Page 20 of Some Like It Royal

“Cocktail parties at the beach. Afternoon tea.” Victor canted his head critically. “A polo match, were you to attend one.”

The clerk’s soft gasp turned Alyx all the way around and she let go of her hair.

“You look amazing in that. I have a couple of necklaces that you should try. Tourmaline. I’ll just call down to the jewelry counter and have those sent straight up.” She balanced several boxes of shoes. Victor shifted to the side, but rather than offer to take them, he merely made room for her.

“You could help her.” Alyx went for sotto voce, but the clerk laughed, her pixie cut bouncing as she set the boxes down and knelt.

“Private security doesn’t usually want their hands filled with boxes, ma’am.” A furtive look crossed her expression. “And don’t worry, we’re absolutely discreet here. Now, I have these in a six, but I think our wedge sandals would really set that dress off, but I only have that in a six and a half. We’ll try those and if you like them, I can get them ordered and delivered to you within twenty-four hours. Less, if you need them today.”

Alyx would have corrected her, but one glimpse of Victor’s satisfied expression and she held her tongue. “Thank you.”

She tolerated the woman helping her into the shoes. The six and a halfs were definitely too big, but the moment she saw the effect of the wedge heels on her legs in the mirror, she knew she had to have them. Her calves stretched and shaped beautifully. The orange and yellow mixture in the shoes was a perfect complement to the dress.

The clerk wrote the shoe’s identification number and size down. “Would you like one or two pairs? We actually have these in a sand color that would complement the earth-tone version of this dress.”

Why order one pair when two would do and a second dress could be sold? Victor tapped two fingers against his wrist.

“Two please.” Alyx smiled. “The sand and the yellow. They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“Absolutely. I’ll go get that dress for you—seven, yes?”

The woman had an impeccable eye. Alyx nodded and tried not to swallow her tongue at the price tag on the shoes. She gave Victor a bland look and glided back in to change. She had a care with the dress and the shoes. Next up was a calf-length sheath in all black with a ribbed bodice that snugged against her so tightly she didn’t think she’d be able to breathe.

Christine, the clerk, returned in the time it took Alyx to shimmy into the black body wrap that doubled as a dress. Alyx could breathe, but only just barely. Thank God the skirt boasted a slit behind her knees or she’d never have been able to walk. A brief smile of approval lit up Victor’s dour expression. Christine braced a pair of elegant stilettos and Alyx stepped into one, then the other.

The effect was dramatic. She gained four inches of height and added a voluptuous curve to her lean build. This dress emphasized her less than stellar boobs and her ass no longer looked like it needed a lift.

“You need one in every color like this.” Christine made more notes. “I’ve got shoes to go with each shade, but I think the green would be best and of course, you can never go wrong in black. For this one, a nice diamond set for your neck and ears, a tennis bracelet to give it that look of simple purity.”

Christine fussed over her, turning her around and checking the fit. “Hair up, too. It is a bit on the snug side, but it’s supposed to be… We could let it out a quarter of an inch, but I hate to destroy the way this accentuates your build.” She turned Alyx around to look at the mirror. With swift pins she fastened the russet hair up into a twist of curls on top of her head, tendrils escaping to wisp along her cheeks.

“Innocent. Serene. Perfect.”

Alyx didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror—with her chin up and the dress and hair, she saw an elegant stranger. Her eyes burned and she blinked to force the tears back.

“Did I say something wrong?” Christine’s hopeful expression fell.

“Not at all.” She patted the woman soothingly on the arm. “It’s just very lovely, and it took me by surprise how much. I’d like three, please. One in purple as well, rather than red, if you have it.”

“I absolutely can get it for you in purple, Your—ma’am.” The clerk cleared her throat and helped her out of the shoes, unzipping the dress before opening the changing room door, and Alyx slipped inside. As the door closed, she flattened her hand against the wall. Christine seemed to be in on the secret. The near slip revealed a lot and she sucked in a deep breath, forcing the panic to subside. She ended up with a dozen more dresses to try on. But for some reason, this didn’t feel like acting anymore. It was real.

I can do this…

* * *

DANIEL

“He’s still not returning our calls. I spoke to Prentiss and he’s assured me that the grand duke will be in touch as soon as he returns from his Mediterranean jaunt.” Martin dropped a file onto the desk with a grunt of frustration.

“Take it easy, old man. We’ll be fine.” He patted the lawyer on the shoulder. It didn’t matter that he shared Martin’s anxiety, maybe more. But if Andraste was out of the country, then maybe he wasn’t meeting with potential competitors. That gave Daniel more time and he didn’t feel the need to rush. “We don’t want him getting back too soon, anyway. We need the time to finish prepping Alyx. Coffee?”

“Sure.” The man dropped into a chair and leaned back, one ankle resting on the opposite knee. “How is the princess project going?”

“About ten thousand at Cartier and another fifteen at La Jeune.” The calls from the credit company came in fifteen minutes before and Daniel authorized both expenditures. Alyx’d left the house before he woke and the only sign that she’d been there was the rumpled pillow and blanket she’d left on the bed. Theresa told him that Victor picked her up in a limousine and they’d left to shop. His inquisitive housekeeper had obviously wanted to ask more questions, but he let her wonder.

That was Victor’s key piece of advice in all this. The fewer people in the know, the fewer who could reveal the truth, but the secret should be advertised. If his staff speculated, the news would begin to filter out. That could only help them. The Spherecast PR department had already received very specific instructions on how they were to “answer” questions and that sparked another flurry of rumors.

He passed Martin the mug of coffee and circled around to sit behind the desk. He didn’t dwell on the disappointment he’d experienced at Alyx’s absence over breakfast. He’d actually been able to finish his newspaper without someone stealing pages away before he could read them.

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