Page 91 of Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
“Sure.”
She twisted it up, using the ever-present hair tie on her wrist, and drew a few curls loose behind her ears. “This do?”
He nodded. “That looks better. Now turn and face the house. I’m going to shoot from behind.”
There were a few visitors around, and she smiled, even though she felt self-conscious, following Drew’s instructions as best she could. When he paused, she asked, “Can I see?”
He showed her, and she agreed they might display wistfulness. His nose wrinkled. “But it’s not quite the same as if we had someone else there too.”
“That’s the image people resonate with,” she agreed. “Mr. Darcy kissing Elizabeth.”
“Yeah, we really need to find someone.” Drew fiddled with his camera’s lenses. He glanced up, peering around, as if he thought an actor like Theo Thomas might fall from the sky. “Hey, Liam. Are you busy?”
At Drew’s call, Liam glanced across the parterre garden and put down the wheelbarrow. Liv straightened, her cheeks pink as she watched him approach. “I didn’t put him up to it,” she murmured as he drew within earshot.
“Put me up to what?” he asked.
Drew studied him. “Would you like to be our Mr. February?”
“I beg your pardon?” It didn’t involve removing his shirt, did it?
“I need you to sit on the bench there with Liv for a photo. If that’s okay with you both, of course.”
Liam studied Liv. “I don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind, either,” she said softly.
He smiled and then turned to Drew. “Are you sure? I’m just in my work clothes.” At least he’d been wearing his gloves so his hands were clean.
“Here.” Drew shrugged from his jacket. “We’re about the same size. Put that on.”
It was a bit tight, but he managed. Then managed not to roll his eyes when Drew said he looked very dapper. “We’re just sitting here, right? I’d rather not have my face in a photo.”
“That’s okay. You’ll both be facing away. We just want something that hints at a certain scene, not actually is it.”
“Sorry, I’m a bit sweaty,” he said to Liv.
“You don’t smell bad.”
“You don’t smell bad either.”
She laughed, as he hoped, and relaxed. He joined her on the bench, facing the fountain, following Drew’s instructions.
“Now scoot in a little closer.”
She shifted until her shoulder touched Liam’s. “You okay?” he asked her.
“Yep.”
“Now Liv, just lean your head on Liam’s shoulder a bit. A bit more, that’s it.”
“Oh my gosh,” she murmured. “Itrulydid not put him up to this.”
Did she mean to imply that … “You want to do this?”
She peeked up at him, which earned her a barked, “Liv, face the front.” She quickly did.
“So, Mr. February, huh?” Liam murmured.
