‘So, Ty, we’ve got to get rid of three tonight,’ Darcy tells him as she guides Ty to a seat at the table where the photos of all twenty-two contestants have been spread out. ‘Who do you want to send home?’ They’ve just finished filming the first endearment party during which most girls drank their body weight in champagne. Hopefully some of them will sober up before the key ceremony.

‘It’s hard to know after only a few minutes.’ He stares at the photos laid out before him. ‘I can’t remember everyone’s names.’ His eyes read over the contestants’ names printed on the bottom of each one.

Darcy notices his eyes linger on Hayley’s photograph. She changes tack. ‘Have you got a top five?’ It’d be good to know who he likes because she’ll start scheduling in the single dates, planning out which girls are likely to stay around and who should be allocated extra screen time. Usually the suitor has a top five in mind but sometimes it takes a bit of prodding to get them to realise it.

‘I have no idea,’ he murmurs.

Darcy can tell he’s overwhelmed. ‘You definitely had a spark with a few.’

He looks up, relieved. ‘Yeah, who with?’

Darcy goes to reach for the photos but then stops herself. ‘Didn’t you feel a spark with anyone?’

Ty doesn’t say anything at first, which makes Darcy’s heart pound. After all, these girls had been selected for the original suitor, not for Ty. Maybe none of them are his type of girl.

‘Of course,’ he eventually says. ‘I’m just curious to hear what you thought.’

Darcy relaxes a little. He just wants a second opinion, which is fair. He’s trying to find a wife.

‘I only spoke to each of them for a couple of minutes, so how much can you really tell?’

Darcy thinks a lot can be said for a first meet with someone, but romantically speaking she’s a novice—she’s always been closed off to those kinds of feelings because of Drew. ‘Did anyone give you goosebumps or tingles or make your heart skip a beat?’

Ty looks up. ‘I’ve had those feelings before—the whole love at first sight thing.’ He looks pained just thinking about it. ‘Turns out you can’t trust those feelings.’

This totally stumps Darcy. If he doesn’t trust those feelings how on earth is he going to find his way through the massive journey ahead?

‘Sorry, I know that’s probably not what you want to hear.’ He gives her a small smile before quickly averting his gaze back to the photographs.

‘I know you only spoke to them briefly, but did you have anything in common with any of them? That might be a good place to start?’

Ty gives no indication that he’s even heard what she’s said.