Page 180 of Night's Fall
“DearestLaura,”Lancetsighed. “Didyou miss the fact that my staff andIwill be busy making yourMidnightMasquegown?Youreally cannot throw these things at me at the last minute.”
Aleksei grunted again.
I fought laughing.
“I have a new aide,Lance.Soyou’ll get far more notice in the future,”Iassured him.
“I’ll re-jig the queue on mySeam-Stitch.Whatcolor are you thinking?” he asked.
“You can use the one at my studio,”Itold him.
That unit was going to be busy, but my engagement photo/interview ensemble was definitely a priority.
It seemed like everything was a priority.
“And it should definitely be purple,”Icontinued.Thengot to the tough part. “Ithas to be?—”
“If you thinkIcan’t do classic and understated, butdivine, watch me,” he declared.
And then without saying goodbye, the screen went blank.
He tended to be fanciful and embellished, or willowy and mysterious (yes, he could be both, that was why he was so talented), so if he didn’t tone those down, things were going to get real.
ButIcouldn’t think on that now.I’dworry about it later.
I had other things to worry about presently.
I switched gears to focus to the costume and returned to work, thinkingIhated to admit it, butIcouldn’t wait forNatato get a handle on my life.
Things were ramping up with work.Ihad an appointment for tea withQueenCalisathe next afternoon (if my quarantine was lifted, which it didn’t seem it would be, my beast was taking her sweet time).AndAlekseihad decided to double that up, sinceI’dbe at thePalace, with he andKingFillionmeeting with my parents (and that was the only thing that would make me not want my wee beast back, using it as an opportunity to postpone that nightmare).
I had yet to decide ifIwould attend that meeting, but it was scheduled after the tea.
There was also theMasqueon my mind, of course.AndAlekseiwanted to take me toSpikebackCastle(andIcouldn’t wait to go).Notto mention, the next photo op was looming, during whichI’dbe wearing my engagement ring, somethingIdidn’t have yet, and something thatIworried about because, well…Iwas me.
That being picky when it came to stuff like that.
The entire collection of royal jewels was available to pull up on a digi-pane.I’dlocated the purple topaz setQueenCalisareferred to, and the ring was a cushion-cut topaz, surrounded by unusually large round diamonds intermingled with perfectly same-sized pearls.Thecoronet was narrow, but lovely, and the matching necklace and earrings the same.
It was from theRevivalistEraof the 1700s, when the style was to be compact, but the gems selected were sizable in an effort to pack a punch that screamed how much money you had.
It was pretty, butIdidn’t love it.
No,I’dstumbled on a pleasantly not too big, and definitely not too small octagon aquamarine stacked side to side with four long (though the outer ones were shorter) diamond baguettes.Thematching coronet was more like a priceless aquamarine and diamond headband, and it came with no other pieces, just those two.
The design was from theInsouciantRicheera, one of my favorites, where the look was cleaner, geometric, but opulent and, for the time, very (even shockingly) modern.
The realms then had been moving away from horses and carriages and into automobiles and technology, and art moved with it.
To me, it said things didn’t have to be formal, overly worked and ornamented to denote luxury and class.
So, to me, it made a statement, and not just about my taste.
Of course,I’dhappily wear whateverAlekseigave me.
ButIwishedI’dnever seen that ring (just in case he didn’t pick that one).
I focused on my costume and entering textiles.
