by Anita Hughes
“I never saw her before in my life,” Todd said. “Alistair met her in Aspen and gave her a card with my name and his phone number.”
“So that if she called and my mother answered, it wouldn’t look suspicious.” Her voice was anguished. “And you protected him. How could you lie to everyone!”
“I had no idea the affair continued,” Todd admitted, and looked at Patty. “But I was aware of other women.”
“That’s why he traveled with you! So you could be an accomplice to his infidelity.”
“That’s not the reason; I was very good at what I did,” Todd said hotly. “Your parents had been married for over twenty years when we met. I couldn’t change who he was.”
“You could have told my mother the truth. Instead, you were playing God,” Patty spat. “She wasted her life on a man who collected women like bottles of liquor from a hotel minibar.”
“You’re overreacting. Your parents had a wonderful life, and it had nothing to do with me.” He refilled his glass. “I was practically a kid when I started working for your father. I wasn’t about to start grilling him on his personal life.”
“So you let him romance women all around the world while my mother sat at home and sewed my theater costumes.”
“I’m completely against cheating, but you must see the position I was in,” he fumed. “Your father gave me a job that supported his daughter and grandchildren. I had to be loyal to him; he gave us everything.”
“The only person you owed loyalty to was your wife,” she said furiously. “You could have told me what was going on, so I didn’t discover it at my father’s funeral.”
Todd walked over to Patty and touched her hand. “Maybe I didn’t handle things correctly, but I had the best of intentions. Your father is dead, so it really doesn’t matter. Things have been strained between us, but perhaps we can start fresh. You can travel with me to shooting locations, and we can do all the things we dreamed of.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. “It was going to be a surprise, but we can start with Paris. I have to be on the set next week, and I booked four nights at the Ritz. We’ll take a dinner cruise and go to the ballet.”
Patty stared at the ballet tickets, and for a moment Todd thought everything would be all right. He would tell the company jet to prepare an extra meal, and make sure the Ritz had Patty’s favorite lotions waiting in the suite.
“Starting fresh is a good idea.” Patty walked briskly to the bar. She poured her scotch down the sink and smoothed her skirt. “I suggest you move out of our pool house and get your own place. I’m going to do some remodeling, and there won’t be anywhere for you to sleep.”
“What are you talking about?” Todd asked.
“Nell is in New York, and Pete is in China; there’s no reason to stay married,” she answered. “We never liked the same things anyway. You never read a book from start to finish, and I have no interest in tennis or fancy cars. We can get a divorce and do exactly as we please.”
“I don’t want a divorce! I know we haven’t been getting along, but I plan on changing that. And lots of couples have different hobbies, and everyone in Beverly Hills drives an imported car,” he fumed. “We’ve loved each other since we were in our twenties; that has to count for something.”
“We didn’t know what love was then, but I do now,” she said. “It’s not keeping vital information away from the person you love most.” She walked to the door and turned around. “You can pick the divorce attorney. I won’t have time. I’ll be busy ripping up the floors in the pool house and replacing the furniture.”
* * *
“I couldn’t do anything to change her mind. Her anger was like a wildfire that grew out of control.” Todd ate a bite of his Danish and looked at Nell. “Now you see why I can’t attend your wedding. I wouldn’t put it past your mother to come after me with a dessert fork.”
Nell wanted to say something, but it was all too much: her grandfather having affairs and her father knowing about them, and her parents keeping secrets from her all these years.
“I have to go.” Nell put her coffee cup on the table. “We’re having a dress rehearsal later, and I have to go to a final fitting.”
“I shouldn’t have told you, but there was no other way to make you understand. Please know that I don’t regret a minute of the marriage,” her father said, stopping her. “You and Pete are the best things that happened to me, and I’m grateful to your mother for raising you.”
“I’ll see you later.” Nell stood up and walked to the door.
“Nell,” her father called.
“Yes?” She turned around, and for the first time, the father who’d always resembled a movie star with his chiseled cheekbones and emerald eyes seemed like an ordinary man.
“Your mother was wrong about one thing. I knew what love was in my twenties, and it never changed. She’s still the most spectacular woman I ever met.”
* * *
Nell strode through the lobby of Badrutt’s Palace and punched the elevator button. She wished she could call Eliot, but it was the middle of the night in New York. Felicity was the only other person who might understand. The elevator stopped at her floor and Nell knocked on the door.
“I just got out of the shower and was about to text you,” Felicity said, answering the door. “Come in, I have so much to tell you.”
“I have so much to tell you too.” Nell followed her into the living room. Felicity sat opposite her on the love seat, and Nell noticed the tray with two empty shot glasses.
“It looks like you had a visitor,” Nell said, pointing to the tray. “Did you and Adam finally make up?”
“He went back to his hotel an hour ago,” Felicity said, nodding. “We ate at Le Restaurant and he apologized and said he loved me. He doesn’t want to get engaged yet, but he wants to be together forever.”
“Is that what you want?” Nell asked.
“I’d like a ring eventually,” Felicity acknowledged. “But he was sweet and sincere. Afterward we came up to the suite and made love and it was like we’d never been apart.”
“As long as you’re happy,” Nell said. “I had breakfast with my father. He thought he saw my mother inside a ski shop! Yesterday, my mother said he dialed her number and she could hear people talking in French and German in the background. What am I going to do if they find out what I’ve been up to? Neither of them will speak to me again.”
“Of course they’ll speak to you,” Felicity assured her. “You are their daughter, and you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s only natural that you want them to attend the wedding. Did you learn anything new from your father?”
“Yes—wait until I tell you,” Nell said, and the color went out of her cheeks. “I know why my parents got divorced. My grandfather used my father as an accomplice for his affairs.”
“What do you mean?” Felicity raised her eyebrows.
“My grandfather gave women my father’s name with his own home phone number. If his wife answered, she wouldn’t be suspicious,” Nell continued. “My mother found out at her father’s funeral and she never forgave him. I can see why my mother was so upset, but my father was in a bad position. He really should have told her the truth; they were her parents, after all.”
“Oh, I see.” Felicity nodded her head slowly. “That is tricky. What a terrible situation.”
“I was so upset, I ran out of the restaurant,” Nell said. “There’s no chance they’ll both attend my wedding. I’m so miserable, I don’t know what to do.”
“What will happen when they see each other at the fashion show?” Felicity wondered.
“The fashion show!” Nell panicked. “I’ve been so focused on keeping them apart, I completely forgot they’d see each other at the fashion show.” She took out her phone. “I’ll call my father and tell him not to come. I’ll say it’s overbooked and we have to save the seats for some big fashion editor.”
“Don’t call him yet,” Felicity said, stopping her.
&nb
sp; “Why not?” Nell looked up from her phone.
“I have an idea. How fast can Eliot get to St. Moritz?” Felicity asked.
“Eliot?” Nell repeated. “He’s covering the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.”
“He must be able to get someone to cover for him in an emergency,” Felicity said excitedly. “Call him and tell him to get on the first flight. I have to go see Raj.”
“Will you tell me what’s going on?” Nell asked.
“Not till I figure it out.” Felicity walked to the door and turned around. “You’re welcome to stay in the suite. The bottle of brandy is under the minibar.”
* * *
Nell opened the door to her room and walked to the window. How could her father have lied to her mother for all those years, and why couldn’t her mother forgive him?
The bells chimed eleven o’clock, and she picked up her phone. She’d promised Felicity she would call Eliot, and then she had a final fitting. Tomorrow was the fashion show, and she would glide down the runway in an organza gown with diamond buttons. Her job as a model was to make everyone believe she had a perfect life. She took a deep breath and wished they were right.
Sixteen
The Day of the Fashion Show
6:30 p.m.
Felicity
IT WAS THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE the fashion show, and the models were milling around in lace bustiers and silk garters. Raj was darting back and forth, making sure curling irons were unplugged, and the noise in the dressing room was so loud, Felicity could hardly think. But she glanced at the chiffon-and-lace gown with illusion sleeves, and the ivory off-the-shoulder dress with a tiered circle skirt, and there was nowhere she would rather be.
The last twenty-four hours had been a blur of stockings that suddenly got runs, hairspray that wouldn’t hold, and Felicity’s biggest fear of all: a lipstick smudge on a strapless deep V-neck ball gown with a bowed skirt. But she gave the model a new pair of stockings, the beauty salon lent them a bottle of hairspray, and Raj whisked the gown to the laundry and returned it pressed and without any marks.
The dress rehearsal went off perfectly, and even Raj was pleased. Katie looked stunning in the sheath with white satin panels, and the amethysts on Emily’s ball gown twinkled under the lights. And Nell! When Felicity saw her in the organza gown with diamond buttons shaped like snowflakes, she thought she was a Disney princess come to life.
She and Raj worked furiously to put her plan in motion. Adam had been so supportive, massaging her shoulders and bringing her endless cups of coffee. When he finally went back to his room to change, he texted that he was so proud of all she had accomplished.
And she had finally finished a second design for Camilla! It had come to her all at once, and she couldn’t sketch it fast enough: a see-through bodice stitched with silver thread, and an A-line skirt made of the sheerest tulle. Underneath the bride would wear a silver bodysuit, and her accessories would be chunky bangles and a silver-and-gold choker. Felicity studied the final design before she emailed it to Camilla, and it reminded her of a dress fit for Cleopatra. She had been so excited she was tempted to show Raj, but she stopped herself just in time. Camilla would reply soon, and she didn’t want Raj to be anxious just before the fashion show.
She felt bad that she hadn’t told Gabriel that she and Adam were back together. He’d done so much to help her, and she hadn’t seen him since before she and Adam had dinner. She would try to stop by his office tomorrow before the plane left for New York.
There really wasn’t time to think about anything except the journalists and celebrities who were waiting expectantly on the other side of the curtains. Felicity had peeked out earlier and couldn’t believe it. The editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Weddings was there, and Princess Beatrice of England, and an editor from Vogue Italia. And Felicity was almost certain she’d spotted Charlize Theron with a good-looking man. She couldn’t tell Raj. He’d go right up to Charlize and make her promise to let Felicity design her gown when she got married.
The best part of the show would be the finale. Only Raj could have pulled it off within twenty-four hours. Felicity would have to give him a present: a pair of Italian loafers to replace the worn loafers he’d had for years, or a cashmere overcoat instead of the coat he’d been wearing since they were in college.
Felicity ducked through the hallway and knocked on the door of the anteroom. Nell was the star of the show, and had a dressing room to herself. A chenille gown was draped over a chair, and a tulle veil hung from the closet.
“There you are,” Nell said to Felicity. “I straightened my hair, but I haven’t started with my mascara or eyeliner. I look like a wet cat who just took a bath.”
“You look stunning without any makeup,” Felicity said, admiring Nell’s dark hair and almond-shaped eyes. “Everyone is going to love you.”
“I’m so nervous that my parents will see each other and get into a fistfight. I should have told my father not to come. The minute they spot each other it’s going to get ugly.”
“They’re not going to see each other, because your father is with Raj being outfitted in a tuxedo,” Felicity replied. “He’ll wait behind the curtains until the grand finale, when he’ll escort you down the runway.”
“My father is going to be in the fashion show?” Nell put down her lipstick.
“I didn’t want to tell you until the details were in place.” Felicity perched on the dresser. “Yesterday you were afraid that your parents would see each other at the fashion show. I realized that all week they’ve been in St. Moritz at the same time.”
“Of course they have,” Nell interrupted. “That’s why I’ve been running around like a mouse in a lab experiment trying to keep them apart.”
“You don’t want to keep them away from each other,” Felicity continued. “You want them to be at your wedding.”
“What are you getting at?” Nell asked, curious.
“If you can’t get them to come to your wedding in Nantucket, why not have your wedding in St. Moritz?” Felicity asked impishly. “Eliot is at the hotel barber getting a haircut, and I even asked Katie to perform a song. She sings in the church choir in Kentucky, and has a lovely voice.”
“Eliot is here!” Nell gasped. “I left him a message yesterday, but he never replied.”
“He couldn’t get a flight, and didn’t want to respond until he was certain he could come,” Felicity explained. “Raj called Swiss Air and said Eliot was an important news anchor, and the agent magically found him a seat. He’s so excited—I thought he would burst when I told him our plan.”
“I still don’t understand.” Nell frowned. “This is a fashion show, not a wedding. I want my parents to be there when we exchange our vows.”
“It’s going to be a real wedding,” Felicity said triumphantly. “Raj bought the wedding rings and booked the minister and reserved the honeymoon suite for you and Eliot. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price. He said the suite was a write-off, and he wanted your wedding night to be perfect.”
“Eliot and I are getting married?” Nell gasped.
“Only if you want to, of course! Before the finale, the runway will be transformed into a wedding aisle strewn with red and white rose petals. There will be an altar with urns of orchids, and the harpist will play the wedding march.
“Your father will walk you down the aisle, and Eliot will be waiting at the altar. After the ceremony there will be fireworks on the mountain, and waiters will serve champagne to the guests.”
“It’s ingenious,” Nell said excitedly. “By the time my mother sees my father walking me down the aisle, it will be too late for her to leave. I can’t thank you enough.” Her eyes grew watery. “It’s a miracle! Both my parents will be at my wedding.”
“Don’t start crying or you’ll ruin your slip, and I don’t have a spare.” Felicity hugged Nell. “Friends have to help each other. And it’s Christmas—it’s the time for miracles.”
“I can’t believe how everythi
ng worked out.” Nell opened the tube of mascara. “You and Adam are back together, and Eliot and I are getting married. If only my parents could get along, everything would be perfect.”
“That would be two Christmas miracles,” Felicity said, laughing, and glanced at the clock. “I have to go. I’m supposed to be out front mingling with the audience.”
“Where’s Gabriel?” Nell asked.
“Gabriel?” Felicity turned around.
“The hotel doctor,” Nell prodded. “I saw him in the lobby earlier.”
“He must have been visiting a patient; I didn’t see him.” Felicity gave Nell a quick smile. “I’ll see you on the runway.”
Felicity crossed the hallway and wondered why Gabriel hadn’t stopped and said hello. It was her fault; she should have invited him to the fashion show. But it would have been awkward with Adam sitting in the audience, and she didn’t think Gabriel was interested in watching models parade down the runway in princess ball gowns and illusion veils.
Her phone buzzed and she recognized the New York phone number. She pressed Accept and put the phone to her ear.
“Felicity, it’s Delilah.” Adam’s mother’s voice came over the line. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I just wanted to say good luck. Adam told me all about the fashion show.”
“Thank you,” Felicity said. “It was a surprise when Adam arrived, but I’m glad he’s here.”
“He came for dinner, and we had a long talk,” Delilah replied. “I knew he’d come to his senses.”
“Come to his senses?” Felicity said guardedly.
“I’m not blind; I saw your naked ring finger at Christmas, and the way you left brunch so abruptly,” Delilah explained. “Remember our conversation at Thanksgiving? Sometimes you have to give men a little push.”
“A push?” Felicity repeated.
“I made Adam’s favorite lasagna and mentioned that Adam’s father freed up some investment money and was interested in helping Adam’s business under the right circumstances. Most parents give their children a down payment on a house when they get married; it’s not terribly different.”