The maî:tre d' seated us, and a waiter appeared to hand us hand printed menus. After the two men disappeared, Tamzin made introductions.
"Antonia, Valerie, this is Anna Lucas, Bella Talbot's nanny." Was it me or was there just a little too much stress on the word 'nanny?' "Anna, these are my very good friends, Antonia Musgrave and Valerie Burton-Hill. We were at school together."
"Nice to meet you," I said.
Antonia quite literally stared down her aquiline nose at me. "I'm sure." She had one of those ridiculously posh accents where the person practically spoke out their sinuses. She tilted her head slightly to allow her dark, glossy hair to fall just so, catching the light from the window overlooking Kensington Road.
"Lucas," Valerie said, catching my attention. "What sort of name is that?" She eyed me like an eagle eyeing its prey. She was plain compared to the other two women, but every inch of her was so carefully polished that, unless you looked deeper, you only saw the gloss.
"It's my name," I said firmly.
The other three tittered. I gave Tamzin a hard look, but she avoided my eye.
"You know," Antonia said, "it's really too bad you're forced to work with children for a living. I mean, they are just full of disgusting germs, aren't they? Runny noses and such." She gave a delicate shiver.
"Reece and Riley are amazing boys. Very smart and funny. I'm privileged to work with them."
"To work for Bella Talbot, you mean," Valerie said slyly. "Bet you think you can get your claws into that brother-in-law of hers." She glared at me with gimlet eyes. It didn't take a genius to realize Tamzin had brought me here, not for the purpose of apologizing, but to try and humiliate me with the help of her nasty friends.
"You know," I said calmly, laying my menu on the table. "I've suddenly lost my appetite. Must be the company."
And with that, I got up and walked out, leaving the three women gaping behind me.
# # #
I went straight home from the aborted lunch date. I'd lost my appetite for exploration too. Instead I slapped together a sandwich in the kitchen and took it up to my room. Hiding out for a few hours felt like a good thing to do.
I sat down at my laptop and Googled forró:. A video popped up on YouTube, and I watched as the couple swirled through the moves of the dance, starting slow and moving faster as the music picked up. It was fun and fast, the sort of dancing that left you flushed and breathless. I had my doubts as to whether I would embarrass myself at the party, but at least I'd try.
I was about to shut the laptop when curiosity got the better of me. I typed Evander's name into the search field. I wasn't at all prepared for what I saw. I very nearly choked on a bite of sandwich.
"Oh, holy crap," I whispered. "This can't be right. There must be a mistake." But there wasn't. There was no way in hell I could go to the party. No way I could face Evander ever again.
# # #
The day of the party dawned bright and cold. Even the clouds cooperated, parting to let through steams of sunlight. Viola took charge of the boys, hauling them to the zoo in hopes of tiring them out while we got ready for the party.
At ten, Bella's crew arrived to begin decorating. By noon, the caterers were setting up in the kitchen. I felt a little lost, not sure what I should be doing, so I stuck to my room, giving myself a manicure and pedicure, and pretending I wasn't nervous as hell.
A knock sounded on the door, and Bella popped her head in. "I have something for you." She came in carrying a large, silver box tied with shimmering white ribbon. She handed it to me with a look of excitement.
Eagerly I opened the box. Inside was the most gorgeous dress. The rich purple fabric was slightly ruched over the bust and gathered in at the waist with a wide band. The skirt was short and narrow but covered in layers of fluffy tulle like a fairy dress. Thin straps of tulle went over the shoulders and random crystals sparkled from between the folds of soft material.
"Oh, my," I gasped, stroking the silky fabric. "It's absolutely stunning."
"And perfect for you. You're going to look unbelievable."
"Thank you, Bella, but I can't accept it," I said, reluctantly closing the lid.
She crossed her arms. She was wearing a pale blue terrycloth robe, her blonde hair up in curlers. "Why not?"
I sighed. "I've decided not to go to the party."
She frowned. "Why?"
"I don't belong there, and you know it."
Bella narrowed her eyes. "Actually, I don't know it. What's the problem? Is it the forró:? You don't have to do it, you know."
I swallowed. "Um, no. It's not that. Evander taught me the dance…" I trailed off as Bella's eyes grew wide.
"Oh, my word, I am so thick." She sank down next to me on the bed. "You fancy my brother-in-law."
That was one way of putting it, although it wasn't the reason. "I know Tamzin will be there, even though it's supposed to be a date-free zone, and I don't think she will be thrilled with me attending. She is Evander's girlfriend, after all. And after what happened Sunday…"
Bella frowned. "What happened Sunday?"
I told her about Tamzin inviting me to lunch, claiming it was to apologize, and how it had turned out to be just another one of her twisted games. "Her friends are as nasty as she is."
"You didn't stay, did you?"
"Are you kidding? I got up and walked out. I have no time for people like that."
Bella snorted in a surprisingly unladylike fashion. "Good for you. Tamzin Berkshire is a bitch."
I stared at her, eyes wide. "I thought she was a friend of yours."
"I've never liked the woman. I don't know what Evander
