Page 69 of The Devil Wears Orange
“Going once…”
A paddle shoots up. The auctioneer points to Banning. “I have $6.9. Do I hear $7?”
Without looking in Banning’s direction, Rashid lets out a slight sigh and lifts his paddle in the air.
Game on,I think.
The other man is now pushed out by Banning’s entrance, and the competition remains fierce between him and Rashid. I can feel the eyes of all the women in the room upon me.So, this is what envy feels like.The bid stalls at $8.9 million. Rashid hesitates but then lifts his paddle. Banning responds by bidding $9 million. Rashid clenches his jaw. Quickly, he turns to stare down Banning. The crowd murmurs among themselves.
I lean into Rashid and, in an indignant whisper loud enough for the Bannings to hear, say, “What are you doing? Don’t letherget it.”
The gavel hits the podium, and the auctioneer shouts, “Sold for $9 million to the man in the third row, number 23.”
Mrs. Banning gives Mr. Banning a peck on the cheek.
The auction over, Rashid and I join a small group congratulating Mr. Banning. But, the sudden departure of Mrs. Banning, who decided to join another circle, leaves Mr. Banning awkwardly holding two drinks.
“Your Highness, you gave me quite a competition. I went higher than I had anticipated.”
“And yet you bid that one last time,” Rashid says, his face empty of pleasantries.
“Well.” Banning looks around before continuing. “I’ll tell you my secret. I noticed you hesitated before your last bid.” Banning’s eyes fall on me. “This has caused you much unhappiness.”
“You understate matters,” I pipe in, my lips pursed. Banning offers me his other drink, which I take. We salute one other, down our drinks, and place them on the tray of a perfectly-timed passing waiter. I look past Omar, dressed in a waiter’s uniform, to avoid intimating recognition.
In a low voice, Rashid says, “You must grant me an opportunity to win back my dignity, at least before Ms. Milton.”Rashid reaches for my hand. “I’m afraid her unhappiness interferes with my own.”
“I’ve experienced it many times,” Banning says knowingly. “Perhaps I can make amends with an invitation to my Black and White Ball at my home in Switzerland where, I hope, you will come as my special guests. It’s next month on the 18th.”
“How very kind of you,” Rashid says.
“Who will be there?” I say in a bored yet biting tone.
“Charlotte,” says Rashid, admonishing me.
My eyes pounce on him, then turn innocent. “What? Remember Monaco? There was no one of importance, and we spent the entire evening with lesser-known royals.”
“If I may,” interrupts Banning, “the du Epps will be in attendance, as will the von Kleeps, the Swiss Finance Minister...”
Rashid says, “We’d be delighted.”
I nudge Rashid and whisper into his ear with the full intention of having Banning overhear my tirade over not getting the Heart Diamond.
Rashid puts his arm on the small of my back and, in a gentle tone, says, “Darling, I will find you something better.”
I acquiesce, and turn to Banning with a smile. “Switzerland is lovely this time of year,” I say. Behind Banning, I spot Omar near the entrance to the ladies’ bathroom. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me. I must powder my nose.” Waltzing past Omar, I move down a corridor to a nook beyond the ladies’ room. Omar follows. In one swift movement, I turn to him, open my purse, and he drops Banning’s glass into it with his gloved hand.
Chapter 38
Rashid settles into thecomfort of the limousine next to Charlotte. There was a moment this evening when he feared he had been misled. But Banning did as expected, enticed by a bit of healthy competition to come out to play.
Next to him, Charlotte can’t contain her excitement. “…Make him desperate to have us there. It was perfect. Did you like the accent?”
“Where is the accent from, exactly?” he says, a little amused, though he was thrown when she first spoke with it earlier.
“Oh, you know, a little from this country, a little from another.”
Headlights bounce off the interior of the limo, momentarily blinding him, and he averts his eyes. “Do you have a mirror in your purse?”
