Chapter Seventeen

“I CAN’T LET you do this.” Veronica paused with one hand on the railing.

“Sure you can. You want to look good for your sister’s wedding, don’t you?” Millie led the way up the red carpeted stairs. At the top of the stairs they turned left. Veronica flushed thinking about what went on behind the elegant dark wood doors and wondered what secrets lay inside the rooms lining each side of the long halls of Rowan House.

Millie opened the door and Veronica stepped into a warm and bright room. The walls were covered in dark wood paneling. Two large windows provided the light. Two leather club chairs were arranged to either side of a butler’s table. A low stool was centered in the middle of the room. A petite woman dressed in a crisp white shirt and blood-red skirt stood with her back to the window. Her wavy black hair streaked with gray brushed the tops of her shoulders, a pair of reading glasses rested on top of her head, and a measuring tape hung around her neck.

Millie crossed the room and clasped the woman’s hand in both of hers. “Signora Rossi, so good to see you again.”

“And you as well.” The woman leaned in and kissed Millie on both cheeks. Her voice was warm honey laced with a hint of seduction. “And didn’t we decide you would call me Aurora?”

A flare of distrust ignited in Veronica’s chest at the way they greeted each other. She clung to memories of Millie’s attentions and squelched her jealousy.

Aurora turned and raked her gaze over Veronica. “Who have you brought me?”

Millie grinned and held out her hand palm up. “Veronica Fletcher, meet Signora Aurora Rossi.”

Veronica held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Signora Rossi.”

Aurora took Veronica’s offered hand and held it tightly as her gaze traveled over Veronica’s body. “My pleasure. Call me Aurora.” She dropped Veronica’s hand. “Turn for me, please.”

“Um, what?” Veronica gripped the seams of her jeans. Under Aurora’s gaze Veronica had the sensation of being naked.

“Arms relaxed at your side, turn in a slow circle. I want to see your shape.” She murmured to herself in Italian as Veronica turned as she had directed.

“And this is a wedding, si?” Aurora’s carefully sculpted eyebrows drew together.

“Yes.” Veronica chewed her lip.

“Evening or afternoon? And do you know what colors the bridesmaids and the groomsmen are wearing?”

“It’s at six in the evening. I haven’t asked about the colors. Is it important?”

Aurora arched an eyebrow at Veronica. “Si, very important.”

“It said formal wear on the invitation. Is that enough? I could call my sister.” Veronica glanced at the mantel clock. “Later. It’s too early now.”

Signora Rossi held up her hand palm out. “No. Knowing it is formal is enough, we will work with that. What part do you have in the wedding?”

“I’m singing when they recess after their vows are said.”

“Millie, get the notebook out of my bag. Be my scribe.” Millie grinned and walked over to a burgundy leather case leaning against one of the chairs. Aurora fixed her gaze on Veronica’s face. “Now strip. I need to measure you.”

The brisk businesslike tone of her voice had Veronica tugging at the hem of her shirt to comply. “Everything?”

Aurora tilted her head at Veronica, a sly smile on her face. “As much as I would enjoy you completely naked, that is not what we are here for today. Leave on your underthings.”

Veronica flushed and glanced at Millie, pleased to see the consternation on her face at Aurora’s open flirting with Veronica. She folded her clothes and placed them on the couch.

“Stand with your arms out to your side.” Aurora moved her reading glasses down and pulled the tape measure from her neck before wrapping it around Veronica’s neck. She called out the measurements to Millie as she worked her way down Veronica’s body. “Open your legs, please, I need your inside seam.”

Veronica complied and kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling as Aurora kneeled and pressed the cool cloth of the tape against the inside of her thigh.

“Get dressed and then I will show you the samples of fabric I brought.” Aurora pushed her reading glasses up to the top of her head. Her back to Veronica, she tugged a binder from the bag and began to flip through it.

Veronica dressed quickly, aware of Millie’s gaze as it followed her movements.

“Here. What do you think of this?” Aurora indicated a swatch of charcoal sharkskin fabric and placed a dark-gray linen swatch next to it. “I see the suit in charcoal, a tapered fit to show off your shoulders and trim waist. The waistcoat will be this gray with a very pale blue shirt and a dark tie.” Aurora flipped a few pages in her binder. She tapped a dark red manicured nail against a sketch of a suit. “This. What do you think?”

Veronica studied the elegant cut of the jacket and the waistcoat and tried to imagine herself draped in it. “It’s fantastic—” She swallowed. “—but I’m sure it’s out of my price range.”

Millie rested her hand on Veronica’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “It’s my present to you.”

Veronica gazed up at Millie. “It’s too much.”

“No.” Millie’s eyes glittered. “It’s not, mo ghràdh. If anything, it’s not enough.”

She loves me. So much. This is her apology, her way of saying she’s sorry she’s not going with me. An olive branch, a peace offering. “Okay. Thank you.” She turned to Aurora. “It’s perfect, and I trust you.”

“Excellent. Two weeks. I’ll be back and we’ll do the fitting.” She placed the samples and notebook into her bag.

“Let me escort you to your car, Aurora.” Millie turned from Veronica.

“No need. I know the way. And I promised to visit with Lucia. She has some ideas for Martha’s wardrobe.” Aurora tilted her head toward Veronica and smiled a wicked smile. “Lovely to meet you. I look forward to your fitting.” She closed the door behind her as she swept from the room.

Veronica scrubbed her hand over her face. “Millie, I can’t let you pay for this.”

Millie clasped Veronica’s hands and tugged her into a kiss. “Please. I want to do this.” She placed small kisses along Veronica’s neck, punctuating her words. “Please let me do this for you.”

Veronica tilted her head back, giving Millie better access to her neck. “You know I can’t say no when you do that.”

“So say yes.” Millie brushed her lips over Veronica’s skin, her breath warm on her throat before she trailed her tongue along her collarbone.

Veronica groaned. “Yes.”

Millie hugged her close, wrapped her arms around her, and sighed. “Thank you. It makes me happy to do things for you. I trust you won’t mind if I come to the fitting?”

Veronica laughed. “The way Aurora looked at me you better come to the fitting to protect my virtue.”

Millie laughed with her. “She’s harmless. Unless you say yes, she’ll behave.”

Veronica snuggled into Millie’s arms. “You’re the only one I say yes to.”

Millie rested her chin on the top of Veronica’s head. “Good to know, mo ghràdh.”

“I mean it. I’m committed to you. Us. Are you? We haven’t talked about it.” Veronica rubbed her hands up and down Millie’s spine.

Millie moved her hands to Veronica’s shoulders and leaned back and studied Veronica’s face. “I only want to be with you, Veronica. You know how I feel about you, don’t you?”

Veronica studied Millie’s expression. “I know you love me, but…”

Millie frowned. “But?”

“Why won’t you come with me?”

Millie pulled back and turned away. “Is it a test? If I don’t come with you, it means I don’t love you?”

“No. But my family is important to me. I want them to meet you. They want to meet you.”

“You’ve told your family about us?” Millie kept her back turned.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Veronica rested her hands on her hips.

Millie turned back to Veronica, her eyes dark. “Have you told them everything?”

“What do you mean everything?” Veronica stepped closer, and Millie took a step back.

“About me. About my past.”

“That you were incarcerated like I was. Yes.”

“No. Not like you. You’re innocent. I killed someone. No matter how much he deserved it. I wanted him dead.” Millie scowled. “I’m a murderer. Have you told them that?”

Veronica winced at the bitterness in Millie’s voice. “That won’t make a…”

Millie’s voice was loud as she cut her off. “You don’t know. It makes a difference. It always makes a difference.” She turned away from Veronica and bowed her head.

Veronica rested her hand on Millie’s forearm. “I’m not her. My family is not them. I told them. All of it. Please come with me. I want the most important person in my life to meet the other important people in my life. Look at me.” Millie lifted her head. Veronica leaned in, cupped her cheek, and kissed her mouth gently. “No one could ever, ever make me give you up, Millie. Don’t give up on me. On us.”

Millie rested her forehead on Veronica’s brow. “Never.”