She nodded and smiled. “Yes, and I can certainly see why.”
Ha! Take that! I thought smugly.
“When I saw him talking to you, I said to myself, Frankie get yourself over there and save that poor girl.”
“So your name is Frankie?” Rosalyn asked.
“Francesca,” she said and held out her hand.
Francesca. She would take a name like that and butcher it all to hell.
“What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. Rosalyn is beautiful as well,” Frankie said and I took a long drink of champagne, wishing it were scotch. Neat.
When I got Francesca alone, I was going to ring her neck for real this time.
The two women stood there and ran their mouths about everything they could think of. It was annoying as hell and my patience was wearing very thin. I excused myself, ignoring the glint in Frankie’s eye, and went off in search of that scotch.
There was a bar near the front entrance and I got in the back of the line behind a bunch of men who were also no doubt looking for something that would help them put up with the women in the room.
After I collected my scotch in a crystal decanter, I moved off to the side and took a swallow. I was still feeling murderous so I figured I needed a few more minutes to chill.
I lifted the liquid to my lips again and through the clear glass someone caught my eye. I swallowed so quickly that the alcohol felt like a hard knot going down my throat. It was painful, but I didn’t notice.
I blinked, staring at the woman who practically glided by just feet away.
It couldn’t be.
I blinked and looked again. She was wearing a golden dress that caught the light when she walked. It was the kind of dress that women wore… a long time ago. Back then. The kind that hugged a woman’s chest but then flared out into a full skirt that went all the way to the floor. She was tall and thin, the natural kind of thin that no amount of eating would add any weight to her frame. Pale-blond hair fell perfectly straight over her shoulders and down her back.
My throat went dry. My vision seemed to blur.
It wasn’t her. I knew it wasn’t.
But, my God, she was so familiar.
The woman turned to go up the stairs, pausing as if she sensed my stare. She looked over her shoulder. Her green eyes met mine.
The glass in my hand slid to the floor and shattered on impact.
Chapter Eight
“Ghost - the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living.”
Frankie
Priceless. The look on Charming’s face when he saw me in that ballroom was priceless. It took everything I had inside me not to laugh out loud at the horror on his face when I declared I was his sister.
Of course, horror wasn’t all I saw…
When he first looked up, when he saw me in this sinful red dress, he liked it. I could tell the way his eyes roamed over the silk, the way he took in every curve. It gave me a funny feeling in my stomach… one I couldn’t really describe. It wasn’t the first time; it was just the first time I actually acknowledged it was he that made me feel that way.
But then he looked at my face.
And that’s when the fun began.
I knew when he excused himself from our conversation that he was angry. A little warning bell went off in my head, telling me maybe I was pushing him too far. But it was too late to turn back. I was in this.
Rosalyn was actually a pretty down-to-earth girl for being a senator’s daughter. I actually liked talking to her. I saw the way she watched him as he walked away, her eyes following him until he was out of sight. He probably had, what, fifteen minutes tops with her? How in the hell did he manage to wrap her around his finger that fast?
Something had to be done about that.
Of course there were other people there vying for her attention. When her father called her name, she looked at me apologetically and I smiled. “Duty calls.”
She sighed. “I suppose so. I enjoyed talking with you tonight. I thought this event would be like every other one I get dragged to.” She stuck out her tongue. “But this one turned out to be pretty entertaining.”
I smiled again and turned to go when she caught my hand and pressed a business card into it. “Maybe we can have lunch soon?”
I guess I looked surprised because she made a face and said, “Most people I spend time with are, like, over fifty.”
I laughed. “I’m sorry. Sure, lunch would be fun.”
“Bring your brother, too.”
Oh, yay. She wanted me to bring Charming.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked, wondering if what I told her had fallen on deaf ears.
“A girl can never have too many friends,” Rosalyn replied. “Especially young ones.”
I gave her a wave and went off to see who Charming was torturing with his presence now. I rounded the corner in time to see him standing off by himself with this weird look on his face. Almost as if he’d seen a ghost.
And then the glass he held fell from his hand and shattered everywhere, causing everyone near him to flinch at the sound.
Waiters rushed to clean up the mess and Charming just stood there pale and staring at the staircase, unmoving.
I walked up to him and grabbed his arm. “What’s the matter with you?” I demanded. “Did you need some extra attention?”
He blinked and looked at me, his expression clearing a bit. “Did you see her?” he asked.
“Who?”
“The blonde in the gold dress…” He glanced at the stairs again. Without another word he took off, rushing up the stairs and out of sight.
A woman dressed in a black beaded lace gown came rushing over. “All guests are to remain downstairs,” she said, then looked down at the half-cleaned-up mess. “What happened?”
I don’t know why I tried to smooth things over. I wasn’t here to help him. But the words just came out anyway. “I’m sorry. I startled him and he dropped the glass.” One of the waiters looked up at me sharply. He knew I was lying. I gave him the evil eye and turned back to the woman who was likely hosting the party.
“I think he was embarrassed and just wanted a moment alone to compose himself.”
As if on cue, Charming descended the stairs, looking unruffled and polished as ever.
“I didn’t mean to cause a commotion,” I said, drawing away her stare. “This is a lovely event, one of the best I’ve ever attended. And your gown is just stunning. I bet that beading was all hand sewn.”
She straightened under the compliments and was about to reply when Charming arrived at my side. “Madam,” he said ultra smoothly. “Please allow me to pay for the broken glass.”