house.
But before she could go in, an artistic-looking man with long hair and tattoos stepped inside. “Where are we setting up for hair and makeup?”
As Ivy was thinking, one of the black-clad young women guiding the clothing rack asked, “Is there a room we can use for the models to dress?”
Ivy pressed a hand against her forehead. “Stay here, everyone. I’ll handle this.” Eleanor shouldn’t disrupt other guests. She charged into the ballroom to speak to Eleanor.
She might as well have gotten in line.
Rachel and Rob were arguing with Eleanor, the woman with the models was demanding that the bride sit for hair and makeup, and Churchill—bless his mild-mannered heart—was trying to quiet everyone, but to no avail.
Ivy drew a breath. “Sorry to interrupt—”
“That’s enough!” Topper took Rachel’s arm and guided her away from the melee.
With tears in her eyes, Rachel looked up at him with a grateful expression. She whipped around. “Hear me on this, Mom. It’s our wedding. Churchill, I’m sorry it has cost so much, but I’m not having any fake bridesmaids to impress Mom’s friends.”
“Darling, you specifically said you didn’t want any at the wedding,” Eleanor said. “A photo shoot will only take an hour or two. Think of it as part of the rehearsal. What’s the harm in that?”
“Because it’s not real, Mom. I don’t care about my wedding appearing in your society magazines or giving you photos you can use to gloat over friends. Topper and I are drawing the line tonight. From here on, I’m calling the shots in my life.”
With that, Rachel turned and left with Topper.
Ivy almost broke out in applause.
Churchill cleared his throat. “I think it’s time we all retired for the evening.”
The woman with the modeling company crossed her arms. “We’re not leaving until we’re fully compensated for the evening.”
Holding up a hand, Churchill took out his wallet. As he was making arrangements with the modeling company, Rob hurried after his daughter.
Ivy returned to the front, where her daughters and other guests at the inn were buzzing at the excitement. Even Charlie was there, mining the latest gossip for Summer Beach.
Bennett was in the foyer, too. “I heard the commotion in my room. Do you need help with that in there?”
“No, it’s just part of the wedding drama,” Ivy replied. Turning, she said, “It’s all over, everyone. Have a good night’s rest.”
Later, as she got ready for bed, Ivy thought about Rachel and Topper. She was glad the young woman had stood up to her mother and had her future husband’s support. But she couldn’t help wondering if the wedding would go forward tomorrow.
18
Ivy lay awake, watching shadows from moonlit palm trees swaying across her walls. She slept with the window open to hear the ocean’s lullaby, the ceaseless tide that usually put her to sleep and kept her in slumber.
But not tonight.
Something had woken her. Straining to listen, she detected the low idle of an engine. Someone was in the car court behind the house. Turning over, she blinked. The digital clock on the bedstand read 4:02 a.m. How odd. She rose and padded across the vintage wool rug onto the smooth wooden floor in front of the window.
Glancing out to the moonlit court below, she saw a car she didn’t recognize. It was a convertible, but the headlights were off, and the top was up. At this time of year, nights were still chilly by the ocean. Her friends in Boston would have laughed at the mild weather, but she’d quickly acclimated.
A light in Bennett’s apartment over the garage flicked on. He must have heard the car, too. And then, in the hallway, the old wooden floor creaked.
At once, Ivy knew what was happening. She grabbed a cotton robe from a hook and wrapped it around her short nightgown.
As she opened her door, she saw the top of Rachel’s head disappearing down the stairs. She hurried to the staircase. Rachel held her wedding dress folded over her arm, and she had a large bag slung over her shoulder.
“Did you get everything you need?” Ivy whispered.
Rachel looked back and nodded. The light in the stairway illuminated the young woman’s radiant face.
As quietly as the old wooden floorboards would allow, the two women crept down the stairs to the foyer.
Ivy motioned for Rachel to follow her as she threaded her way through the house. The moonlight flooded through tall windows, and Ivy led her through the kitchen to the rear door. Lifting the knob slightly, she swung open the