Then she whispered, again loudly, “What’s a crisis of the mad mind?”
Isabella laughed and gave the girl a hug, promising into Sally’s hair (which, at Sally’s insistence, Isabella herself had done), “I’ll explain that later too.”
The stylists had managed to tame Annie’s mad hair. The makeup artist had managed to make up her face through Annie alternately ranting and squirming. And Isabella and Annie’s other two bridesmaids had managed to get her dressed.
And she looked stunning.
Surveying her, Isabella remarked, “I think the only thing you have to worry about is knocking Dougal dead when he sees how beautiful you are.”
At her words, Annie jumped forward, covered Isabella’s mouth and shouted, “Don’t tempt the fates!”
Isabella laughed under Annie’s hand. Then she hugged her. Then she gave her the sapphire and diamond bracelet that was to be her friend’s something new and part of her something blue. Then she gave Annie her mother’s sapphire and diamond earrings that were to be her something old. Then she gave Annie her own sapphire and diamond pendant that was to be her something borrowed.
Then Annie burst into tears and the makeup artists had to do a touch up.
Now, they were on their way, Isabella and Sally with Annie’s two other bridesmaids, Patty and Hannah, sharing one Rolls. Annie following with Fergus in the other. Neither bridesmaid was a villager (thankfully). Patty was an old friend from Northwestern that Isabella had long since lost touch with and Hannah had been a trainee physical therapist Annie met during her rehabilitation.
Patty and Hannah were both wearing lovely, but differently styled, sapphire blue dresses.
That day, Isabella discovered that they were allowed to choose their style dress.
Isabella’s was Annie’s choice. A strapless sheath, it fit her like a glove and had no ornamentation.
Until just above her knees.
There, it burst in a wide slit, the hem and slit sporting two, layered, opulent ruffles that trailed down and back in a short train (neither Patty nor Hannah’s dresses were anything near as lavish).
Annie had also chosen her shoes, ultra-sexy, very-high, spike-heeled, delicate strappy sandals that were even a challenge for Isabella to wear and she wore high heels all the time.
The dress was gorgeous, as were the shoes. But both were sexy, managing to be sophisticated as well as daring.
She looked like a cosmopolitan flamenco dancer.
It was too bold and too chic for a church wedding attended by villagers who hated its wearer.
Fortunately (or unfortunately as the case definitely was), Isabella had bigger things to worry about.
Things as big as a handsome, tall, powerfully built architect who was likely not going to be happy he woke up alone.
She had no idea what came over her last night. She’d barely even tried to push Prentice away.
No, she knew what came over her. Prentice had always had a unique talent with being able, quickly, to excite her.
Laurent, her only other lover, had called her frigid on more than one occasion (in other words, regularly).
For twenty years, she’d lamented the fact that she and Prentice had never made love. She’d fantasized about it again and again, when she was with him and after they were over.
And last night, she had it.
And, to her shock, it was better than any of her fantasies.
Far better.
Way far better.
And because of that, she’d been weak. A coward. And selfish, selfish, selfish.
She hadn’t protected him. She’d taken what he gave and then got greedy.