Chapter 7
Ella
I was in my room hoping to get dressed without any interruption from the twins. I was officially off work until the party, at least that’s what Nola had told me, and I wanted to milk every single minute for all it’s worth.
I was shocked when Millie came up wanting to help me get ready and even more when she started telling me stories about my mother. I hadn’t known Millie knew her when she was so young or that Scott Blue had known my mother long before Nola, from what she told me.
“So, they knew each other a long time before I was born, then?”
“Oh yeah, and you know, you should wear this one.” Millie held out the pretty blue gown I’d thought about wearing.
“I’m not sure. I wanted to wear that one originally, but Halle warned me that I shouldn’t wear her color.” I had no idea what the girl would do if I decided to go against her warning, but considering I didn’t want to rock the boat, I thought it best to listen.
Millie huffed. “Her color? If I’m not mistaken this is the perfect match to your eyes, and besides, she doesn’t own the shade, only the name. Besides, this gown was made to match those eyes.”
“My mother’s eyes were not blue.” I thought that was what Millie was referring to, but then she gave me a knowing glance, and I wondered for a moment if my mother had matched them to another set of eyes. They were the same exact color.
“My mother was a huge a Scott Blue fan, wasn’t she?” I narrowed my eyes, and Millie let out a long breath.
“She was his biggest.” She gave me a wink, and I didn’t bother questioning things further, but I wondered how my mother matched the color so perfectly as if she’d spent hours studying the color.
“Are you going to wear your mother’s jewelry?” Millie picked up the pieces from my collection that I’d laid out, her fingers unhooking the clasp of the bracelet and then closing it back.
“Yes, but those aren’t my mother’s pieces. I designed those myself, and I’m hoping to do as well as my mother. I’d like to make a name, but I need some connections.”
“Your mother had plenty of connections, surely some of them would be willing to work with the daughter of the great Layla Ford.”
“I’ve had Nola help me a bit, and I know a few people, but I was trying not to lean on them too much. It hasn’t gone well. I’m afraid they don’t seem to like me much.”
She cleared her throat and leaned in closer. “Please don’t take this wrong way, but perhaps you’d do best not to let Nola be so mixed up in your affairs.”
She said it was as if I couldn’t trust Nola, or that maybe her own reputation was ruining my chances, but I couldn’t imagine that being so. Nola was connected, the wife of Scott Blue, and mother/agent to the girls. I thought about that last thing and decided that perhaps she had a point.
“Thanks, Millie. I’ll keep that in mind.” I wondered why the woman hadn’t gone to see her granddaughters get ready. Instead, she’d chosen to sit with me, and I’d enjoyed her company. I felt too alone in the world now that mother had passed away and Millie eased that pain for me, much the same way Nola and Scott had.
After a bit, I was ready to go down and meet the girls. They’d asked me to be punctual, and when I got downstairs in the sitting room, where they wanted to meet, I realized why. “They’ve left without me,” I said, turning to Millie.
“Are you sure? It’s a big house. Perhaps they’re here somewhere. Maybe they’re late?” It was sweet that she wanted to think the best of her awful grandchildren, but I knew better. I glanced out the window seeing that the limo was gone too.
“Oh look, they have to still be here,” said Millie. She held up a pair of masks that had to be theirs for the party. Both were intricately decorated with braided rope and feathers and like the girls, both matched.
Nola walked in, and all the color drained from her face upon seeing me. Then she turned her nose up. “You’re late. The girls left twenty minutes ago.”
“She’s right on time. They left early. They’ve even forgotten their masks.” Millie was speaking through clenched teeth as if she wanted to reach over and bite Nola’s head off for not controlling the girls better.
“It’s fine. I can call a cab.” I reached into my handbag for my phone, but Millie stopped me. “Nonsense, I have a private car. I’ll call my driver, and he’ll take you.”
“I couldn’t put you out, really.”
“Well, you can’t show up in a cab. Not to a gala.” Nola snorted like I should know better.
“I’d think that’s precisely the option your daughters had hoped to leave her with,” snapped Millie.
Nola tilted her head and placed her hand on her heart. “Mama Blue, surely you don’t think—
“I don’t think. I know. I was willing to give those little monsters the benefit of the doubt, but now I see how cruel they can be.”
My phone went off in the awkward silence that followed that remark. “It’s them.” I answered the phone and Nola and Millie exchanged daggers. “Hello and thanks for waiting.”
Halle’s voice came through the phone. “We couldn’t possibly wait any longer for you. You were going to ruin our grand entrance. But we seemed to have forgotten our masks, so be a dear and bring those to us, would you? Even if you have to go back for them.”
“I don’t have to go back for them. I’ve got them already.” I glanced over to Millie who shook her head. “I’ll see you at the party.”
I hung up, and Millie was already on Nola again. “Those two hoped to make her go back for those masks. That’s why they left them.”
“I won’t stand around letting you insult my children.” Nola stormed away, and before she made it out the door, she took her phone out of her pocket. I had a feeling the girls were about to get a call.
“They are going to try and ruin your night, but don’t let them. Your mother loved the gala and you will too. Maybe you’ll even dance with a handsome man and fall in love.”
I laughed at the thought. “I’ll be lucky to find someone who loves my jewelry, much less me, but it’s worth a shot.” I shrugged and picked up the mask as she called her driver.
Three minutes later, the old man pulled the car out front and Millie sent me along with him telling him just to wait until the gala was over to return. I’d need a chauffeur home.
“I can get a cab home, honest, Millie. You’re going to spoil me.”
“You deserve to be spoiled now and then too, besides, you’re—well, you’re very special. Those girls are just jealous of you.” She smiled, and I could tell there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “You look so much like your mother.”
“Thanks, Millie.” With that, the driver, who she’d called Anthony, opened my door and I climbed inside the white Rolls minding my dress.
The ride there was quiet, and I took the time to breathe and relax knowing that when I got back around the twins, I’d want to poke my eyes out. I had no idea what Millie meant by them being jealous of me. How was that even possible and why? They had everything and what they didn’t have their money could buy them. New lips, new boobs, new clothes, and what could I afford? Nothing but to be their assistant. Not for long. I felt a new determination rose inside me and I pepped myself up with the idea of meeting that one special person that could change my life forever. It was wishful thinking sure, but more fun than sitting around moping.
In that long ride out to the Prince family mansion, I had plenty of time to fantasize and dream of my line becoming enough to open my shop.
I missed the house at the beach where I’d grown up, and the large shop my mother had made in the garage and wondered if maybe now some nice family lived in it. Nola had told me all about how it had been sold, and I could only wonder if one day I’d be rich enough to buy it back. I would in a heartbeat.
As the car drove around the circle drive, I watched as many cars in front of me stopped and let out the people inside, all dressed to the nines in the highest fashions of the hour. My stomach twisted in knots and I gathered up my mask and put it on. I clutched my handbag that I’d slipped my phone in along with a tube of lipstick and then fumbled with the girl’s masks. I’d like to throw them out the window, but instead, I held them tight, stepping carefully out of the car as the valet held the door. I stepped out and onto a gorgeous red carpet that was trimmed in gold and it led right up to a pair of double doors that were opened wide, with two attendants on each side. I fumbled through my purse, realizing that everyone was presenting their invite as a ticket. Dammit! There had been no ticket for me.
Three more steps and I was about to be turned away. My heart sank to stomach like a rock as all the blood rushed from my face and into my hands.