Page 102 of Third Time is the Charm
“Where?” Darcy asked angrily.
“I’m sorry, sir; we’re not sure. She checked in just as the music stopped and large group of guests entered from the bar downstairs in time for Colin’s speech. She slipped in with them.” Beth felt Darcy’s hand tightening on hers as her eyes began to scan the room. “The woman who registered her, didn’t realize until the whole group had gone through. By the time, she came and found me, the ‘Mrs. DeBourgh’ disappeared.”
“Was it Hannah who checked her in?” Beth asked. It must have been – Hannah was the only other female on duty. “Did she say if it was an older or younger woman who entered under that name?”
“Younger. With long, blond hair.”
“Fuck.”Darcy swore underneath his breath, his eyes looking around the room for Caroline. “Find her.Now.”His tone was deadly serious ringing clear with displeasure that they had managed to lose the one person they’d been hired to keep track of.
John nodded, turning to go find Arnie.
“Should we go help?” Beth asked, her body on edge; the thought of just sitting and waiting making her more anxious.
“No. Not yet. Let’s just sit for a second,” he replied sternly, his gaze not even returning to her; instead it kept scanning around the room, slowly assessing every face for the one he was after.
Beth turned to her seat, grabbing her clutch that had been resting on the chair. She was about to sit down when she noticed the small slip of paper that had been underneath her purse. Anger shot through her as she picked it up knowing exactly what it was and from whom it came.
I like your dress. It’s my color. I’ll wear it for him once you’re gone. Xo - Caroline
She felt the nausea roll through her, boiling up into her throat. Quickly grabbing her glass of water, she took a sip, almost knocking her wine glass over in the process.
“Beth, are you ok?” Darcy asked behind her; he’d sat down already and now looked up at her with concerned eyes.
She passed him the note, letting it speak for itself.
Beth saw his anger intensify with each word that he read, His knuckles becoming whiter as he gripped the paper harder.
When he finished, he shoved it into his pocket even though he really wanted to set it on fire. However, this was the first time Caroline had signed it, which meant it would be critical to any charges they decided to press against her.
He looked like he was about to say something when Colin’s voice boomed through the room.
“Thank you! Thank you, everyone, for coming…”Beth turned towards the stage to see Colin waving out at the room, Pat coming to stand beside him. He must have just gotten in because she hadn’t seen him all night.
Her eyes began to move back towards Darcy when a blond head caught her eye seated at Mrs. DeBourgh’s table at the opposite corner of the room. Her stomach dropped – no one had seen Caroline yet. Beth couldn’t confirm that it was her, the woman’s back was facing Beth, but every other seat was filled with guests who were definitelynotMrs. DeBourgh or Caroline.
“Darcy…” she choked out. Her hand rising shakily to point at the table.
His gaze immediately followed her finger, seeing exactly whom she was pointing at.
“Shit,”he cursed, looking around rapidly for John or Arnie…or anyone. He quickly spotted John heading towards that side of the room, but it didn’t look like he’d noticed the blonde woman yet. “Stay here,” he instructed curtly, nodding at the two other security personnel who were standing a few feet away, discreetly keeping an eye on Beth. They quickly moved closer to her side as Darcy stood and stalking off towards John.
“Darcy, wait—” She tried to get out, but he was too quick to move past her and he definitely wasn’t stopping now that they had Caroline in their sights.
She wasn’t going to be on the sidelines for this.
Tossing her purse on the table, she abruptly stood and turned around her chair – a movement that was not recommended in the dress and heels that she was wearing.
“Ma’am—” She heard one of her new bodyguards say. But, her haste was her undoing; her heel caught on her dress, and in her attempt to make sure it didn’t rip the fabric, she twisted her ankle, hearing a loud crack as the stiletto heel of her left pump snapped off. Thankfully, her hand had been on the back of the chair to balance herself, otherwise she probably would have toppled over too.
Her trusted black pump… of all the nights.
Now standing lopsided, she quickly slipped out of both shoes, her bare feet coming to touch the plush carpet as her focus returned to the blonde woman at the table.
Everything seemed to happen in a flash. Beth saw Darcy and John approaching the table, but the woman must have seen them coming; she stood and began to make her way expeditiously towards the back of the room by the stage where Colin had begun to share the story about his mother.
“You have to go help him!” She exclaimed to the two men. She was a sitting duck here with a broken shoe. They only stared at her in response. “The woman we are looking for is getting away and then only place I’m going is to get a new pair of shoes to wear.”
They glanced at each other before nodding and walking past her.
