Winter White (18 page)

Mira did a complete ninety-degree bow from the waist, as Ms. Norberry said was the custom when greeting an elder, which Ms. Norberry was. Their longtime cotillion instructor dyed her hair blond, was in great shape, and had amazing suits with coordinating broaches, but there was no hiding the fact that she was in her late sixties and had been running cotillion classes for Emerald Cove for the last twenty-two years.

“Lovely, Mira.” Ms. Norberry must have seen her perfect bow. Mira looked up and saw Ms. Norberry was folding the Japanese robe she just had on. Their teacher loved props.
“Why don’t we take a fifteen-minute break to get a refreshment, and then we’ll talk about why you should always carry tissues in a Japanese public restroom.”

Mira could tell Izzie’s mood just by her expression. “How to use a Japanese restroom? I had to be up at eight on a Saturday to learn that?” As they walked out of the classroom, she pulled at the dress she had on as if it was constricting her airway.

“International etiquette is very important,” Mira said, walking slightly ahead of her into the Emerald Cove Country Club’s great hall to avoid making eye contact.

“Yeah, it’s right up there with host responsibilities for a dinner party and the proper way to navigate a five-course meal,” Izzie said sarcastically, gesturing with her arms. All Mira noticed was that Izzie’s polish was chipped.

“Before that class you didn’t even know what a shrimp fork was,” Mira reminded her. She couldn’t help but glance at some of the former debs huddled in a corner.

The former debs were on hand to “offer guidance,” as Ms. Norberry called it. What they were really there for that Saturday morning, Mira guessed, was to assign them their next initiation dare. Knowing that, Mira’s former friends had gathered around Savannah on one of the antique couches close by. Savannah held their attention as she chatted away about any number of amazing things she had accomplished that week, and the girls seemed to hang on to her every word.

“I’ve survived almost sixteen years without knowing how
to use a shrimp fork,” Izzie said, her eyes resting on the emerald choker on display in a glass case in the center of the room. The lock had been upgraded since Izzie and her friends “borrowed” the necklace a few months back. “I think I can continue to muddle through life without knowing how to use one or how to greet someone in Japan.”

“If we ever go to Japan on vacation, you’ll be thankful you learned.” Mira said, removing her long white gloves so that she could take a linzer tart from the sterling-silver tray a waiter was passing around.

“I won’t hold my breath.” Izzie took two cookies with her white-gloved fingers.

“Isabelle!” Ms. Norberry swooped in, her wispy yet sharp voice making even the waiter freeze. “Gloves should be removed before dining. Remember your training,” she tsked, sounding like a cranky babysitter. “It’s not proper for a lady to take two cookies before the rest of the guests have had a chance to take one.”

Izzie dropped a cookie back on the tray with a thud, and Ms. Norberry looked like she might pass out. She quickly produced a napkin from her pocketless shift dress and scooped up the offending cookie. “Once we’ve taken food, we don’t put it back,” she said, walking away. “Remember to read your cotillion handbook.” Thankfully, Mrs. Townsend wasn’t around to chime in. She had a meeting at Emerald Cove Castle on the Cliffs about the Winter White Ball. That woman
was like the godfather of cotillion, and having her around put even Mira on edge. She could only imagine how Izzie felt.

“Remember to read your cotillion handbook,” Izzie repeated in a whisper that sounded remarkably like Ms. Norberry. Mira gave her a look.

“Toss the handbook out the window, ladies,” Dylan said as she came up behind them. “I barely opened that thing, and they still let me put on a puffy white dress.”

They had been caught gossiping red-handed. Mira turned around to face Dylan and couldn’t help but gape. What was that girl wearing? She had on a strapless black dress that barely reached her mid-thigh, and four-inch-high stiletto heels. Dylan smiled at them as she held out a tray of white teacups. “Tea?”

“No, thank you,” Mira said even as Izzie took one. “I don’t want to get anything on my dress. Ms. Norberry would probably make me go home and change.”

Dylan continued to hold out the tray. “You don’t look like the klutzy type. Take one,” she insisted. Mira was afraid to argue. “Wait till you taste this tea. It’s so outrageous, you’ll want to drink every last drop.” She winked. “See you later.”

Mira and Izzie looked at each other and then at their teacups. This obviously had something to do with initiation, but what, Mira didn’t know. Izzie practically chugged her tea, and a small drip landed on her chest. Mira quickly blotted Izzie’s dress.

“Geez, how thirsty are you?” Mira admonished.

“I think something’s on the bottom of the cup,” Izzie said, coming up for air. Mira watched as Izzie stripped off a note folded to the size of a thumbnail that had been taped to the underside of the cup. She carefully opened it as Mira drank her tea to see if she had a note, too.

Number One:

We want to see how well you know your Emerald Cove history. On the bottom of each of your cups is a number. Work together as a class and find all fourteen items based on your clues. After you find each object, take a picture with your phone and text it to DEBS4EVR. Rule number one: Everyone must be in the picture. Rule two: Finish all fourteen items together or do the whole thing over another day. Remember, as always, we’re watching!

XO,

Your Cotillion Captain

“Mine has a note on it,” Mira told Izzie. “I think I got the directions. What does your note say?”

“Number two,” Izzie read. “The clue is ‘what is green and only gets greener?’ What does that mean, and when are we supposed to slip away from Ms. Norberry long enough to find out?”

Just then, Ms. Norberry rushed into the great hall. “Girls,
I’ve just received an urgent phone call from my aunt Bertha. I don’t even know how she had the number here! I need to run over and check on her, but I’ll be back by noon at the latest.” She made a face. “I apologize for keeping you late today.”

A statement that normally would have been followed by groans was met with concern about Aunt Bertha and talk of studying up on their Japanese toilet training. Ms. Norberry was pleasantly surprised. After watching her car pull away, the fifteen cotillion pledges met in the center of the room while the former debs stood watch.

“My note just has a frowny face on it!” Savannah said when the coast was clear. “Everyone else has clues, but mine has a frowny face! What does that mean?”

“I guess someone besides me doesn’t like you.” Izzie smiled serenely.

“So? No one likes you, and you’re still here,” Lea said, coming to Savannah’s defense. Full-fledged bickering broke out, just as a loud clap of thunder rattled the club.

“Great,” Lauren said, looking at the stain-glassed windows. “It’s November, and we’re still getting thunderstorms. If we have to go outside, we’re going to get soaked.”

“Why do I think that’s the idea?” Charlotte said. She had on an incredible Valentino dress Mira recalled seeing in this month’s
Vogue
.

“I’m not ruining my new Tory Burch shoes,” Savannah told the others.

Mira looked down at her own cute shoes. They’d never survive all this rain. Fighting and complaining broke out again.

“Enough!” Izzie barked, startling all of them and making Mira jump. “Do you guys want to whine about your shoes or get this assignment done? We only have about an hour, so let’s let Mira read the directions so we can get started.”

“Who put you in charge?” Savannah balked.

Izzie glared at her. “I did. Want to fight me for it?” Savannah looked away.

“Wow, someone should tell Izzie Scott to run for class president,” Mira heard Charlotte whisper to a girl next to her. “She knows how to even make Savannah listen.”

Charlotte was right, Mira realized, watching Izzie command the room. Izzie was a natural leader. She was always harping on her to get the Butterflies’ next event going, but Mira never had the time. If Mrs. Fitz said their next event didn’t have to be till January, then who was she to push? But Izzie would push all of them. It made her wonder.

“Mira?” Izzie looked at her strangely. “The directions?”

“Sorry!” She read the directions as another roar of thunder rocked the club.

“How are we supposed to collect fourteen things if only thirteen of us have numbers?” Savannah asked them. “Mira has the directions, and my card doesn’t say anything. We’re going to be short one clue.”

Izzie shrugged. “Let’s hope something about your clue comes up as we go along.” Savannah sat down in a huff. “I’ll read my clue so we can start.”

“She probably forged her clue,” Lea whispered loud enough to be heard.

“Lea, that’s not nice,” Savannah scolded even though she was clearly enjoying herself now that she wasn’t on the chopping block anymore. “He denies forging the signature, remember? Too bad he didn’t keep a copy to prove it.” The girls snickered.

Just that morning, the papers had run a story about their dad supposedly forging another district representative’s signature on an important water preservation bill. Her dad was a mess, and he’d recounted the story to Callista. “Donald told me to add his name to the bill!” she remembered him saying as she sat quietly and ate her Lucky Charms. “He signed a copy as soon as I got to the office. That’s not forgery!”

“Is there something you want to share with the rest of us, Lea?” Izzie stared the girl down.

“No,” Lea squeaked. She sounded less sure of herself than she did a minute ago.

“Okay,” Izzie said, satisfied. “What’s green and only gets greener?’ ” Everyone looked at one another. Savannah started to perspire.

“Maybe they mean the golf course,” said Charlotte. “Isn’t that called a green? It’s made of grass, so wouldn’t it get greener throughout the spring and into summer?”

“Works for me,” says Lea, and she took off running, partially to get away from Izzie, who was still glaring at her after that comment she made about their dad.

The sounds of heels across the cobblestone floor echoed through the room. The group ran past the ballroom and down the stairs to the golf shop, rushing past the men whose sessions had been cut short, and out the door as raindrops pelted their faces.

“Now what?” Lauren asked, staring at the puddles on the golf course. “Are we supposed to take a picture on the green? I thought this was a history lesson.”

“Look over there!” Mira spotted a flag on the putting green. The flag bore the Emerald Cove Junior League’s insignia. Something was tacked to the bottom of it. She ran over and pulled down a Ziploc that held a piece of paper.

“It’s another note,” she said, running back to the others under the small golf pro shop awning. She unfolded the note and read it out loud. “Golf is not for paupers. Maybe that’s why it’s always been played in Emerald Cove, ever since Victor Strausburg settled here. Using his emerald seed money, he built one of the country’s first courses. Today, it’s part of the Emerald Cove Country Club and is a prize-winning course.”

Lauren practically tackled a golfer carrying his heavy golf bag in from the rain. “Sir, would you mind taking our picture?”

“Are you serious?” he asked, the raindrops dripping off his forehead. Lauren motioned to the others, who ran out and stood in the rain as it flattened their hair.

“Read the next clue before I melt,” Lauren barked when they were done pretending to smile, and the picture had been texted. “Who has the second clue?”

“Me,” Charlotte said, and opened her note. “You know me as the queen of royalty, the starter of it all, but as I sit pale and silent, I wonder what some are saying about me. After all, there were rumors I was a witch.”

It took all of Mira’s willpower not to yell out
Savannah
.

“Pale and silent, pale and silent,” Mira repeated to herself. It had to be a person, right? But who was always silent? The cute valet? Couldn’t be him. He was tan. She had it! “They must mean the statue of Audrey Strausburg out front.”

Nicole covered her head with her sweater to stay dry. “But she wasn’t a witch.”

“That doesn’t mean someone didn’t call her one,” Izzie said. “Let’s check it out.”

The group followed Izzie and Mira to the front of the country club. Emerald Cove’s founding wife stared down at them with a slight smile, her face lighting up between flashes of lightning. In her stone hands was a Ziploc bag with a note.

Izzie pulled it down and began to read, the rain smearing
the ink. “Poor Audrey Strausburg. Beautiful and rich but despised by the other founding families. They were convinced she dabbled in the dark arts. How else would her husband have found mine after mine of emeralds?” Izzie rolled her eyes. “Even back then EC had gossips.”

Mira ignored her. “Let’s get a picture before one of us gets struck by lightning.”

“Lea, go get the valet and make him take our picture,” Lauren said, and the group gathered around the statue. Lauren looked around. “Wait. Where is Savannah?”

Mira didn’t see her. “She knows we can’t take the picture without her.”

“Someone go find her,” Izzie instructed, but no one moved. Mira didn’t blame them. Who wanted to be the one to tell Savannah Ingram to get her butt back outside? “Lea? Go.” Lea’s shoulders sagged, but she did as she was told.

The storm sounded like it was directly overhead now. Mira looked up at Audrey’s statue again, standing tall despite the awful weather. Her friends sounded a hell of a lot worse than Mira’s. Maybe Izzie was right: What was Mira so afraid of?

“I can’t find her,” Lea reported a few minutes later. Her hair was starting to frizz.

“Did anyone call her?” Mira asked. People did not summon Savannah by phone, but there was a first time for everything. She stared at Lea and Lauren. “Someone call her
now
.
I am not doing this challenge twice because she had to reapply lip gloss.” Mira surprised herself with her tone. She noticed Izzie grin.