“If you so much as think about bowing or curtsying young man, you’ll be on the next ferry off the island.” Lord M glowered at him. “I can’t seem to convince your future wife to give up this ‘His Lordship’ nonsense, butyouwill call me Mister.”
Pierre had to make an effort to close her mouth. She wasn’t the only one. Nicole had paled. It took a lot to wrong-foot the usually controlled wedding planner, but the old man had done it with two words and made it clear he knew that “our” talented photographer was in facthertalented future husband.
Behind them, Liam was the only one not looking surprised; he was studiously examining some arm splints as if he’d never seen them before.
So… It was him passing on what Laura said. Only Laura had mentioned about Nicole hiring her fiancé.
Whether the gossip was right or exaggerated, it explained why Nicole thought the ‘staff’ were against her.
Gabriel was the first to recover. “I’m happy to meet you, Mr Du Montfort. If there is anything in particular I can do to make the wedding a success, please tell me—”
“Yes, yes.” Lord M waved the polite words away. “I hear you’re more a landscape photographer than weddings.”
Again, Nicole looked like she’d bitten on a lemon. How did he know? Unless gossip from the village had reached him about the new photographer going in search of birds on St Emmanuel Cliff. Lord M might have been sick yesterday, but he didn’t miss anything. She’d never known anyone with a sharper mind.
“Not landscapes, no,” Nicole answered quickly, doing her best to rescue the situation. “That’s just a hobby. But I think it adds a nice background to the wedding album to have some local scenery. I’ve asked Pierre to show him the old Du Montfort coat of arms and stained-glass windows in the church.” Her smile faltered before she managed to bring it back. If Lord M didn’t like Gabriel, the man would be on the next ferry out.
Pierre looked uncertainly between Nicole and Lord M. He was still looking at Gabriel, as if Nicole hadn’t spoken at all.
“Sometimes, landscapes, yes,” Gabriel answered honestly. “But not in the usual sense. I like anything that gives a place character. Unusual features.”
“Unusual features?” Lord M quirked up an eyebrow. “Do you have anything to show me?”
“I have an online gallery. I could download samples and have them—”
“We can have a set printed for Your Lordship,” Nicole interrupted. “I’ll make sure you have it in less than an hour.” She made to turn, with a look at Gabriel to follow her.
Lord M ignored her. “Persephone, why don’t you bring us that tablet you like so much.”
Pierre had already anticipated his request and had retrieved the iPad from the desk and handed it to Gabriel.
“Thanks.” He flashed her a grateful look as he swiped the screen and quickly keyed in his website address.
“Come sit next to me, both of you,” he told them, then looked up at Nicole. “Don’t let me keep you. I’m sure you have a lot to do.”
He’d subtly but firmly dismissed Nicole from the room. A small clue to the fact he didn’t appreciate her trying to pass off an amateur as a specialist wedding photographer.
She bit her lip, actually bit her lip, then cast an apprehensive look at Gabriel.
He gave her a reassuring nod. “It’s all right. I’ll follow you soon.”
For a moment longer, she looked back at him, eyes worried, as if seeking reassurance, then turned and left the room.
So…Nicole might come across as the one in charge, but it was Gabriel who was the rock in this relationship.
______
Gabriel’s online gallery – the words Emmet Photography at the top in large cursive letters – had plenty of weddings, parties, and receptions. Pierre was no expert, but she could see he had an eye for evocative, unposed photographs. He’d caught people in private conversations, smiling naturally. A bride gazing lovingly at her groom who was turned away talking to someone else. A flower girl trying to adjust her bouquet. His best talent, though, was more evident in his perspective. Two champagne glasses sparkled in the light, and through the bubbles, in the distance, the bride and groom kissing.
While he explained the details to Lord M, she watched his face. In profile, he had a nice Roman nose. The trim beard hid his chin, but his lips were wide and mobile, just as she remembered them from before. Also, his easy, quick smile and even white teeth. How often did one say this about a man, that he had nice teeth? Gabriel did; she found herself waiting for his next smile.
He looked up and caught her looking at him before she could snatch her glance away.
“And these are your landscapes?” Lord M asked. “Your ‘unusual features’ as you call them?”
His attention had shifted to the other pages. A climbing beanstalk that Gabriel must have photographed lying on his back underneath it making it seem like a giant reaching up into the clouds above. An old woman reaching for an apple from an overflowing basket in a village market like the witch from Snow White. A sloping corner of an ancient cottage that looked like the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. And there, on the next screen, Pierre herself, blond and white hair hanging out of a tower window. The angle didn’t show enough of her face to be recognisable, but her hair seemed to go down forever. It was impossible to see this picture without wanting to climb the golden tresses.
“You have a talent for telling visual stories, young man.” Lord M finally turned to Gabriel. “I’d like you to do something for me.”
