Page 21 of The Devil Goes to Washington

“Thank you. I’m sure you don’t mean it, but I think your French counterparts will.”

“Meghan told you?” he guessed.

Meghan had come crying with her confession immediately after it happened.

“It doesn’t matter. You would have found out eventually.”

“The real question is how you managed to conceal this from your background check. What else are you hiding?”

“You sound just like your father, or maybe Heath. Hard to decide which one thought he was more domineering.”

“You hardly exchanged two words with either of them. Don’t change the subject.” Did he really not know how they came after her time and again with the most colorful, degrading vocabulary they could imagine?

“It’s not like the information wasn’t easily accessible. It’s simply not under my name since technically I am not the owner.”

“Then what’s the angle?” He shifted closer to her as he got more animated. “Is this a way to use me to promote your work and make even more money?”

“How much do you think I’m making from this?”

“Meghan said you’re barely breaking even. I can imagine you’re spending quite a bit of your allowance on the materials for each of these dresses.”

“Do you see this lace? Does it look familiar?” She asked, running her finger down her chest.

“Should it?” Michael blatantly stared.

“It’s the overdress from last week, dyed dark. The other materials are re-used from wherever I could get them.”

“If you’re ripping people off for a profit, then you should be making bank.”

“I offer my clients the finest new materials I can afford. I am always upfront about what I am providing.”

He scoffed, “We all know that’s not true.”

“You’ve always been so ready to think the worst of me. If you can’t put the past behind us, can you at least believe that I’m a different person now?”

“If you can promise me you’re not hiding anything else, I will try to let it be bygone.”

“I swear there is nothing more to know about Lady Catherine Designs. By the way, I hope you don’t mind, but I put a ring together so people wouldn’t ask about it.” She counted on the detail to distract him from the specificity of her assurance.

“I should have thought to take care of that,” he caressed the skin around the ring, making her a little lightheaded. “It’s better than anything I might have found. Where did you get the jewels?” It was the first time she had heard a hint of admiration from him since the ceremony.

“They’re not real. Just bits of colored glass. I have to make sure no one looks at it too closely.” She babbled as he brought her hand closer to his face.

“Thank you for doing this.” He kissed her fingers next to the wedding band.

If she wasn’t careful she was going to fall for him all over again and she couldn’t risk that. Not releasing her hand, he turned to look outside again. She watched their reflection in the window until the brightly lit Residence of the Ambassador of France took its place.

Still clasping her hand, Michael led her out of the car through the imposing brick and stone entry encasing a beautiful glass and iron double door that looked like lace.

“I wonder if I can find some sparkling water?” she whispered to Michael upon being greeted with trays of champagne. Soft music played nearby, helping to cover her comment.

“You seemed fine guzzling the champagne last week,” he hissed. His warm breath next to her ear made her swallow hard.

“It was the same warm glass of flat champagne the whole night. I wasn’t about to let my guard down around those leeches.” She was disappointed at the constant confirmations that he thought so poorly of her.

“Mr. and Mrs. McAllister, how good to see you again,” Michael greeted the couple as they approached. She could feel the heat of Michael’s hand on her back, which he kept near but didn’t touch, to guide her with him.

“It’s Hugh and Estelle now that we’re old friends. Oh! Look at that stunning dress. Spin! Let me see the whole thing.” Estelle exclaimed in the middle of the foyer. The pale yellow walls seemed to reverberate with her voice. People paused on the elaborately carved staircase and around the room to observe the sight.