Marrying Mr. Darcy (Love Manor #2) - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,35
is interesting to us. It’s got legs, and we like ideas with legs.”
I can’t help but imagine a lightbulb on little legs, walking through the room.
“I’m thinking Saving Pemberley. I’m thinking you on a horse, dressed as Mr. Darcy. I’m thinking heartfelt scenes of you baring your soul about how much Pemberley means to you, how much history there in the place, how your family will be homeless without a cash injection. And, I’m definitely, definitely thinking pond scene.”
“Pond scene?” Sebastian asks.
“Oh, she means in the BBC production with Colin Firth,” Jilly explains. “Very famous scene. Rather sexy, in fact.”
I nod. “Yup, it sure is. Mom’s favorite.”
“I’m sorry, what exactly did Colin Firth do in a pond, and why would I want to replicate it?” Sebastian looks thoroughly confused.
“I’ll explain,” Jilly offers with her hand in the air as though in school. “Colin Firth dived into a pond in a white shirt at Pemberley and came out with the shirt virtually translucent, molded to his manly chest, looking all brooding and sexy as he tried to deny his raging feelings for Elizabeth Bennet. Which of course he couldn’t do, because they were so raw and forceful that he could think of little else but her.” Jilly leans back in her chair with a satisfied sigh, looking all pink in the face. “It really was quite something to behold.”
“Bit of a fan, eh, Jilly?” Sebastian teases.
“She’s a woman, isn’t she?” Heather replies with a laugh as Jilly fans herself to cool off. “Really, I don’t know how we missed doing the pond scene on Dating Mr. Darcy. But we can make up for it now when we do Saving Pemberley.” She sits down at the table opposite us. “With your consent, of course, Sebastian,” she adds as an afterthought.
“You’re telling me you want me to dive into the pond at Martinston wearing a white shirt, so you can film me getting out of the pond?”
Jilly and Heather both nod with enthusiasm, and I’ve got to admit the idea is more than a touch appealing. Particularly as I know exactly what that white shirt would mold to.
Sebastian crosses his arms defensively. “So, I’m a sex symbol now, am I?”
“Oh, Sebastian, of course you are. You became a sex symbol the moment you first stepped on the Dating Mr. Darcy red carpet,” Heather replies. “You sent American and British women’s hearts racing, believe me. You’re the reason we’re interested in Saving Pemberley. You and you alone.”
He purses his lips. “I see.”
“So it’s a yes to a pond scene. Good,” she says.
“I’ll consider it,” Sebastian replies stiffly.
“Sebastian, I’m sure you’re familiar with the notion that sex sells. You doing the pond scene will definitely increase our viewer numbers, which can only be a good thing for you and for me.”
“Maybe we should focus on the other details of the show first?” Sebastian suggests.
“I do have an idea on that front. We need a George Wickham character, too. You know, a love rat, scoundrel type who’s impossibly gorgeous and gets the women’s hearts afluttering. We couldn’t do that on Dating, but we could work it into Pemberley somehow. We’d just have to work out the angle.”
“Oh, I do like that idea. George Wickham is the ultimate handsome cad,” Jilly says.
“You’re so right, Jilly,” Heather replies.
“Getting back to the house,” Sebastian says pointedly. “We have plans to open the house up to the public already in play. What do you need from us to make this idea work? Other than me in a pond, that is.”
“Well, for starters we’ll need you to give us some background on the place. How long it’s been in your family, if anything of any historical interest has ever happened there, that sort of thing. All interesting background stuff.”
“Oh, there’s plenty of that, Heather. Believe me,” Jilly says. “You won’t be disappointed on that front. Will she, Sebby?”
“It’s true Martinston has a long and varied history. There was once a castle on the land, although it’s long gone now.”
Heather nods as she stares intently at Sebastian. “Excellent. Mind if I whiteboard this?”
“Be my guest,” Sebastian replies.
Heather springs out of her seat, grabs a pen, and begins to write on the whiteboard on the wall. “Interesting backstory,” she says as she writes just that. “Tick.” She turns back to face us. “Look. Our viewers love a good story, especially about privileged people facing their inevitable downfall. Gone are the days of these huge estates, populated by the lucky, powerful few with literally