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It’s taken me two weeks to get this event together tonight. Two whole weeks of planning and redecorating this massive ballroom in our home. Damien’s mother was a well known society hostess and he’d warned me that taking up this task of organizing such a large scale event in our house meant that everyone would be comparing me to her. Added to the fact that she most certainly is not in attendance tonight means more people will judge and talk.
Hence, I did all I can to put my own stamp on this ballroom and it does look wonderful. The new lights, drapes and wallpaper make it stand out and look totally different from how it looked from when I had attended the charity gala organized by Damien’s mother a couple of months ago.
That day, when I had walked into this very ballroom as a guest on Gabe’s arm, I hadn’t ever considered that I would be hosting a ball myself. But here I am, dressed to the nines, looking like a perfect Duchess in every way. My grey, net sari shimmers with intricate pearl and silver embroidery, which is sown all over the short blouse and spreads down the flowing folds of my gorgeous sari. I am an Indian and I’m going to own my heritage proudly.
My hair is coiffed at the top of my head, my makeup is perfectly applied and diamonds twinkle in my ears and around my neck. I stand by Damien’s side, my head held high. After the lessons I undertook to be a Duchess, I daresay I feel much more confident than before as I interact with my high profile guests.
“Aaliya, are you doing okay?” Damien checks on me when we have a free moment.
I angle my head slightly and give him a smile. “With you by my side I can take on the world, you know.”
“Well, then now’s your chance to prove that.” He subtly points his chin to the next set of guests coming our way. “That’s the royal prince—the future heir to the throne—with his wife. Think you can manage a few minutes chatting with the royals?”
I don’t even have a second to ponder on that because now they’re standing right in front of us. Damien introduces me to them and although I’m less awed than I had been in the past, butterflies still flutter in my stomach when I speak to them. Their curiosity about us is natural. Damien and I answer their questions about our lives as best as we can before I channel their attention to the auction tonight and to their own philanthropic efforts.
When they leave us a few minutes later, Damien faces me with a grin.
“You were bloody brilliant, Aaliya,” he praises. “How cleverly you managed to divert their focus from us to the charity! I’m so proud of you.”
The next guests appear in front of us, preventing a reply from me. Everyone we invited is here, and a lot have come out of curiosity to check me out. After all I am The Indian Duchess. At least that is what the media has labeled me now. We even invited some senior media correspondents. Damien and I have already posed for pictures before the auction started as our way of creating a stir. I just hope that after tonight no one will question my role in Damien’s life.
I’m his wife and I’m here to stay forever. And we are happy together.
That is the message we most certainly want to portray to the world. I peek around the ballroom, searching the faces of the various people in attendance, wondering if anyone amongst them is indeed Celia’s killer and the person responsible for all the trauma we have been through. By showing how happy we are, we want to show this unknown person that despite their plotting to destroy us, Damien and I stand strong together.
Hopefully it will be a slap in the face of the killer and will encourage him to make a move against us. This unexpected silence from the killer’s end is frightening. We just need this person to make one mistake to be able to catch him.
From the opposite end of the ballroom, I observe Jonathan and Jasmine talking to some of our guests. Gabe holds court from the other end of the hall as he interacts with some men circled around him. He meets my gaze and gives me a tight nod before resuming his conversation with the man in front of him. Gabe was aghast when we had suggested this event. But, of course, since Damien and I were adamant on it, he gave in, albeit reluctantly.
I put my hand on Damien’s arm as we circulate through the crowd. We pass Mike whose eyes have been glued to us since the beginning of this event. He has a worried frown pasted on his forehead and I get his anxiety, I truly do.
Mike is not too happy about holding this event either, but he did agree that it was time to act. This waiting for something to happen was hard for him too. His only stipulation was that we hold it here in the London mansion ballroom and not in a hotel banquet. Here, he is in complete control of the security. Mike has doubled the security than normal, sealed all internal entries to the house through the ballroom and has ensured that the ballroom is accessible to the guests only from the gardens. This way Rian is absolutely safe upstairs in his room. He has Meredith watching him and two armed security guards stationed at his door.
Mike even has the police, a doctor and the fire department on standby. Although I don’t believe anything sinister will happen amongst so many of England’s who’s who, it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious considering all that we’ve been through.
I smile as we make our rounds through the hall, chatting with various people along the way until Damien halts in front of a well-dressed lady, standing beside a distinguished gent and introduces me to them.
“Aaliya, I’d like you to meet Lydia Appleton and Peter Dighby. They are the heart and soul of Annette & Co. and I’ve learned a lot from them,” he explains with a smile. “Lydia, Peter, I’d like you to meet my lovely wife, Aaliya.”
They both acknowledge me with warm but assessing smiles. Damien had been very keen to have them both here tonight. They’re his most trusted employees and he wanted to show them his appreciation by making them a part of this event—our very first event as a couple.
“Your Grace,” Peter Dighby offers me his hand, which I shake for a brief moment. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Dighby. Damien speaks very highly of you.” I turn to Lydia. “And of you too, Ms. Appleton.”
“It’s lovely to meet you. Do call me Lydia, please,” she presses, giving me a bright smile. “His Grace has been hiding you for way too long. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. And this auction is a brilliant idea. I hope you do well tonight.”
“Thank you. I hope so too,” I tell her.
Damien picks up the reins of the conversation with them and I take a moment to study his two senior staff members.
They both are middle aged, in their mid-fifties, with pale complexions. Lydia is tall and statuesque with short auburn hair framing her face. She has a few fine lines on her face, but they only make her look elegant. Peter, on the other hand is of medium height, has graying hair and a bearded face, which hides any wrinkles or aging lines that he may have.
I tune into their conversation as they all discuss the fantastic profits they made during the last sale they had organized and go on to further discuss the impending sales they have planned for Christmas and New Year. The way he interacts with them, shows how fond Damien is of them and they too respond similarly to him. But then, I’ve always known how Damien makes anyone in his vicinity comfortable and I’m so glad that now that he remembers his life in India, he’s reverted to being that man I knew him to be.
His gaze is no longer frosted and I’m delighted that I managed to crack all that ice. Now when his grey green eyes rest on me they are always, always filled with heat and warmth just like they used to be before everything went south.
My eyes coast over him and my pulse picks up. He looks dashing in his charcoal grey suit worn over a black shirt with a black tie, his hair freshly cut and spiked. Love for him fills my heart. This amazing man is all mine and I can finally scream from the rooftops and show the world that he is mine.
Sensing my attention on him, Damien presses a hand to my waist and includes me in the conversation with Peter and Lydia. We all chat for a few moments until Damien and I excuse ourselves to interact with more guests. My night proceeds in the same vein until we all settle down at our designated tables for dinner before the auction begins.
