tone resembling that cold, robotic tone he’d used in my dream.

“Yes,” I said, optimistically hoping he understood my reasoning.  “Yes, and it just left me with so many questions.  I thought, perhaps you’re too close to the situation to look into it further, but these unanswered questions...  Do you ever wonder?”

“A nightmare led you to come break into my mother’s private quarters.”

“No.  No.  Not at all,” I said.  “I didn’t break in at all.”

“Then is it Lizzy who let you in,” he said, his hard eyes on me.  He already knew the answer to that question.  He knew Lizzy would never let me in their mother’s room.

“No, Lizzy had nothing to do with this.”

“Then how, pray tell, did you get in?”

“I unlocked the door with the key.”  I pulled the key out of my pocket to show him.

“Lizzy gave you a key?”

“Well, no.  Not exactly.”

He cocked a brow and grimaced as he nodded his understanding.  “So, not only did you come into a room that was barred from visitors, but you also stole the key to do so.”

“No.  I just... I mean, it was there... and I wanted to know more about this... and...”

Oh.  This was pointless.

“And to add insult to injury, if I understand you correctly, you are also accusing my father of killing my mother.”

“I didn’t accuse...”

“You inferred?  You surmised?  You guessed?  You suspected,” he offered.

“Yes.  I mean.  It would appear that she died rather suddenly, and you... the children... weren’t here at Tillsbury Estate at the time of her death.  I find that... Honestly, Gabriel.  Don’t you question the timing?”

“Actually, no.”

“Did you find your father distraught by her death?”

“You’re treading on thin ice, Abbie.  Very thin ice.”

“You wouldn’t say that if I were to find...”

“Find what?  Proof?” he said.

“If no one ever came in here, how would you know?”

“I will take the briefest of moments to enlighten you on the matter, and then the subject will be closed.”

Biting my lip, I nodded.

“My mother’s death was not sudden.  She’d gotten sick and was in bed for a few days.  A doctor was called to look in on her.  He was alarmed by her condition and an ambulance was called. I was there, as was Frank.  We both got to hold her hand, kiss her, and tell her we loved her.  And we both witnessed the medical attention she received.  But she suddenly went into convulsions, and we were pushed out of the room, understandably.”

I could not have felt worse for all I’d thought and imagined.

“The one fact that you have right is that Lizzy was not here that day.  She was at a friend’s.”  He pulled in a deep breath.  “And...” he said, rather dramatically.  “As for my father.  While he is not a man given to open shows of tender emotions, he was devastated by her passing.  For days he moped around the house, talking to no one, seeing no one and hardly eating at all.  It took weeks before he could talk to us at all, months before he could talk of her and well over a year before he laughed for the first time.  I hope you get the message.”

“Oh, Gabriel,” I said with a guilty sigh.  “I feel so awful.”

“I’m not sure what hurts more, Abbie,” he said.  “That you would repay our hospitality with such an unforgivable intrusion as this, or that you would seriously consider the possibility that my father is a murderer.”

“I’m so sorry, Gabriel.  I don’t know what to say.  I just let...  I...”

“You let your imagination run wild... perhaps like the plot to one of your novels.”

“No.  That’s not it at all.”

But perhaps he had a point.  I’d read one novel after another over the last weeks; novels of love, murder, wealth and more love...  Yes.  Love was always the central part of any novel I read, but not always murder. 

Oh, I no longer knew what to think.  I would have to consider setting aside my love for such novels if it was going to make me lose sight of reality.

“I cannot express how disappointed I am,” Gabriel said.

My eyes instantly welled up with tears.  What had I done?

“Now, may I ask you to respectfully close that curtain and leave this room.”

My head low, I went to the window and pulled the curtain to completely block out the light.  On the verge of openly weeping, I returned to the door.

“Now...”  He stepped aside and gestured that I leave.  As I passed by him, he held his hand out.  “The key, please.”

I dug into my pocket to retrieve the key and set it on his open palm.

“By the way,” he said softly.  “It was determined that my mother died of a rare bacterial infection that typically afflicts people of lower standing.  My father, wishing to protect her name, asked that this information be kept from the general public as to avoid talk.”

“Gabriel,” I said meekly, feeling worse by the minute.  “Could you ever forgive a naïve and impossibly immature young woman for such a faux pas... for such misconduct?” 

He closed the door, locked it and walked away without responding.

Ashamed, I returned to my room.

FIFTEEN

Alone in my room, I tried to set aside my altercation with Gabriel by pulling out my latest novel and opening it to the first page.

Starting a new novel was always a moment of promise.  Where would the heroine lead me?  What adventure would she embark on?

I read the first lines;

Cold and misty, the moonless night invited Wanda out to the forest.  Wolves howled in the distance and a thrilled shiver ran up and down her arms.

She hugged herself.

I set the book down and thought of my stroll with Gabriel.  Warm and wonderful, the sun had been with us.  No wolves, just squirrels and songbirds.  What a contrast.  My reality to this author’s fantasy.

After a moment, I tried once again to get into the new novel.

Every step brought her deeper and deeper into the thick underbrush.  Long vines wrapped around her ankles, rendering every step a struggle.  Thorny bushes scratched her arms, but didn’t succeed in stopping her.

She forged on without really knowing where she was going.  She simply knew she had to go.

Then she heard him.  Mingled with the howls of wolves, with the crack of every branch, she heard his voice.  His monotone chant, low and rumbling, drew her to him.

“Conrad,” she whispered.  “Conrad, it’s me, Wanda.”

In the blackness of the forest, all she could see were the whites of his eyes.

She went to him, sat with him and chanted with him.

“I’m with you,” she said.  “No matter where you go.  No matter what you do, I’m with you.”

“No,” he said dryly.  “What I’ve done is unforgivable.  You should leave me before the spirits drag you in as well.”

Again, I set the book down and thought of Gabriel.  He’d once commented on my choice of reading material.  I tended to choose romance novels with a bit of mystery.  I enjoyed the unknown, the search for what was truly going on.

“Novels,” he’d said, not with disdain, but with honest curiosity.  “What do you get from such writings?”

I’d shrugged and thought about it for a moment.  “I guess you could say that it’s an escape of sorts, much the way people get lost in a movie.”

“Don’t you think they might skew your view of reality... of what life out there is really like?”

I had never really considered that possibility.

“Wouldn’t you prefer books with more substance; philosophy, theology, deontology... or even biographies?”

Again, I shrugged.  “Why not add biology, technology, ornithology and dermatology to the list?”

He cocked a brow and smiled.  “I know you’re listing those in jest, but... why not?  Why not learn of the workings of the body and discover all you can about birds?  Technology is always useful to know about, and, well, dermatology... it can’t hurt to know more about your own skin.”

I laughed.  “But where’s the enjoyment in that?  Yes, if I go out in the forest and see a bird I’ve never seen before, I may open a book to find it’s name, where it’s native to, what it eats and all that.  But to say that I would actually sit down and read a whole book on ornithology to read about birds that I will never, in my lifetime, see...  I’m sorry, but I don’t find that very appealing.”

He looked down at his clasped hands.  “I once became completely enthralled with a book about the periodic table.  I was fascinated by the individual discoveries, how each element was placed on the table and how they were called.”

“What do you suspect this says about us?” I said, a bit concerned with the direction the conversation was taking.  “Are you more interested in reality and I in fantasy?  Are you more intellectual and I uncultivated?”

I looked at him, sad a bit.  Were we opposites who would never have much to say to one another?

But he laughed and grabbed my hand.  “You are far from uncultivated.  Actually, I think our different interests leave us with more to say on a variety of topics.”

And now, as I sat in my bed with my book on my lap, his words came back to me, haunting me.

I opened the books once more, and read;

“The spirits; they’ve already dragged me in, Conrad.  They pulled me from my sleep and led me to you.”

He looked at her.  “You’re barefoot and wearing only a slip.  You’ll die from the cold.”

“Then come back with me.  Come home.”

His eyes suddenly grew wide and turned bright yellow.  “Leave me,” he growled.

Sensing the oncoming horror, I slammed the book shut.  Gabriel was right.  These types of thrilling romances skewed my view of the world.  I needed balance.  I’d been reading far too many of these novels lately and hadn’t really opened my eyes to the world around me.

Besides, the way the book was heading, I wouldn’t get any sleep at all if I continued reading.  It wouldn’t be the first time a horrifying scene had kept me awake. I had to put the book down and try fill my head with more pleasant thoughts.

I put the book away, turned off the lamp and settled in for the night.

*****

THE SOUND OF A HEAVY fist pounding on my bedroom door woke me early the next morning.  I sat up, alarmed.

“Yes?” I sat up, hugging my blanket to my chest.

The door opened and Beatrice walked in.  “Miss,” she said tentatively. 

“Yes, Beatrice,” I said, a little annoyed by her early intrusion.

“I’m terribly sorry, Miss.  This is not at all the sort of message I enjoy transmitting.  But I must ask you to pack your bags.  When ready, you must leave the premises.”

Frowning, I pulled back the bed sheets and got out of bed.  “What in the world are you talking about?  I’m not to leave here for three days still.”

“No, Miss.  You must leave right away.  General Tillsbury made that very clear.  He wants you gone before he rises, which should be shortly.”

“But...”

“Please, Miss.  I do not wish to ask Kirby or Trent to physically drag you off the property.”

Stunned, I stood there a moment later.  “Oh, please, Beatrice,” I begged.  “Just give me a moment to collect my thoughts.  This is all so sudden and unexpected.”

There had to be some mistake.  Surely someone had misunderstood.

Then it struck me.  Had Gabriel talked to his father about my suspicions?  Had the General learned of my baseless accusation that he’d killed his young wife.  Oh, dear.  What had I done?

“Miss?”

“Yes.  Yes,” I said.  “May I have a moment to dress.”

She bit her bottom lip and glanced at her watch.  “I’m afraid not.  The General will be up and about in only a few minutes.”

“I’m in my nightdress,” I argued.  “Surely you can afford me half a minute to throw on some jeans and shirt.”

She shook her head.

I wanted to ask why she hadn’t come to alert me sooner, but knew it was pointless.  I couldn’t help but think that humiliation was an integral part of my eviction.

I pulled my suitcase out from under the bed and opened it.  Wasting no time carefully packing, I simply went to the wardrobe, grabbed every hanging article in my arms and tossed them into the suitcase.  I then emptied the drawers of my smaller items.  Barely sixty seconds later, my suitcase was shut and ready to go.

Slipping my bare feet into my comfy sneakers, I walked out of the room in my baby blue nightgown.

“I’m ready,” I said.

“This way.”

I know the way, I wanted to argue but sensed she wanted to ensure I didn’t stray.

Just down the hall, we came face to face with Lizzy.

I rushed to her despite Beatrice’s attempt to keep me from doing so.  “Lizzy.  Please tell me that there’s been a mistake.  What is this about?  Why am I being asked to leave, and in such a manner.”

“I’m afraid there is no mistake, Abbie.  I’m so sorry that this is happening, and I must admit that I don’t understand it at all.  My father has been known to fly off the handle every once in a while, but he has never turned anyone out this way.”

“If I wait until he gets up,” I said.  “Maybe I could talk to him, try to understand why he’s doing this.”

“That is not a good idea, Abbie.  I promise you, that is not a good idea.”

Beatrice nudged my elbow, and I shrugged away from her touch.

“It pains me to tell you, I have more bad news.”

No.  How could it possibly get any worse?

“Not only has my father asked that you leave, but he has made it clear that you are not to use Tillsbury Estate for your movie.”

“What?” I said, shocked and beyond dismayed.  “Oh, Lizzy.  No.  Please talk to him.  I have no backup.  This is all I have.  I need to be able to shoot this movie here.  Hell, if he’s that upset with me, I won’t come back.  I’ll resign from the production, but please...”

I looked around hoping to see Gabriel.  Oh, my.  Had he really told his father of my suspicions?  How could he?  But then again... He absolutely must have.  Why else would the General be so furious as to cancel our plans to shoot the movie in his home.

“Miss,” Beatrice said, again touching my elbow.  “You really must...”

Lizzy gestured to Beatrice to leave us.  “I’ll take it from here.  Thank you.”

She left us and Lizzy took a firm hold of my elbow.  “Come,” she told me, guiding me to the stairs.  “You should really hurry.  I would hate to have you run into my father.”

“I don’t understand,” I said.  “Please, tell me what is going on.  Lizzy, we’re friends...”

A loud harrumph greeted us as we arrived on the main floor.

“Is that the voice of that insipid girl I hear?” General Tillsbury bellowed.

“Papa!” Lizzy said on seeing him. 

“Don’t Papa me this morning, my dear Lizzy.  I made my request quite clear.”  His scowl was enough to frighten anyone.

“She was just leaving.”

“I’d made myself clear,” he repeated.  “She was to be gone before I rose.”

“Yes.  Yes.  She’s leaving.  I will personally see to it that she leaves the property.”

He glared at me; a cold, steely glare that nearly had me emptying my bladder.  With a disdainful grimace, he turned on his heel and left us.

Lizzy opened the door and walked out with me.  She led me to her car.  “I will bring you to the gate.”

I got into the passenger seat and set my suitcase on my lap.

“This is insane,” I muttered as she drove down the eternally long drive.  “Who will be bringing me back into town?”

She shook her head as she stopped the car at the gate and stepped out.  “I’m sorry, Abbie.  You will have to find your own way.”

I got out and met her at the gate.  “But, Lizzy, it is still dark out.  The sun...”

She pulled out her key, opened the small door and pulled on the lever.  The gate slowly opened.

“Lizzy, I’m not even sure which way to go.”

She pointed to the left.  “At the end of this narrow road, you will come to a more populated area.  You should have no problem calling for a ride from there.”

“But...”

Pressing her lips together, she looked at me.  “I am so sorry.  I really am.  I do wish you the best, Abbie.” 

I walked off the Tillsbury Estate and turned to look at Lizzy.

“Godspeed.”  And with that, Lizzy shut the gate behind me and walked back to her car.  Without even looking at me one last time, she turned the car around and returned to the house.

With my suitcase in hand, I walked to the end of the gravel road and from there, called for a cab.

SIXTEEN

Although it took a little over an hour, I finally managed to get a cab that would come so far out of Bath.  I was thankful to the point of tears when he finally arrived and relieved when the car rolled to a stop in front of Keely’s door.

The final straw; I opened my purse to find that I only had enough money to pay half the fare.  I burst into tears.

“This is all I have,” I said.

Without saying anything, he took what I handed him.

“If you can wait a few minutes,” I said through my streaming tears.  “I’ll go up and get the rest.”

“That’s all right, Miss,” the driver said, glancing down at my nightgown.  “It’s a pleasure helping a lady who is in a bind.”

Ugh.  My goodness.  What must he be thinking?  What kind of ‘bind’ must he envision?

He got out and pulled my suitcase out of the trunk.  He handed it to me.  “I wish you all the best, Miss.”

“Thank you so much.”  I glanced at the identification tag on his breast pocket.  “Thank you, Marty Levy.  I promise, I’ll be sure to find you and repay you.”

“That’s not necessary,” he said as he turned away.  “Take care.”

I lugged my suitcase to the door, happy that I’d opted to bring only the lone suitcase to Tillsbury Estate.

With the door locked, I wondered if Keely and Hugh might still be in bed.  The sun had come up just an hour earlier.  Then again, they were both morning people.  Surely Keely was up in her office working. I pulled out my key to open the door instead of ringing the bell.

“Hello!” I called out as I walked in.

Silence.

I set my suitcase down and leaned into the staircase to call ‘hello’ again.

More silence.

“Anybody home?”

“Guess not,” I muttered, making my way to the kitchen.

Then I wondered if Keely might still be in America.  She was to come back a few days ago, but, then again, things rarely turned out like planned.

A cute little note on thick parchment was left on the kitchen counter.  In Hugh’s hand, it told Keely that, should she return from her trip overseas, he would be in court all day and would see her later that evening. 

So, apparently, he didn’t know when she’d come back, either. 

Signed your love, and with three little kisses, the note was adorable.

What a wonderful relationship they had.  And while I was happy for them, their love and happiness only added to my misery.

Despondent, I made myself a cup of coffee and nibbled on a dry toast.  But food interested me little.  My stomach was in knots, and I had to do something.  I threw the rest of my toast away and finished my last sip of coffee.

Drumming the countertop with my fingernails, I looked around and realized I didn’t want to be alone.  I needed to talk to someone and get all of these questions and doubts off my chest.

Peggy.  Yes.  I had to find Peggy.

“First things first,” I said aloud.  “Get dressed.  Then we’ll head out.”

I brought my suitcase to my room and quickly emptied it, putting everything back where they belonged.  But as I opened my dresser drawer to put away my underwear, I saw the script atop the dresser.

“Damn,” I said, remembering the bind I was in. 

What would Keely say when she learned I’d destroyed our chances of filming at Tillsbury Estate?

I changed into jeans and a white and yellow gingham shirt, put my sneakers back on and ran out of the house, eager to get to the Pruitts’ house.

The streets were now abuzz with people on the way to work, or school or shopping... whatever the case may be.

The sky was grey with a threat of rain, so I quickened my pace to ensure I arrived before the rain fell.  I almost succeeded, with the first few drops coming down on me as I arrived at the Pruitts’ building.

At their apartment, I knocked on the door.

“Oh, Abbie!” Peggy said as she threw open the door.  She came to me, her arms around my neck as she sobbed on my shoulder.

“Peggy,” I said in a hushed tone.  “What’s wrong?”

“Come in,” she said through her tears.  “Come.”

I entered the apartment that was oddly dark.  The curtains were all drawn and only one lamp in the living area was on. 

“I’m sorry to come by so early in the day, but I...”

“Oh, Abbie.  You must have sensed my distress.  That must be what brought you by so early.  I have to hope that, perhaps, you might be the one person with the ability to fix this.”

“Fix what?” I said sitting beside her on the sofa.

“Andy,” she said after blowing her nose.  “He doesn’t want to see me... never again.”

“No,” I whispered.  “But why?  What happened?”

Mrs. Pruitt, who I’d not noticed, cleared her throat as she sat at the kitchen table, a humble desk lamp barely lit her workspace.

“Don’t you dare scold me again, Mama,” Peggy said.  “I know I’ve done wrong.  What I need now is a means to mend what I’ve destroyed.”

“What do you mean, Peggy?  What did you do?  What have you destroyed?”

She looked at me, her eyes filled with unshed tears.  “Silly me,” she cried.  “I’ve been such a silly, silly girl.”

“Silly and selfish,” her mother said.

Peggy grunted as she glared at her.

“So, you did something silly.  If that’s all it is, then I’m sure Andy will forgive your silly mistake.”

Again, Mrs. Pruitt cleared her throat.

Peggy shook her head and leaned in closer.  “Remember when I left you so abruptly that time we were shopping a few weeks back?”

“Yes.  What of it?”

“Do you remember whom we’d just bumped into?”

I thought back to that day.  “Oh.  Yes.  General Tillsbury with his eldest son, Frank.”

She nodded as a fresh wave of tears streamed down her cheeks.  “Oh, Abbie.  He seduced me.  It began innocently enough when he’d flirted with me a few days earlier.  I’d really thought nothing of it.  But, silly me, I was flattered by his attention.  He’s a Tillsbury, and he is so mature, so refined, so worldly.”

“Oh, no, Peggy,” I said, suddenly dreading what she was about to tell me.  Oh, no, no, no.

“Frank made me feel like I was the only girl in the world.  When I was with him, I felt so beautiful, so special... and so exclusively his.  He led me to believe there was a possibility... a future for us. It was like one of those steamy romance novels we love to read. He’s like a bad boy come alive. You know how we love the bad boys in those novels.”

“Please tell me that you didn’t fall for that. It’s fine reading it in a novel, but in real life.  Oh, Peggy.  I know, without a doubt, that you’re smarter than that.”

Sobbing loudly, she threw herself on me, her tears soaking my shirt.  “I succumbed, Abbie.  I so stupidly and so ignorantly succumbed to his charms.  He was so impossibly loving, so tender... and oh.”  She leaned closer still and whispered in my ear.  “He was certainly a talented lover.”

Shocked, I pulled back.  “Peggy!  How could you?”

She suddenly stood and looked down at me.  “Don’t tell me that you’re going to be like my mother and blame me for this fiasco.”

“I’m not blaming you, Peggy.  I just...  I don’t understand how you could betray Andy like this.”  There wasn’t much more I could say.  Indeed, she was to blame for her actions.  No matter how charming Frank might have been, the ultimate decision was hers.

She sat back down and grasped my hands.  “Oh, Abbie.  Tell me that you’ll talk to your brother.  I’m sure he would listen to you.  I’m sure you can make him understand.  I was charmed.  I was seduced.  I was an innocent girl who simply isn’t worldly enough to know how to handle such a man.”

Handle such a man?  I suddenly remembered how coquette and flirtatious she’d been with him.  No.  I knew she wasn’t quite as innocent as she claimed.

“And what of you and Frank now?” I said.  “What of this future he promised you?”

She shook her head.  “It was all just talk, sweet promising talk so that he could lead me to his bed.  And once the act was through, he walked away without a thought.  I’m sure that he has already moved on to his next prey.”

“But, what if he had kept his promise?”

I let the suggestion hang there for a moment to see where her heart truly was.  She simply looked at me with no answer.

“Peggy,” I tried again.  “If Frank had wanted a relationship with you, a future with you... you would have ended it with Andy?  You would have broken Andy’s heart to be with Frank?”

“No,” she said with sudden guilt.  “No.  I would not have...  I mean...  I would...”  She stopped suddenly, completely bewildered.

“Yes, Peggy.  Clearly, you believe Frank to be a better man than Andy.  However, since Frank dumped you, you now want to revert to your other option, your second choice - Andy.”

“No,” she muttered, though her eyes told of the aching in her heart, not for Andy, but for Frank.

“Under these circumstances,” I went on, “I can understand why Andy would not wish to be your consolation prize.”

Tense silence filled the apartment.  Sensing that the discussion about Andy and Frank had come to an end, I rose and parted the curtains without asking for permission.  If Peggy was to have gloom in her heart, there was no point keeping the entire apartment in darkness.  I also wanted to see how things were coming along and went to see Mrs. Pruitt and her sewing.

“Would you mind showing me what you have so far?” I said, eager to see her work.

She pointed to the gowns draped over the back of a nearby chair.  I picked up the first one.  Quite pretty, but the pale blue dress lacked any ornamentation at all.  No bows, no ribbons, no lace.

“That’s a good start,” I said, trying to be optimistic.

I picked up the next one, surprised to see that it was also the last one.  Of a charming yellow, this one had a wide ribbon just under the bustline and a more narrow ribbon that was clumsily sewn around the neckline.

“Very nice.  This is really pretty,” I said.  “Where are the others?”  Please tell me there are others.

Mrs. Pruitt looked at me with a displeased expression on her face.  “Peggy.  She’s been crying for days.  I couldn’t get any work done with her heart so completely broken.  For hours I’ve sat with her and tried to console her.  Yes, I scolded her for her silly and irresponsible actions, but... well, a mother just hates to see her little girl so heartbroken.”

I glanced back at Peggy, still wiping her tears with a tissue.

“I see.”  Pursing my lips I looked around, disheartened.

Soon, Keely would return from her trip to America where she’ll have surely signed on many of the actors and actresses she wanted for the movie... and what will I have done?  I had no location, and no wardrobe.  I had nothing.

Everything was falling apart, and I fought hard to keep from falling apart myself.  I’d lost Tillsbury Estate, and now I had only two dresses that I doubted Keely would want to use, even on an extra.

I was sure to lose my job.  How could she possibly keep me on after making such a mess of it all?

SEVENTEEN

“Is everything all right, Miss Abbie,” Mrs. Pruitt said.

“Yes.  Yes,” I said, rubbing my temples.  “Give me a moment to figure this out.  I need a plan.  I need a mighty good gameplan.”

I looked around the room.  Bolts of fabric lay everywhere.  Pretty pinks and bright blues, moss greens and creamy yellows.  There were also reels of ribbons and lace and many spools of thread.

“Okay, Mrs. Pruitt.”  I set my hand on the pile of fabric.  “You’ve invested quite a bit here.”

She shook her head.  “I already had the blue and the green,” she said.  “I always have plenty of the white.  I got that yellow from my neighbor who’d just finished a dozen little dresses for her granddaughters.  That’s why there’s not much of that one left.  I could ask if she’s going to do anything with it.  I did go out and purchase some of the ribbons and lace, though.”

I nodded.  “So, supply isn’t the issue for now.  Clearly you need a hand cutting the patterns and embellishing.”

She reluctantly nodded.

“Can you give me a quick overview of your inventory?  How many dresses can you make with what you have here?”

“Depending on how full the skirts are to be, I should have more than enough fabric to make fifteen floor length dresses in a variety of colors.  Some may be entirely blue, while another will have blue with yellow trim, or blue with green.  You get the idea.”

“Yes.”

“Over there on that table are five dresses that are already cut to this pattern...”  She showed me an image of the dress style; high-waisted, modest decolletage and tiny puff sleeves.  “The pattern comes with three different sleeve lengths; short, elbow and full.”

“That means they’re ready to be assembled?” I said.

She nodded.

“Do you only have the one sewing machine?”

“I have one in my room,” Peggy said, finally recovered from her crying fit.  “I’ll go get it.”

She brought it out and we set it at the other end of the kitchen table.

“Do you know how to sew?” Mrs. Pruitt said as I took the cut pieces of the first dress; blue with yellow trim.

“I’ve made a bit of a career of sewing on TikTok videos.  And my specialty is Jane Austen’s era.  I also do a lot of makeup and hair tutorials, but that’s a whole other thing.  To answer your question, yes.  I’m quite handy with a sewing machine. I took care of the entire wardrobe on Keely’s last movie, Emma.  I think if we work together, we could accomplish a lot.”

“Perfect.  I can sure use the help.”

I’m going to do more than help, I thought.  I’m going to run this operation like a well-oiled machine.

“I’m going to take these pieces and assemble them,” I said as I took the cut pieces and brought them to the sewing machine.  “Then you, Mrs. Pruitt, will take this assembled dress and you will add ribbons, trims, bows or lace as you see fit.”

She nodded.  “Sounds good to me.”

“What about me?” Peggy said.  Her eyes were still red and puffy, but a tentative smile played on her lips.  “I need to keep busy... anything to take my mind off Fra... I mean Andy.”

I hid an amused smile.  Frank was indeed a very handsome and arrogantly charming man.  As unhappy as I was with what she’d done, I could understand how her youth had misled her.

“There will be little things that will need to be sewn on by hand.  You could take care of that.  In the meantime, I need you to find a place to set up to cut more dresses in another pattern.”

“Good.  I can do that.  There’s a folding table in my bedroom closet.  I can set up over there in the corner and work on that.”

“Perfect.”  I clasped my hands together.  “So Peggy will cut, I will assemble, and Mrs. Pruitt will embellish.  All clear?”

“All clear,” they both shouted back.

“Good.  Let’s get started.”

Assembling the skirt of the dress was straightforward while sewing it onto the bodice was a little tricky and the sleeves were a little complicated.  But it didn’t take long for the first dress to come together.

“Peggy,” I called out as I held the dress out in front of me.  “I have another task for you.”

“Whatever you need, Abbie,” she said, quickly coming to me.

I handed her the dress.  “I need you to try this on.  I know we’ll need to make adjustments, but it’ll give me a good idea how it fits.”

“Sure thing.”

She went to her room and returned moments later.

“It feels so strange, this high waist.  But it’s really pretty.”

“That was the style of the time,” I said.  “Turn around so that I can tie up the drawstrings.  How’s that?” I said, tying the knot.  “Not too tight?”

“Feels fine.”

“Of course you don’t have the chemise or petticoat or stays underneath but it gives me a good idea of the overall fit.”

“I have no idea what any of that means,” she said.

“It’s kind of like the underwear of the time... you know, like a slip or a bra.”

“Makes sense.”

“Oh,” I called to Mrs. Pruitt.  “We need to add a shift and petticoat for a scene where our heroine gets dressed.  And I would also like to have a blue petticoat to go under the white dress.

“No problem.  Those are pretty easy.”

“And we are going to have to make a few chemisettes or tuckers.”

“What’s that?” Peggy said.  “More underwear?”

“It’s a short chemise that was sometimes worn under the bodice to fill in the neckline, usually made of a plain fabric; it’s both decorative and adds a touch of modesty.”

“Like a Dickey?”

“Yeah.  Sort of like that.”

“I don’t know how you know all these things.  I mean, I like to keep up on the day’s fashions, but I don’t really know much about what they were wearing a hundred years ago.”

I smiled as I continued to inspect the dress.  “It’s more like two hundred years ago.”

“Oh, heavens.  I know about that even less.”

“It really looks good.  The skirt falls as it should, the sleeves...”  I slipped my fingers under the hem of the sleeve.  “Not too tight.  Good.”

“The skirt is really long.”

“That particular one has a bit of a train, so it’s normal that it drags on the floor at the back, but we’ll have to wait to sew the hem when we have the actresses,” I said.  “I’ve never worked on a wardrobe without having the actresses there to work with.  Thankfully these will all be fastened with drawstrings, and hooks and eyes which gives us a good margin for error.

“We can put an inch wide ribbon around here under the bust and the same color only half the width here on the sleeves.”  I looked at Peggy.  “Okay, you can go change out of this.”

When she returned, I handed the dress to Mrs. Pruitt who did her part with the garment.

And on and on it went.

With the pressure off, Mrs. Pruitt proved to work very well as she expertly added lace and ribbons to the dresses.  She also had a natural talent for marrying ribbons of one color with the dress of another.

Peggy also proved to be efficient.  She’d laid layers of fabric – the green, the blue, the pink, the cream and the brown – over one another so that she had nearly an eighth of an inch of fabric to cut through.  She then set the pattern over it all, careful to lay it out in a manner as to maximize the fabric we had.

Just as I was about to warn her of the difficulties of cutting through such a thick pile of fabric, she pulled out massive, industrial like scissors.  With ease, she cut through the layers and finished just as I finished assembling the pieces previously cut.

Yes.  A well-oiled machine, indeed.  By the time we stopped for lunch, we’d completed twelve dresses.

“Now, that was a productive morning,” Mrs. Pruitt said.  “I can hardly believe we got so much work done.”

“The power of teamwork,” I said.

“You girls must be hungry?  I know I am.”

“Famished,” Peggy said.  “I haven’t eaten for days.”

Mrs. Pruitt left her sewing machine to go prepare our lunch while Peggy and I cleared the table of our work and then set it for lunch.

“Thank you,” Peggy said softly.

“For what?”

“For including me in this.  Working on this is just what I needed.  I think I might have finally shaken off this end-of-the-world weight on my shoulders.”

“Good.”

“Plus, I think we really work well together.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

When we sat down to thick sandwiches and a savory soup, Peggy grasped my hand and that of her mother’s.

“It’s not usually my habit, but I feel the need to say grace,” she said.  “For all my heartache, for all the tears I’ve cried these past days, I do truly feel blessed.”  She squeezed my hand.  “I hope you don’t mind.”

I smiled, returning the squeeze of her hand.  “Please.  Go ahead.”

We closed our eyes, and Peggy gave a brief but heartfelt message of gratitude.

“Okay,” Mrs. Pruitt said afterward. “I’m starving.  Let’s dig in.”

Picking up her spoon, Peggy looked at me.  “I know I’ve done wrong, and to your brother, no less.  You should hate me.  You should wish to never speak to me again. And yet, here you are.  Oh, perhaps it’s because you have little choice; after all, these dresses need to be made.  Either way, I can’t help but sense that you’re enjoying yourself.  That you enjoy working with us.”

I smiled.  “You sensed right, Peggy.  It’s been a very pleasurable morning, and I look forward to more of the same this afternoon.”

“I’m glad.  I couldn’t bear your anger.”

“Truth be told, Peggy, while I find your tryst with Frank unfortunate, I can’t help but wonder if this might not be a sign of something more significant.”

“Like what?” she said, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Sipping my soup, I glanced at Mrs. Pruitt before speaking.  Perhaps she wouldn’t be happy with my assessment of her daughter’s behavior.

“Could it be,” I said to Peggy, “that you’re not really ready to commit to a serious relationship?  After all, you are so very young.”

“She is of marrying age,” Mrs. Pruitt countered.

“Yes, Mama.  I know I am,” Peggy said.  “But I think Abbie has a point.  While I loved Andy and enjoyed being with him, I always felt the need to... to be free, to do as I pleased, without the constraints of a committed relationship.”

“Then your real mistake was becoming seriously involved with Andy to begin with,” I said.

Taking a bite of her sandwich, she nodded.  “I think you know me better than I know myself.”  She stopped to swallow.  “I want to see the world.  I want to have fun, go dancing, meet new people and try new things.”

I reached for her hand.  “And there’s nothing wrong with that... so long as you’re honest with the men you meet.”

Mrs. Pruitt grunted.

“Mama,” Peggy said.  “Don’t worry.  I will settle down... someday.  I want a man in my life, and I want children... just not now.”

Pressing her lips tight, Mrs. Pruitt nodded.  “Maybe I put too much pressure on you, which is funny considering how that was the last thing I wanted to do.  I’ve always wanted my children to feel free to live their lives as they see fit.  I want you to have a career, to see the world and enjoy your youth.  But I guess I’ve just been so eager to have grandchildren... and I guess I’ve inadvertently made you feel that urgency.”

“Oh, Mama,” Peggy said as she stood and went around the table to go behind her mother and give her a hug.  “I know you meant well.  And I was so smitten with Andy that I let on that I wanted a life with him... but... One day, Mama.  One day you will have a house filled with grandchildren, I promise.”

The two stayed together for a long and emotional moment.  Wiping away a few emotional tears, Mrs. Pruitt patted her daughter’s arms and stood to clear the table. 

“Custard, anyone?” Mrs. Pruitt offered as she shot a reproachful glare at Peggy.

“Oh, Mama,” Peggy said.  “You know I haven’t been in the mood to bake lately, but I promise I will make something spectacular for dinner’s dessert.”

Mrs. Pruitt looked at me.  “That’s where her true talent lies.  She’s a wizard when it comes to blending flour, sugar and eggs.”

We nonetheless enjoyed a bit of custard then quickly returned to work.

EIGHTEEN

By the end of the day, we’d completed just over twenty of the dresses for the principle actresses.  The ball gowns had been the most time-consuming with fuller skirts gathered at the bodice and we even added a bustle to help lift the skirts a bit.

Peggy suggested embroidery as an embellishment and even offered to spend a good part of the evening working on the gowns after my departure.

*****

ON ARRIVING AT THE Pruitts’ home the next day, I looked at the pile of dresses.  “Before going any further, let’s look at what we have so far.”

I went through the pile of clothes.

“Okay, we have two modest ball gowns for Catherine and two more daring ones for Isabella, and a singular one for Eleanor.  Catherine also has six daytime dresses and a nightgown, Isabella has three and Eleanor four.  Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Thorpe each had two.  Not bad.”

“I need you to start cutting the men’s wardrobe,” I told Peggy.  “Sewing trousers and shirts is going to be a bit more time consuming than these dresses, and I need to get started on that.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Peggy said.

“The fabric for the men’s trousers is in my room,” Mrs. Pruitt said.  “There’s the black and brown.”

As she went off to pick up the fabric, John came out of the bathroom, his hair damp from a recent shower.  Wearing only jeans, his muscular chest on display, he smiled as he came to me.

“Hello, John,” I said, trying to avoid looking at his magnificent chest, which he was all too aware of having.

“Who are all these people you’re talking about?  Catherine and Eleanor... Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Thorpe.  Who are they?  Your clients?”

“No, silly,” I said with a laugh.  “They’re the characters in a Jane Austen book, Northanger Abbey.  That’s the book our movie is based on, and these dresses are for the actresses who will be playing those parts.”

He cocked an impressed brow, but clearly didn’t know much about the book I was referring to.  “Good thing is that all of this has been keeping my mother and sister quite busy.”

“We’ve all been keeping very busy,” I said.

“After working so hard, perhaps you’d like to go out and grab some lunch.”

I smiled.

He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to suddenly realize that he was so exposed.  “I think I’ll go and finish getting dressed.”

I nodded and bit back on a laugh.

He really wasn’t that bad, I thought as I watched him walk back to his room.  Like a dog who makes a big show of barking on arrival only to quickly want to play and lick your hand.

“He is quite fond of you,” Mrs. Pruitt said as she prepared to start working.

I sat at the table beside her and we assembled the remaining dresses then took on the men’s wardrobe.

“Of course,” Mrs. Pruitt said as she sewed a man’s shirt.  “I’m not equipped to sew the men’s heavier garments.”

“That’s all right,” I said, working on a pair of men’s trousers.  “I found a place to rent coats and boots... hats and straw bonnets.”

She let out a relieved sigh.

With the first pants completed, I held them up and examined them.

“I wonder if the crotch might not be too high.”

Mrs. Pruitt joined in the examination just as John came out to grab a snack.

“Are you busy, John?” I said.

A wide smile quickly spread across his face.  “Not at all.  I’m at your service, whatever you may need.”

I held up the pants.  “Would you care to model for us?”

The smile faltered a bit.  “They look a little scratchy.”

“Not at all,” I argued.  “They’re quite soft.”

He reached out for them, arched a conceding brow and nodded.  “All right.”  He proceeded to unbuckled his belt.

“John!” his mother scolded.

Feigning annoyance, he huffed.  “All right.  Fine.  I’ll go into my room.”

He returned moments later.  Barefoot and bare-chested, there was nothing to hinder our assessment of the garment and how they fit and fell.

“Nice,” I said as I checked the waist.  “Good,” I went on as I looked at the back.  “The seams down the legs are straight, no puckering, well done, and the crotch seems to be fine.”

John was silent and had an uncharacteristic pink hue on his cheeks.  It would appear that as much as he liked being the center of attention, this sort of attention didn’t please him much.

“Thank you, John,” I said.  “I do hope you’ll stick around.  We might need you to try them all on.”

“I’ll be around,” he said.

I smiled as he walked away and now understood how he and my brother had become such good friends.  Once one had gone beyond his boastful and arrogant airs, he was really quite pleasant.

But I suddenly wondered how Peggy’s indiscretion would affect his friendship with my brother.  How awful for Andy; not only had he lost the girl he loved, but he risked losing his best friend as well.  I wanted to ask John about it, but knew the timing wasn’t right.

“I’ve had my fill with cutting trousers,” Peggy said.  “How about I fix lunch.”

“I could use a good sandwich,” John said, quickly returning.

“I am a little hungry,” I added.

“Coming right up.”

Barely an hour later, we all sat down to enjoy hearty sandwiches made with thick, crusty bread, accompanied by a leafy salad.

As we ate, we talked about our sewing, discussed the history of Bath and chatted about anything and everything.  The conversation was pleasant, even when we didn’t all agree.

The one topic everyone seemed determined to avoid, even John, was the saga of Andy and Frank.

“If anyone is still hungry,” Peggy said as she cleared the table.  “Last night I made a dozen light and flaky pastries filled with berries and cream.”

“I’ll take three,” John quickly said.  “A sandwich and salad isn’t enough to satisfy this man.”

“Here you go, brother,” Peggy said as she set two pastries before him.  She then set the platter in the middle of the table.

“I didn’t know you were such a good baker, Peggy,” I said.  “I mean, when your mother mentioned baking, I thought she meant cupcakes, not pastries.  These are divine.”

“I like playing around with various flavors, you know... mixing everything up a bit.  If I have time, I’d like to make financiers for tonight... I was thinking pistachio with a raspberry buttercream.”

“Financiers?” John said.  “Isn’t that a bloke at the bank?”

We laughed while Peggy playfully glared at him.  “Very funny... but you won’t be laughing when you taste them.”

“Well, Peggy,” I cut in.  “You are, indeed, very talented.  This is really, really good.”  I almost said she’d make a good wife but simply smiled as I bit my tongue.

*****

AFTER OUR LUNCH, JOHN stayed with us.  Beyond modeling the various items we completed, he helped by sewing what needed to be done by hand.

As I began to sew together a particularly thick pair of trousers, my needle broke.

Mrs. Pruitt looked at me.  “I’m afraid I don’t have any robust needles that will make it through that.”

“Give me that,” John said.  “I’ll sew them by hand.”

“John.  It’s going to be way too long to sew all this by hand.”

“I’ll surprise you.  I’m very handy with a needle.  Hand it over.”

I handed him the left and right leg and he quickly got to work.  He had an impressive and sturdy stitch.

“While you do that, I’m going to do a little inventory.”

I wanted to be sure that all the dresses for Catherine, Eleanor and Isabella were complete; day dresses, evening gowns and night dresses.  Then Mrs. Thorne and Mrs. Allen had all they needed.  And finally, the dancers for the balls and the extras in the background.

“What happened to the very low-cut gown Isabella is supposed to wear to the ball?”

“Is that the yellow one?” Peggy said.

“No.  It’s the brown one with gold trim around the neckline and the pleated overlay on the bust.

“Oh, yes.  I hung it in my room to keep it from getting too crinkled.  It’s that type of fabric.”

“Okay, good.  Thanks.”  I looked around.  “Things are coming along really well.  We need ten gowns for the ball.  And we’re going to need some really nice dress coats for the men.”

“I’m finished with these pants,” John said.  “Hand me another.”

Frowning with uncertainty, I took the trousers and tested the seams.  “Wow, you really know what you’re doing.”

Please, I gave him another pair of trousers to assemble, and the production line was on task again.  We worked until dinner, had a sumptuous meal with a sprinkling of wine and cheerful conversation. 

Of course, we devoured Peggy’s financiers and then worked until dark when the interior lighting simply wasn’t enough to allow us to work comfortably.

The next three days were more of the same; choose a pattern – a nightdress, a dress shirt, a trouser – cut the necessary fabric, assemble, embellish... take a break, eat lunch and enjoy another one of Peggy’s tasty concoctions.  Whether it was a Chelsea bun, a Bakewell tart or a Banoffee pie, everything she made was as pleasing to the eye as it was to the palate.

By the end of the week, the principle wardrobe was done.  All that remained was to have the garments fitted to the individual actors and actresses.

NINETEEN

The wardrobe was essentially complete, and I knew that Keely would be happy with the results.  We’d previously discussed the styles, the colors and the elaborateness of every garment needed... and that was exactly what the Pruitts and I had done.

With a big thanks, and plenty of hugs and kisses, I left the Pruitts.  John helped me get all the garments down to the hired lift I’d called.

“It was a pleasure working with you, Abbie,” he said, his tone more somber than I’d ever heard it.  “You are indeed a talent, and I have no doubt you will do well for this movie.”

“I thought I had screwed everything up.  Five days ago I was certain to be fired as everything around me fell apart.  But now, thanks to you, your sister and mother, I have renewed my confidence in myself, and I think I’ll be able to fix what I... well, what I essentially broke.”

He looked at me a little befuddled.  I’d not talked to them at all about the fiasco at Tillsbury Estate.  Still smarting from the incident, I hadn’t the courage to do so.

“I’ll be sure to let you all know when we begin filming... that is, if you’d like to come and watch... maybe even participate.  We always need extras.”

He smiled.  “It would be my pleasure.”

I looked at him and tenderly patted his arm.  “You and Andy,” I said, needing to know where they stood.

He laughed and held up his hand, his index and middle finger intertwined.  “We’re like that.  There’s no way we’re going to let my little sister’s indiscretion destroy what we have.”

“Good.  I’d hate to see Andy lose such a good friend.”

With all the garments on the back seat of my ride, I got into the front seat.  “Northanger Abbey,” I told the driver.

“I beg your pardon, Miss.”

“I mean Tillsbury Estate.”

He nodded, and I waved at John as we drove off.

*****

IT SEEMED TO TAKE FOREVER to reach the estate.  Twice the driver took the wrong turn, and I had to tell him to turn around.

“Are you sure, Miss?” he said as we took the narrow road that led to the gate.

“Yes,” I said, remembering when I’d walked the length of this narrow road.  I remembered that large broken tree, and I remembered the dying bush near the deep rut.  I remembered every step.

What did I expect, coming back to face them? What did I expect of General Tillsbury?

I wasn’t sure, but I knew that I had to come back.

As we advanced on the narrow road, I repeatedly looked behind us.

“Do you fear being followed, Miss?”

“Oh, no,” I said.  Actually, I was hoping to see someone come up behind us.

Finally, we reached the gate.

“Darn,” I thought as I looked at the locked gate. I glanced at my watch. 

Kirby usually arrives at this time but what if he didn’t come in today?  What if he came in late?  All the way down the road I’d hope to see him pull up behind us, but... Every time I looked there was no one.

“Do you want to get off here, Miss?” the driver said, looking around with uncertainty.  “Although, I don’t believe it’d be wise.”

Well, no, I wanted to say.  That wasn’t the way I had planned it.  I couldn’t very well stay there at the gate... not with the entire wardrobe in boxes.

Just then a work truck came up the road behind us.  I instantly recognized Kirby behind the wheel and hopped out of the car to go to him.  I just had to hope he wouldn’t ask too many questions about my absence and sudden return.

“Thank goodness, Kirby.  Your timing is impeccable.  I left to run a few errands, and I forgot to bring my key.  I’m loathed to call Lizzy to come open for me.”

“No problem at all, Abbie.  I’m happy to see you again.  I haven’t seen you around much lately.”

I smiled and nodded.

“I’ll open the gate, and you can go in.”  He looked at the driver.  “Should I wait here for him to come back out?”

“If you don’t mind... I think that’d be best.  Thank you.”

With an understanding nod, he got out of the truck and, as Gabriel had done, he opened the small door, pulled the level down and the gate opened.  He waved us in, and we drove up to the main house.

“Thank you,” I said as the driver helped me get the wardrobe out and brought the boxes up to the porch.

I paid him and tipped him handsomely.

Crossing my fingers, I tried the door.  Kirby would certainly ask questions if I asked him to unlock the front door.

Thankfully, it was unlocked.  I quietly brought all the boxes inside then went in search of Gabriel.

In the distance, the sound of silverware against porcelain rang out.  Just as I suspected.  They were in the middle of dinner.  I quickly made my way to the formal dining room and found them there; General Tillsbury, Elizabeth and Gabriel.

“Good evening,” I said when no one noticed my presence.

“Abbie,” Gabriel gasped, the faint trace of a smile on his lips.  He was disheveled, as if he hadn’t slept in days... nor had he shaved.  Despite looking tired, his unkept appearance made him all the more appealing.  He was adorable in every sense of the word.

The General raised his gaze to me and fury immediately creased his brow.  “How dare you enter this home, you impudent woman.  How did you get in?  Who let you in?”

“Father, please,” Lizzy said, trying to calm him.  “Can we please be a little civilized?”

“Civilized?” he grunted as he sat back with a grimace.

Gabriel rose from his chair and took a step toward me but stopped and stood there as if unsure what to do.  In addition to his unshaven cheeks and neglected hair, he was not suitably dressed for dinner with the General.  Wearing old corduroy pants, and a stained tank top under a flannel shirt, he looked better prepared to work with Kirby than to dine with his father.

Was it my absence that had affected him so?  And the relieved smile on his face... it all indicated that he was happy to see me.

Slamming his fist on the table, the General rose to his imposing height.  “I want that girl out of here,” he bellowed, not even deigning to address me directly.

“I want to know what brought her here,” Lizzy said.  “Please, sit down and let her speak.”

I’d never seen Lizzy so assertive, and with the General, no less.

“Yes,” Gabriel said, looking tenderly at me.  “After such a cold and hostile expulsion... the courage you must have to return.”

“Courage?” General Tillsbury shouted.  “Hubris is more like it.  That girl has no business being here.  She has no right, and I want her gone!”

“Father,” Gabriel snapped.

“No.  No.  No!” the General shouted.  “This girl is turning my own children against me.  I want her gone.”

“She is doing nothing of the sort, Papa,” Lizzy said.

“She has no right to be here,” he mumbled as he sat back down.

“You know it is not my nature to go against your wishes, General, but in this case...  I readily afford Abbie Moore the right to be here.  Now, please, be still and let her speak.”

The General scowled and for a moment I feared he might get up and strike Gabriel.  He looked at his son with both rage and a hint of admiration.  “Is it this girl that brings you to speak to your father with such disrespect?”

“You know very well that you have all my love and admiration, Father, but I believe that you’ve allowed your old-fashioned notions about social standing and expectations to stifle my happiness as well as that of Elizabeth.  Perhaps even Frank’s.”

General Tillsbury grumbled and leaned back into his chair.  “That’s easy for you to say.  You were born into privilege.  You’ve no idea how losing social standing can change your life... your future.”

Lizzy reached out to grasp her father’s hand.  “Gabriel is right, Papa.  I want a life filled with love, not someone else’s idea of what my social standing should be.”

“What are you saying?” he said, his voice suddenly soft as he looked at his daughter with surprising tenderness.

“What I’m saying is that I would rather live a quiet life in a modest country home with Henry, than to live in a majestic estate with a man I can’t bear to be with.”

With a smirk, he tilted his head to one side.  “Why could you not have both?  It is not harder to love a rich man than a poor one.”

“Rich or poor, it is Henry that I love, and it is Henry that I want to spend my life with.  I must confess, Papa, that I’ve never stopped loving him, and...”  She hesitated.  “I’ve never stopped...”  She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Oh, I know.  I know,” her father said with a dismissive sweep of his large hand.  “You’ve been seeing him all the while.”

“Papa!” she exclaimed.  “You knew?”

“Of course, I knew.  Do you think I didn’t notice your sudden interest in walking through the forest every Friday afternoon, and every Wednesday morning?  Do you think I didn’t noticed how your spirits soared after those ‘nature walks’?  I never for one moment considered it may be a squirrel, fox or sparrow that could raise your spirits so.  No, only a man, a man who is so loved by a woman, can have that effect.”

“And yet you never said anything,” she said.

He shrugged.

“And what do you say of Frank, Father?” Gabriel said.

“What of him?”

“We all know that he wants to concentrate on his military career and travel the world,” Gabriel said.  “Tying him down to this estate would surely kill him.”

“Rubbish,” the General said.

“And, finally, what about me?”

“What about you?”  The General looked at his son, already anticipating what was to come.

“I want to be a pastor.”

“Yes.  Yes,” General Tillsbury groaned.

“I want to serve my congregation, and I want to help people.”

General Tillsbury grumbled again.  “You children underestimate... you disregard... you hold no importance whatsoever to the Tillsbury name.  For generations, the name has been synonymous with honor, dignity and...”

“Wealth?  Is that your claim?”  Gabriel looked at me.  “It would appear that my father misunderstood your relationship with Hugh Pembroke.”

I frowned.  “I don’t understand.  What does that mean?”

The General passed his hand over the entirety of his face, clearly unhappy with Gabriel’s declaration.

Lizzy looked pointedly at me.  “It means he thought you were of high status seeing how you lived at the Pembroke summer residence.  He believed you to be... well, very wealthy.”

“Oh,” I let out, slightly amused and a bit disenchanted.  “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

The General grunted.  “So, I learned.”

“Learning that you simply worked for Pembroke’s wife... well...”  Gabriel glared at his father.

With a huff, General Tillsbury averted his gaze and crossed his arms over his massive chest.  “You can’t blame me for wanting the best for my children.”

“No, Father,” Gabriel said.  “I can’t blame you for that, but I can blame you for deciding what it is that will make us happy.”

Beaten, the General looked down at the table.  “Then what will become of us if you are all to marry... commoners.”

Lizzy and Gabriel groaned.

Gabriel looked at me and winked.  “I guess you will have to learn to love your common grandchildren... who will, by the way, be Tillsburys.”

Lizzy leaned closer to her father.  “I want a houseful of children, Papa.  Happy children who will come here and fill this estate with laughter.  And you will love them all, I’m sure, even if they have the Convington name and not Tillsbury.”

I smiled as the General softened right there before my eyes.

Gabriel went to his father and stood beside him, his hand on his shoulder.  “We’re not closing the door on high society, Father.  We’re opening it on the world and all it has to offer.”

“Gabriel, Frank and I will always be here for you,” Lizzy added.  “And we’ll always be here to help with the estate.”

“I’m barely an hour’s walk away,” Gabriel added.  “And Lizzy and Henry are sure to settle in Bath.”

“And Frank will undoubtedly come home from time to time,” Lizzy said.

“And, quite frankly, I suspect social status isn’t your only motivation for having us marry well,” Gabriel said.  “You would like to see us marry a large enough fortune to help bring Tillsbury Estate back to its former glory.”

General Tillsbury brought his hand over his brow and leaned on the table.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Gabriel said.

Without looking up, he nodded.

“In that case, I might have some good news for you.”

He looked up at his son with a glimmer of hope.

“I’ve been looking at the possibility of opening a portion of the estate to the public.”

“Yes.  Yes.  We’ve talked about that before, but...”

“I’ve looked into it more seriously, and I think there’s a way to make it work.  People love this type of architecture, and they love to live as people did back in the day... with a few perks, of course.  If we were to convert a dozen or two rooms to luxurious suites, we could generate enough revenue to rejuvenate the entire estate.”

The General pursed his lips and nodded, eager to hear more.

“Times have changed, Father,” Gabriel went on.

“Yes.  I know.”

“Gone are the days when you attempt to marry your children to the heirs and heiresses of fortune.”

“Yes.  Yes.  I understand.”

“If we do this right, we can turn this place into a historical tourist spot, all while filling the coffers.  It’s a win/win situation.”

“Bravo, brother,” Frank said as he came in, clapping at his younger brother’s sensible words.

Lizzy joined in applauding Gabriel.  “I could not have said it better.”  She turned back to her father.  “We’ve been looking into management, professionals in hospitality, and it’s been very promising.  Our initial investment would be minimal, and the rewards could quickly be great.”

The General looked up at me from under his big, bushy eyebrows.  “You.  You’re the one who pushed them down this road.”

“No,” Gabriel quickly said, coming to my side.  “She absolutely did not push us.  She simply inspired us to go out and work for what we really want.”

“I did?” I said.

He looked at me with such tenderness in his eyes that I wanted to melt into his arms.  “Yes,” he said softly.  “And I want you to know, you will always be welcomed here.  I have the right to welcome you here.  After all, I have been pouring a lot of money into this estate.”

“Gabriel!” General Tillsbury said in an attempt to shut Gabriel up.

“I think it’s time the truth came out,” Gabriel said.  “For years I’ve paid the staff.  For years I’ve paid to keep the lights on.  And there have even been times when I helped to put food on the table.”  He turned back to me.  “I learned to play the stock market back at Oxford and found that I have a natural talent for it.”

Stunned by the revelation, I smiled.  Not only was he so irresistibly handsome, but he was smart and generous.

His fingers discreetly and delicately found mine.  “I’m so glad you came back.”

“You are?” I said, so happy to hear him say it aloud.

“I’ve been unable to think of little else since you’ve been gone.  Everywhere I turn, it’s you I see.”

“But you were so angry with me for going into...”

He shook his head, quickly cutting me off.  “I was confused and surprised and...  Okay, I was a little angry.”  He laughed softly.  “But I know you, and I know what’s in your heart, and I know that you have a wild imagination.  How can I fault you for seeking out the truth when Lizzy and I did so much to create all this mystery and...”  He leaned closer.  “But none of that is important now.  Not as important to me as you are.”

“Me?” I said as my heart raced.  “I’m important to you?”

“Indeed, you are,” he said, tightening his hold of my hand.  “When I’m with you I feel alive.  I’m grateful for every moment with you.  You bring novelty and wonder into my life, and you keep me constantly amused.”

“Ooh, ooh,” Frank sang out.  “Is Gabriel confessing his love for Abbie Moore right here before the entire family?”

“Is it any wonder,” Lizzy said.  “He’s been moping around here since she left and... did you see his face light up when she came in?”

General Tillsbury grunted and stood up to look at Lizzy.  “Is that what was going on with him all this time?  The boy is lovesick?”

Lovesick?  I looked at Gabriel, the question plain on my face, I was sure.  I’d come to understand that he was fond of me, that I interested him and amused him, but love?  Real love?

Gabriel blushed.  “I guess I’m not as honest with my emotions as I ought to be.  And I sincerely regret not being honest about them with you.  My fondness for you was instant, from the very moment I met you, and it has only grown with every passing day, until I finally realized that I’d fallen madly in love with you.”

“Oh, Gabriel,” I whispered.

“I should have gone after you the moment I learned that you’d been shunned from Tillsbury Estate, and that will always be my biggest regret.  Please, forgive me.”

“I do forgive you, Gabriel.  Oh, yes, I forgive you.”

“Am I witness to the grandest apology?” Frank said with a wry grin.  “Or is this the mushiest, gooiest profession of love that I’ve ever heard?”

“Don’t listen to your brother,” the General said.  “I’m proud of you, son.  As much as I loved your mother, sentimental words didn’t come easily to me, and I wish I’d told her more often just how much she meant to me.”

Gabriel looked at me.  “I love you, Abbie.  I love you and I will gladly tell you so every day.”

I could stand it no longer.  I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him right there in front of everyone.  “I love you, too, Gabriel.  Oh, how I love you.”

TWENTY

While I’d been too late to dine with the Tillsbury, I did join them for dessert.  How could I refuse when Beatrice brought out a mile high apple pie.

“As American as apple pie, they say,” Gabriel said as he cut a generous slice, set it on a dessert plate and handed it to me.  “But, actually, Americans were not the first to slice apples into a delicate crust and bake until golden brown.  As a matter of fact, North America did not even have any native apple trees until Europeans arrived.”

I laughed.  “Is that true?” I said, a little surprised.

The conversation remained light and trivial, with Lizzy determined to steer it away from any business talk.

Afterward, Gabriel and I headed out to stroll through the gardens.

“I had no idea you’d been funding the upkeep of the estate,” I said.  “It must be quite an expense.  I don’t know what sort of investment you need to convert a portion into hotel suites, but I do know that Keely is offering a generous amount for access to the property.”

He shook his head.  “I don’t think that will be necessary.  I know that you’re working with a tight budget.  All I ask is that the Tillsbury Estate name appear in the credits.  That will be payment enough.”

Pleased, I’d smiled.  “She’ll be very happy to hear that.”

That night, I slept once again in my room and left early the next morning after a quick breakfast with Gabriel and Lizzy.

While Gabriel regretted not being able to drive me into town, he did ensure I had a safe ride with his father’s chauffeur, Vincent.

Sitting in the back seat of the General’s luxury car as we left the estate to return to Bath, I was suddenly eager to talk to Keely about it all. 

Once at the Royal Crescent, I hurried to the door and threw it open.

“Keely,” I cried.

“Up here,” she called from her office upstairs.

I rushed up the steps.  “I’m so happy you’re back,” I said as I gave her a hug.  “Was your trip profitable?”

“I’ll say.  Everyone, every last one of the actors I hoped to sign, signed.”

“I’m thrilled.”

“And the entire crew from Emma will be coming back to work with us again.  What about you? How are things coming along on your end?”

“Other than a few accessories, like hats, gloves, bonnets, shoes and larger overcoats, all is done.... A few hems to finish, perhaps a dress will need to be taken in here and there, but the bulk of it is complete.”

“And what about Tillsbury Estate?  Will it be suitable to play the part of Northanger Abbey?”

“Did you have a chance to look at the few photos I sent you?”

“Yes, and from what I could tell, it’s perfect.”

I nodded.  “It’s even more impressive in person.  We can go check it all out tomorrow, if you have time. I think you’ll be very pleased.  And not only can it sit in for Northanger Abbey, but it can play the part of other homes as well.  There are so many rooms... so many.  There’s even a smaller home that we can use for the Thorpe’s residence.”

“I’m very pleased with the work you’ve done, Abbie.”  She cupped my cheeks and looked at me with open pride.  “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

I nodded and smiled.  Maybe one day I would tell her how close I’d come to failure.

“Are they asking for a hefty price?  Hugh said they needed money to fix the place up.  How much are they asking?”

“Minimal,” I said as I shook my head.  “Credit, of course.  They’d like to see the Tillsbury name appear prominently in the credits.  Then of course there’s the catering and the rooms we’ll be staying in... just enough to cover the cost of our stay.”

“Perfect.  I couldn’t ask for a better situation.  Do you think it would be possible for you to move to Tillsbury Estate... let’s say, by Monday?”

I considered her question for a moment.  “Yes.  I think that could be arranged.”

“I’d like you to return there as soon as you can and get everything set up.  We’ll need rooms for the cast and crew to sleep in, a place to eat, and a large enough office to work from.  It’ll be easier if we prepare for the production right from there.  I’m assuming some changes will need to be made to the interior décor.”

“A bit, but not much.  We have their permission to use the furniture in most of the rooms.”

“You’re grinning from ear to ear, Abbie.  Why do I get the impression that your happiness is not exclusively due to the production of this movie.”

My cheeks were instantly aflame.  “It’s just very pleasant being there.”

“And Gabriel?”

I simply smiled.

She laughed.  “I knew you two would hit it off,” she said.  “Why do you think I urged you to speak to him that night at the charity ball?”

I frowned suddenly.  “Keely?  Did you press me to get to know him so that we could secure Tillsbury Estate for this production?”

“Partially.  I knew that in speaking to him, the topic of this movie might come up and so on.  But I also knew that he was the type of man you would be fond of.  Seeing you together, that first night at that ball... Already then, you two made a cute couple... like it was meant to be.”

A manly chuckle resonated in the room.  I turned to see Hugh leaning in the doorway.  “That’s my wife for you,” he said, clearly amused.  “Still playing matchmaker.”

Keely went to her husband and kissed him passionately.  “Can you blame me for wanting for my friends the same sort of happiness and bliss that I’ve found.”

EPILOGUE

The wardrobe the Pruitts and I had sewn was as close to perfect as could be.  Only a few adjustments here and there, and the accessories we rented completed it all.

The grounds of Tillsbury Estate were perfect for every outdoor scene; the Palladian bridge was used for three scenes, the forest for two and the gardens for countless scenes.  Only a few scenes needed be filmed in town, and of course, the groundkeeper’s house with its thatched roof was used when Catherine went to visit Isabella.

And the interiors...  Every day, Keely was stunned by the gothic beauty of the place and the ease with which so many scenes could be shot.

General Tillsbury hung around quite a bit, curious as to the ways of movie making.  Keely even found a way to put him in a scene, though slightly in the background.

He was thrilled.

The cast and crew enjoyed living and working at the estate, with many promising to come back and stay at a hotel suite for their vacation.

Earlier in the day, as we’d set up to shoot the final scene, I’d been unable to keep bittersweet tears from streaking my cheeks. 

The past month had been magical.  My days were filled with various tasks related to the movie shoot, and my evenings and nights were spent with Gabriel.

On many nights we discussed the changes needed for the conversion of basic rooms to hotel suites.  But, more often than not, we discussed our future, our lives together, and how many children we ultimately wanted.

But tonight, everything related to Northanger Abbey would come to an end.  The crew would go onto their next project.  Actors and actresses would either go on the promotional tour, take a break or move on to their next role.

Keely and Hugh had prepared a wrap party for everyone in the cast and crew and the Tillsbury family.

Even Ayra, Jai and their newborn attended, as well as Keely’s father, Mr. Donald Lee.

The caterers had brought in an impressive spread while Agatha had prepared loads of pastries and puddings.

As everyone drank and ate, Keely came to me.

“You don’t look as happy as you should,” she said.  “You did such a great job, Abbie.  You should be proud.”

I shrugged.  “I am... but you know how it is,” I said, my emotions constricting my throat.  “Thrilled to have it over and done with and heartbroken to have it over and done with.”

We laughed.

“I know what you mean, but that’s the way the movie making business goes.  You adopt a family for a time and then you disperse... and then you start again.”

I nodded.  “At least you had the same crew.  They really are a great bunch.  They know what you want before you even ask.”

“I know,” she said emphatically.  “That is precisely why I want them again and again.”

I bit my bottom lip as a question came to mind.  Would she want to work with me again and again?  But I didn’t dare ask for fear of an answer I wasn’t yet ready to hear.

Keely laughed and nudged me with her elbow.  “I can read you like a book, dear Abbie.  You’ve no need to question yourself.  You did a great job on this movie.  You have initiative, you’re super conscientious and you’re just the right type of perfectionist – not enough to get on my nerves, but just enough to get things right.”

My heart raced.  “Does that mean...?”

She turned to face me.  “I am officially asking if you would like to sign on for our next movie.  Again you would be the assistant director and assistant producer.  The Jane Austen Association is going to be shooting here in Bath again and will be working on...”  She beat an imaginary drum.  “Persuasion.”

Speechless, I smiled.

“Of course, we won’t be using Tillsbury Estate again.  We’ll need a more modest house.  Something nice, quaint... a manor house.  Do you think you could find something like that for us?”

“I’m sure I can.”

“No rush,” she said with a grin.  “You have six weeks.”

Gasping, I looked at her.  “Oh, my.  I’d better get on it right away.”

We laughed as Gabriel came to join us.

“You ladies are certainly enjoying yourselves,” he said.  “I would imagine you’re quite proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Keely set a tender hand on my shoulder.  “I don’t know what I would have done without Abbie.  She has every right to be exceedingly proud.”

“Might I borrow her for a moment?” Gabriel said.

“Absolutely.”

As I looked curiously at Gabriel, Keely left us and returned to the party.

Gabriel came to my side and took my hand in his.  Without a word he led me to the center of the party.

“Excuse me, everyone,” he shouted above the din.  “Everyone.  If I might have your attention for just one moment.”

Everyone quieted down and turned to us.

“I wanted to publicly thank Abbie for everything she’s done for the Tillsbury family,” Gabriel said.  “She’s brought us closer together and has helped us get our plans for turning simple rooms into hotel suites off the ground.”

Embarrassed, I smiled as the cast and crew applauded me.

“I’m sure every single one of you has also had the chance to recognize what a hardworking, industrious and exceedingly kind woman she is.”

Everyone nodded, and I couldn’t help but wonder why Gabriel was doing this.  He knew I didn’t like being the center of attention... at least, not in this manner.

“Well,” Gabriel went on.  “Now that filming Northanger Abbey has finally come to a close, now that she will have a bit of time on her hands...”

He turned to me and, on seeing the expression in his eyes, seeing the love there, I knew what he was about to do.

“My dearest Abbie.”  He clasped my hands in his.  “I’ve seen you at your worst.  I’ve seen you at your best.  I’ve seen how diligent you are.  I’ve seen you stop to console a colleague.  I’ve seen you go out of your way to ensure all went well.  I’ve seen you be everything to everyone.  And now...”

He got down on one knee and everyone sighed and gasped.

“I would ask if you will be the wife to this man who wants nothing more than to be your husband.”

I was certain that the smile on my face was as silly as my bobbing head that told him ‘yes’ where my lips were unable to form the simple word.

“Yes?” he said..

I nodded more fervently and as he stood, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him as the cast and crew around us exploded into wild applause.

“Wait!” Gabriel said after a moment, his hand high in the air to quiet them down.  “She hasn’t even seen the ring yet.”

He took a step back, pulled a small box out of his pocket and popped it open.  The silver ring, while far from ostentatious, was beautiful with a generous diamond set in an old-fashioned manner.

General Tillsbury approached and, looking down on us, smiled, a somewhat sad smile.  “This was my Margaret’s ring,” he said.  “It is modest by many standards, but...”

I gasped and immediately looked for Lizzy.  Surely, she coveted the diamond ring.  Surely, she’d hoped to have it for herself.  I finally found her.  She smiled and nodded, giving her silent approval. “You’re going to be my sister, for real, Abbie,” she said. “You’re the sister I’d always wanted. You’re a Tillsbury, too.”

“I love it,” I whispered to the General as I reached up to kiss the older man’s cheek.

Gabriel took the ring out of the box and, with a slightly trembling hand, put the ring on my trembling finger.

Once again, everyone applauded and cheered. Keely and Hugh came to us just as Beatrice passed by with a tray of champagne flutes.

Gabriel took two and handed them to Keely and myself, then took two more, handing one to Hugh and keeping the other.

“Congratulations,” Keely said.  “I couldn’t be more happy for you.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I take her away from you for a while,” Gabriel said.

“I was just telling her when you came to us... she has six weeks to find the location for our next project.”

“Another abbey?  Another grand estate?” Gabriel said.

Keely shook her head.  “A beautiful but modest home would be perfect.  Of course, it must have that old world charm.  A Tudor home could be nice.”

“I think I may just have the home you need,” Gabriel said.

“Oh?” Keely and I said.

“Yes,” Gabriel said.  “And it’s not far away at all.  Your cast and crew could still stay here at the estate and film at this modest house very easily.”

Keely smiled and looked at me.  “Well, in that case, if we can settle the location so easily, you’ll have plenty of time to marry and honeymoon before we’re ready to start.”

Gabriel laughed.  “You guys don’t miss a beat, do you?  I should have known.  After watching you these past months, I should have known you wouldn’t waste much time before moving on.  That’s just the way you roll, isn’t it?”

“Is there any other way?” Keely said with a laugh.

“Onto the next project,” I said as I raised my glass for a toast.

“Onto the next one,” Keely shot back.

Get the Entire Jane Austen Association Series!

Arranging Ayra (Jane Austen Association Series #1) by Kailin Gow

An arranged marriage setup gets complicated during the filming of Pride and Prejudice

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The Evolution of Emma (Jane Austen Association Series #2) by Kailin Gow

A well-meaning matchmaker finds romance during the filming of Emma

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Love Blossoms during the filming of Northanger Abbey

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Persuading Penny (Jane Austen Association Series #4) by Kailin Gow

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Christmas Park (Jane Austen Association Series #6) by Kailin Gow

Romance develops during around Christmas during the filming of Mansfield Park

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