Marrying Mr. Darcy (Love Manor #2) - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,68

for women. The handsome, hunky guy, saving the day. Only in this case it’s a limp and soggy fascinator hat that looks like a wilted lily pad for a frog.

“It’s the pond scene,” a voice says beside me, and I turn to see a woman about Jemima’s age, a large, feathery hat atop her head, her face bright with excitement. “Oh, dear Lord have mercy.”

“I guess so. He’s in a pond,” I reply

“No, I mean it’s the pond scene,” Yellow Hat repeats. “As in Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s version of Pride and Prejudice? Surely you know it. It’s an iconic scene.”

“It wasn’t in the book, you know. Jane Austen would never have written a scene like that,” another woman says.

“But I bet she thought about it,” Yellow Hat says. “I know I would have if I were her. Thought about it, dreamt about it.” She lets out a sigh.

The famous scene flashes before my eyes. Mr. Darcy dives into the pond when he’s all hot and sweaty after riding his horse to Pemberley as he tries to fight his overwhelming feelings for Lizzie Bennet. Mr. Darcy exits the pond, his white shirt clinging to his chest as he walks toward the beauty of Pemberley, his feelings for Lizzie remaining unconquered as he broods.

Mom used to go all silly over it.

And Heather McCabe wanted it in her show.

It’s at this moment that Chris pops up out of the water behind Sebastian. His white shirt is also clinging to his muscular frame, just as Sebastian’s had, and I swear I hear at least a couple of women swoon around me.

“Oh, my. There’s two of them,” Yellow Hat says as she grips onto my arm.

“There are,” I reply dumbly, pointing out the obvious.

Chris stops and poses, clearly enjoying the attention being lavished on him by the surrounding audience as people video and photograph them both.

Kennedy pushes through the crowd with, “Excuse me,” and comes to a stop beside me. “And Sebastian said he didn’t want to be the eye candy.”

“Fail,” I reply.

Sebastian reaches me, dripping wet, his hair stuck to his head, and looking just about as sexy as I’ve ever seen him. He holds out the fascinator hat. “I believe this is yours, Brady,” he says to me with a small smile, panting lightly from exertion.

I take it from him. “Thank you,” I reply, adding with a waggle of my eyebrows, “Mr. Darcy.”

The crowd around us erupts into excited applause, and Sebastian plants a wet kiss on my lips before he smiles out at them all and takes a bow.

“More! More!” Yellow Hat insists to cheers of agreement from others.

“You want me to dive back into the pond?” he asks with a laugh. “No thank you.”

“I’ll do it again,” Chris calls out from the ponds edge, and all eyes turn to him.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sebastian replies like a stern father. “Now, if I could ask you all to return to your seats, we can get back to the task at hand—officially opening Martinston up to the public.”

Everyone returns to their seats, some more reluctantly than others, and Sebastian and a now recovered Geraldine declare the house open to the public. We celebrate by raising our glasses and cups, marking this historic occasion in Martinston’s history.

“Let’s go get you dry,” I say to Sebastian once he’s seen Geraldine safely back to her seat. “I’ll grab some towels.”

“That would be great. I know I made a total spectacle of myself.”

“I kinda liked you being all heroic, saving my poor hat.”

He chuckles. “I’m not sure it was the most thought out decision I’ve ever made in my life. Chasing after my fiancée’s ugly hat?” He shakes his head.

“Was it because Chris went chasing after it?” I ask.

He looks sheepish. “Would I sound ridiculous if I said yes?”

“No. I kinda liked it.”

He reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “You’re worth it.”

A man approaches us and slaps Sebastian on the back, saying, “That was quite a show you put on back there. Should the good people visiting Martinston expect that every visit, or was this a one-off?”

Sebastian laughs. “Definitely a one-off. Spencer, have you met Emma, my fiancée?”

Spencer offers me his hand. “Charmed. You’ve got quite the catch here with this one, haven’t you?”

“I sure do. I’m gonna get that towel,” I say to Sebastian.

As I make my way back through the guests, I spot Kennedy talking with Jemima and Zara. “I’m getting a towel,” I say as I