“What is it that upsets you so much, that he is sick or that he’s going to receive treatment?”
Nicole glanced up and down Laura’s black jeans and black jumper. “I don’t know who you think you are, the black spider?”
Laura folded her arms across her chest in a challenging pose.Bring it on, I’m not scared of you. I stood up to my dragon grandmother, you are nothing.
“I think it would suit your career if he died the morning after the wedding. More news coverage.” She gave Nicole a cold smile. “Have you already planned the interviews you would give to the press about how you made Lord M’s last wish come true and single-handedly prolonged his life ’til after they cut the cake?”
“You’ve been nothing but trouble ever since you came here,” she hissed at Laura.
“Nic. Come on,” Emmett tried again.
This time Nicole let him drag her away. Laura maintained her strong stance until they were out of sight.
“Oh my.” Pierre giggled. “You’re a match for her and no mistake.”
“Did she try to stop them going to hospital?”
“No, she didn’t even know they’d gone till after. She was on some internet meeting with someone in America agreeing rent for an apartment. She came out to complain the noise of the helicopter was disturbing her and that’s when she saw Millie and George preparing to go. Millie was saying, ‘Thank God Laura told me the truth’ and Nicole almost screamed.”
Aha, so that explained it.
“She’s been trying to work on Millie to try on some monstrosity wedding dress she’s ordered from Vivienne Westwood.”
“What?”
“Oh!” Pierre’s hand flew to her mouth. “I didn’t know if I should tell you, but she canvassed Lord M to let her order a back-up dress in case you made a mess. Sorry.”
“I’m not surprised. I wouldn’t have expected her to give up without a fight. This means too much to her.”
“More than you know.” Pierre fell into step with her as they walked down the gallery. “She’s sold her flat and packed up all her things. She’s moving to California to start a new business and is throwing all her money at it.”
“How do you know?”
Pierre chewed her lip for a moment then decided to tell. “Emmett let it slip. I don’t think he wants to move but Nicole is like a runaway train. I mean, she works very hard anyway, and she is efficient. I have to give her that. There are a million jobs here, seating plans, the pavilions, the arrival and departure for hundreds of guests…”
“But …” Laura prompted.
“When her day is finished here, she switches to Pacific Time zone. I hear her on zoom calls at night, talking to agents and publicists telling them she’s on first-name basis with all the top designers.”
“That’s impressive.” Laura knew from her own experience. “No one can claim to be this well-connected.”
“It’s a lie, I think. I’ve looked her up; she’s never done anything high-profile before, so this is her big chance to work with Hollywood stars and Palm Beach millionaires by appealing to the American love of all things British and royal. I think she’s casting herself as event planner to the aristocracy by spinning this job as a royal wedding.”
A vague anxiety whispered through Laura’s mind. Nicole throwing her all into reinventing herself explained why she was desperate to prove it by dressing Millie in ‘something famous.’ Desperate people made bad enemies.
Laura slowed down as they got to the other staircase that lead to the second floor and Laura’s room. Last night, she’d walked there with Adam. Today, only Nicole had her lover with her. “What I find surprising is Emmett. He seems a nice man.”
Pierre agreed, “Yes, he’s lovely.”
They stopped by the bannister.
“Let’s hope he can keep her under control.” Laura said.
“Do you mean like a really good poem controlling a rattlesnake?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cholecystitis.
