“Yes, I brought it from Zoe’s flat, like you asked.” She reached intoher bag and pulled out Nick’s mum’s copy of the book, handing it to him. Nick looked at me.
“OK, Zoe. All you need to do is read out loud the same passage ofPride and Prejudiceas you did on the bus, but this time, rather than wishing Darcy was real, you have to picture the scene in the story and focus all your attention on wishing him back into it.”
“I’ve tried that before and it didn’t work,” I said.
“But did youreallymean it? You have to wish for Darcy to go back with all your heart; no part of you can want him to stay.”
I swallowed. “Can’t you do it?”
“I’m sorry, but I definitely don’t have the ability,” Nick said. “And even if I did, because it was you who read Darcy out, I think for the magic to work, it has to be you who reads him back in.”
“You’re so confident I can do this, but what if you’re wrong?” I said, voicing the question that had been nagging in the back of my brain all afternoon.
Nick moved across the room to stand next to me. “Look, I know I told you earlier that I don’t know how this happened, but what I do know is that you’ve channeled the magic before, either on your own or because of Mum’s book, which means youcando it again.”
Nick was looking at me with such conviction that I found myself nodding.
“OK, I’ll try,” I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.
“I believe you can do this too,” Bianca said, and when I glanced at her, she gave me an encouraging smile.
My eyes moved to Darcy, who was the only person in the room not looking at me. There were so many things I wanted to say to him: how sorry I was for lying, how much he’d helped me while he was here, and how grateful I was for all the wonderful memories he’d given me withmy mum, but I knew there wasn’t time. So in the end, all I said was, “Thank you for everything, Mr. Darcy.”
His eyes flicked to me and I saw his head nod in the tiniest bow. Then he looked back to the floor.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my pounding heart. As crazy as this felt, if Nick was right and I was the only person who could get Darcy back intoPride and Prejudiceand save the book, I had to give it my best shot. No pressure, then.
“Please be careful,” Nick said gently, coming to stand beside me as he handed me the book. “Don’t allow your thoughts to get distracted by anything except your desire to send Darcy back. Just concentrate on the image in your head and forget everything else exists.”
I opened the book, my hands shaking as I turned to the end of chapter ten. The room was completely silent as I took a deep breath and started to read the same passage I’d read on the bus.
“‘Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?’
“She smiled, but made no answer. He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence.”
As I said the words out loud, I pictured the scene in Netherfield: the opulent drawing room with the characters all assembled, Miss Bingley playing the piano and her sister accompanying her, Elizabeth leafing through some music books while Darcy watched her.Please go back toPride and Prejudice, Darcy, I mentally begged.Return to Netherfield and your flirting with Elizabeth Bennet. That’s where you belong.
“‘Oh!’ said she. ‘I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say “Yes,” that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste, but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt.’”
I didn’t dare look up, but I could tell everyone in the room was focused on my words. I couldn’t let them down.Come on, Mr. Darcy, I willed.Leave us and get back toPride and Prejudice. Georgiana needs you. Elizabeth needs you, even if she doesn’t realize it yet. You can’t stay here with me, and although I wish I could come and visit you in Netherfield, I know I have to say goodbye to you now.
“Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry.” As I said these words, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Did that mean it was working?
“But there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anyone…” The sharp pain continued, and now I felt dizzy. The letters on the page in front of me had gone blurry, and I was struggling to read them.
“And Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her,” I just managed to mutter before I felt myself sway.
“Zoe?”
That was Nick’s voice, but it sounded far away, as if I were underwater. I glanced up to see him looking at me with panic in his eyes. Then I felt the pain in my stomach again, like someone had stabbed a knife into me and was yanking out my large intestine. I let out a cry, the book slipping from my fingers as I tumbled forward. I reached out and felt Nick grasp my hand.
“Zoe, no!” I heard him shout, his fingers tightening around my own. But I couldn’t keep hold of him, the force from my stomach too strong, and then suddenly the ground was rushing up to meet me and I screamed as the world went black.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I awoke lying on the floor, my head throbbing from where I’d knocked myself out. My whole body ached, and there was something that smelled suspiciously like vomit nearby, but thankfully the excruciating pain was starting to subside. What the hell had happened there? Nick had never mentioned that reading someone back into a book felt like undergoing abdominal surgery without anesthetic. It better have bloody worked, because I wouldn’t be doing that again in a hurry.
“Has Darcy gone?” I mumbled groggily, pushing myself up. “Nick?”
