And not even his father’s underhanded remarks could ruin the joyful occasion.
At least, not if he could help it.
Chapter 23
As Kat stared at her reflection in the spotless bathroom mirror, she hardly recognized herself. In fact, in her gorgeous blue silk gown, she could have been mistaken for a character in Louisa May Alcott’sLittle Women.
Her gaze drifted to the nearby Chippendale chair where a coordinating blue cape and luxurious muff waited to complete her extravagant ensemble.
Extravagantwas how she’d come to describe everything in the Gardener household, particularly the guest bathroom that boasted a porcelain claw-foot tub, endless marble countertops, and plush hand towels she’d been too afraid to touch. Instead, she’d dried her hands on her wool sweater.
“I love your hair. It’s so rare to see this color red.” Lucy stood behind her, pinning the last remaining strands in place. When she’d finished, she reached for the hot curling iron.
“Thanks.” Kat straightened, trying to sit as still as possible on the stiff, embroidered stool. “I never liked my hair growing up. I was teased a lot.”
“I’m sorry. Kids can be so cruel. That’s why I’m glad I grew up with brothers. Once, a boy teased me about the gap between my front teeth, and Jack threatened to feed him a face full of dirt for lunch.” She laughed as she checked the temperature of the wand by sprinkling a drop of water from the gilded faucet.
The ceramic cylinder sizzled as steam wafted into the air.
“Perfect.” Lucy lifted a face-framing tendril and wrapped it around the barrel.
Although curly, Kat’s wild mane was far from symmetrical ringlets.
“I love how close the two of you are,” Kat told her, making conversation as she kept her spine rigid and tried not to think about the intense heat so close to her sensitive skin.
Lucy smiled, though somewhat wistfully. “We used to be closer. The hostility between Jack and our dad has taken a toll on all of us, to be honest. Although, I can’t say I blame Jack. What our father did to him was pretty terrible.”
Kat stared blankly, and Lucy’s expressive blue eyes widened. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“No. At least, not all the details,” Kat admitted.
Lucy sighed as she coiled another strand of hair around the curling wand. “He’s not very good at talking about his feelings, is he? You know, I don’t even think he talked to dad about what happened. And of course, he would never say a word to me about it. Like a typical big brother, he’s tried to shield me from things my entire life.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find out about it?”
“Ashley told me, if you can believe it. That’s how I knew she wasn’t right for my brother. She didn’t see anything wrong with the situation.”
Kat folded her hands in her lap and bit her bottom lip. She wouldn’t pry. Jack would tell her when he was ready.
“Of course, there were other reasons I’m glad they didn’t work out,” Lucy continued. “With Ashley, it was purely infatuation. The kind of puppy love where you see the person for who you want them to be, not who they really are. But when Jack called and told me about you…” As she met Kat’s gaze in the mirror, a grin spread across her face. “With you, I can tell it’s the real deal.”
Heat swept across Kat’s cheeks, and this time, it wasn’t from the curling iron.
Would tonight be the night Jack would finally confess his feelings for her?
* * *
To Jack’s relief, the remainder of the evening unfolded without incident.
In fact, everyone seemed to be having a terrific time, including Kat.
Since Lucy and their mother were sopranos, everyone raved about the addition of Kat’s contralto range, claiming she finally rounded out the troupe.
Lucy, in particular, seemed to thrive with another girl around. And nothing filled Jack’s heart with more joy than witnessing his two favorite women getting along so well.
After caroling, they returned home, changed out of their costumes, and enjoyed a delicious five-course meal. While Jack would have preferred something simple and classic rather than a dish he couldn’t even pronounce, he had to give credit to the chef; everything tasted exceptional.
To wrap up the evening, they retired to the sitting room for games and an assortment of festive desserts paired with mulled wine.
