Chapter 34
Elle
Although Nicola Marchant, the author of the Grosvenor series of books, was involved in the casting process for the TV series, I haven’t met her.
Apparently, Alyssa wasn’t the only one who had me and Josh in her sights for the lead roles: we were Nicola’s number one choices too.
I’d like to think she’s a traitor for being on team Josh-as-Dom, but I can’t blame her.
Unfortunately, she and Alyssa were right. Josh is fucking amazing as Dominic.
Nicola’s on set today. She’s chosen a good day to visit: we’re shooting my favourite scene from the book.
To be honest, it’s everyone’s favourite scene, and I’ve envisaged it a million times in my head.
It’s the scene that marks the real turning point in Dominic and Georgiana’s relationship, when she finally allows herself to recognise that they’re good together and have a real hope of a happy marriage.
This scene follows a conversation between the two of them a few weeks after their marriage.
They’re living in Coventry and suffering from a typical failure to communicate.
Georgiana misses her family, and she’s intimidated and overwhelmed by having to be mistress of such a great estate. She’s desperately homesick.
Dominic, knowing this marriage is a love match only on his side, and overly conscious that she’s only married him to secure her family’s future, has decided it’s best to give her space. Suffice to say, they’re both utterly miserable.
Georgiana brings up her loneliness in a circumspect way at breakfast in the scene preceding this one and says she should like to see more of His Grace, whereby Dominic proposes a picnic lunch in Coventry House’s great library.
Basically, cue the most gorgeous, intimate, sexy, dreamy scene I, as a romance reader, could possibly want.
There are strong shades of Beauty and the Beast, which I suspect was a deliberate decision on Nicola’s part (what is it about libraries that makes our hearts flutter so?), and like in Beauty and the Beast, this is where Georgiana gets to see Dominic’s softer, more literary and more human side.
Most of all, I’m excited to see the set the crew has built for the library. Alyssa told me they tried really hard to get a licence to film at Admont Abbey in Austria, which is probably the most beautiful library in the world with its gold and white baroque bookshelves and domed, frescoed ceilings.
I can’t imagine it came as a surprise that the monks weren’t up for having oral sex simulated on their iconic chequered floor (spoiler alert: the library session with Dom gets pretty damn great for Georgiana), and they turned the Grosvenor producers down flat.
So, the crew has built what is apparently the most intricate set of the entire production for the library, and the painted ceilings will be green-screened.
Nicola and I share a major fan-girl moment when Alyssa introduces us. I’m expecting a quirky type with a tea-cosy hat, but my assumptions are way off the mark. She’s platinum blonde and immaculate, despite having travelled up from Bath on the train this morning.
I’m in full costume—Georgiana is wearing a stunning, palest pink gown embroidered with seed pearls for her library tryst with her delicious duke—and Nicola claps her hand over her mouth when she sees me.
‘Oh my God,’ she says through her hand when she can speak. ‘You are a bloody vision, do you know that? A vision. Holy shit. Can I hug her? Can I hug you?’
‘Of course you can!’ I open my arms for a hug and she steps into them.
It’s incredibly special and exciting for me to meet the woman whose amazing brain created Georgiana and Dominic, and I intend to grill her relentlessly about both of them, but I hadn’t realised, until I saw her reaction, what a head-fuck it must be to see her most famous and universally beloved character (well, second most beloved after Dominic Coventry, if I must be honest) made flesh.
‘I can’t believe it.’ She extricates herself from the hug and grabs me by the forearms so she can inspect me.
‘Look at you. I’ve always wanted you as Georgiana, you know that?
Ever since the moment I started talking to Azure.
I’ve adored you since Gracie. And that one’—she jerks her thumb at Alyssa’s retreating back—‘got you for me.’
‘Me and Josh Lander,’ I tell her drily, and I take a moment to enjoy the mortification on her face before I put her out of her misery and crack a smile.
‘Oh my God. Is it quite awful for you, acting with him? I felt so bad about the whole thing, but Azure told me you’d have the final choice, and Alyssa and I only ever had one Dominic in our heads, I’m afraid.’
This poor woman doesn’t need to know Azure totally shafted me on that front. She’s done nothing except create the world’s most delicious male hero.
‘We’re fine.’ I put a reassuring hand on her arm. ‘He’s fine, honestly. I don’t take any crap from him. And I have to admit, much as it pains me to—he is fabulous as Dominic.’
She looks as though the thought of Josh as Dominic is too much for her. I can relate. ‘Is he really? I haven’t seen any rushes yet—Alyssa’s promised me some today.’
‘He’s amazing. Just as arrogant and infuriating and sexy as you intended him to be—I think, anyway. Have you met Josh yet?’
‘No. And I cannot wait.’
‘I bet you can’t.’ I gesture to Parka Pete, who comes running over, and introduce them. ‘Pete, can you see if Josh has finished primping and get him over here to meet Nicola? And perhaps grab a cuppa for her, if there’s one going?’
‘Absolutely.’ He rushes off.
I sigh. ‘He’s my hero. Forget the delicious duke—Pete’s my man. Have they let you see the library yet?’
Nicola’s eyes widen. ‘No. But I can’t wait. Are you excited?’
‘About having Josh’s head up my skirts all morning?’ I shrug. ‘There are worse jobs, I suppose.’ And we dissolve into giggles.
I’m making Nicola promise to Face Time Nora with me later, because Nora will die if she gets to meet her, when there’s an unmistakable voice behind me.
‘Good morning, ladies.’
‘Here we go,’ I murmur. If I’m honest, just hearing his voice hits my skin with a smattering of delicious goosebumps. And if I’m even more honest, I find I’m having to watch myself when we’re around the crew and the rest of the cast to make sure I’m not being too buddy-buddy with him.
That’s crazy: I’m actively having to stop myself from being publicly nice to Josh Lander. That his ability to deliver earth-shattering orgasms has more of a bearing on my behaviour towards him than all the shit he threw my way is plain wrong.
Nicola is staring over my shoulder as if the second coming of Christ is playing out behind me. ‘Oh my fuck.’
I turn to see Josh smirking at us. He’s looking particularly easy on the eye today, in all his Dom glory.
As he’s preparing for a sumptuous, NSFW feast with his wife—and on his wife—he’s in his gorgeous billowing shirt and waistcoat (fun fact: it was pronounced wes-kit in those days).
I eye him greedily. He is good enough to eat.
‘Your Grace,’ I say breathlessly, for Nicola’s benefit.
‘Your Grace. My beautiful wife.’ He turns to Nicola. ‘Her Grace is ravishing, is she not?’
Poor Nicola. Having Josh Lander doing full-on Dominic cosplay must be completely overwhelming for her. Her mouth hangs open.
‘Ms Marchant may need her smelling salts, Your Grace,’ I tell him. ‘Do go easy on her.’
Josh relents, giving her his best Hollywood grin (which is pretty fucking fabulous) and lapsing into his own voice. ‘Nicola. Josh Lander. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’m a huge fan.’
Nicola holds her hand to her heart. ‘You are so perfect. I’m overcome. Oh my God. It is such a pleasure; you have no idea. I’m so thrilled you’re both playing my favourite characters.’
‘I’m honoured. Dom is a lucky bastard, isn’t he? Thank you for creating such a troublesome but beguiling wife for me. Now, shall we go see if this library lives up to the hype?’
He offers us each an arm and escorts us to the farthest sound stage that, until today, has been shut off.
I’m excited, and I’m glad Nicola is here to share this moment with us.
I can’t imagine what it must be like for her, seeing this world and these characters she’s held so dear for years come to life in front of her.
‘Mind if we sneak in here?’ Josh asks one of the crew.
The guy holds the plywood door open for us and oh my God.
It’s magnificent.
Seriously—I want to move in here. Or at least have them make me up a bed in here. This place is magical.
The space above us, where the domed ceilings should be, is open to the studio roof, but all around is a book lovers’ paradise.
Carved white bookshelves with ornate, gilded mouldings line the set, which covers three sides of a room.
Not only that, but the shelves are chock-full of books and each one is bound with a pastel-and-gilt jacket.
It gets better. There’s another level, a mezzanine-type balcony on top of the bookshelves that goes the whole way around and contains another full storey of identical bookshelves on top.
I have no idea if we can get up there, but I raise my face and turn slowly on the spot as I take in the breathtaking level of craftsmanship that’s gone into this set.
And best of all, in the middle of the floor, which is tiled with three colours of marble to form a 3-D cube pattern, lies a large velvet throw piled high with pastel-coloured silk cushions and cake stands full of food.
There are four people at work on the floor, putting finishing touches to the cakes and macarons and tiny sandwiches the stands bear.
Myriad emotions hit me in the gut. It’s partly allowing myself to experience this through my character and knowing how much this gesture by her husband will mean to Georgiana.
By having this library picnic arranged for her, he’s showing her how much she means to him.
How important to him her wellbeing is. How far he’s willing to go to make her happy.
It’s also the emotion of being part of a large TV crew family and taking a moment to revel in the sheer amount of talent and labour and dedication so many people are bringing to this astonishingly beautiful creative outpouring.
And it’s maybe a tiny bit the fact that as I stand on the spot, rotating in awe, Josh comes alongside me and brushes my fingers with his. He looks down at me, and I pause my sweep of the view to meet the chocolatey comfort of his gaze.
‘You love it, don’t you?’
‘I’m blown away,’ I tell him. ‘I want to move in—I could be very content here.’
Josh smiles down at me. His smile is tinged with wistfulness. ‘I think if that’s the reaction Dom gets from his wife, he’ll be a happy guy.’