Mr Vega blinked.
‘I mean, how is it being back?’ Olivia had felt the terrible tension in the parlour earlier and hoped that maybe the Countess had done enough to prove that she was trying to make up for the past.
‘Some things are like I remember and some things are not,’ he replied. ‘But I am glad you are both getting along with the family.’
That didn’t really answer my question, Olivia thought.
Mr Vega stood up. ‘Well, tonight should be something special. Your grandmother always goes to great lengths for this ball – I loved it at your age. Everyone will be there, including Georgia’s camera crew.’
As he left, Olivia felt her stomach tighten. A camera crew, Mr Vega had said. That means photographic evidence of me walking into a ball with a handsome young man that isn’t Jackson.
‘Ivy, what am I going to do about Alex?’ Olivia asked. ‘Is it too late to tell him about my boyfriend? I don’t want to hurt his feelings.’ Olivia took a deep breath. ‘I don’t want to lose Jackson. Whatever that text meant, I’d like to talk it out with him.’
‘I don’t know, sis,’ Ivy replied.
There was another knock at the door.
‘Who is it?’ Ivy asked.
‘It’s me,’ called Tessa. ‘I . . . have a present.’
‘A present?’ Olivia pulled open the door.
‘It’s for you.’ Tessa held out a big flat box wrapped in bright red Valentine’s Day paper.
‘Me?’ Olivia squeaked.
‘It’s just arrived,’ Tessa explained.
Olivia took the box and put it on the dressing table.
Tessa curtsied and said, ‘If you need any help getting ready for the ball, I’m pretty good with hair.’
‘Thanks, Tessa,’ Ivy replied. ‘We can all get ready in here together.’
Tessa blushed. ‘Um, well, I won’t need to get ready, as such.’
Olivia realised what she was saying, but Ivy didn’t. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Servants are on duty at the ball,’ Tessa explained, ‘so we wear uniform.’
Ivy crossed her arms. ‘I am so totally done with all this snobbery.’
‘Tessa, why do you stay if people are rude to you?’ Olivia asked.
‘Oh no, they aren’t rude. I love working for your grandparents, and Horatio is a big teddy bear.’ Tessa sighed. ‘It’s just the Queen. She . . . doesn’t like me much.’
‘She is outright rude to you.’ Ivy had a determined look in her eye. ‘And now I learn you don’t even get to celebrate like everyone else at the ball.’
‘I don’t mind that,’ Tessa said. ‘That’s just how things work.’ But Olivia could see that Ivy was shaking her head.
‘I hope you will come and help us get ready,’ Olivia said. ‘And tell us all about what to expect at the ball.’
Tessa brightened. ‘Of course!’ She curtsied and left.
Olivia turned back to the box. ‘Should I open this?’
Ivy stood by her side, watching as she peeled back the shiny red paper. There wasn’t a card, but the box carried a prestigious department store logo, with ‘Krullers of Transylvania’ written in swirly writing beneath it.
‘You have to,’ Ivy declared.
Olivia drew in a breath and lifted off the lid. Inside was a thick garment bag and a scroll. She unrolled the worn-looking paper to read, ‘There is so much I want to say. I’ll start with this on Valentine’s Day: wear tonight this dress of blue, which shows the way I feel for you.’
The poem wasn’t signed, but she knew exactly who it had to be from. ‘Prince Alex,’ Olivia said, feeling her heart tumble like it was twisting its ankle after a badly executed high kick. She’d wanted a big romantic gesture like this from Jackson, and it being from Alex made everything feel that much worse. How could Jackson have known that she had to wear something special tonight?
‘I don’t want to see it,’ Olivia said.
‘Then I’ll do it,’ Ivy said. ‘We have to know how bad this is.’
She took out the dress, still in its black protective bag on its hanger, and hung it up on one of the wardrobe doors.
‘Drum roll,’ whispered Ivy.
To Olivia, it was a drum roll of doom.
She unzipped the bag and caught a flash of ice-blue silk. Then she pushed away the black plastic and gasped. It was a floor-length slim-line gown with a wide slash neck; simple, with one eyecatching detail: a wide band of ruffled silk at the waist. The hem curved like flower petals and the fabric felt smooth and cool. It was breathtaking.
‘Oh my darkness,’ Ivy breathed, as Olivia reached out to feel the cool, delicate fabric.
‘It’s totally gorgeous,’ Olivia said, amazed at how well Alex had guessed at her taste and style. ‘Whoever bought this has perfect taste.’ She looked at Ivy, feeling her eyes brim with tears. ‘But I can’t wear it. It would be like betraying Jackson.’
Ivy nodded and slipped an arm around her shoulders. ‘I know. This is what I’ve been trying to tell you. Alex needs to understand that you’re taken.’
Olivia felt like such a fool! Why hadn’t she seen this situation coming? ‘This is too much. I’ve got to tell him about Jackson. Now.’
Chapter Eight
As Olivia hurried away to find Prince Alex, Ivy decided that she’d go and see if her grandmother needed any more help with the party arrangements. She also wanted to ask something about Tessa.
She found the Countess in the ballroom – it wasn’t as big as the one at the palace, but it still looked incredible.