She brushed the crumbs off her fingers and downed her tea. She glanced at me and said, “Are you ready?”

“Me?”

“I’m not going over there alone,” she said. “You’re the one who wanted to be the milliners to the castle wedding. Whatever fashion emergency is happening, you’re helping.”

I blew out a breath and sagged against my seat. “All right, fine.”

Andre picked up the teapot and warmed up his cup with a refill. He grinned at us and said, “Have fun. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just take a nap before dinner.”

I rose from my seat. “Great idea. Let us know if the ghost comes around.”

His smile vanished and he frowned at me. “That was mean.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t want to leave you, but bridesmaids.”

He nodded. “Understood.”

“Come on, Scarlett,” Viv said. “We have to get back here in time to dress for dinner ourselves.”

I hurried across the room and fell into step beside her. Out in the corridor, I asked, “Do you even know where we’re going?”

“Yes, I passed Piper on the way to our suite,” Viv said. “They’re in the next corridor.”

The rich carpet beneath our feet cushioned our steps. The sconces along the wall emitted a soft light that added to the luxurious feeling of the place. We turned onto the landing, and I glanced down at the great room below. It still took my breath away.

Viv didn’t pause to take it in, instead she was striding down the next passageway toward the open door. I could hear the sound of raised voices as I hurried to follow her. I caught up to her just as she pushed the door wide and stepped into a sitting room much like ours.

“I will not wear that hideous color,” a curvy blonde announced to the room. “It turns my complexion the color of a fish belly.”

“Well, I can’t fit into it,” a petite brunette said. “I know it’s not what you want, Trisha, but sometimes that’s life.”

“I never get what I want! Otherwise I would be the bride, and not a bridesmaid again!” the one called Trisha shrieked. She threw the sallow-colored cloth at the short brunette, smacking her in the face.

Viv turned to me and said, “We should have had cocktails instead of tea.”

Agreed.

Chapter 6

“Viv, darling!” Piper strode across the room. “You’re just in time to help with our fashion emergency.”

The roomful of women all turned to face the door at once. It was in this moment that Viv’s celebrity became our biggest asset. No one was going to argue with a woman who had dressed models on the runways of Paris with her own hats.