Driving Me to Christmas (London Loves Book 5) (14 page)

Scott’s natural aroma was masculine and sexy. Being blond, he only needed to shave twice a week, but Sam was sure he’d shaved tonight especially for the ball, because, as she sat with her eyes closed at the dressing table, the scent of his shaving foam soothed her nostrils with every delicious inhalation.

She opened her eyes and saw – in the mirror – Scott pinning her hair on top of her head, making her look uncharacteristically glamorous. It was interesting to watch the process – it was like the reverse of a flower unfurling its petals. A wave of tranquillity washed over her as she connected with the sounds of the sea in the distance. This velvet padded stool made her feel like royalty. And tonight she was hoping her handsome prince would propose!

Sam unfocused her gaze from her hairdo and scanned her eyes over Scott’s outfit. He looked amazing in his leather kilt, black shirt, and lace-up knee-length boots. He’d already applied his black eyeliner and subtle pink lipstick, but he’d left his long hair loose tonight.

He stood back and admired his creation. “Et voila, madam.”

He grabbed an ornate mirror and held it behind Sam like a hairdresser. She saw a dainty young woman staring back, which caused a zap of excitement to whoosh through her. She was still wearing her jeans and an old T-shirt, but the difference was spectacular. The only snag was she felt as if she was balancing an ill-fitting hat on her head – she dared not turn in a hurry, in case she disturbed this wonderful coiffured creation. 

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s perfect.”

“I haven’t finished yet.” He grabbed a huge make-up bag from the bed. “I won’t slap it on too much, don’t worry. Just highlight your natural beauty.”

Sam blushed. “Thank you, Scott. You’re so kind to me.”

“It’s true – you are beautiful.”

Sam enjoyed the sensation of Scott applying her eyeliner, eye shadow, and lipstick. It was comforting, like being licked by a mother cat. She gazed at herself in the mirror again. This time she was even more impressed. She hardly recognised herself – it
was
her, but from another dimension.

“Wow,” she said.

Scott squeezed her shoulder. “Paul’s got his camera, so he’s gonna take some shots of you and Verlaine.”

“Aw, that’ll be lovely.”

“But you need to put the dress on first.”

He grabbed the plastic-covered dress from the hanger on the wardrobe door and held it up. Nerves coursed through Sam as she remembered the last time she’d worn this – when it was still too baggy and long. What other miracles was Scott capable of performing, she wondered.

She stood and held the dress against herself, and grinned with relief; it was the perfect length and shape.

“You’d never know it’s been altered,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Sam. You’re my sister.”

Her heart filled with affectionate love. “I love you, Scott. You’re such a great friend. And brother.”

They hugged. Sam sunk into his gorgeous sculpted arms. She loved Verlaine, of course, but Scott was so tender – and so hot.

He stepped away. “Shall I leave while you change?”

“No, it’s okay. You’ve seen me shagging Verlaine – I think you can see me changing!”

“Okay, well, I’ll turn my back just in case people start any rumours.”

He winked playfully.

Sam guffawed, then she set about taking off her casualwear and putting on her glamorous frock. The sensation of the silky material on her skin made her feel sexy and lavish. Tonight she was sophisticated and stylish. Just like Rebecca.

She gazed at the back of Scott – momentarily checking out his butt in that sexy kilt – then she turned her attention to her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was standing quite near to the window, and the moonlight was streaming in through the stained-glass, filling the room – and her soul – with sparkly colours. She acknowledged that she did look good tonight, in this dress with her hair done. She felt magical; like the epitome of Christmas dazzle.

“Okay, I’m in,” she said.

Scott turned and inspected her for a beat. Then he grinned. “Fucking hell, Sam. If I wasn’t a homo I’d be proposing to you myself!”

Sam laughed. She hated it when Scott and Paul used homophobic terms like that, but she supposed it was all part of reclaiming them for their own.

Scott strode over and took her hands in his. “Have you got your answer ready for Verlaine?”

Nervousness twisted in her stomach. “I think I might say yes!”

They both giggled. Of course she was going to say yes; there was nothing that would stop Sam and Verlaine from living happily ever after. Nothing.

Sam opened her mouth to speak, but there was a knock at the door.

Scott rolled his eyes. “It’s probably Paul hurrying us down for photos.”

He pulled the door open and recoiled as he found Rebecca filling the doorway, all dressed up and radiating with beauty. Her dress looked much more expensive than Sam’s, and she’d obviously spent the afternoon at the beauty parlour, having her hair, nails, and make-up done professionally. Sam resisted the urge to hide under the bed. Rebecca was naturally glamorous; Sam was a faker, and seeing her nemesis looking so stunning reminded her of that.

“Rebecca,” she said. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

She swaggered inside. “Look, Sam, I know last night was intense, but I do appreciate you coming to chat to me afterwards.
If I was at all defensive or prickly, it’s only because I was so very hurt by Verlaine’s behaviour. I assure you, it wasn’t a deliberate resistance to your attempts at making the peace, but more of a protective reaction.”

“Right?”

“Well, now it’s
my
turn for a
peace offering.”

Rebecca held up a beautiful red peacock-shaped brooch. It sparkled in the moonlight. Sam was drawn to it. She wanted it. This could be just what she needed to make her feel like Rebecca’s equal – the cherry on the cake of all Scott’s kind efforts.

“I think you should wear this tonight,” Rebecca said.

“Me? Really? It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is. I was going to keep it for myself, but I want you to know how much I’d like us to be friends. It’ll look awesome with your dress.”

Sam resisted grabbing it. “Whose is it?

“I found it in my room – I guess it was left there by the previous resident. I’m sure they won’t mind you borrowing it for tonight. And maybe if no one claims it, you could even keep it.”

Scott took the brooch from Rebecca. “It’s gorgeous. Have you laced it with arsenic?”

Rebecca chuckled kindly. “No. I just want Sam to know that we’re friends again. To be assured that she can come and talk to me any time. We’ve got a lot to talk about, right?”

Rebecca took the brooch from Scott and gently fastened it to the front of Sam’s dress. It looked so pretty, sparkling in the moonlight. Sam was captivated.

“Thank you, Rebecca,” she said. “I love it.”

“You’re welcome.” Rebecca held penetrating eye contact with Sam for a moment, then she shook her head and sighed wearily.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

“Well, as you know, it’s been very tough for me over the last year. I suppose I’d hoped that time might’ve resolved things between me and Verlaine, but on reflection, perhaps there’s still too much left unsaid for that to happen.”

Worry seeped into Sam’s chest like cyanide. “What’s been left unsaid?”

“Perhaps now isn’t the best time to talk about it. We’re all about to go out and have fun. I want you to know, though, I’m not opposed to a reconciliation with you and Verlaine, but it’s hard to know where to begin. The last thing I want to do is dredge everything up again with him, but I’m left wondering whether that’s the only solution in order to move forward.”

“Move forward from what? What happened between you and Verlaine?”

“Oh, didn’t he tell you?”

“He said you broke up with him.”

“Did he say why?”

“Because you wanted to get married and he wasn’t ready.”

Rebecca snorted. “Is that what he told you? Goodness me, he’s more of a liar than I thought. I don’t know if I can ever fully forgive him for what he did. I’d be surprised if even
you
could, Sam – kind and decent as you are.”

Sam felt the room squash in around her. “What?”

Scott leaned in nose-to-nose with Rebecca. “Stop shit-stirring between Sam and Verlaine and go and ruin someone else’s life, will you?”

Rebecca took a step back and threw Scott a plastic smile. “I did say we should discuss it another time, did I not? W
ell, I’ll see you both at the ball, then.”

Rebecca turned to leave, but Sam couldn’t let this rest – she needed to know what Verlaine had done. She was about to get
engaged
to the man for god’s sake. Surely she should know every skeleton in his closet?

“Wait,” she said. “What did Verlaine do?”

Scott put his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Sam, why don’t you let Rebecca get ready to go out? You can ask Verlaine yourself and not listen to anymore of her crap.”

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. “I
am
ready to go out, you pathetic little man.”

Scott guffawed. “Ouch! If that’s supposed to be an insult – I’ve been called worse by my own loved ones.”

She looked him up and down. “I’m not surprised.”

She swished out the room and slammed the door behind her.

Sam felt her internal organs reel. Was Rebecca just trying to cause more problems, or had Verlaine done something terrible and not told her? She didn’t know who to believe. She wanted to trust her wonderful boyfriend, of course. But doubt crept in and kicked her belief to the gutter.

“You alright?” Scott asked.

“I dunno. I thought she was being nice, but I’m just not sure anymore.”

“Don’t fall for that sweetly-innocent act for a minute, Sam. She’s up to something.”

Sam closed her eyes and summoned up all her strength. She planted her feet firmly on the floor and resolved to talk to Verlaine about it another time. Tonight, they had a ball to enjoy.

She opened her eyes and glanced in the mirror. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful. That brooch really sets it off – I’ll give her that.”

“Do you think it belongs to someone? I shouldn’t really wear someone else’s jewellery.”

Scott draped his arm around her. “Tonight, Sam, it belongs to you.”

***

Sam drifted down the stairs with Scott, and he helped her into her coat, which she fastened to the top. It’d started just started snowing outside, and this flimsy dress wasn’t exactly a winter-warmer, so she wanted to stay snug.

“Verlaine!” she called.

He appeared from the living room and halted dramatically. Paul almost crashed into the back of him.

“Oh my god, Sam,” Verlaine said. “You look beautiful!”

She gasped as she saw that he was wearing a tuxedo. And so was Paul.

“Thanks! And you guys look amazing!”

Verlaine held her hands and embraced her with his deep brown eyes. “I sure am the luckiest guy alive.”

Sam grinned. Next time she stood in this hallway, they’d probably be engaged! The memory of what Rebecca had just said drifted into her mind, but she shoved it away, refusing to let anyone ruffle her feathers this evening. Instead, she threw her arms around Verlaine’s shoulders, hugged him tightly, and kissed him hard.

“I love you!” she said.

He seemed to melt inside. “I love you, too. So much.”

Paul cleared his throat. “Sorry, young lovers, but we’d better get going if we’re picking up Gemma. It looks like the snow’s getting worse and we’ve gotta drive all the way to London, then out again to the ball.”

“Yeah, true,” Verlaine said. “Shame she didn’t feel like coming up here with you two earlier, but I guess she’s got a lot to ponder at the moment.”

“Poor love,” Scott said. “I hope she resolves everything with Jack.”

Sam nodded. “Me too.”

Verlaine smiled tenderly at her. “You really do look stunning, baby.”

Sam reached up to undo her coat. “Oh, but you haven’t seen the dress yet!”

“Sam,” Paul said. “We haven’t got time. We’ll see the dress at the ball, okay?”

“Yeah, okay, you’re right.”

“Have you got everything, Verlaine?” Scott asked.

He threw Scott a blank look, then he grinned. “Oh yeah, I sure have!”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Sam said. “Let’s go!”

The location of the ball was an old restored castle in Kent and, as Verlaine pulled the T-bird into the sweeping gravel driveway, Sam could understand why Patty had been so keen for them all to come here. The exterior was beautiful and romantic – it resonated with mystery and nostalgia. The castle itself was made of stone, and it was shaped like the cardboard castles that Sam and Gemma had made as kids from tissue boxes and toilet-roll tubes. It was symmetrical and boxy, and the turrets looked as if they’d been stuck on as an afterthought. It was sturdy, though. It would have to be; apparently it had been built five-hundred years ago and was still standing strong.

The snow was falling fast, and Sam had been worried about Verlaine driving this big old car through the narrow English lanes on the way here. But he’d done a skilful job, and he parked the T-bird now like a pro, alongside a Jag and a Bentley.

He yanked up the handbrake and threw her a nervous grin. Sam knew how he felt about mingling with the wealthy – he didn’t enjoy it at all and would rather be down the pub. But she knew he’d make a special effort tonight, so as not to let his mum down. And there was that other thing he was planning to do tonight! Sam wondered when he was planning to propose and where. Would he do it in front of everyone? Probably not. He wasn’t the exhibitionist that she sometimes was.

He climbed out and opened the passenger door for her, leaving Paul, Scott, and Gemma to clamber out of the back. Sam gazed up at him from the passenger seat and took his proffered hand, then she stepped out the car like an elegant movie star. Or perhaps even like a princess. It was like being inside a fairy-tale snow globe, with actual real snow. But this cold weather couldn’t stop Sam from radiating a warm glow of love for her man.

Verlaine held her hand as they strolled through the massive entrance, following the corridor towards the Grand Hall. Sam glanced back to make sure Gemma was okay. She was huge now, but she’d still taken the trouble to get dressed up in a pair of floaty chiffon trousers and a glamorous maternity top. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she waddled behind Sam and Verlaine along the ornate corridor, with her arms linked though Scott and Paul’s, as if she was arriving with a gorgeous hunk on each arm. Sam was glad no one they knew would be here tonight, because they’d want to know where Jack was, and Gemma didn’t seem to have the strength for those kinds of explanations at the moment.

Sam allowed her nerves to turn to excitement as she and Verlaine followed the soothing sounds of a string quartet into the Grand Hall. She halted in the lavish doorway and gasped. She wasn’t especially into architecture, but this place was spectacular. The lofty ceilings were complimented by gilded coving that delicately ran around the entire space. The tables that bordered the floor were covered in starched table-cloths and stocked with glassware and expensive wine. But the feature that really caught Sam’s eye was the huge dome in the ceiling, which reminded her of a smaller version of the Sistine Chapel. But this dome was made of stained glass and cast colourful rainbows on the shiny wooden floor below. Sam was sure it looked stunning in the daytime, lit by the sunshine. But the artificial lights were doing a good enough job for tonight.

The place was buzzing already with smartly-dressed men and glamorous women, wearing their finest clothing and expensive jewellery. Sam spotted Patty, Jim, Ellie, and Rebecca on the other side of the hall, so she strode towards them through the perfumed air, squeezing past the chattering people, followed by Verlaine, Gemma, Scott, and Paul.

Sam saw Rebecca look her up and down with a mocking smirk as she approached. Her ribcage filled with worry, remembering what Rebecca had said earlier – there was something Verlaine wasn’t telling her about his past. But Sam hadn’t felt able to interrogate him in the car, and Rebecca could possibly be lying. Surely it couldn’t be anything
that
bad. Verlaine was such a great guy and usually so honest and open. Sam tried to put it from her mind for tonight.

Sam’s eyes scanned over Ellie, who was scrutinising her as she approached. Ellie was wearing a long black satin dress, which was smooth and shiny – just like the woman herself’s hard persona. Her hair was scraped back into the usual severe bun, and Sam realised that Ellie wouldn’t even let her hair down and relax at a fun party like this.

Patty grinned as she saw Sam approaching, and put her arms out to hug her.

“Sam, you look beautiful! Look at your hair – did Scott do that for you?”

Sam flushed with pride, aware that Rebecca was watching and listening.

“He did,” Sam said.

Gemma stepped forward. “Hello, Patty and Jim. I’m Sam’s big sister. Bigger than usual at the moment, too!”

Patty shook her hand. “Hi, Gemma – great to meet you. You look radiant!”

“Yeah, awesome to meet ya, Gem,” Jim said. “You been eating too many mince pies?”

Gemma chuckled politely as if she’d never heard that one before. “Yeah, something like that. Woo, it’s hot in here. Is there a cloakroom?”

Gemma took off her overcoat, and Sam realised she was still wearing hers. She started to undo the buttons, and Verlaine eased it off of her shoulders from behind, kissing her on the cheek as he did so.

Sam glanced up at him and they smiled into each other’s eyes. She hoped Rebecca was watching this – she’d see how much they adored each other and hopefully stop trying to cause trouble between them. She opened her mouth to tell Verlaine she loved him, but a shriek from Patty made them both look up. She was staring at Sam’s dress with her mouth wide open in shock.

Verlaine stepped around to have a look, too. “What’s wrong, mom?”

With shaking hands, Patty gestured towards Sam’s chest. “How dare you flaunt that thing so blatantly in my face!”

Sam’s knees filled with horror as Patty swivelled round and buried herself in Jim’s arms. Sam had no idea what was wrong, but she’d never seen Patty this distressed so it was obviously something terrible. She opened her mouth to ask, but she noticed Verlaine’s expression flicker with anger.

“Sam, where the hell did you get that?”

“From the dress shop in Kensington. The Dovecoat. I told you.”

“Not the dress.
That
.”

He jabbed his finger towards the brooch.

She glanced at the beautiful jewelled peacock resting so innocently on her dress. “Why? What’s happened? Oh, what have I done now? Please tell me!”

Patty wailed in Jim’s arms as if Sam had just confessed she was a Nazi war criminal. Jim shot Sam a disgruntled look of disbelief, making her crumple inside.

Verlaine grabbed Sam by the upper-arms and she flinched. “That brooch belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to… Ellie…”

Verlaine suddenly dropped Sam and lunged over to interrogate Ellie, demanding to know what the fuck she was playing at, and accusing her of purposely upsetting his mom.

Sam’s head spun with worry; it was hot in here and she felt sick and dizzy. She turned back to Patty, hoping to assure her this was a big misunderstanding. “I’m so sorry, Patty – I had no idea!”

Jim held his hand up in Sam’s face. “Just leave her alone – can’t you see you’ve upset her? Again!”

Jim’s words shoved Sam hard. She looked to Verlaine for support, but he was embroiled in an argument with Ellie and Rebecca, so she glanced at Gemma, but she was watching with her mouth open; as shocked at this scene as Sam was.

Sam’s gaze flitted around for her beloved Scott and Paul but she couldn’t see them anywhere – they’d probably disappeared to the bar before this whole disaster had happened.

Sam’s tears squeezed her throat, and she realised she desperately needed to release the pent-up emotion of the last few days. It would be un-British to cause a scene here by breaking down – Patty was doing enough of that for them both – so she turned and ran as fast as she could towards the sanctuary of the ladies’ restrooms, knowing she could allow her emotions to pour out there.