Page 97 of Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
As Liv opened the meeting, and the reports began, he imagined her dressed up in one of those gowns like in the painting in the Long Gallery. Beautiful. Elusive. Dryad-like.His.He hoped, anyway. What could he do to convince her to stay?
He’d never imagined he could find happiness with another woman. Never dared think his heart could learn to trust again. Yet she’d brought sunshine from Down Under and made him smile, made him glad to wake up each day, expecting good things.
And while part of him still worried that Sir Humphrey and Lord Atwood would find a way to hinder things, in other ways it didn’t matter what they tried to do. Tim’s work with Cara on the grant application meant they were now simply waiting to hear back from the relevant agencies. Tim had also assured Liam that the audit would find nothing untoward, and that the fundraising account Tim and Liv’s sister EJ had set up couldn’t be touched by the trustees. Surely the ball would be the success that Liv and EJ and Stella and Marge and everyone else had planned it to be.
With the cooler temperatures, there was less he and Richard had to do in the gardens, which meant more time doing some of those maintenance things around the Hall he rarely had time for, something he was happy to share about when it was his turn to report in this, their first committee meeting in December.
“I’m so grateful for Richard’s help and the fact that we’re up to date with our planting and garden plans for next year. I’m hopeful that there will be time when the Hall is closed over winter that we can finally look at sorting out the library, so we can add that to the tour next year.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “It certainly makes a nice change to previous years, when things felt like they were out of control.”
Liv gave him a soft smile. His heart clenched. She was the reason things had changed. Liv, who had brought life to Hartbury Hall. Liv, who’d brought life to his heart again. Liv, whom he loved. Whom heloved.
He barely heard Marge’s update about the café, or the plans for the ball’s Regency-inspired menu, stunned as he was by this revelation.
He loved Liv.Lovedher. Whatever he’d felt for other women in the past paled to what he felt now. He loved her. And he needed to tell her. He needed to—
“—and what do you think, Liam?”
He blinked. “Pardon? My mind was elsewhere.”
Liv’s lips curled to one side. “That’s happening a lot lately.”
That was because he had a lot to think about. Like how much he wanted to kiss her again.
“Sorry, would you please repeat the question?”
She smiled at him, patient as ever. “We wanted to know if you agreed with closing the Hall until partway through February, then reopening with a Valentine’s Day event.”
Valentine’s Day? Christmas was probably too soon, but maybe he could ask her then—
“Liam?” Veronica asked.
He blinked. He really needed to pull himself together. “Uh, sure. Sounds good.” Although he would have to ensure that he got some quality time alone with Liv on the most romantic day of the year. For which he’dhaveto make sure she was here.
He tried his best to pay attention to the remainder of the conversation, which seemed to centre around Liv’s proposal that if funds permitted, then Stella be taken on in a part-time administrative role.
“How can that be considered good stewardship?” Patricia scoffed.
“She knows what needs to happen, which could be helpful if … if I’m not here,” Liv said quietly.
“But ofcourseyou have to be here,” Marge said.
Liv shrugged. “It’s the goal. But that’s only if the funds for keeping the Hall open work out. And I”—she glanced at him then—“I don’t want to be accused of taking advantage of my, uh, friendship with anyone here.”
Her cheeks pinked to a colour he was sure his own wore too. He ignored the small smiles around the table. “It doesn’t matter what others think. We all know the truth.”
“That’s right,” Veronica said firmly, as the others—except Patricia—nodded.
The conversation shifted to specifics about the ball, as his heart shifted at the thought of her leaving and not returning. She couldn’t leave him, surely? Not now that everything was finally going well. He’d have to find a way for her to return. He didn’t even care if she couldn’t continue her work for the Hall. He wanted her. Needed her.
How could he have ever thought her a trespasser? Time together over the past months had knit them closer and shown she’d become his best friend, the best intruder his heart had never known he needed.
As the others discussed the silent auction that Emma-Jane had decided needed to be added, he couldn’t help but be distracted by Liv’s smiles, the bronze highlights of her hair, the happiness lilting her laughter. Until she glanced at her vibrating phone and saw something that made her brow pucker.
“What is it?” he asked.
