Marrying Mr. Darcy (Love Manor #2) - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,61

once more and regard myself in the many mirrors.

“Splendid!” Jilly declares. “Much more appropriate. Nothing revealing. Very, very classy, Emma.”

I screw up my face. Whatever “splendid” means in England, it sure as heck doesn’t mean that where I’m from. The dress might be slim-fitting and show off my curves, but that’s its only redeeming feature. It reaches so high up my neck, down my arms, and all the way to the floor, that the only skin on show is my face, knuckles, and fingers.

This dress makes the Amish look daring in their fashion choices.

“Well?” Jilly asks hopefully.

I scrunch up my face. “I’m not feeling it.”

“Look. I imagine Americans like to look their absolute best on their wedding day, stopping at nothing to have the perfect dress, the perfect hairdo, the perfect makeup.”

“Don’t you?”

“Oh, no,” she replies. “That’s all rather OTT to us aristocratic Brits. We are much more understated than Americans. We wear our money and breeding on the inside. We like to look nice, of course, and a wedding dress will certainly cost the same as a car. But it’s all about looking classy. Covering up rather than bursting out.”

I gaze in the mirror. I look like a big white cotton ball. “But…Meghan Markle looked beautiful when she married Prince Harry.”

“American,” Jilly dismisses.

“Right.” I chew on my lip. “What about Kate Middleton? She was picture-perfect gorgeous in her wedding dress, and that one didn’t reach up to her ears.”

“Royalty,” Jilly replies with a delicate wave of her hand. “Entirely different set of rules.”

“Right.” I slump my shoulders. I’ve never been one of those girls who’s planned every last detail of her wedding before she’s even met the guy. I don’t have a Monica from Friends scrapbook full to the brim of all things weddings. I don’t google bridal dresses or buy wedding magazines, dreaming of my big day. The only thing I’ve ever really thought about is that someday I’d like to get married in that cute little chapel back home.

But even if I’ve not been one of those wedding-obsessed types, I’d still like a wonderful wedding, and part of that is not looking like I’m wearing a white tablecloth from head to toe.

Susan returns with the bridesmaid dress draped across her arm. “Oh.” She stops in her tracks as she takes in my appearance. “That’s a different look for you.”

Different? Try nun-like.

“Look,” Jilly says. “I can see you’re not loving the dress right now. We can have it tailored to fit, can’t we, Susan?”

“Of course. We tailor all our dresses to meet our client’s needs.”

“Marvelous. Isn’t that marvelous, Emma?”

“Sure,” I reply, not meaning it at all. I glance at the gorgeous Empire line dress hanging against the curtain. Although it’s perfect in every way, I do need to try to fit in here, and apparently my taste in wedding dresses is all wrong for the family I’m marrying into.

I look from Jilly to Susan and then back at my reflection. I want more than anything to feel a part of my new world, to win Geraldine over, to be the Lady Martinston that is expected of me.

Perhaps a dress like this one can be a small step in the right direction?

Chapter 17

Today, there’s no time to think about wedding dresses. Today, the day of the official opening of the house has arrived. Really, you’d think it was the inauguration of a president, the stress levels are so high—and so are expectations. Well, to be clear, Jilly’s stress levels are high. She’s been heavily involved with Jemima in running the event, giving us all time to concentrate on getting the house ready to be seen by the public. And now, everyone is focused on the fact that today is a huge day in Martinston’s history. Views differ on how, though. On the one hand there are the people who think life will be different but better because we will be one small step closer to ensuring the house will be safe (Zara’s, Sebastian’s, and Jemima’s view). And another’s view is that the Huntington-Ross name will be forever soiled in the name of profit (guess who?). Needless to say, tensions are high.

But I do not care because today is the day that my reality show BFF and all ‘round awesome chick, Kennedy Bennet, arrives.

I am beyond excited. Kennedy was my lifeline on the show, the only one I trusted with knowing Sebastian and I were getting to know one another off camera, the only one who knew my original intentions