First of all, the shower was held in a large salon on the second floor of the East Wing, where Helen and Monique kept their apartment. The tables were laden with silver, sapphire-lined cups, and golden spoons that Monique explained came from Colombia, a wedding gift from a real estate magnate who did frequent business with the Warners. They were declared exotic, and the next week Jamie would hear all sorts of whispers from women trying to score Colombian gold because,“Lady Warner has it, why can’t I?”Some would remind such women that“She also has a brothel. You want that too?”
Every maidservant who worked in the East Wing was in attendance that day. Dressed in pristine black and white uniforms, they were silent but observant, anticipating when a woman would need more tea or when either Jamie or the exuberantly pregnant Monique required assistance getting up. She wasn’t incapable, mind, but these maids were trained in France, or Thailand, or something… and couldn’t function unless they were doing their job. Jamie swore she heard both origin stories during her shower.
Monique was originally going to have one of these maids record Jamie’s gifts, but to both of their surprise, Francesca Blake offered her handwriting services. She flashed Jamie a flowery smile as she settled in between Monique and Adele, holding a Moleskine notebook and pulling a five-hundred-dollar fountain pen out of her purse.
Jamie didn’t know what she would use half of these gifts for.
Crystal, embedded with diamonds, came from a woman she had only met in passing. The referral to one of the most elusive personal stylists in Hong Kong, of all places, came from an Asian woman who was visiting – Jamie didn’t even know she had been invited to the wedding, since “Jade Young” could have been anyone. (“A referral is worth about two thousand dollars,” Monique muttered to Jamie. “I met that man once. You’ll love it if you ever go out that way.”) Francesca Blake bequeathed a golden platter she claimed to have come from the Habsburg royalty. (“Queen Elisabeth owned this herself. I know this because my great-grandfather was one of her closest confidants and inherited this after her assassination.”) Eve gave her a large black lacquer box handcrafted in some remote mountains of Japan. (“Don’t open it here… oh, never mind.” Monique was too late. Jamie had already seen the hand-woven shibari ropes coiled inside. She quickly closed it again, blushing.) Kathleen handed over the deed to a condo in Torino that she no longer had any need for. (“It was one of my mother’s residences that she handed to me. I never go to that part of Italy. I know you and Ms. Coleman will appreciate it.”) Jamie didn’t want to know how many millions it was worth, and Kathleen had waved it in her direction as if it were a pittance.
There were other grand gestures, such as the booking of a famous jazz singer for their wedding, more goblets, glasses, and dishes than Jamie would ever know what to do with, and even beautiful jewelry sets that women claimed came from their own families. When Jamie later asked her only friends there why these women would give away such precious heirlooms, they all shrugged and said, “Easy. They didn’t like them. Or they’re lying. Not about the monetary worth, obviously, but about the emotional value. That’s just a story.” Jamie now had a favorite ruby clasp to call her own, though. “Don’t wear it in public too often,” Monique warned. “People will think that you and Mrs. Lahey are toofavorable.”
Jamie had expected extravagant gifts that would make her other friends’ gifts of sexy lingerie and simple porcelain dish sets look quaint, but she was not expecting the good will extended to her by certain women in attendance.
“You and Etta are such a lovely couple,” Francesca announced in front of everyone. She turned to the others, some of whom were part of her inner circle, and others who were mere flies to her. “We’ve had dinner with them more than once, and I’ve never seen such refinement from newcomers like them.”
Jamie bit her lip in anger – who was she calling newcomers? – but Monique put a hand on her knee and flashed her a reassuring smile. Yes, yes, Francesca Blake didn’t know any better. Whatever.
“Thank you so much for your generosity,” Jamie said through clenched teeth. “Etta and I always enjoy dinners with you and your husband.”
Francesca sat down, pride swelling in her cheeks. “Even Lady Winston has told me that she thinks Jamie will make a fine board member one day.”
Gasps went around the room. Jamie blinked away some dirt in her eyes, oblivious to what people were saying. The only reason she found out this was such a big deal was because Kathleen visibly blanched across from her, as if to say,“You think what now? You’re lying!”
Jamie didn’t want to ask what Francesca meant, lest she look even more ignorant. Later, she discovered that the woman meant The Society Board, which was a collection of the richest, most powerful, and nosiest wives around. These women were responsible for many charity events – which was how Kathleen intimately knew them, not that she would ever officially join, not being nosy or bored enough – but mostly made their infamy by declaring who was who in the world of high society. If they liked Jamie enough to ask her to join one day, that meant she could become nigh untouchable from public criticism.
I’d rather eat my thumb.
“In fact,” Francesca said, holding up one of the last unopened gifts. “Mrs. Winston asked me to give this to you, since she unfortunately could not make the party.” This didn’t surprise anyone. Of course, Hyacinth Winston had been invited, but nobody expected her to make an appearance. There were good odds she would send a gift, however, and it would probably be more dishes or something related to her plants…
Or it could be the tablecloth Jamie had spilled wine on weeks ago.
Only Adele had been there, and she immediately recognized it. The others had a gradual realization, since they had all heard the terrible tale, but didn’t know what the tablecloth looked like. Now they guessed, correctly. Looks were exchanged. Murmurs erupted. Jamie took her time unfolding the heirloom and searching for the stain that Etta paid so much money to get rid of. There wasn’t a mark in sight.
There was, however, a handwritten note at the bottom of the box.
With the scent of a fresh garden embedded in the rice paper, Jamie unfolded the note and read, “My regrets that I could not attend such an important event in your life. Please take this as my apology. You seemed to fancy it so well that you left your mark all over it.”
Nobody, even after photos for the paper were taken and the ass-kissers like Francesca left, could figure out what Hyacinth Winston meant by this gesture.
“She was so uptight about it!” Adele declared. “She made it sound like this was one of the most precious items in her repository. No offense, Jamie, but why would she give it to you?”
Monique interjected before Jamie could grit her teeth again. “Indeed, it’s either the best slam I’ve ever seen from a woman like her, or she was blustering like everyone else here. I’m sorry, Jamie, but I think it’s the former.”
Eve shook her head. “You pissed off Hyacinth Winston. Shenever forgets.”
“It’s that bad?”
“Well, she won’t ruin you,” Kathleen said, “but she’s not exactly known for her bouts of forgiveness. We went to her school,” she jerked her thumb toward Eve, “and one time some first-year girl accidentally tracked mud in the private receiving room Hyacinth keeps on the academy grounds. Next week, the girl’s family was bankrupt.”
Eve sighed. “Poor Cara. She was in my class… and hot.”
Adele was not letting this go. “Don’t be serious. Those two things are not related. You mean Cara Graham, right? Her father went bankrupt because of bad deals.”
“Yes, deals that go back to the Winston family. It was probably the final straw that got Hyacinth off her ass to do something about said deals. Whatever. Point is, Jamie better watch her back.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Kathleen chastised her friend. “She’s being cheeky. That’s it.”
“I hope you’re right.” Poor Adele was more flustered about this than Jamie. “Anyway, enough about this droll party. Give us deets about the bachelorette festivities.”
