Page 62 of Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
“I have to confess, I was a little surprised Liam did not want to make time for this interview,” Gerald said, clearly angling.
“As you might expect he’s been quite busy,” Gran said. “And to be fair, the press haven’t been too kind to him in the past.”
It was time to bring this interview to a close. “Now, we are all quite busy, so if you want to take some photos, now would be a great time,” Liv said.
“Right, well, let’s get one of you three near the staircase.”
The next minutes passed in several more photos before she accompanied Gerald outside to the fountain where he snapped another few. He was clearly wanting to roam the grounds, which would mean he would run the risk of bumping into Liam, which she wouldn’t allow, especially now that she felt protective of him.
But Gerald’s desire to take photographs reminded her of something else. “You know, we really do appreciate your support for us reopening the Hall. Thank you.” He might not have the best motives for being here, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t use him. “I was wondering if I could pick your brain about something.”
“Um, okay.” Gerald snapped another photo of the fountain.
“Do you happen to know if there are any young budding photographers who might be interested in making some money? We’re hoping to capitalize on ourPride and Prejudiceconnection and would love somebody who is cost-effective but still able to take a great photo. Do you happen to know of anyone? Maybe a student or an intern you’ve had in the past.”
He glanced at her. “How cost-effective?”
Did that look indicate he was interested? But she didn’t want his regular presence at the Hall upsetting Liam. “Look, I’m sure you can imagine that getting things up and running again is quite a drain on the purse. We’re looking for someone who might be starting out, wanting to build their portfolio, perhaps, and who will have availability on the weekends to take photographs of couples who might want to come here for their own ‘Mr. Darcy kissing Elizabeth in front of the fountain’ shot. People can take a selfie, but it’s not quite the same as having it set up and a photograph being taken by someone with skills in that area. And I figured that as you are a very busy man, you might know somebody who could help us.”
Had she laid the flattery on a little thick? Still, he seemed to be considering her request.
He nodded. “I have a nephew who might be able to help. He’s done some work for us in the past.”
Was she wise to consider someone with close ties to the newspaper?Lord?She didn’t sense a no, so she gave the man her email and asked him to get his nephew—Drew—to email through some sample shots.
“Thank you for your time.” She shook his hand and gestured him towards the exit. “If you’d like, we can get you a cup of tea and a scone before you go home.”
His eyes brightened. “Now that wouldn’t go astray. It’s a bit chillier today.”
She led him along the same walk as she’d taken with Liam last Sunday. The thought of him taking time out to spend with her like that warmed her heart. Liam was more kindhearted than she’d first thought. Maybe a little more like the Beast than she’d initially assumed too, his bark—like CeeCee’s—definitely worse than his bite.
They rounded the back of the stables complex where the café was located and where a number of volunteers stood clasping cups of tea and munching on scones.
“You seem to have a good contingent of helpers here,” Gerald said. He snapped a few more photos then walked around obtaining consent for right to publish.
Liv caught him receiving a few looks that suggested he wasn’t popular. It was nice to see the locals were loyal to Liam. She glanced over to where George had appeared, laughing in the carriage archway. Then George saw Gerald, halted, and quickly hustled whoever was following her away.
“Gerald, are you all set?” Liv called, distracting him. She picked up a scone already dressed with jam and cream, shoved it in a paper napkin, and gave it to him. “I’ll walk you to your car, because I’d like to know a little more about when you’re planning to publish.”
“I thought I’d explained it would be this Friday.”
“Ah, sorry.” She gently steered him to the path that fed back to the car-parking area. “There has been a lot going on lately.”
His phone rang, and she waited near the little entry booth that clearly needed to be painted before Friday. So many jobs to do, and everywhere she looked she saw more. Had she bitten off more than she could chew? Right now it certainly felt that way. Gran’s advice to eat an elephant one mouthful at a time seemed impossible.
Gerald ended the call. “You’ll need to excuse me.” He swigged the last of his tea, placed the crumpled napkin in the cup, then looked around for a rubbish bin. Another thing they needed to address.
“Here, I’ll take that for you.” Best to finish on a positive note. “Thanks again for your support. I look forward to reading the article on Friday. Oh, and if you can please tell Drew I’m eager to hear from him as soon as possible, that would be wonderful.”
He nodded and drove away. And she strode back to the Hall, empty cup in hand, thinking, thinking, thinking.Lord, there’s so much to do.
It felt like the never-ending list would never get done. Just when Liam thought he was starting to make progress, along came another task or ten. George’s insistence on him hiding out with her and cleaning up the gift shop clearly hadn’t been a smart move, considering they’d almost bumped into Gerald. They’d quickly scuttled back and hidden like children scared to come out, which made him feel ridiculous. He could’ve been attending to so many other important things on the other side of the property, guaranteed to stay away from the reporter.
“What was Liv doing?” he complained. “I thought she said she’d keep him at the front of the house.”
“At least she saw me before he did, so that’s the main thing,” George soothed.
They turned their attention back to cleaning up the gift shop. Evidence that a rodent lived here was found in the droppings in one corner, a stack of chewed-up postcards in another, proof that it needed dealing with as soon as possible.
