The Perfect Hero: The perfect summer read for Austen addicts!. Victoria Connelly

impossible!’ Beth shouted above the wind. ‘I can hardly get my breath.’

      Sophie and Gemma linked arms and struggled along behind Beth as they approached the Cobb. The sea was whipping up some alarming waves now and they were hitting the Cobb on the far side and spraying over the top, soaking anyone who dared to stand nearby.

      Teresa was shaking her head. ‘It’s no good,’ she bellowed. ‘We can’t shoot in this.’

      ‘I told you!’ Beth bellowed back. ‘We should have had that lie-in!’

      ‘Best hangover cure, though!’ Oli said with a laugh. He was wearing an enormous coat over his Captain Wentworth clothes and his face was damp with sea spray. The other actors who were part of the Cobb scene were similarly attired and most were bent double to try to cope with the ever-increasing wind.

      And then the rain came. There was no build-up – no hesitant drops to warn of an impending downpour – the heavens just opened and dumped their load on to the poor unfortunates below.

      Adam pulled the hood of his coat up and ran towards the nearest van for cover, as did everyone else. Bonnets and hair were flattened in an instant and make-up rivered down each actor’s face. Dampened dresses clung to the actresses’ legs and everyone’s face was now as glum as Les Miserable’s.

      Towels were quickly passed around and the make-up girls went into standby to repair the damage but Teresa was shaking her head.

      ‘Get out of those wet things,’ she was shouting. ‘Get dried and then we’re heading out to do the Uppercross scenes.’

      Adam saw Gemma’s face fall and he could guess why. She’d psyched herself up for the Cobb scene and now the weather had put paid to that.

      ‘Hey,’ he said, sidling up to her, ‘you’ll be fine.’

      She looked up at him with wide eyes, reminding him of a traffic-startled deer. But then she nodded.

      ‘Come on, everyone,’ Teresa suddenly bellowed. ‘Get moving!’

      Adam knew that they’d hired a minibus and it wasn’t long before the cast were battling their way along the windy Cobb and boarding it. Nobody asked him if he wanted to join them, but he hadn’t expected that they would and he didn’t mind. He had his own wheels and he also had an idea brewing.

      ‘Kay,’ he said quietly to himself as he left the Cobb. Kay could go with him. She was reading Persuasion. She was bound to want to see it being filmed and it would be the perfect opportunity to get to know her.

      Bowing his head against the wind, he walked along Marine Parade towards Wentworth House, making a couple of quick calls to the production team first so that he couldn’t be accused of skiving.

      This is a good idea, isn’t it? a little voice inside him said as he approached Kay’s. He cleared his throat and pulled down his hood, raking a hand through his hair which, he feared, was even more tousled than usual with the wind he’d been battling. Then, before he could change his mind, he knocked on the door.

      And waited.

      He knocked again, rapping the knocker as loudly as he could.

      And then he waited some more. Lucky there was a porch, he thought, otherwise he would have been soaked to the skin by now.

      Finally, the door opened. ‘Oh!’ Kay said.

      ‘Hello,’ Adam said, noticing her face was flushed and her long toffee-coloured hair had been piled on top of her head in a funny sort of bun.

      ‘I was under the bed,’ she said.

      He gave her a quizzical look.

      ‘Vacuuming,’ she explained. ‘Did you forget something?’

      ‘No. Can I come in?’ he asked, knowing he was the kind of guy who girls didn’t automatically invite into their homes. ‘It’s a bit blustery out here.’

      ‘Oh, right,’ Kay said.

      ‘There’s something I want to ask you,’ he said as he walked inside, waiting for her to close the door behind them. ‘They’ve broken off filming at the Cobb. The weather’s too bad. They’re going to do some of the Uppercross scenes – up in the Marshwood Vale.’

      ‘Where you live?’

      ‘Nearby, yes. I was going to drive up there and wondered if you wanted to come along.’ He paused, his heart thudding in his chest. This isn’t a date, he told himself. There’s no need to get tied up into nervous knots about it.

      ‘Right now?’ she asked, her bright eyes widening.

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘Well, I don’t know,’ Kay said. ‘There’s so much to do here. I’ve got beds to make and towels to wash and carpets to vacuum and sinks to clean. And I’ve got to prepare a meal for tonight.’

      Adam watched as she puffed her cheeks out.

      ‘Okay,’ he said.

      ‘Maybe another time?’

      ‘No. I mean – okay, I’ll help you,’ he said. ‘I’ll make the beds and wash the towels and vacuum anything that needs vacuuming.’

      She gave him a quizzical look. ‘Why?’

      ‘Because I think you should come and see Persuasion being filmed and I want to show you the Marshwood Vale.’

      Kay looked thoughtful for a moment.

      ‘All the cast will be there. I’m sure they’d be happy to see you,’ he added and he watched as Kay’s expression changed.

      ‘You’ll really help out here?’ she asked.

      ‘Of course. Just point me to the nearest sink that needs scrubbing.’

      A smile broke across Kay’s face and Adam found himself mirroring it. He’d known this would be a good idea.

       Chapter Twelve

      There followed a mad frenzy of vacuuming, dusting and scrubbing as Adam and Kay worked their way around the bedrooms of Wentworth House. Bed sheets were straightened and tucked, pillows and duvets were shaken and fluffed, towels were swapped and washed and everything else was cleaned until it shone.

      Finally, when Kay was quite sure everything looked perfect, she turned to Adam. He was ready with a smile for her.

      ‘I think we deserve the rest of the day off, don’t you?’

      Kay nodded. ‘That’s certainly a job well done,’ she said. ‘Thanks so much for helping. If you ever give up the film world, there’s a job for you right here.’

      ‘I might take you up on that,’ he said, thinking how wonderful it would be to work alongside Kay all day. But how distracting it would be too. No, he decided, he probably wouldn’t get any work done at all if he knew she was just in the next room because the temptation to down tools and take her in his arms and – well, it just wouldn’t be viable, would it?