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nervous teacher before a class of students.
    Kay was one of the first in and took a seat in the front row. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked Adam. He nodded again but she could see the look of panic in his eyes. ‘Just remember that everyone loves everything you do!’
    Adam took a deep breath as the rest of the seats filled up. It was time to begin.
    After telling the audience how he’d come to be such a big Jane Austen fan and how his love of his native Lyme Regis had encouraged him to write and produce an adaptation of Persuasion , Gemma explained how she went about portraying the film’s heroine, Anne Elliot.
    The talk was illustrated with numerous photographs taken during the production and the ones of Oli Wade Owen dressed as Captain Wentworth went down particularly well with the ladies.
    It was then time for questions from the audience.
    ‘What was it like kissing Oli Wade Owen?’ Doris Norris asked with a little giggle.
    ‘Ah, but I didn’t,’ Gemma said. ‘Anne Elliot kissed Captain Wentworth and it was pretty wonderful.’
    Everyone laughed.
    ‘Will either of you do more Austen adaptations?’ Roberta asked from the second row.
    Gemma was the first to answer. ‘I’m not acting anymore, I’m afraid, so I won’t be. But Adam – you’re working on something at the moment, aren’t you?’
    ‘Well, yes. It’s very early days but I’ve got a modern adaptation of Sense and Sensibility under way and I’m hoping we’ll be able to shoot it in Devon next year.’
    This news was greeted with much approval and Mia nudged Sarah. ‘It’s probably our life story,’ she said.
    ‘I doubt it,’ Sarah said with a little smile. ‘It would be deemed highly implausible!’
     
    After lunch, there was a talk by another of the guests – Doctor Katherine Roberts from St Bridget’s College in Oxford. A happy hour was spent discussing the role of mothers in the novels of Jane Austen and it was concluded that they were a pretty bad bunch on the whole although it was agreed that Mrs Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility was the most likeable and had done her very best for her daughters.
    There was then an afternoon showing of the recent BBC adaptation of Emma and everybody cheered whenever snow was seen. There were also a couple of naughty wolf whistles for Jonny Lee Miller’s Mr Knightley too and, as usual amongst Jane Austen fans, a conversation ensued about who was the best Mr Knightley.
    ‘I rather preferred Jeremy Northam as Mr Knightley,’ Doris Norris said.
    Rose shook her head. ‘He was far too gentle. He practically bordered on the effeminate. Mark Strong was much better.’
    ‘I’d like to see Richard Armitage as Mr Knightley,’ Roberta said with a little sigh.
    ‘I’d like to see Richard Armitage in anything,’ Doris Norris said. ‘Or nothing!’ she added and the three of them chuckled
    ‘Shush!’ Mrs Soames hissed from the front row. ‘ Some of us are trying to watch this!’
     

Chapter 7
    Whilst most of the guests were wallowing in Emma , Dame Pamela was in her office with Higgins.
    ‘I must say, I’m rather nervous about this, Higgins,’ she said.
    ‘I’m not surprised, madam,’ he said.
    ‘I’ve been looking forward to it so much but, now the time is approaching, I feel all fluttery!’ She gave a girlish laugh, her hand flying to the pearl choker around her neck.
    Higgins cleared his throat which was always a sign that he had something to say although he’d never venture an opinion without being invited to.
    ‘What is it, Higgins?’ Dame Pamela asked, looking at her faithful butler and noticing that he looked decidedly twitchy.
    ‘If I may say something, madam?’ he said, eyebrows arching imperiously.
    ‘Of course.’
    He cleared his throat again which made Dame Pamela even more anxious to hear what he had to say.
    ‘We don’t really know these people,’ he said.
    ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
    ‘I mean that what you’re about to do – what you’re about to show