“Is this Emma?” Fiona asked, looking at me with the same look so many had given me that last week. “Oh, sweet child. I am just so sorry for all you’ve been through. I’ve been praying for you every single night since Ms. Embers told me. And I am so glad you’re here! Have you been to Charleston before?” Fiona had the biggest, kindest puppy dog eyes I had ever seen.
“No, I haven’t,” I admitted shyly. “I’m a bit overwhelmed, honestly. With everything.”
Fiona nodded. “Oh I can imagine so, sweet girl. I can sure understand that. I hope we can make you comfortable and happy here. I set up your room and it’s all ready. We’ll have your things carried up and put away for you, of course.”
Walter was putting my luggage on what looked like a hotel buggy. He huffed and puffed in the sweltering South Carolina heat.
“You don’t have to do all of that. I can get my own stuff,” I said, thinking about the Ativan hidden in a pair of tennis shoes in my suitcase. “It’s not a problem.”
“Nonsense! You’re a belle of the house,” Fiona glanced at Virginia as she said this. “And besides, we have an elevator here. It’s easy peasy, Emma.”
“Well, I still don’t-” I started, but Fiona had walked away with Walter as he pushed the buggy with my luggage around a corner, where I assumed the elevator awaited.
I turned to Virginia. “An elevator? Do you live in a hotel or something?”
“Hardly. It just became a necessity once Walter got older. He will not allow a woman to carry her own luggage inside. He’s been with me a long time. I couldn’t bear for him to have a stroke carrying all of the bags we have. Calista alone would kill even the fittest Charlestonian with her baggage. So I built the elevator to make life easier for everyone. It’s really not a big deal, a lot of the homes around here have them.”
“Maybe around here,” I said, making a lasso motion with my index finger. “But out in the real world? That’s not normal. Neither is having a Walter on hand. Or friends you borrow limos from. Or living in an enormous mansion on the water. This is crazy, Virginia. What do you do?”
Virginia shrugged off my question. “How about we hold the question portion of this until dinner. I'm starving and our cook, Chantelle, is making a delicious southern meal for us all tonight, to introduce you to the culinary magic we have to offer here. You'll never have a better biscuit; I can tell you that much!” Virginia sashayed up the stairs to the largest door I had ever seen, a thick entry made of heavy wood and stained glass.
I stood there for a moment in awe and wondered how this was possibly happening to me. I had just lost my entire family in the span of a week, then some mysterious woman came out of the woodwork to adopt me and bring me (via limousine) to what most people would consider a castle. She’d just told me it was my home.
A month ago, I’d overheard my parents having a stressed discussion about paying the water bill for our two-bedroom ranch home. Now, I was a resident of one of the most beautiful homes I had ever seen, on the most beautiful street I had ever driven down.
And now I was going to eat a gourmet meal prepared by, what I imagined, was probably one of the best cooks in this region. Part of me was excited about what happened next and part of me was crushed that I had no one to call and talk to about it.
Chapter 5
When I entered the Embers mansion, I was greeted by a staircase like something straight out of a movie. It was grand and winding, large pieces of art trailing on the walls alongside it. An enormous chandelier hung from a vaulted, cathedral ceiling. Soft, plush couches dotted the massive foyer, which really felt more like a lobby than a hallway.
Everything was in neutral beiges and mauves, comforting colors, soft like the inside of a fuzzy dream. This house was something out of a high end architectural magazine; I couldn't get over how completely perfect it all was. I didn't feel like I could possibly belong somewhere like this. When my mom bought me a new Ikea bed for Christmas, I felt like it was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Being inside Virginia’s mansion was like obliterating an old way of life, and I didn't know how I felt about that. I kept feeling guilty for my obvious awe.
I realized that Virginia wasn't close by and I had no idea what to do with myself. I could hear people moving around the house, but the sounds were far away and I felt ridiculous shouting out for anyone. Instead, I sat on one of the couches and waited to be remembered.
It didn't take long until Fiona ran (Fiona seemed to always be in a hurry) into the foyer, clearly relieved to see me again.
“Sorry, Emma. Calista needed my help with something. You poor thing, you look like a lost puppy,” Fiona touched my hair and smiled innocently.
“I kind of feel like one. Do you mind if I just go to my room? I'd love to kind of take it all in for a while. Before whatever happens next happens. I don't know where Virginia went.”
“That's my fault, I called her attention to something in the library. She will see you at dinner. Did she tell you about Chantelle's cooking? It's unbelievable!”
I nodded but all I could think was Library?
I followed Fiona up the grand staircase and then up another smaller, but no less grand, staircase. I was immediately thankful for Walter taking my bags. By the time we reached what I assumed was my room, I was winded as hell.
“So this is where your room is,” Fiona explained. “Josephine's is right across the hall. Y'all have most of the third floor to yourselves. Down the hall is a bathroom, but you also have one attached to your room, so you probably won't need it, but it's there anyway. There's also the upstairs patio on that end and the gym and sauna.”
“Gym? Sauna? Jesus,” I said. “This is beyond belief. What does Virginia do? She's been so vague and I just really don't understand-”
Fiona stopped me. “Ms. Embers will tell you everything at dinner. I will tell you she's an amazing woman who I have worked for for many years. She changed my life and she will certainly change yours too. But only Virginia Embers can explain herself.”
As she said this, she opened the door and, once again, I was amazed. I felt like a contestant on a game show, looking behind doors and being surprised by what I found. My bedroom was no exception.
The room was circular. A large window with a window seat and cushions overlooked the park and the harbor. Mahogany beams crisscrossed the ceiling and a smaller version of the chandelier downstairs hung in the middle of them. An enormous four post bed with canopy was between the window seat and another large window that was stained glass. The bedding looked like a cloud, a large, white fluffed duvet with at least ten pillows. At the foot of the bed was a gray divan. The floor was hard wood with an enormous Persian rug taking up most of the room. Built-in bookshelves lined the walls and were filled with literature. A door was open in the corner. Peeking in, I saw a massive walk-in closet that was bigger than my bedroom back in California. It was filled with clothes, though I wondered who they belonged to. A single rack held the clothes from my luggage, but there were dozens of other racks with dresses, blazers, shirts, and pants. Jeans were folded on shelves and an entire wall was devoted to shoes; heels, boots, and flats. My dirty Nikes sat among them, the ugly duckling stepsister to their Christian Louboutin counterparts. Even someone from my neck of the woods knew what the red sole meant.
“Who owns all those shoes? And these clothes? Are those ball gowns?” I touched the light chiffon of a peach colored gown.
“Oh, these are all yours. Size 10, right?” Fiona smiled. “I spent all day yesterday shopping. A lot of this was stuff Calista never wore, particularly the shoes. I know it's not much but you'll get to shop for your own things later this week. You don't have to keep these, you can go through them and pick out what you want.”
My jaw was on the floor. Not much? I had not, collectively, throughout my life, ever owned this many clothes. Not even close. And I certainly had never seen a closet like this. Before today I had been rotating three pairs of Levis and a half dozen shirts. All of which I had shared with my sister.
“Oh! You haven't seen your bathroom yet! Over here!”
In the corner was a French door that led to a completely marble bathroom with an enormous Roman tub in the middle. A large glass shower with double showerheads was in the corner, along with a marble vanity and huge circular mirrors above two sinks that were plated in gold. An enormous vase of hydrangeas sat next to the tub. Soft, white towels were rolled up on the steps to the bath and there were shelves of other towels and rows of creams and perfumes lining the vanity. Even the toothbrush holder was gold.
“Fiona, I know you won't answer this question but-”
“Tsk tsk!” Fiona laughed. “No questions! Just enjoy it, sweetheart. You deserve all of this and more. I'm glad you like it. Now, I'm going to let you settle in, take a shower if you want, and get dressed. Relax a bit, dinner will be in about an hour and a half. Are you hungry?”
I nodded as I rubbed one of the towels to my cheek. “Actually, yes. Very.”
“Good! You're in for quite a night!” Fiona turned to go.
“Fiona!” I called, “What should I wear?”
She stopped. “Well, that is actually an excellent question. You'll be meeting the girls so I would maybe wear something dressy casual. A light dress. Keep your hair down, maybe wear some low heels. Calista can be…” Fiona lowered her voice. “Calista can be intimidating and... a little judgey. So try to look nice.”
Fiona gave me one last look (was that pity on her face?) and then she was gone.
Chapter 6
I started with a shower. The water heated up fast, so the glass steamed up immediately. As I stepped in, I could see buttons on the walls. Curious, I pushed them. Water sprayed me from the sides, startling me.
“Now that's cool,” I said to myself.
As I lathered my hair I went over what had happened so far and tried to predict what would come next. It was nice to have my mind on something besides my grief. I couldn't have said I was having a terrible time. I didn't know how long this would last, but I decided to enjoy it. The worst things that could happen, had. What was there to fear now?
After a very long shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed to the closet.
The amount of clothing was truly over the top. I had no idea where to start. Even narrowing it down to dresses still didn't help much. I noticed a floral maxi dress. It was a light, beautiful material; silky. It was strapless so I paired it with a cashmere, short-sleeved white shrug that matched the lilies in the fabric. I decided my own sandals would be fine with this. I had to have a piece of me in there somewhere.
About forty-five minutes later my hair was dried and the outfit on. It fit perfectly. It was probably the most expensive thing I had ever worn. I sat at the vanity in the bathroom not sure what else to do. I wasn't someone who wore makeup other than lip gloss and mascara so I didn't know where to start. The drawers were filled with eye shadows, blushes, foundations, and a million little make up brushes that I had no idea how to use. I felt embarrassed. My mother had never taught me much about this stuff.
“Emma,” my mother would say. “Makeup doesn't make you beautiful. Happiness does. Joy is the best makeup there is.”
Oh, how I missed her. Despite this amazing home there wasn't anything I wouldn't have given up to be with her forever.
Fiona came and got me for dinner around seven-thirty. I had wondered how I would find my way to a dining room in this house and was relieved to see her again.
“Do I look okay?” I asked.
“Lovely! Very natural!” Fiona said. “You picked a lovely dress.”
I followed her down the hall to the stairs. I could hear people moving around, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. The sun was still out, but the house wasn't as bright. As I walked down the stairs, the portraits seemed to follow me with their eyes. I was nervous.
It seemed to take forever to get to where we were going. We entered and left numerous sitting rooms, a library, a study, a Pilates room (seriously?), and finally the dining room. It held an incredibly long table that had enough seating for twenty but looked like it had only been set for four.
I did the math quickly in my head and glanced at Fiona. “Are you eating with us?”
Fiona shook her tiny head. “No, sweetie. I actually need to be getting home to the husband. But I will be back tomorrow morning! I used to live here but once I got married I moved to our apartment on Tradd. It's not far off. If you need me in an emergency, I put my number in the new cell phone that's back in your room on your desk.”
Before I could say anything else, she was gone.
No one else seemed to be here yet, so I sat in a chair and waited. I could smell the food wafting in from the kitchen, which appeared to be at the end of the room. My stomach grumbled with anticipation.
“You're in my seat.”
I turned around, and of all the surprises that had happened to me that day, nothing prepared me for this.
In front of me was the most beautiful human being I had ever seen in my life. Beautiful could not even begin to do her justice. I suddenly remembered one of my SAT words: resplendent.
This girl was that. She was tall and shapely in a short, A-line pleated skirt and silk tank top. Her legs were golden tan. She wore a very high pair of strappy heels. Her arms were toned, but soft, and as beautiful as she was from the neck down, her face was beyond description. She had striking blue eyes. Not even blue, they were almost cobalt in their boldness, set slightly far apart with perfectly groomed brows. Her lips were naturally full and pouty and currently pursed, as if she was incredibly pissed off. Her hair was dark brown, almost black and partially up, the rest cascading down her shoulders in perfect waves.
No movie star could have compared to her. She was unearthly in her beauty.
And like I mentioned: she seemed pissed.
“I'm sorry?” I asked, still in a daze.
“You're in. My. Seat.” She practically spat the words at me.
“Oh, I'm so sorry,” I said, standing up. My dress had somehow gotten caught under my chair so I awkwardly pulled it out from under the leg. “I didn't know. I'm completely lost.”
The girl said nothing, just gave me an icy glare.
I stood there, not knowing what to do next, when I heard Virginia's voice.
“Emma! You look so nice! Here, your seat is over here on the other side. I see you met Calista.”
I looked at Calista, who instead of acknowledging me, was looking at her iPhone.
“Actually, I hadn't caught her name,” I said, sitting down directly across from her. “She seems very possessive over her seat though.”
Her eyes immediately looked up at me as if I was something she'd just stepped in and couldn't scrape off her shoe. But she still didn't say anything.
Virginia ignored my comment. “Do you like your room, Emma?”
I shook my head in affirmation. “Yes. Very much. I just- I have so many questions. I really don't understand how this is happening or why. I mean, I understand that you feel you owe my grandma something but this is all just way too much.”
Virginia shook her head. “Nonsense. It's nothing, really. We have nine bedrooms in this museum of a house and trust me, Emma, if you knew what your grandma did for me, you wouldn't think it was so unusual that I wanted to do something for her. Besides, you might not know me, but I know a lot about you and am very happy to have you here. We all are. Right, Calista? Can you please get off your phone? I thought I banned those from the table.”
Calista, who I was honestly afraid to even look at by that point, placed the phone in a small clutch she brought with her. “Happy, Auntie?”
Virginia gave her an icy look that I had not seen from her yet. It was as chilling as Calista's. Why was I beginning to wonder how welcome I really was here?
“And yes,” Calista added. “We're just thrilled you're here.” The sarcasm was thick. As was her southern accent.
What had I done to this girl besides mistakenly take her seat?
“Y'all ready for some biscuits? I still have the grits cookin',” she called out in a very syrupy country drawl. “I brought some honey butter too. I whipped it up myself, from a fresh batch of Tupelo honey.”
She placed the baskets right in front of me and I immediately begin to salivate. Before anyone even gave me permission, I dug in. The biscuits were the size of softballs. I sliced one open and filled it with butter.
“Someone's hungry. She'll be a size 12 by tomorrow,” Calista hissed across the table.
I immediately put the biscuit down.
“Okay, I've been pretty damn nice to you,” I said, standing up. “But that was bullshit. I don't know if you were aware, but I've been driving half the day and barely eaten anything. Sorry that my fat ass displeases you, Miss Perfect-Bitch-of-the-South, but some of us need to eat to survive. You know, I had almost forgotten how much my life sucked. Thanks for the reminder!”
I started to walk away when I heard someone bellowing.
Virginia had risen. She stood, hands on the table, her face inches from a petrified looking Calista.
“You're right to be completely insulted, Emma. I do apologize for that white trash behavior from my niece Calista. She really doesn't have a lick of manners and she will be going to her room now. She will also apologize to you, immediately!”
I trembled behind a large plant. The entire house seemed to shake with Virginia's rage. I must have been imagining it but I could have sworn I had heard things crashing in the kitchen from her anger.
Calista stood and looked at me. Her eyes had softened slightly but I knew it was because of Virginia and not me.
“Emma, that was uncalled for. I apologize. I will leave you both to your dinner.”
I watched as she quickly walked by me, her fragrance brushing up against me.
As Calista left, another girl entered.
Hell's Belles Page 3