as I can.
He holds my gaze for a beat or two, and then, to my surprise, he erupts into a low, rumbling laugh.
“What?” I ask, totally nonplussed. Is it so hilarious that I could fall in love with this guy?
On second thought, don’t answer that.
“Nothing. It’s nothing,” he replies as though it’s so got to be something.
I turn the tables on him. “Okay. Why are you here, Sebastian?”
“Same reason as you, Emma. To fall in love.”
“Well, we’re both here ‘for the right reasons,’ then, huh?” I reply, using the expression every contestant on every dating show ever uses to ensure the viewer knows they’re genuine.
“It would certainly appear so,” he replies in that terribly grave English accent of his, like he’s from Downton Abbey. Only he’s from his own, real manor house, with real servants and everything. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must circulate some more.”
“Sure. Go ahead. Circulate away. Your gaggle is waiting for you.” I gesture at a group of eager women, hovering nearby.
He gets up from his spot next to me, and the cameras follow him as he moves away.
I lean back in my seat. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that a guy with a freaking castle is doing a reality TV show for something other than what we’re all led to believe.
And I find myself wanting to know what that reason is.
Chapter 5
At some point during the evening, right about the time Sebastian has spoken to all of the contestants (not that I’m keeping an eye on him, of course, I’m only interested to see how this all unfolds), there’s a ding ding ding of silverware on glass. A hush falls across the room.
“Ladies,” Johnathan begins as Sebastian moves to stand at his side. “I trust you’ve had a wonderful evening getting to know not only Mr. Darcy, but also one another, as well. Some of you have stood out to him already, and as he leaves to deliberate, you must ask yourselves whether you are one of them.”
I spy Hayley standing near me, and she shoots me a look I can only read as pure aggression. I smile at her and shrug, the human equivalent of a dog lying prostrate on the ground to show it’s no threat. But all she does is shake her head at me and look away.
What is with that girl?
“And with that said, it’s time to leave here to assemble for the very first card ceremony. We will see you all shortly.”
The two men turn to leave the room, leaving us to wonder what’s about to happen.
“The card ceremony?” I ask Reggie beside me.
“Your guess is as good as mine, darlin’, but it looks like we’re rollin’ out, so we best follow the herd.”
I find Kennedy nearby and we walk out of the room together.
“How was your talk with Mr. Darcy?” she asks me.
I think about it before I reply. “Weird.”
“Weird how?”
“I don’t know. Weird in that I didn’t expect him to have a sense of humor, I guess.”
“Why not?”
“Because he looks all serious and stiff and James Bond-y.”
“Maybe there’s more to him than meets the eye?”
“I doubt that,” I scoff.
“Well, he talked to you longer than anyone else, and he sat next to you, which he didn’t do with anyone else either.”
“So the guy is fond of standing. So what?”
“So nothing. Hayley and Camille noticed, that’s all, and they are not happy about it.”
That explains the glare.
We enter another huge room, this one devoid of furniture other than a lone table.
“What else did you two talk about?”
“He told me I’m not as tough as I think I am. Whatever that means.”
She lets out a light laugh. “Random.”
“I know, right? What did you talk about with him?”
“The weather and where I’m from.”
“How riveting for you,” I deadpan.
A good half an hour later, we’ve been arranged and rearranged by the production staff in a bunch of different ways before they seem to be happy. I find myself stuck at the back, standing on a platform on my tippy toes so I can see over the heads of the other contestants.
I feel a twinge of regret for the heels I left behind in the limo.
“What do you think this card ceremony is?” Shelby asks. She’s the one who’s apparently destined to be with Sebastian. You know, the really balanced, sane, non-crazy one.
“I think it’s to eliminate one of us,” sweet Phoebe says on my other side.
As Mr. Darcy arrives in the room, accompanied by Stuck-By-His-Side-Johnathan, I