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Dan had asked around the village but nobody seemed to know anything about the poor abandoned animal.
    ‘What are we to do with it?’ Dame Pamela had asked on meeting the nervous piebald for the first time. ‘It’s in poor condition. Maybe we should ring the RSPCA or find a retirement home for her.’
    Dan had shaken his head. ‘She was brought here , Pammy,’ he said. ‘To us . Don’t you think we should take her in?’
    Dame Pamela hadn’t needed much persuasion and Dan had got to work on the animal. They’d called her Winter. She was a nervous little cob and Dan began to wonder if she’d been mistreated. She was terrified of their Jack Russell, Biscuit, which was a real problem as he loved to run around the stables sniffing out rats so Dan did his best to keep Biscuit away from her and, slowly but surely, the horse began to trust him, letting him approach her and allowing him to stroke her neck with a friendly hand.
    Winter had been left in her stable that morning because Dan wanted to keep an eye on a tiny wound which he’d found on her back.
    ‘There now,’ he said as he slowly entered with a carrot. Winter took it from him and he listened to the happy sound of a horse munching. He took the opportunity to look at the little wound and was pleased to see that it was healing nicely.
    ‘We’ll get you out in the field,’ he said, opening the stable door and leading her into the yard.
    It was just then that a pair of pigeons landed, flying down from the clock tower. They were the pigeons which Biscuit usually loved to chase but Dan was still wary about having the little terrier in the yard at the same time as Winter and so had left Biscuit at home. However, even without the dog there, the fluttering wings of the pigeons had just the same effect on the nervous horse who immediately reared up, neighing loudly before trying to bolt, catching Dan in the shins with a pair of flying feet.
    He dropped the leading rein and collapsed into himself in agony.
    ‘Winter!’ he cried but there was absolutely nothing he could do as the horse galloped out of the stable yard.

Chapter 6
    ‘Chatsworth is one of England’s greatest “Treasure Houses”,’ Dame Pamela announced as the minibus came to a halt after arriving at its first Pemberley, ‘and a place I was lucky enough to call home for a summer whilst I was filming Twelfth Night .’ She paused as the minibus exploded into applause as everybody remembered the tour de force that was Dame Pamela’s Viola.
    ‘Pemberley was thought to be situated near Bakewell,’ she continued, ‘and many Jane Austen fans believe that Chatsworth is the house she had in mind when she was envisioning Mr Darcy’s home.’ She took a deep breath. “To Pemberley, therefore, they were to go.” ’
    Everybody except Melissa cheered as they remembered the line from the book, standing up from their seats and grabbing their bags and cameras.
    ‘This is too, too exciting!’ Doris Norris exclaimed as she caught Katherine’s eye.
    ‘You know, Elizabeth and the Gardiners took “their Northern tour” in the month of July. So we’re here at the perfect time too,’ Katherine said.
    ‘Of course,’ Dame Pamela said. ‘We like to get things right, you know.’
    ‘Isn’t it Chatsworth on the front of the Hodder edition of Pride and Prejudice ? I’m sure it is,’ Annie said, producing a copy from her handbag.
    ‘It looks very much like it,’ Rose said, peering at it.
    Mr Allsop, the driver, cleared his throat. ‘Can I switch this off now?’ he asked.
    Dame Pamela looked confused for a moment and then she realised that the Dario Marianelli soundtrack to the 2005 film adaptation was still playing.
    ‘Oh, yes,’ she said.
    ‘Thanks heavens for that,’ he said under his breath.
    Dame Pamela shot him a look of disapproval as she left the minibus.
    The driver turned to look at Robyn. ‘You folks really are nuts about this Austen woman, aren’t you?’
    ‘Oh, yes,’ Robyn