Page 80 of The Money Man
“Wow!” Dawn said from the salon chair next to Alice’s. “You look like you just walked off the set of aPride and Prejudicemovie.”
Alice twisted back and forth to see herself from all angles. “Natalie, that hairstyle makes my neck look like a swan’s. It’s gorgeous.” The dress style suited her figure too, with the Empire waist that emphasized her bust in a good way and the flowing skirt that skimmed over her hips. The neckline was a little lower than she was comfortable with but Gabrielle had added some double-sided tape to keep it in place.
“You look beautiful because youarebeautiful,” Gabrielle said, her words strangely choked up.
Alice smiled at her mother. “Thanks, Mother, but I have to give credit where credit is due. This was a team effort.”
Alice and her mother had slowly been establishing a better relationship since their surprisingly successful shopping trip. Of course, Gabrielle adored Derek. In her more cynical moments, Alice suspected her ability to capture the interest of such a good-looking man raised her mother’s opinion of her daughter. But she mostly thought that Derek’s notice had simply allowed Gabrielle to see her daughter in a different way, and she appreciated the real connection she was forging with her mother.
Gabrielle handed Alice her spangled fan and beaded purse before turning away to grab a tissue and carefully blot her eyes.
Dawn jumped off the chair. “Let’s practice that curtsy one more time.” When she heard about the costume ball, she had taken on the role of dancing instructor. Alice pointed out that no one was going to dance a minuet, but Dawn had insisted on teaching Alice the finer points of a waltz.
“Happy to practice dancing,” Alice said. “It’s a lot less stressful than breaking a choke hold.”
“Hey, that came in handy when you needed it,” Dawn said.
“Too true.” Alice pushed the memory away before she lifted her long skirt a couple of inches, crossed her right foot behind her left, and sank down while bending her neck just a fraction.
“Perfect!” Dawn said. “Remember to keep your shoulders down and back.”
“With this neckline, I pretty much have to or everyone will get an eyeful.” But Alice loved how feminine and alluring she felt when the petticoat brushed against her silk stockings, tied at the knee with garters. She couldn’t wait to see what Derek looked like in his Regency finery. They’d rented their costumes separately to surprise each other.
There was a knock on the salon door before Christian, now Derek’s regular driver, walked in. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting outside.”
Derek had called earlier to say he was hung up at work, so he was sending the limo to pick her up. He would meet her at the gala.
The driver left them to a flurry of hugs. As she gave Natalie a gentle squeeze, a sense of gratitude flowed through Alice. She was not only lucky in love but also lucky to have such women in her life. She stepped back to look at the three of them, so different from each other, yet working together for Alice’s sake. “Thank you all. You are the most wonderful support network ever.”
“Are you kidding me? You saved my salon,” Natalie said, although she too looked a little misty-eyed. “Now go have fun!”
Alice slid onto the leather car seat with Gabrielle’s expert assistance so she didn’t wrinkle her gown. She didn’t dare rest her head on the seat back because she didn’t want to muss Natalie’s masterpiece of coiled braids and tresses. So she stared out the window without really taking in the scenery.
She thought back to the most recent journey she and Derek had taken. When business had required that he go to London, he’d invited Alice to join him. He had even timed it for her least busy week of the month so she could take care of her clients remotely. She had loved wandering the streets of the city while he was working, but missed being able to share the small wonders with him. However, she had described all the major sights over dinner and even later as they lay entwined in the bed of the Westminster Suite at the St. James’s Hotel and Club. Derek had reserved it for the fabulous terrace that overlooked the city, including the London Eye and the Shard.
The best part of the trip, though, had been their long weekend in Bath, where she had truly felt as though she had stepped into a Georgette Heyer novel. They’d visited the Pump Room and tasted the nasty, mineral-laden spring water. Derek had been fascinated by the Roman baths that still functioned as they had centuries before.
But that wasn’t what occupied her mind now. On the plane home from England, Derek had asked her to move into his penthouse in Manhattan. It was a big step. She had Sylvester and Audley to think of, of course. If she put a bird feeder on Derek’s terrace, would the birds come up that high to eat and provide feline entertainment?
But more than that, she was still a little overawed by the grandeur of his life. When they were at Alice’s town house, she could pretend that Derek was just her boyfriend. When she went to Manhattan with him, his wealth and power were more obvious. To every logistical problem she’d raised, he’d had a solution, of course.
Just as she was working through all the pros and cons again, the limo slid to a halt. She focused on what was outside her window and saw a narrow, unfamiliar road lined with trees, now almost bare of leaves.
“Christian, why are we stopping here?” she asked, a tiny spurt of fear jabbing at her. She was still occasionally haunted by nightmares of Myron Barsky pointing a gun at her. Then she would wake up to the sound of Derek whispering in her ear that she was safe. She would snuggle into the security of his big solid body, inhaling his warm male scent, and her world would right itself again.
The door swung open and she heard Tully’s voice say, “Ma’am, if you’d be so good as to step out of the car.”
Relief banished the fear. And then that was replaced by wonder. Tully was wearing a Regency coachman’s outfit of a great coat with multiple capes and tall leather boots. The costume suited his big, muscular build. Behind him stood a shiny black carriage with two glossy bay horses hitched to it. Of course he would be able to drive a coach-and-pair.
“Good heavens! What’s going on?” she asked.
“May I escort you to your carriage?” Tully asked, bowing and holding out his arm crooked at the elbow.
“I ... of course. Thank you.” She laid her hand on his forearm. “You’re not going to tell me what this is all about, are you?”
He grinned and shook his head.
“All right, then, can you at least give me the latest update on how the investigation into Barsky is going?” It broke the historical mood, but it wasn’t so easy to get information when the FBI was involved.
