“Thanks.”
“And here are the accessories.” Brooke pulled out a small velvet pouch from her purse.
“You thought of everything.”
“Of course! I want you to look like a goddess. Gavin deserves to be tortured a little. And then you can choose to bestow your favors upon him or not, as you see fit.”
Amandine nodded, seated in front of Brooke’s vanity. “Do you really think he’ll notice?”
“He’d better.”
Amandine sighed, half-regretting sending Brooke to her place to pick up some clothes. But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to go, coward that she was. So don’t ask her. Don’t ask her!
“What kind of flowers were in the bedroom?”
Brook hesitated, then said, “Yellow roses. But they might be a coincidence.”
“The florist has never sent any before. Never.”
The rings on Amandine’s left hand winked. One was a simple classic platinum wedding band, the other the stunningly beautiful sapphire and diamond ring that Gavin had proposed with.
“Hey.” Brooke stood behind Amandine, looking at her in the vanity mirror. “Don’t let the little things get to you. He’s probably trying to show that he’s sorry, so give him a chance.” She leaned over and touched the rings. “No matter what, you’re the one wearing these, not Catherine.”
“The engagement ring wasn’t meant for me,” Amandine said, finally unable to be quiet about it. “He asked Catherine to marry him with it first.”
“What? How do you know?”
Amandine sighed. “Five years ago, when they were dating? We were all at one of Jacob’s parties, and Gavin was out on a balcony, looking at it, working up his nerve. Later that night, he proposed to her with it.
Brooke stared at her. “And then after she turned him down, he used it again to propose to you?”
“It came from his grandmother. His grandfather proposed to her with it.”
“Oh my god. So it’s an heirloom.”
“It is…and it’s beautiful. But I wish he’d gotten me a new ring, so I wouldn’t think about Catherine every time I look at it.”
And compare herself to all the women who wanted him. People always took note of Gavin. He wasn’t the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Los Angeles was full of pretty boys harboring dreams of becoming movie stars. But he was all boldness and intelligence and indomitable drive, qualities that made other men fade into the background.
But none of that had mattered to Catherine, who later had declared, “I’m not crazy enough to marry a guy who has an unstable job.”
“What do you mean unstable?” Amandine had said. “He has his own company, and is very successful.”
“He makes highly leveraged trades on things like corn, OJ, and currencies. It’s the quickest way to Chapter Seven. That’s how Dad lost everything. Sorry, but I’m not marrying a guy who gambles for a living. I’m aiming for stability.”
Except Catherine’s aim had been way off. Amandine brushed her hair and ran pink lipstick over her mouth. “I always told myself I shouldn’t wish for things beyond my reach. It’s a surefire recipe for misery. I can never measure up to Catherine, a real Fairchild.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Catherine’s just a woman, nothing special.”
“Brooke. Look at her.”
“Okay, fine. An unusually pretty woman. Still nothing special.”
“You think that because her family lost its money, but breeding-wise it’s one of the top families. Better than the Lloyds, apparently. Aunt Olivia found Catherine’s marriage to Jacob acceptable only because the guy was rich.”
“Well that’s a good, pure-minded reason to approve of someone. But you know what? If being a Fairchild is such a big deal, you’re a big deal too. You’re one of them.”
“No, I’m not,” Amandine said. “My mom threw everything away when she chose my dad. ‘A penniless nobody with no prospects’, as my aunt and uncle used to say.”