“Is it supposed to be war or something?” she asked cautiously.
“A vengeful heart.”
“That’s happy,” Carol murmured. “Nothing says let’s raise money for giraffes like a vengeful heart.”
Natalie laughed. “I know it’s a little on the dark side, but Ceallach’s emotion collection, as it’s called, is wildly popular with collectors. Atsuko is practically levitating with happiness at being able to sell one.”
“Good for her,” Carol said faintly, turning from the aggressive piece.
Several feet away was Ronan’s crane about to take flight. It was about half the size of his father’s donation, but somehow seemed to dominate the room.
“He’s amazing. So talented.”
“He’s okay,” Natalie said, her voice teasing. “He can be a little brooding, but hey, he can afford it. Now over here, we have a very special carving from Nick.”
There were actually four carvings grouped together on a table. A rush of emotion swept through Carol, making her eyes burn.
“Millie and her herd,” she breathed. “It’s so beautiful.” And just how she pictured the giraffes—as a family.
She squeezed her friend’s arm. “It’s really happening.”
“It is. Now over here, we have a charming collection of slightly impertinent giraffes.”
Carol saw nearly a dozen charming paper giraffes on floating shelves. There was a ballerina giraffe and one that was a pirate. Business executive giraffe, a giraffe on a skateboard. Each little caricature was about eight inches tall and fully dimensional.
She leaned close to take in all the wonderful details, then turned to her friend.
“How did you do this? They’re adorable and fun and I love them.”
“Thank you. It’s a combination of origami and construction and a lot of glue. I had fun. They won’t sell for a lot but I wanted to be a part of things.”
Carol hugged her. “Thank you so much. You put in way too much time.”
“It’s okay. I enjoyed myself and they’ll go into my catalog, so that’s a win for me.”
Carol knew that Natalie was trying to build the list of pieces she’d sold—her artist’s catalog.
“You’re wildly talented and one day you’re going to be discovered,” Carol told her. “Just promise you won’t forget we’re friends.”
“That will never happen, I swear.” Natalie led her to another pedestal topped with an intricately carved ebony giraffe.
“This bad boy comes all the way from England, compliments of the Duke of Somerbrooke. It’s nearly three hundred years old and unique in not only the detail but its pristine condition. Notice the wood hadn’t cracked at all and tail wisps are all intact.” She grinned. “Why yes, I do watch way too much Antiques Roadshow. I can’t help it. I’m addicted.” She spun in a circle. “And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The Millie collection.”
Carol honestly didn’t know what to say. She was overwhelmed by the beauty around her, not to mention the money that would be raised. The giraffes had been put on reserve, the transportation arranged, the permits sent for. The mayor of Fool’s Gold had given Mathias the name of someone to contact to get the last leg of the journey approved. Nearly everyone she knew and loved had participated. The evening was going to be a success.
There was only one thing missing.
She thought of the small glass giraffe Mathias had made for her. Until this second she hadn’t realized how much she’d been hoping he would have made another one for the event. Perhaps it wasn’t fair of her—he was an artist and maybe he couldn’t produce on demand. Not something so incredible.
Her gaze moved to Ceallach’s abstract piece and she wondered how much its presence had changed everything. In a room filled with promise and joy, his vengeful heart was a dark shadow sucking the life out of all it touched.
* * *
CAROL WORRIED THAT her curling iron was lonely and bitter and determined to punish her for lack of use. Or maybe the more realistic problem was that she got it out it all of once or twice a year, so she simply forgot how to maneuver it without burning herself.
She stood in her bathroom and carefully curled her short, red hair the way Violet had suggested. With enough product and attention, she could manage a decently fluffy style that was far more festive than her usual wash and go-ness. She’d already applied makeup—another beauty ritual she did her best to avoid. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how, it was that she rarely saw the need.
Violet was a big help, keeping her up-to-date on all the latest trends and guiding her toward the most foolproof ones. Whoever had invented crayon-like eye shadow deserved an award. No more fussing with oddly long brushes. No more shading. She simply swiped it on, smoothed it with her finger and she was done. The same with a bronzer-highlighter kit her sister had found. Two colors, two brushes and a little diagram showing her what went where. Honestly, if she didn’t already love her job, she would look at starting a company called “Makeup for the beauty challenged.”
She put down her curling iron and studied her hair. The curls were perky and even, her bangs straight. She reached for her can of hairspray and gave herself two coats, just to be sure, then went into her closet to finish dressing.
Atsuko had said to aim more toward cocktail party attire than anything too formal. While Carol didn’t want to be the center of attention, Millie was her girl, so at some point she was going to have to speak to everyone, which meant dressing appropriately was important.
So was saying the right thing. The thought of having to address the crowd had been keeping her up for days, but again, she was the giraffe representative. She’d finally gotten her remarks down to a couple of paragraphs. She talked about Millie, then thanked everyone involved. The end.
She’d practiced enough to have her little speech memorized, but had notes, just in case her mind went blank. Which seemed fairly likely, given how nervous she was going to be.
She slipped on a simple black cocktail dress. It was sleeveless with a scooped neck and a slightly flared skirt. Growing up in New York City had meant going to lots of different events with her mother. Violet had loved dressing up, while Carol would have rather stayed home and read. Regardless of her wishes, she’d been dragged along.
Every year her mother had bought each of them a new black cocktail dress. Somewhere along the way, Carol had learned it was better to be prepared for the unexpected. While she didn’t get a new dress every year, every third or fourth, she ordered a few online and kept the best one or two.
There was no way she could manage high heels, but she had a pair of classic pumps that worked in a pinch. At least she would be able to stand all night without twisting her ankle or limping.
She checked her small clutch and made sure she had her house keys and her speech. With three minutes to spare, she made her way to the front of the house.
Mathias pulled up right on time. He’d texted her earlier, offering her a ride into town. She was grateful not to have to arrive alone, but nervous about seeing him. It would be the first time they’d been alone since her emotional discovery. She was terrified that now that she knew she was in love with him, she would somehow give it away. Like as soon as she saw him, the truth would be written on her forehead or something.
Hoping fate wasn’t so unsupportive, she crossed to the front door and pulled it open. Mathias was halfway up the front walk. He stopped when he saw her, giving her a chance to admire his lean, muscled body in something other than jeans.
He’d put on a black suit. The jacket had been tailored by someone who understood and admired the male form. His shirt was also black, as was his tie. He looked sexy, handsome and just a little dangerous. Fluttering started deep in her belly and worked its way out. Her chest tightened and she knew she was going to have trouble breathing.
“You’re stunning,” he said, moving toward her. “No one’s going to notice the artwork.”
“I hope you’re wrong. We’ve already spent the money.”
He chuckled, then lightly kissed her. “Nervous?”
“Desperately.”
“You’ll do fine.”
“I have a speech prepared. It’s short.”
“Those are the best ones.”
He put his hand on the small of her back and led her to his car. Carol exhaled with relief. He hadn’t figured it out—her secret was still safe. Now all she had to do was get through the rest of the evening without tripping, spilling or making a fool of herself in any other way. Tomorrow she would figure out what to do about being in love with Mathias.
* * *
THE GALLERY LOOKED different with nearly a hundred people filling the space. Or maybe it was the lighting or the delicious smells of the appetizers. Or maybe it was the sudden and total terror that gripped her and promised to never let go.
Carol stood just inside the front doors. Mathias gently urged her inside, but she couldn’t seem to move or breathe. No way she could do this, she thought frantically. She wasn’t the right person to represent Millie to all these people. She’d never spoken to a crowd before—the closest she’d come was the other twenty-seven students in her college freshman speech class.
“You’re beautiful, accomplished and this isn’t about you. It’s about Millie. So think of her, take a breath and smile.”
Mathias’s quiet words were whispered in her left ear. Until this second she would have sworn there was nothing she would rather hear from him than I love you desperately. But given the situation, this was even better.
She thought about the beautiful, lonely giraffe depending on her, reminded herself that as Millie’s representative, she had to make Millie proud, sucked in air, then smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
Was she? Despite the sudden need to know, Carol reminded herself about what was important.
“Thanks,” she said quietly. “The freak-out has passed. I’ll do better now.”
Before Mathias could respond, Atsuko descended. She wore a slim black pantsuit with gorgeous buttons that had a slight giraffe motif. Carol had a feeling Violet had done well with the sale.
“You’re stunning,” the gallery owner announced, sweeping in for an air kiss. “The crowd is hot. I can feel it. We’re both going to make so much money tonight.” She smiled. “While yours is the more worthy cause, I still have bills to pay.” She turned to Mathias. “You’ll keep our star circulating.”
“I know the drill.”
“A thousand thanks.” Atsuko sighed happily. “Ed and Ted are doing their part, which is lovely. Now I’m going to do the same. Chat up the big money folks while making everyone feel special.” She beamed. “How I do love an event.”
She waved at someone and hurried away.
“Carol!”
Carol saw her friends approaching. Silver, Natalie and Wynn walked over, each holding a glass of champagne.
“I’ll be right back,” Mathias told her.
“Sure.” She smiled at her friends. “You came. Thank you.”
“Are you kidding?” Silver hugged her. “We wouldn’t miss this. Very swanky.”
Silver had pulled her platinum blond hair up on her head. She wore a silky dress that clung to every perfect inch of her body. Natalie had on a dress that came to midcalf. While the background was black, the swirling pattern was every shade of red. She looked like sexy fire. Wynn had a sparkly top over black pants.
“I never get out during the week,” Wynn said with a laugh. “Or much on weekends. You’d think dating a single mom would be more appealing to men, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. So I’m very happy to be with you.”
Carol couldn’t believe they’d all come. She expected to see Violet, and Pallas would be there with Nick, but these three had gone above and beyond.
“Thank you again for the wonderful origami giraffes,” she told Natalie. “They’re brilliant and adorable and so original.”
“I’m pretty happy with how they turned out,” Natalie admitted.
“And you!” Carol looked at Wynn. “I can’t believe you printed all those pictures so quickly.”
“I’ve got game,” Wynn teased, then raised her eyebrows as she shook her head at Silver. “What did you do, young lady?”
“Very little. I’m here for the food.”
They all laughed.
Mathias returned with two glasses of champagne. Carol took one but hesitated before taking a sip.
“I’m not sure alcohol is a good idea,” she admitted. “I have to give a speech later.”
“Then you’d better drink at least one glass,” Silver told her. “It will take the edge off. You have notes?”
Carol patted her small bag.
“Then you’re all set.” Silver looked at Mathias. “Can we trust you to keep her from overindulging?”
“You can.”
Anything else he was going to say was silenced by the sudden electricity that moved through the room. Everyone turned to look toward the entrance. Carol’s stomach clenched as she braced herself for the inevitable onslaught.
Ceallach Mitchell had arrived.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE COMBINED SALE PRICE of Ronan’s and Ceallach’s two pieces was 1.27 million dollars. Bidding had been fierce, with three international buyers bidding by phone. Nick’s carvings had gone for double what was expected and Natalie’s animal origami collection had sold for nearly two thousand dollars—a record amount for her. Ulrich’s statue and the photographs had also sold.
Mathias checked his watch for the eighteenth time in as many minutes, wishing the night would end. He told himself Millie and her herd were secure for the rest of their lives and then some. The goal had been achieved. Carol had given a charming, heartwarming speech that had probably been responsible for the increased windfall, although some of it had no doubt come from the underlying tension everyone had felt.
Nick wandered over. “How you holding up?” he asked.
“I’m just here as Carol’s escort. I’m fine.”
Nick’s expression told Mathias he didn’t buy that crap for a second, but thankfully he didn’t say anything.
“Pallas has Del and Maya’s wedding this weekend,” Nick said instead. “She left early so she could be rested.”
“You should have gone with her. It was a great excuse to get out early.”
“I wanted to see what would happen.”
Translation—Nick had been worried about him.
“I don’t have any skin in the game,” Mathias pointed out. “You should be with Ronan.”
“Del and Aidan are running point.”
Aidan and Shelby had arrived that afternoon. Poor timing on their end, Mathias thought.
“He’s an asshole,” Nick said conversationally. “We all know it. This was never supposed to be about him. It was for a good cause.”
“Everything is about him. Our inability to learn that lesson is part of our problem.”
Ceallach had claimed the spotlight from the second he’d walked into the gallery. He’d posed for pictures, had talked about his work until Atsuko had been forced to intervene. He’d ignored all his sons, the other work and everyone who wasn’t with the press or there with a big checkbook.
“You should have brought your piece,” Nick said. “That would have shut him up.”
Mathias appreciated the support even though he knew it wasn’t true. What he’d done was good, but there was no way it was in his brother’s league...or his father’s.
He was okay with that. He was proud of the work and one day he would give it to Atsuko to put in the gallery. But not tonight. N
ot when Ceallach was around. The old man had already destroyed too much.
He visually searched the crowd and found Carol talking to Natalie. He read exhaustion in her posture and turned to his brother.
“Go home to your girl. Carol’s done and I’m going to get her home.”
Nick slapped him on the back. “It’s only forty-eight hours, give or take. We’ve been through worse.”
“It gets harder as we get older.”
“You got that right.”
Nick headed for the exit. Mathias started for Carol. He passed his mom and Ronan on the way and caught a few words.
“You never call me,” Elaine said, her voice thick with emotion. “Ronan, please.”
Mathias’s step slowed, then he shook his head and kept moving. Some problems he could solve, but certainly not that one.
As he approached Carol, he felt the strain of the evening fade away. They’d done it—Millie was going to get her herd. Carol had made it happen.
As if sensing his approach, she turned. Their gazes locked. Wanting slammed into him, nearly stopping him midstride.
Damn she was beautiful, he thought, forcing himself to start moving again. She was everything he’d ever wanted and nothing he could have. Sometimes life was a bitch.
“There’s your ride,” Natalie said with a yawn. “I’m going to head home. I’ll talk to you after the wedding. Let me know how it goes. Oh, and I want a picture of Sophie in her dress.”
“I promise,” Carol said with a laugh. “I’m not sure Maya has considered the possibility of being upstaged by a very pretty beagle.”
She slipped her hand into Mathias’s and they walked out.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Exhausted, but also happy. Everyone had a great time. My dad and uncle were thrilled with the outcome. Violet looked so pretty. Ulrich was charming.”
“Not really. It’s the accent.”
She grinned at him. “If you say so.”
They drove back to her place. After parking in her driveway, he walked around and opened her door. Carol got out and turned to him.
Second Chance Girl--A Modern Fairy Tale Romance Page 24