Page 39 of Once Upon a Royal Summer
“Right,” Lacey said, forcing a smile.
Too good to be true.
This entire upcoming trip seemed too good to be true. She was beginning to think maybe she’d dreamed the entire thing. What if she never heard from Ian? What if Henry forgot all about her once he left American air space?
Her stomach tumbled. Maybe she should’ve tried harder to convince Ava not to call Madeline until everything was set in stone.
But then Madeline reached inside the closet and pulled out a beautiful pale lilac gown made of miles and miles of floaty chiffon. It had a gathered bodice and cap sleeves. A delicate rhinestone belt decorated the waistline—perfectly elegant, perfectly regal. It seemed just like something Kate Middleton would wear.
“This would look gorgeous on you,” Madeline said. She held the dress up to Lacey and turned toward Ava. “What do you think? Should she try it on?”
Ava nodded. “Definitely.”
“I can’t wait to see it on you.” Madeline offered her the hanger.
Lacey took it. The gown was as light as a feather, as if the delicate organza had been spun from air. The complete and total opposite of her over-the-top Princess Sweet Pea ballgown in every possible way.
She carried it to the bathroom to try it on while Madeline dug around her closet for the right dress for Ava. When she slipped the lilac organza over her head, it fell around her body with an elegant whisper.
Lacey smoothed down the bodice of the gown, marveling at how soft the organza felt against her skin. Best of all, it fit like it had been made for her. Even the sparkly rhinestone belt sat snug at her waist, not too tight and not too loose.
When she opened the door and stepped back into Madison’s bedroom, the bed was covered in a heap of discarded silk, satin, and lace. Ava held a hanger in each hand as Madison appeared to weigh the pros and cons of two very different red dresses. One of them was a one-shouldered, Grecian-style gown, while the other had a sequined bodice, a prim bow at the waist, and a long, ruffled skirt.
“I like the ruffles,” Lacey said, gently interrupting with her opinion.
“I think so too but—” Ava froze mid-sentence when she swiveled her head in Lacey’s direction.
Madison followed her gaze and gasped as soon as she set eyes on her in the pale lilac gown. “Oh, my.”
“That dress is The One,” Ava announced.
It seemed crazy to settle on the very first gown she tried on, considering Madison’s closet could’ve doubled as a high-end dress shop. But Lacey agreed. The gown felt right, and as she caught a glance of herself in the full-length mirror on Madison’s closet door, her breath caught in her throat.
Madison stepped forward to give the belt a tiny adjustment and arrange the floaty skirt in a billowing train behind Lacey’s feet. “You look perfect,” she said when she stood up. “Classically beautiful, just like Audrey Hepburn.”
“No.” Ava shook her head. “Just like a princess.”
Lacey felt like a princess, or at least like the sort person who might get invited to a royal ball. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Madison.”
Madison waved a hand. “It’s no trouble at all. These poor gowns never get to go anywhere anymore. Just try not to get too bored at your fancy event.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lacey promised.
After all of this was over and she and Ava returned from Bella-Moritz, Lacey was going to have to tell Madison the real truth and swear her to secrecy. She’d very nearly caved and spilled the beans right then and there, but she didn’t want to betray Henry’s trust. He hadn’t specifically asked her not to tell anyone, but so little in his life was private. Talking about it just didn’t seem right.
“Now we just have to choose a gown for Ava,” she said.
“I think I’m going to have to try both of these on.” Ava’s gaze flitted toward a navy-blue satin tuxedo dress lying on the bed. “And maybe that one too.”
“Something tells me we’re going to be here a while.” Lacey laughed. “I’m going to go ahead and take mine off.”
“Here, use this. I have extras.” Madison tossed her an empty ivory garment bag with Once Upon A Time printed on it in swirly gold lettering. It was just like the hanging bags Lacey used to carry her Princess Sweet Pea costume back and forth from the park, home and the dry cleaners.
“Thanks.”
Back in the bathroom, Lacey took a mirror selfie to send to her parents. Her dad and stepmom were going to flip when they found out she was going to Bella-Moritz. She’d have to swear them to secrecy, but there was no way she was going to travel halfway across the world without telling her family where she was going. After she got a good shot, she removed the dress and hung it back up with great care, smoothing down the delicate fabric inside the garment bag before she zipped it closed. Just as she placed it beside her purse, her phone pinged with an incoming email.
Her heart gave a little zing. Surely it wasn’t from Ian. They couldn’t have already arrived back in Bella-Moritz. She couldn’t help checking, though, just in case.
