I walked back to the house wearing little more than a horse blanket. My head was held high, and I refused to cower. Thank God for comfortable shoes for a walk of shame.

Funny how I didn't see a single soul on my walk. I could hear them, of course. Over two hundred guests had been invited, and by this time, surely most had arrived. For whatever reason, no one crossed my path.

Ominous lightning split the sky, following by low rumbles of thunder. Maybe that was keeping everyone indoors, but there was still no rain. I made it to a back door and slipped up a narrow staircase that had once been intended for the servants' use.

Once in my room, I washed my face, removing all traces of my makeup. I inspected my face, and found my eyes to be red and swollen. No problem. I applied some eye drops and then I crossed to my dresser.

I changed my lingerie and perused my closet to find appropriate party wear. I was going to my damn party, no matter what.

I found a gorgeous fire engine red Carolina Herrera dress I had ordered weeks ago. It was clingy, sexy, and classy. For a moment, I considered the looks on my guests' faces if I just showed up in the horse blanket. Now, I really didn't care what I wore. I was only determined to show up, with my chin in the air, pride intact.

I slipped on the dress and studied myself in the mirror. The red was bold. Good. I felt like being bold tonight.

I redid my makeup carefully, glancing over toward the door at every little noise. I kept expecting Nathan to burst into the room at any minute, ready to continue our argument, but he didn't show.

It was hard to carry on with confidence when I was so sad, but I had no choice.

I stood at the top of the staircase again, and looked down at the crowd. Head high, I moved with purpose down the steps. With every step, I gave myself a pep talk. Stay smooth. Stay focused. Stay in control.

I made my way to the main ballroom and started greeting my guests.

“Darby, what a lovely dress!”

I turned to greet the speaker, a fake blond with fake eyelashes and huge boobs. I couldn’t remember her name, but I was all smiles.

“So glad you could come tonight! Love your costume!” Not only did I not remember her name, but I had no idea what her outfit meant. She was in all yellow with some random red highlights here and there. I didn’t even try to figure it out, just kept smiling. “My Halloween costume never arrived. Can you believe it? That’s just my darn luck.”

I made my rounds, and my smile never slipped. I left each group smiling and laughing, as I explained my predicament. I made sure all my guests were greeted, and I held a glass of champagne like it was a prop to complete my act, even though I didn’t feel much like drinking.

“Mr. Michaels, so good of you to come to our little party. Can I get you another glass of champagne?”

“Where’s Nathan? Did he go hide somewhere? I know he hates these social occasions.” Mr. Michaels laughed. “He’d much rather work out a business deal than make small talk.”

“I think you’re right. He’s probably in his library right now, reading some boring legal document.” I laughed and moved on.

One guest after another. Smile after smile.

Only a small, select few knew the truth. One by one, the group that had watched me descend the staircase in my costume approached me privately to console me.

Maxwell ran into as I was crossing the room to greet more guests. He pulled me into a private corner for a chat.

“Are you okay?” Maxwell leaned in, eyeing my champagne flute. I wasn’t fooling him.

I shook off his concern, smiling lightly. “I’m doing just fine.” I kept my voice light, and my chin held high.

Maxwell looked at me with concern. I glanced away from his knowing eyes, and mercifully, he left me alone to continue my charade.

Two were the exception. My good friends, Beth and Tom, stayed at my side for a long time. Beth whispered encouraging words in my ear as we sat at one of the elegant tables and nibbled on slices of cake. Or in my case, pretended to eat the cake.

“Are you okay?” Beth asked the question, but Tom leaned in to catch my reply.

“I’m doing the best I can.” I spoke in low tones and avoided eye contact. I didn’t want to risk more tears.

"You are doing great, Darby. No one could have handled this situation with more grace than you are doing now." Beth placed her hand on my arm as she spoke.

I spotted Mother on the other side of the room. She stayed far away, and that was probably a smart move on her part. I wasn't above ducking her head in the sangria bowl. Bitch.

My eyes continued to scan the room. I wondered where Nathan was, but I wasn’t going to search for him. Maybe he was in his library, after all.

For hours, I played the dutiful hostess. At some point, Nathan came in and stood at my side as I paused by the fireplace, chatting with neighbors. I stiffened, but I made my smile even brighter. He followed my lead. We never stopped smiling, talking to guests, occasionally checking in with the party staff on minor issues.

I could feel Nathan looking at me at times, but I never once glanced his way. I was afraid if I looked him in the eye, my anger might erupt again, and then my façade would crack, and everyone would know what I was really feeling.

At midnight, the rain still hadn't arrived, so the fireworks display went off without a hitch. I had been amazed to learn that fireworks were the finishing act of every Peacock Alley ball, no matter what the occasion. I stood next to Nathan on a third-floor balcony, with our guests spread out on the lawn below us. I was like a queen overseeing her kingdom. Overhead, the fireworks exploded against the dark, rolling storm clouds, appearing like bright jewels on a backdrop of navy velvet.

Nathan turned to me. I could sense his hesitation in the way he started to reach for me, but dropped his hand as if unsure I would allow his touch.

"Darby, we probably should talk."

My head snapped toward him. "Now you want to talk? We should have talked a long time ago." I sounded bitchy, but I still didn’t care.

I walked away, still fuming, but I kept that damn smile on my face.

Finally, now that the fireworks were over, the guests began to leave. They must have had a wonderful time because many of them lingered over their goodbyes to me.

The thunder sounded frightful, but still, no rain fell. The guests gathered their things and made their departures, and I was there through it all, smiling and waving my goodbyes.