Six
Francesca was fastening on her last earring when the doorbell rang. Giving herself one final look in the mirror, she was pretty pleased with how her outfit turned out. She’d purchased something new for the engagement party—a pale turquoise dress that was strapless and hit just below the knee. Around the waist was a cream-colored sash with a fuchsia flower for a pop of color. It came with a crocheted cream shrug to keep her shoulders warm when the sun went down.
She’d opted to wear her hair half up, with the front pulled back into a stylish bump and the rest loose in long waves down her back. Wearing her hair back highlighted her face and the sparkling aquamarine jewelry she was wearing at her ears and throat. And, of course, she was wearing the most important piece of her ensemble—her engagement ring.
Satisfied, she went down the stairs to the front door. She watched Liam waiting patiently through the peephole. He was looking very handsome in a light gray suit, ivory dress shirt and turquoise tie to coordinate with her outfit.
Even though he’d dropped her off the other night after dinner, he hadn’t been inside her town house yet. They’d decided he should pick her up and get familiar with her home just in case someone asked questions.
So far, no one had, and it was likely no one would. None of their friends in D.C. were remotely suspicious about their quick engagement. Romance seemed to be in the air this spring. So many of her friends had gotten married or engaged, so they were on trend. It was only Liam’s crafty aunt they had to please.
“Hello,” she said as she opened the door and gestured for him to come inside. “Come on in. This is my place.”
“Very nice,” he said, strolling into the living room and admiring his surroundings.
Francesca had always liked her home. She’d bought the small, red-brick town house near the university while she was a student. It was only two bedrooms, but the floor plan was open and the walled courtyard off the living room was the perfect oasis from the world. When she’d first bought it, nearly every room in it was white. She’d painted each room a warm, inviting color and filled them with lush fabrics and comfortable fixtures. That was her biggest update over the years. She loved her place.
She led him into the two-story living room so he could see out into her little garden and to the nicely remodeled kitchen she rarely used. “It’s not very big, but it suits me. I love the location—right across from the park.”
“You’ve done a lot with the place,” he said. “It looks comfortably lived in. Very much what I’d expect for you. My town house still looks like a showroom model. I never got around to hiring a decorator. Who did yours?”
“I did,” Francesca said, her nose wrinkling. “I couldn’t let someone else decorate my house. That’s too personal.”
Liam shrugged. “You’ve got the eye for it. Maybe while we’re engaged, I’ll let you decorate mine.”
She turned away from him without answering and went in search of her clutch instead. She didn’t like the sound of that at all. It wasn’t as though she would be moving into his house one day. She didn’t need to put her own personal stamp on his space or leave anything behind of her once all this was over. That made things seem more permanent than they were. But she wasn’t going to make much of it. They had a long night to get through without her adding more worries to the pile.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
Liam followed her out and then escorted her to the curb, where his convertible was waiting for them. Once he merged into traffic, they didn’t have far to go. Scarlet and Ariella had secured a location at one of the large historical mansions in Georgetown. The two-hundred-year-old estate had acres of gardens with fountains and an overabundance of spring flowers this time of year. It was the perfect location for a sunny, happy engagement party.
As they pulled onto the property, the valet opened the doors, pointed them to the garden entrance and took the car around back to park it with the others.
Standing on the lawn, facing her engagement celebration, Francesca was more nervous than she cared to admit. Her knees were nearly shaking. She’d done okay enduring the excited hugs and fielding questions from her friends and coworkers, one by one. But this was almost everyone she knew at one time. It made her wonder if she could pull this off. An engagement party. Her engagement party.
Liam sensed her hesitation and approached her. Putting his hands on the back of her upper arms, he stroked her gently, reassuringly. “Everything will be fine. You look beautiful. I’m sure Scarlet and Ariella did a great job with all the arrangements. There’s no need to be nervous.”