Seduced by the Baron (The Fairy Tales of New York Book 4) (20 page)

In three quarters
of an hour the four women were inside the mansion traversing the high-ceilinged, gothic corridors to Zel’s old wing of rooms on the second floor. Faith had never really been able to wrap her head around how wealthy Zel’s family were and the few times she’d been here it had been like entering an alternate universe.

“Choose some underwear,” Zel said opening her massive walk in closet and pointing to a rack of brand new lingerie that still had all the tags attached. “Then go shower. Towels in the bathroom.”

Faith did as she was told, blinking at the luxury of such exquisite lingerie at her fingertips. The array was dazzling. She came across a lacy black set that had emerald green ribbon detail on the underwear and the cups of the demi bra. Given the cup size difference between her and Zel, a demi bra would be a better fit – spilling out of those suckers was mandatory.

And she liked the nod to her Irish heritage.

She grabbed it and hightailed to the bathroom, standing under the hot spray, washing away the beer and fatigue from a long day on her feet. But she didn’t dawdle for too long and ten minutes later she was walking into the bedroom in her underwear.

Dawn, Mercy and Zel were chatting as they examined a huge pile of dresses they’d obviously pulled out and piled on the bed. Faith blinked at the mountain. She felt like she’d just walked into a scene from
27 Dresses.

“I’ll be here all night if you want me to try all those on,” she said.

Her friends turned. “Well, we’d better be quick about it,” Zel said, holding up the first one. “What about this?”

It looked tight and slinky with no back. “Pass.”

“This?” Mercy asked, picking up another that consisted of layer upon layer of flounce. “Too frilly.”

“This?” Zel presented another one.

It was an empire line in a shimmering blue. “Maybe. I’ll try it on.”

They went through the stack on the bed and Faith tried five of them on. They were all exquisite. Faith couldn’t even begin to imagine having this kind of choice all the time. But ultimately, Zel and Mercy were pickier than she was.

“No.” Zel shook her head at the fifth dress. “It’s nice but you need some…”

“V
a va voom,
” Mercy supplied.

“Yes,” Zel agreed. She tapped her index finger on her pursed lips and looked at Faith for long moments. “Hang on,” she said, storming into the closet.

Mercy went in to help her while Faith stepped out of the current dress. She looked at Dawn who’d been unusually quiet. “What do you think?”

“I think you look great in anything,” she said with a smile, but it looked rather wan.

Faith frowned and stepped towards her but her step was interrupted by a little squeal and a triumphant, “Yes!”

“Hallelujah,” Dawn murmured, another ghost of a smile flitting across her mouth.

And then Mercy and Zel were rushing out. “It’s green.” Mercy grinned as Zel thrust the dress at Faith. “How poetic is that?”

Faith had to admit the dress was gorgeous, the rich luster of the shamrock green satin looking particularly fetching in the light.

“Try it on,” Zel urged.

Faith slipped it on and Mercy zipped it up for her and as soon as she saw herself in the mirror, she knew it was the one. The v-neckline was stunning, the fabric criss-crossing at the cleavage to draw attention but not low enough to cause erections en masse at the Waldorf. A wide band of ruched satin fell from just below the cleavage to the waist where it flared out gently to a skirt with two box pleats in front. The hem came to just above her knees and two capped sleeves gave it a more formal edge.

“
Va va voom,”
Mercy whispered.

“Yes. This is the one,” Zel agreed.

Faith smiled, fingering the cool slippery fabric as she admired herself. “I love it,” she sighed. “What do you think, Dawn?” she asked, spinning around to face her friend who was sitting right on the edge of the bed.

“I think…” Dawn clutched her stomach and shut her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, clamping a hand over her mouth and bolting for the bathroom.

Faith, Zel and Mercy stared after her, the door slamming firmly shut followed by the guttural noises of dry retching.

“Is she okay?” Mercy whispered.

“I don’t know,” Faith said. “She’s been really quiet tonight.”

“You don’t suppose she’s…pregnant, do you? They were trying a while back weren’t they?” Zel suggested.

The issue of a baby had been particularly fraught for Dawn whose family had been afflicted with Huntington’s disease. Thankfully her genetic testing had come back negative.

“It’s either that or she really hates this dress,” Faith mused trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. “Do we…go in?”

“She slammed the door,” Zel pointed out, “I think that was a sign she wanted us to stay out.”

The noises stopped. Mercy went over to the door and knocked on it gently. “Dawn? Are you okay?”

There wasn’t any answer but they could hear running water then the door opened. “Sorry,” Dawn apologized, looking pale and shaky. “Nobody ever tells you morning sickness is a twenty-four seven thing.”

It took about three seconds for general mayhem to descend. “Ha! I knew it,” Zel crowed as Mercy grabbed Dawn into an excited hug with Zel and Faith following close behind. They all huddled together congratulating Dawn and laughing excitedly.

“How long have you kept this to yourself?” Zel demanded, her eyes suspiciously bright.

“I only did the test yesterday.”

“How far along?” Faith asked.

“Eight weeks apparently. We’re supposed to be keeping it a secret until after the first trimester but it’s hard when I feel like throwing up every ten minutes.”

“Ugh,” Mercy said with a shudder. “That sounds awful.”

“It is,” Dawn agreed.

“Oh my God,” Faith said, the full import of the announcement registering. “Finn’s going to be a daddy? I’m going to be an aunty.”

Dawn grinned. “And I’m going to be a mom.”

Everyone hugged again but a little bubble of envy pricked at the thick hide of Faith’s happiness.

Eventually Dawn broke off the huddle. “Okay, enough me. Tonight’s about Faith.”

“Right,” Zel said, pulling herself together. “Hair, make-up, shoes, jewelery.

Faith nodded, quashing the throb as she surrendered to being primped.

Mercy went to choose some shoes for Faith to try on as she sat at Zel’s Hollywood-inspired dressing table. Zel fussed with her makeup while Dawn styled Faith’s hated curls into a gorgeous waterfall braid that complemented their soft bounce while pulling them back from her face.

“Stunning.” Zel nodded when she was satisfied and Faith had to admit, whatever Zel had done to her eyes was spectacular.

“Here, try these on,” Mercy said. “None of them are glass slippers I’m afraid but they are all spectacular in their own way.”

Faith laughed. She did feel a bit like Cinderella. With
three
fairy godmothers. There were no pumpkins and mice but Faith had to admit her transformation was magical.

Thanking her lucky stars she and Zel were the same shoe size, Faith tried them all on. She chose a pair of elegant champagne slingbacks detailed with tiny seed pearls.

“What do you think?” she asked as she turned to the mirror, twisting her foot from side to side to see all the angles.

“You look beautiful, Faith,” Dawn said.

Faith looked up to find Dawn smiling at her in the mirror. She smiled back. Her fairy godmothers had done very well indeed.

“Yes. Good,” Zel said with a nod. “Now you just need…”

She disappeared into the closet again that seemed more and more Tardis-like every time someone went into it. She reappeared again a minute later. “These,” Zel said.

She held up two elegant chandelier earrings. Three tiers of exquisite peacock-green teardrop-shaped gems fell in a glamorous drop.

“They’re gorgeous,” Faith whispered, almost too afraid to touch something so beautiful.

“They’re venetian glass,” Zel said. “I was given them by a designer.”

“They look way too expensive to wear, Zel.”

“Nonsense. Expensive things are meant to be shown off.” She thrust them at Faith. “I insist.”

Faith took them with shaky hands and carefully pushed the hooks through the holes in her lobes. They were cool against her neck and were the perfect understated touch to complete the outfit. She liked the way they swung with every movement of her head.

“Sensational,” Mercy said.

Dawn nodded. “They were made for that dress.”

“Yes,” Zel agreed, clearly happy with the end result. “Consider them my gift to you.”

“What?” Faith blanched, her head swivelling to stare askance at Zel. “Don’t be silly. I can’t accept these.”

“Of course you can,” she said firmly. “They look great on you and I’ve never worn them. They deserve to be worn and it’s my St. Pat’s Day gift to you.”

Faith stuck her hand on her hip. “People don’t give gifts on St. Patrick’s Day.”

“Well this one does. Now…let’s go hail you a cab and get you to that ball.”

*

It was close
to nine o’clock when they hit the street. Zel had pushed a champagne clutch into Faith’s hands and insisted she wear her leopard-print coat that fell to her ankles and had the most enormous collar Faith had ever seen.

Mercy hailed a cab while Zel and Dawn talked like they were in some kind of pre-game huddle. Faith hunched gratefully into her coat as the cold night air seemed to almost freeze her breath.

“Now, turn off your phone,” Zel said. “You are not to worry about anything, or check up on anything. We have this handled, do you hear?”

“Yes,” Dawn concurred. “We’re all heading back to Sully’s now and we’ll stay until the last person has gone and everything is spick and span and ready for tomorrow.”

“You’ll never know it had even been St. Patrick’s Day,” Zel agreed.

“And we’ll make sure Pop is tucked up tight in bed and that Ronan or Casey is with him before we leave.”

“So I shouldn’t be home by midnight?”

Faith was teasing but she was immensely grateful to her friends who knew all her worries without her having to articulate them.

“Absolutely not,” Zel intoned. “We don’t want you back at the pub until tomorrow morning. Have a night to yourself, Faith, you’ve earned it. Who knows, you might even fall in love if you stopped worrying about Pop and the pub for one night.”

Faith looked at Dawn who nodded her head encouragingly but she refused to buy into their hope. “He’s leaving day after tomorrow.”

“Lucky we have telephones and long distance flights then,” Dawn said.

Faith was saved from any further interrogation by Mercy saying, “Okay, got one.”

The cab pulled in and Mercy opened the door for her. Faith looked around at her friends. She’d been truly blessed to get the chance to rekindle their relationships. “Thanks so much, guys. I don’t know what I ever did without you. And Zel …this is all just – ” Faith looked down at her clothes then touched an earring. There were no words.

“Yeh, yeh,” Zel said, waving a dismissive hand. “Just have a great night, okay?”

Faith nodded, excitement mounting in her chest with every breath. “See you all tomorrow, okay?”

Then she sank into the cab and Mercy shut the door. “The Waldorf, please,” Faith said.

Not words she’d ever thought she’d hear herself say.

*

Raf was standing
in a group of German beer makers listening to their stories about Oktoberfest. Having experienced the festival on several occasions he was finding the anecdotes entertaining. The ballroom was full and he was having a good time with people who could talk beer all night. But something felt
missing
inside and his mind kept wandering to Faith.

Henri, a large man with a ruddy face, a snowy handlebar moustache and lederhosen-style suspenders, stopped mid-sentence. “Mein Gott,” he murmured looking at something behind Raf. “Australia is known for their beautiful women, my friend but America is no slouch either.”

“Ja,” said the guy next to him, while the gazes of the two on either side lit with lascivious intent.

Raf turned to see who had caught their attention and almost went into cardiac arrest as Faith walked towards him in a killer green dress. She smiled at him hesitantly as she drew to a stop.