Page 67 of Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
“Tell him to come back tomorrow,” Gran advised. “You never know. This rain wasn’t forecast, so it’s hard to know what tomorrow will bring.”
She nodded and messaged him back, apologizing for the late notice. He understood, though, which was good. She needed someone easy and flexible to work with.
“Look, how about we all go home and have a good sleep,” Gran suggested. “Unless there are things you really need to stay for, Liv.”
She looked at the rainbow of sticky notes decorating the desk, various to-do lists on each one of them. “If we’re doing paper tickets, then they still need to get done.”
“We can help with that.”
“Veronica, I can take you back if Liv needs to stay a little longer,” Tobias offered.
Liv nodded and thanked Tobias.
“Don’t stay up too late,” her grandmother said.
“We’ll make sure she doesn’t,” George said, with another of those disconcerting looks at her brother, which made Liv wonder what she meant.
The room cleared, leaving brother and sister and her. “I promise not to be too long,” she said.
“Take as long as you need,” George said. “Is there anything we can help with?”
She winced. “Have you got a printer I can use? I’m sorry. I should’ve asked Tobias if we could use his.”
“You could email it to him. I’m sure he’d be able to help cut them for you.”
She sighed. “It may sound like I have control issues, but I’d want to make sure he cuts things straight.”
Liam chuckled. “A valid point. I’ve noticed that some of his hedge trimming leaves a little to be desired.”
Really? She’d thought he’d done a great job of fixing Gran’s hedge.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to it, then,” George said. “Wait. Who is that?”
Liv peered out the window, where a person was running down the path. How they’d managed to get through the locked wrought iron gate she didn’t know. Oh, wait, yes she did. Liv was supposed to lock it when she left.
“Oh my gosh,” George muttered.
“Who is it?” Liv asked Liam. He too looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“Wait here.” He scowled and went to the front door.
Wait here? He obviously didn’t know her well if he thought she’d obey. So she moved to the Entrance Hall in time to see him open the front door and the woman drop her bag on the tiled floor, then wrap her arms around Liam and kiss him.
“Camilla.” He subtly pushed her away and then wiped his mouth. He glanced behind him. Sure enough, his fears were realized. Liv was already turning away.
“Camilla Atwood. What are you doing here?” George’s voice was unimpressed.
“Can’t an old friend come to visit?” Camilla pouted.
Not this old friend. He glanced at his sister for help. Their unexpected visitor’s shirt was damp from the rain and almost see-through.
“Look, Daddy said you were reopening the Hall this weekend, and I thought I’d come down to surprise you.”
Her father was head trustee. Something didn’t add up. “We’re surprised.”
“Well, to be honest, I expected there to be more people here. I only saw one car out there. A battered old thing.”
Something Camilla had certainly never driven in her life. She was all about whatever was shiny and new: cars, clothes, trends, men. George had wondered aloud before if Camilla had a crush on him. That kiss suggested her suspicions were justified.
