Page 15 of Royal Beast
“Can I get a pretty new dress for the ceremony?” I ask. “I know that this whole thing is just a formality, but I’d like to at least look the part.”
The tension in the room eases up and Kellan’s eyes soften a little as he gazes back at me. “Of course you can. I’ll have my brother’s assistant take you somewhere nice to pick something out.”
I nod, then pick up a pen and glance over the paperwork once more before slowly signing my name.
It’s official.
I’m going to marry Kellan Brannagan.
I’m going to sell my life away to pay for my father’s debts and protect my family. The reality hasn’t fully sunken in yet, but I feel a knot of anxiety grow as I think about what I’ve just agreed to do.
“Clary,” Kellan says, leaning over to push the button on his intercom. “Can you come in here for a moment?”
A young woman enters and Kellan gestures to her. “This is my brother’s assistant, Clary Woodcrest. Clary, this is Darcy Flynn. She’s going to need your help to pick out a wedding dress. We’re getting married.”
My eyes flick to Clary, taking a moment to absorb the girl in front of me. She has the kind of effortless beauty that screams old-school glamor. Her honey-blonde hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders with bangs that frame her heart-shaped face. Clary has on a tight cardigan, buttoned halfway up, with pearl buttons that glint under the light over an A-line pink dress.
She tilts her head slightly, studying him. “Married?” she asks, curiosity in her tone. Kellan forms his lips into a thin line and shakes his head, indicating that he’s not willing to elaborate. Clary shrugs and offers me a smile instead.
“Alright, I can see I’m not going to get any more out of you so maybe Darcy will tell me the story,” she teases lightly.
I fully expect Kellan to snap at her, but he just sighs and gives her a fond smile that has my stomach clenching. Am I jealous? I try to brush the feeling aside. It’s not like this marriage is real, anyway.
I wait as Clary makes some arrangements. After a few moments, she and I head out and get into a waiting car. Clary gives the driver the address of a local boutique.
“So, you’re Darcy,” Clary says once we’re settled in the back seat. I nod and smooth a hand over my skirt.
“Kellan has mentioned you before, but I didn’t know you were dating.”
“We’re not.” I give her a tight-lipped smile. “This is a marriage of convenience. It’s just business.” I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. I can see her tense up, placing her hands in her lap. Damn. I’ve made things awkward.
I could use a friend right now, so I take a deep breath and try again.
“Thanks for coming with me,” I offer. “I would have picked something out for myself, but I guess Kellan wanted me to have help.”
“What sort of dress are you looking for?” she asks, eyeing me up and down. “Something black, similar to what you’re wearing now?”
“I want to keep it simple,” I tell her as I bite my lip. “I usually wear stuff like this when I’m working because it makes people take me more seriously,” I confess.
Clary glances around for a moment before saying, “It’s hard dealing with the men of the world, especially ones like the Brannagans. I get it.” She gives me a soft smile.
We arrive at the boutique and Clary escorts me inside. She introduces me to the proprietor, Maureen, an older woman with frizzy red curls and red, cat-eye glasses. “Welcome, Clary. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m not the one shopping for a dress, Maureen,” Clary says, pushing me forward. “This is Darcy. She and Kellan are getting married today. She’s looking for something simple but elegant.”
I feel put on the spot when Maureen looks me up and down, tilting her glasses to take me in. “Okay, let’s see what I have,” she says, relief filling me when she doesn’t ask any follow-up questions about the hasty wedding.
She shows me a few formal wedding dresses, but I explain that I don’t want anything huge and fancy, definitely not a ballgown. “We’re going to the courthouse,” I explain to her. “I just want to look nice.”
“We’ll have to work with what I’ve got in stock,” she says with a sigh, then rifles through a nearby rack before shoving a dress at me. “Here, try this.”
It’s short and lacy with an A-line skirt, a high neckline, and long sleeves. I slip into the fitting room and pull it on, giving myself a once-over. It’s pretty, but I’m not sure if it’s my style, so I step out and show it off to Clary and Maureen for their opinion.
“You look nice,” Clary says, a hesitant smile on her face. Maureen folds her arms and leans back, then shakes her head.
“It’s all wrong,” she declares, then rushes off to find something else.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Clary asks once we’re alone. “I know what it’s like to be tied to one of the Brannagans. If you want to get out of here, I would?—”
