“It looks wonderful with your skin.” Dash looked a little bemused as he ran his eyes around the area. “You can forget how alive it is here, yet how relaxed,” he said almost to himself.
Lotus was going to say more, but just then he turned around and put his arm around her, his face relaxed, much of the tautness in his frame dissipated. She wanted him to remain that way. She sighed and swallowed her arguments.
“This is fun. Come on, lady. Durgin Park has to be experienced.” Dash laughed out loud, turning smiling faces in his direction. He hurried her through the market.
They went into a rather dark small room that opened off the square and a young man called to them over the bar.
"Going upstairs?”
"Yes,” Dash told him. Then he led Lotus up a rather steep flight of stairs to a smoky, steamy kitchen area, where a woman led them into another room.
“Table for two?”
“Please,” Dash told her, joy filling him because his wife’s head was swiveling every which way trying to see it all.
“They have an oilcloth on the table,” she said, grinning up at him.
“Yes.” Dash looked around the crowded low-ceilinged room, delighted that they had been led to a table by the window which was open so that the noises from the market wafted up to them. "Didn’t I tell you it had to be experienced?”
Lotus nodded, so busy people-watching that she paid scant attention when the woman took the order.
When her chowder came in a huge bowl, she looked open-mouthed at Dash. “Do I swim in it or eat it?”
“Taste,” he invited, lifting his spoon.
“Ummmm.So good.”
They fed each other, delighting in each other’s responses.
“I would rather come back to the market than go to the Symphony Ball,” Lotus told him, leaning near her husband.
Dash nodded, loving the sparkle of happiness in her eyes. She is totally unaffected by anything but living, and I love that about her.
“Tell me about the Symphony Ball. Is it white tie?”
“Probably.”
“You’ll look so sexy,” Lotus snarled at him, snapping her teeth as though she would bite him.
“Love, don’t do that.” Dash looked deep into her eyes. “I wish we were back in our bedroom.” “Do you think we have time for ... us before we dress in all our finery?” She bit her lip, then sighed. “I hope my wedding dress will be all right.” Dash nodded, watching her closely. She wasn’t saying much, but he could tell she was nervous.
When they were finished and it was time to go, Dash led the way down the steep stairway to the street level.
“Love”—Dash kissed her forehead as they ambled back through the market— “let’s grab a cab. I want to go to a store.”
“Is it far?”
Dash shook his head as he urged away from the market and out to the street. He flagged down a cab, put her inside, and followed her. “Charine’s,” he told the driver.
“Charine’s?” Lotus echoed. “Isn’t that a haute couture house in New York?”
Dash nodded. “They also have shops here, and in Chicago and L.A.”
“I didn’t know that.”
The short ride was almost over when Lotus wheeled on him. “Why do we need to go there? Do you think my wedding dress would be outre for the Symphony Ball?”
“No. I think it would be lovely, but I don’t think you feel that way and you seem nervous about tonight. I just thought if there was anything here all made up that caught your fancy we could buy it. But if you don’t see anything, that’s fine too. Then, at least, you’ll be happier with your choice,” Dash told her, shoving some bills at the driver then getting out of the cab, his hand holding hers.
When they were standing on the sidewalk together, he put his hand on her lips. “And please don’t tell me I shouldn’t spoil you. I love getting vou things, love. Please indulge me just a bit.” Lotus looked up at him. How had she ever gotten anyone like him? Even at night sometimes when she would wake up in his arms, she could hardly believe that he was hers, and that they were married. She sighed.
“You’re in that dream world again, love.” He kissed her cheek, then drew her toward the glass-fronted establishment that had beige silk sheers on the door and window and the name CHARINE’S scrolled on the window in gold.
Lotus dragged her feet. “We can’t go in there in running clothes. . . ”
“Yes, we can,” he told her gently, pushing open the door into the plush champagne-carpeted and silk-walled reception area.
There were two other women waiting as they entered, who looked at them askance. A salesperson crossed the spacious area, her feet sinking into the pale, thick carpet. She smiled at each of the women in turn, then gestured to two assistants who followed her. They took the two women through a door that Lotus surmised must be the fitting rooms. She then turned and looked at them, her eyes icy, her chin raised. “Yes?”
“Charine is sometimes here on Fridays. Is she here today?” Dash’s strong voice reached out to the woman, cracking the starch in her demeanor. “Tell her that Dash Colby is here.”
“Colby?” the woman’s smile widened. “Yes, of course. If you’ll take a seat.” Her glance slid off Lotus. “I assume you are together.”
“Tell Charine we’re here,” Dash said coldly, making the woman almost scuttle into the back of the salon.
“You were a bit rough on her,” Lotus ventured, leaning on him when he put his arm around her.
“I didn’t like what I read in her tiny mind. You’re my wife. I will not let anyone think of you as anything else.”
“Yes, sir.” Lotus giggled, without raising her head from his chest.
The curtains were flung back and a doll-like woman tottered toward them, her hair as black and silky as Lotus’s, her arms raised. “You dog . . ." Her rather high-pitched voice had a trace of accent. “You are married! I read it in the Times.” Charine’s eyes slewed toward Lotus. “Ahh, so you have chosen well, cheri.” The tiny woman looked at Lotus. “You are lovely.”
“Thank you,” Lotus said.
“Thank you,” Dash said at the same time, then laughed and hugged her. “She’s beautiful and tonight we are going to the Symphony Ball. . . ” “Ahh . . . and you expect me to outfit her in twenty minutes,” Charine interrupted dryly, shaking her head when Dash laughed and nodded. She clapped her hands, then spoke in rapid French to an attendant who came on the run, then scurried away to carry out the command. “I am not sure it’s here,” Charine said, talking to no one in particular, a slight frown on her porcelain skin.
“Come, we’ll wait in my quarters. Marie will bring it there.”
"This number thirty-four you sent her for must suit my wife, I take it, by the way you’re pacing,” Dash told her when he followed the women into a large studio area and straddled a chair, his chin on the back. He sat very close to Lotus who sat on the edge of her chair.
Charine stopped her pacing and smiled at him. Ah, your French is still good, I see.” She looked at Lotus. “And do you speak the language of the gods, madame?”
“Some. My first languages were French, Japanese, and Chinese. Then I learned English. My father was from the United States, but he was very comfortable with the other languages,” Lotus told her. Dash beamed at Charine.
“You love this lady very much, I think.”
“Very much.” Dash grinned at a reddening Lotus. “You must not mind me, cherie,” Charine spoke to Lotus. “I always speak my mind. It is me to do so.” She looked back at Dash. “As for the dress . . . Ah, you have it, Marie.” Charine gestured to the girl to bring it forward. Then she turned and gesticulated to Lotus to stand near her. “As I thought, this green silk is the same color as her eyes. Marie, you will help Mrs. Colby and get shoes in her size, please.” Her bow-shaped mouth curved upward when she saw Lotus’s surprised look. “So you worry about the shoes I tell Marie to bring? Do not. I always keep a supply of try-on shoes for my customers.” She shrugge
d in a Gallic way. “It is more efficient.”
Lotus felt as though she had climbed aboard a fast-moving merry-go-round when Marie took her into a dressing room adjacent to the studio. She could hear the murmur of Dash and Charine’s conversation as Marie and another woman pulled off her sweats, then had her don nylons and medium-heeled shoes. The dress, in sea foam silk, was slipped over her head. It was strapless except for a long scarf that was tossed over one shoulder, Roman-style. The dress was form fitting from under the bust to the kneecap. There the silk was draped from a point at the knee downward so that it flared back and down like a ruffle. It delineated every curve of Lotus’s body and didn’t allow for any bra.
“Madame, you have a perfect figure for this gown, but perhaps you should consider not wearing underpants for the evening. The line could show through such delicate fabric.”
Lotus stared at herself in the mirror. There was a tiny line where the underpants showed. “I think I would prefer to wear something. I have some very sheer and delicate panty hose I can wear with it.”
Marie shrugged. “We have the micro bikini briefs here, madame. They would be less conspicuous.” “Ah . . . well, perhaps. That might be better.” Marie inclined her head then pushed back the curtain of the dressing room. “Madame Charine and your husband are just on the other side of the screen, madame.”
“Thank you.” Lotus felt as though she had nothing on, the silk was so light. Only the whisper of silk announced her presence as she rounded the screen to where her husband and the diminutive designer were conversing.
Dash turned first. “Darling,” he whispered,
breathlessly. “Your eyes . . . your body . . .” Then he frowned. “My God, I won’t let anyone else see you like this. She’s perfect.” He grumbled, rising from his chair almost knocking it over in his haste.
Both women chuckled.
“Cheri, a beautiful woman was made to be seen by others,” Charine said and laughed.
"No.” Dash fired the word like a bullet, making Marie, who had followed behind Lotus, blink.
T like it,” Lotus told him in low tones.
“So do I,” Dash ground out the word reluctantly. “She would be exquisite with a little jewelry here and there.” Charine pointed to her ears and wrists, “Nothing around her neck, of course. That lovely graceful neck must be bare.”
“Yes,” Dash agreed, going over to his sweat jacket and rummaging in his capacious pocket. "These would go with it.” He drew the jade, in white, green, pink and lavender, from the velvet case.
“Ma fois! I should say they would,” Charine exclaimed. She drew out the lavender jade ring and earrings and put them up against the sea green dress. “She will be exquisite,” Charine pronounced.
“Yes.” Dash scowled when Lotus laughed, then glided up to him to embrace him.
“I won’t take it. I like my wedding dress.”
“Of course you’ll take it. Your wedding dress is lovely on you. But this is magnificent. You must wear it, with me at your side every minute.” “Indeed, you must, cheri. You will be fighting off the population of men at the ball.” Charine covered her mouth with one hand when Dash looked murderous. “I am sorry, cheri, I don’t
mean to laugh, but it so funny, the great Dash Colby ...”
“If you say hung by his own petard, Charine, my love, I shall stuff you in one of your own garment bags,” Dash threatened her.
Charine put up her hand palm outward. “I will say nothing.”
“Right,” Dash agreed, fumbling his hands over his clothes to reach for his checkbook.
“There is no need, my friend. I will bill you for the ensemble”—Charine put her hand on his arm— “but I must insist that she go to Giulio’s next door and get her shoes. He will fit her with something that will be even more beautiful and elegant than the try-on shoes here. I am sure he will make sure she is most comfortable so she can dance the night away.” Charine kissed her fingers to both of them.
“True.” Dash snapped his fingers, not listening to Lotus when she protested.
“I have shoes . . ." Lotus said, bidding good-bye hurriedly to the dress designer as Dash pulled her out of the store.
“Come back again, Madame Colby.” Charine’s tinkling laugh followed after them.
“Of course she will. Good-bye, Charine,” Dash answered for both of them.
Despite her reluctance Lotus was entranced with the tiny bootery that had no frills but a good address. Giulio himself waited on them.
“I do not like to give a woman a ready-made shoe”—he lifted his shoulders—“but of course there is no time to create footwear for the signora. I will see what I can do.” After rapid spate of Italian, an assistant appeared from the back room, bearing stacks of boxes. First Giulio studied her dress and looked at the many shoes his assistant showed him. Then he lifted Lotus’s foot, stripped off the sweat sock, and ran his hands up and down her instep. “Ummm. She has a high instep. We must fit her properly.” He jumped to his feet and left the room.
“I feel like a prize mare being shod by the blacksmith,” Lotus whispered.
“Darling.” Dash laughed. “I assure you it’s much more expensive to shoe our horses than it is you.” “We have horses?”
Dash’s eyes narrowed on her as he nodded. “One of the mares is about to foal soon. If it’s a filly, I intend to call her Lotus Blossom.”
Lotus could feel her eyes light up. “Dash, really?” She kissed his cheek. “What a nice idea!”
Just then Giulio popped back into the room, another of his attendants following him with more boxes. He stared at Lotus, frowning. “The signora cries. It cannot be my shoes.”
“She’s happy. Molto bene,” Dash responded in Italian.
“You have horses. You speak Italian. Are there no ends to the facets of you,” Lotus whispered, feeling helpless as Giulio slipped a nylon stocking on her right foot then removed a rather high-heeled slipper from the box. The plain leather pump was close in shade to her dress.
“That should feel very good, signora, though I can see that you are not used to wearing the higher heel.”
“No, I’m not,” Lotus said, rising to her feet and walking up and down. “This feels like air. It’s very comfortable.”
“Good, That will be for this evening. I have brought you other shoes that suit your foot for other occasions,” Giulio said, rubbing his hands together.
Lotus shook her head. “No, thank you. I never buy shoes without having an outfit for them.” “Let’s see them.” Dash pawed through the boxes, pointing to some and frowning at others. When he saw Lotus shaking her head, he spoke. “Now, darling, I just want you to have a few pairs of recreational and dress shoes. That will be all. I’ll give you a check.”
Giulio held up one hand palm outward. “Not to worry. I will bill you, sir.” He beamed.
“Fine. Could I use your phone to call our driver?” Dash took only a moment to call Timmons, then he was back at Lotus’s side. “Come on, darling. I told Timmy we’ll meet him at the corner. No, don’t worry, I can carry the parcels.”
“Not all of them. You have the dress bag. I’ll take some of the shoes.”
“I could have them sent to your house, sir,” Giulio suggested.
“No, I don’t want anything not arriving for tonight. We’ll take them.” Dash smiled and led her from the store.
“He was positively drooling with glee,” Lotus huffed, trotting at his side and carrying two of the shoe boxes. “Maybe his shoes are wonderful, but I don’t like people who rub their hands together like that after a sale. I feel uneasy.”
Dash chuckled and looked down at her and winked. “This has been one of the happiest days of my life. It is nowhere near the idea I had for our honeymoon—and we will still be going to
Greece—but I have enjoyed this day with you more than I can say.”
“Me too.” Lotus looked up at him, very aware of the women who passed by and gave her husband more than one look. They can’t ha
ve him! He’s mine and I will keep him!
“Ah, there’s Timmy.” Dash waved and stood at the curb as the Rolls cruised to their side. “Good man,” he told the family retainer as he and Lotus settled back against the cushions of the backseat.
“It was fun. I didn’t need the dress, but I do love it,” she told Dash as she snuggled close to him.
“So do I, but I think Charine was right. I’ll be fighting Boston single-handed when they see you.” “Crazy.”
When they reached home, only Dash’s father and his brother, Alan, were in the drawing room.
Alan waggled his iced fruit juice in their faces. “Good thing you’re back. Jennifer was positive you had taken Lotus to Borneo without so much as a good-bye note.”
Dash chuckled as his father grimaced. “Getting sticky around here?”
“Bad, my boy, bad.” Zachary Colby sighed. “We will be having fifty to dinner and cocktails at the Neptune before the ball.”
“God.” Dash closed his eyes. “When was that arranged?”
“Who knows?” Alan said. “Father and I found out this afternoon. God, I’ll never marry a society woman. I’m going for a peat bog farmer in the auld sod.”
“Won’t last a week,” His father said mildly, “but I applaud your choice.” He went over to Lotus and kissed her on the cheek. “And how are you doing, my child? You have color in your cheeks and a sparkle in your eye. It can’t be my son that did that, so it must be that you’re looking forward to the frivolity this evening.” Zachary gave his son a smile when he glared at him.
“Not that you deserve to see them, but before we go upstairs, perhaps you’d like to see what we bought today.” Dash was eager to open the package of jade and spread it out on the coffee table.
Alan whistled, setting down his drink, then sinking onto the settee in front of the coffee table. “Beautiful stuff.” He looked up at Lotus. “Why are you blushing, lovely sister-in-law? The jade will be great on you.”
Zachary Colby saw Lotus’s nervousness even when Dash put his arm around her and laughed at what Alan said. “My child, I am delighted that you will be wearing such beautiful jade. It is almost as lovely as you are.”
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