“I hesitate to give you a gift after the last time,” he murmured his voice low but teasing, “however, it is Valentine’s Day.”
She pulled herself out of her trance and looked down at the box. She lifted her other hand and yanked at the bow. She did as he’d done and tossed the ribbon to the bureau before opening it.
In it was a pair of extraordinary diamond chandelier earrings. A not-small-by-any-stretch-of-the-imagination diamond at the base led down to a complicated fall of diamonds set in platinum.
She stared at the earrings, frozen in shock not only at their beauty but at their obvious cost. She didn’t know what to do and had no clue what to say.
She lifted her eyes to his and stupidly whispered the first thought that came to her mind, “You one-upped my present.”
At her words he threw back his head and burst out laughing, his arms snaking around her to pull her again tightly to him.
She absorbed his laughter into her body and held onto his waist.
He pulled back slightly and touched a finger to her ear before saying softly, “As charming as those are, darling, I want you to wear my diamonds.”
“Cash,” Abby replied, her fingers curling around the box still in her hand as they went straight to her ears to take out the rubies, “you’d have to pay me not to wear your diamonds.”
He chuckled at her words and held her loosely as she switched her jewellery and then leaned into him to peer around and check herself in the mirror.
“They’re exquisite,” she breathed.
Cash’s arms flexed around her and she straightened to look up at him.
“Yes,” he murmured, his eyes on her face, “exquisite.”
Abby felt her body melt into his as her arms wrapped around his waist.
“I want to kiss you,” she told him, “but it’ll mess up my lip gloss.”
As his head descended, he muttered, “Fuck your lip gloss.”
In the end, not only did she have to repair her lip gloss, they had a post-gift-exchange, Valentine’s Day make out session that might have been so long and intense, Abby thought it should be entered into a record book.
Needless to say they were late descending the stairs to join the party.
* * * * *
“Jennifer, don’t get drunk,” Mrs. Truman snapped at Jenny.
“I’m not getting drunk,” Jenny snapped back.
“Pumpkin, you’re getting drunk,” Kieran put in on a smile.
Jenny shot a glare at her husband and then tipped back her champagne glass, draining it down her throat.
Abby pressed her lips together and her gaze locked with Cash’s. He was standing at her side holding a glass of champagne, looking cultured and amused and almost criminally attractive.
Abby tore her eyes away from Cash and studied her friends.
Jenny was wearing a fantastic champagne-coloured strapless silk dress with princess-seams, built-in boning and a mermaid-tail skirt. There was a tiny, chiffon ruffle along the bodice. Her hair was swept back in an elaborate up-do and she looked amazing.
Kieran wore a well-cut dinner jacket and was more than his usual handsome.
Mrs. Truman looked like The Queen times about five thousand. She was wearing a boxy grey gown. From enormous shoulder pads to h*ps and down the long sleeves the gown was elaborately sequined and beaded. The silvery-grey, chiffon skirt was gathered effusively at the bottom of the sequins at her hips, floating down to her stout-heeled, square-toed, dove-grey satin, granny pumps.
Three hours ago, when she and Cash finally drifted down to join the already-started proceedings, they were all there, drinking champagne, eating from the trays of hors d’ouevres that were being passed around and mingling with the guests.
The minute Abby’s eyes hit Mrs. Truman she thought the only thing missing was a priceless tiara extracted for the festivities from the Tower of London and a dozen bodyguards.
A waiter passed and Jenny expertly nabbed another glass of champagne like she’d attended champagne-glass-bearing-waitered-trayed-gala-affairs every weekend since birth.
Abby looked at Mrs. Truman and caught the woman’s eye roll as Trevor, Alistair and Nicola’s practically silent servant got close and said something in Cash’s ear.
Trevor then melted away and Cash’s hand came to her waist as his mouth went to her ear.
“James is at the door. I have to speak with him,” he murmured.
Abby turned her face to his. “Why is James here?”
Cash touched his nose to hers and whispered, “I’ll explain later.”
He pulled away and looked at Kieran.
“If Nicola leaves this room, you get Abby to safety. Our room upstairs is closest,” Cash ordered, Kieran nodded and Cash looked back at Abby, his voice gentling when he finished. “I won’t be a moment, darling.”
Then Abby watched him saunter away, his long legs carrying him across the room swiftly, his gait powerful, his strides wide and everyone he passed glanced at him with unconcealed admiration.
Abby sighed.
“Girlfriend, we need to talk,” Jenny muttered in Abby’s ear and Abby looked down at her friend.
Jenny was staring at her, eyes serious, the set of her face determined.
“What? Why?” Abby asked as Jenny took her hand, made their excuses to Mrs. Truman and Kieran at which both of whom scowled but, Abby thought, both for different reasons. Kieran, Abby suspected, because he knew what Jenny was going to say. Mrs. Truman, Abby guessed, because she did not.
Then Jenny led Abby to a large window that faced the tor at the side of the castle. It was quiet, secluded and felt somehow removed from the busy hall.
Once there she turned Abby so that Abby faced her and Jenny’s back was to the room.
“It’s not a good time but it’ll never be a good time and it’s looking like the sooner the better,” Jenny started ominously and Abby blinked at her.
“What’s not a good time?” Abby enquired.
“I’ve been thinking about this since it happened, wondering if I should say something, thinking I shouldn’t but I can’t help but think I should,” Jenny stated and Abby looked down at her friend, confused at her words and the tone of her voice which shook with emotion.
“Since what happened?” Abby asked.
“Since Cash and I had our little chat,” Jenny answered.
Abby stared at her friend, stunned.
Her voice was breathy when she enquired, “Cash and you had a chat?”
Jenny nodded and went on. “That night all the girls came to dinner, he and I talked. It wasn’t pleasant,” Abby sucked in breath at this news as Jenny carried on, “I can see it…” she hesitated and switched from nodding to shaking her head, “you, I can see you… I can see it happening.”