Within the hour, a package arrives, just as Mr. Clementine said it would, and I collect it from the delivery man,who looks just as frazzled as Judith had on my doorstep. I carry it into the living room and place it on the coffee table.
“It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” I say as I stare at the package. It’s at least ten times the size of the usual document packages I receive.
“Are you going to open it?” Mr. Beckman asks.
I twist my mouth. “I’m not sure.”
“Shall I do the honors?” Mr. Beckman asks. “I’ve never seen a package from the palace. It’s all rather exciting.”
“No, I’ll do it.” I slide a knife along the taped edges and push the cardboard to each side. There’s a layer of tissue paper, sealed with a black and gold sticker. “What the heck is this?” I pull back the tissue paper and suddenly, I can’t breathe and my hand flies to my mouth.
“What is it, Val?” Nona asks with concern in her voice.
She and Mr. Beckman crowd around me, peering inside the package.
“Looks like a dress to me,” Mr. Beckman says.
“Valentina, my darling, it matches your eyes perfectly,” Nona croons.
I reach out and touch the emerald green silk, deep and rich. With trembling hands, I pull the dress from the box, and it spills out. Gold embroidery shimmers on the bodice and edges of the strapless dress, cut in a sweetheart shape. As I shake it out, the skirt billows out like a princess dress. A fairy-tale dress.
A note drops to the floor, and I lean down to pick it up and read it. All it says is the date of the ball and the location, at the grand ballroom at the palace.
In shock, I look up at Nona. She’s smiling at me, her eyes soft.
“He wants you at the ball, my darling,” she says.
“But…why?” I ask.
“Love is a very powerful thing,” Mr. Beckman says, nodding his head sagely. “You’ve captured that man’s heart. Mark my words.”
Clutching the dress in my hands, I sit back down, suddenly overwhelmed.
“So?" Nona asks. "Will you go?"
I stare at the dress for a long moment, my mind racing through all the possibilities. The best case, the worst case, and everything in between.
"I honestly don't know," I admit. "Part of me wants to believe this means something wonderful. But the other part—?" I trail off, unable to finish the thought.
"The other part?" Mr. Beckman asks kindly.
"I guess the other part is terrified that hoping for too much will break whatever's left of my heart."
Nona and Mr. Beckman exchange concerned looks.
“Why don’t you sleep on it, dear,” Nona suggests. “There’s no rush to decide. The ball isn’t for a few days.”
I slide the dress back into the box and close it over. I head toward the stairs. "I need to sleep on it. Tomorrow I'll decide.”
“You’ll know the right thing to do,” Nona says.
The dress is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to wear it.
I'm not sure I'm brave enough to hope.
Chapter 29
Max
