A Perfect Proposal (21 page)

Matilda looked perplexed and Sophie laughed again.

‘Ask Luke, he’ll tell you,’ she said. ‘Oh, here he is.’

Luke was looking incredibly preppy, thought Sophie, and stunningly good-looking. He was wearing jeans and a cashmere sweater and smelt of something very expensive. Sophie was very glad of her own designer outfit and the scent left for her in her bedroom. She suspected it was rather an old lady perfume, but it was better than nothing and no one had seemed to notice when she wore it before.

‘Hello, Granny,’ said Luke, hugging her. ‘Hi, Sophie. Wow! Don’t you look the picture.’

‘In England we’d say “the bees’ knees”, or “the cat’s pyjamas”,’ said Sophie seriously.

Luke ignored this. ‘Granny, I was wondering if I could ask a favour?’

‘Anything, my darling.’

‘Could Sophie borrow a ring? I think this whole charade would work better if she was my fiancée. Having a girlfriend
will only buy me peace for a very short time. A ring on her finger would give me at least a year.’

‘Erm …’ broke in Sophie, feeling very uncomfortable.

‘My jewellery is so old-fashioned,’ said Matilda to Luke. ‘You need a large solitaire.’

‘But Sophie is English, she might well like something old-fashioned.’

‘Excuse me!’ Sophie broke in again but they still took no notice.

‘Come and let’s have a look. I’ve only got my less valuable jewellery out of the bank but you might find something there. I do have a very pretty aquamarine surrounded by diamonds. No one would know it wasn’t a pale sapphire.’

Luke and Matilda set off towards Matilda’s dressing room. Sophie followed them.

Matilda opened a cupboard and brought out a jewellery box the size of a small chest. She set it on the dressing table and opened it.

‘Granny, don’t you keep it locked?’ objected Luke.

‘Why should I? Thieves could just take the whole thing.’

‘But the staff …’

‘… would never steal from me. Anyway, which ring would you like?’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Sophie, as firmly as she could with her jaw slackened by the sight of so much lovely jewellery not in the window of a shop, ‘but I can’t wear a ring. At least, not on my engagement finger.’

‘Oh,’ said Matilda, her fingers closing on the aquamarine surrounded by tiny diamonds. ‘Are you superstitious?’

‘Yes, I’m afraid I am. I’ve never put a ring on that finger. I do sometimes smooth out toffee wrappers and see what a wedding ring would look like, but I’ve never put a ring on.’

Luke took a breath, possibly irritated by such a ridiculous idea, but was silenced by his grandmother. ‘Well, I perfectly
understand that. Luke dear, it has to be enough that you have a girlfriend. She needn’t be a fiancée.’

Luke frowned. ‘The trouble is’ – he looked uncomfortable – ‘I didn’t correct Heidi in the shop when she referred to Sophie as my fiancée while I was picking out clothes. She will have told people. You know how everyone gossips.’

‘Will she be at the brunch?’ asked Sophie.

‘No, but she will have seen people who will be, and told them.’

‘Well, that’s OK. We can be engaged but just not have a ring yet.’ Sophie relaxed, although part of her did rather yearn to try on some of the rocks Matilda didn’t consider to be her expensive jewellery.

Luke shook his head. It was rather touching to see him embarrassed and feeling in the wrong. Sophie felt it probably didn’t happen often. ‘I sort of told her we were going to buy a ring.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Matilda.

‘She asked me what we were doing next and then the phone went just as I said, “Going to Mystic.” She got off the phone, all excited and fluttery, and kissed me. I didn’t know why, and then she said, “But don’t worry, I won’t say a thing to Sophie.” It was only just now I realised what had happened.’

‘Well, what had happened?’ demanded Matilda. ‘Oh … I think I see what you mean.’

‘What?’ demanded Sophie. Luke was biting his lip and Matilda had a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger expression on her face.

‘There’s a jewellery shop in town,’ explained Matilda. ‘It’s called Mystical Jewels.’

‘Yes,’ said Luke. ‘And they’ve just called me to ask why I didn’t go in yesterday.’

‘That’s outrageous,’ said Matilda. ‘They had no right to do that.’

‘No, but they’ve done it, and Heidi will have told everyone we’ll be turning up at the brunch as an engaged couple.’

‘And you couldn’t just tell people that Heidi made a mistake?’

Matilda and Luke both shook their heads. ‘No. It would make an even bigger fuss.’

They both regarded her. Luke, tall, handsome, used to getting his own way, seeming as if he really needed this favour. And Matilda, who seemed to want it too, whom Sophie loved and to whom she owed a lot of lovely hospitality and friendship.

‘OK, that’s it,’ said Sophie after a moment or two. ‘I’ll wear a ring but it has to be the smallest, most discreet little thing you have in there.’ She indicated the treasure chest.

‘Brilliant!’ said Matilda. ‘That will make you look as if you have taste and discernment.’

‘Which I have,’ muttered Sophie.

‘I know just the one,’ said Matilda, lifting out the top two trays. ‘It’s in here. It’s a bit like an eternity ring but it only goes halfway round. It’s pretty, though isn’t it? Sort of like a basket, with the stones in the spaces.’

When Sophie saw it she instantly wanted to own it. It had six rubies across the middle in lozenge-shaped settings. In the spaces above and below were tiny diamonds.

‘Would you feel superstitious about wearing it?’ asked Luke, possibly realising how much she liked it by the way she was cradling it in her hand.

‘If it makes you feel any better about trying it on,’ said Matilda, ‘I should tell you I had three wedding rings. Only one husband but I got bored with the rings and wanted different ones. We were still very happily married.’

Sophie took the ring and slid it on to her ring finger. It looked as if it belonged there.

‘Perfect,’ breathed Matilda.

‘All the Bergdorf Blondes will stop wanting rocks,’ said Luke, amused, ‘and want antique rings instead.’

‘It is very pretty,’ said Sophie, examining her hand from every angle. ‘You will so owe me if I wear it.’

‘I will,’ he said. ‘Now come on. We don’t want to be late.’ He leant down and kissed his grandmother on the cheek. ‘We’ll tell you all about it when we get back.’

‘And you make a very convincing couple, so don’t you worry, Sophie.’

Sophie slid into Luke’s car, wondering if leather seats were like Matilda’s sheets – so lovely she wouldn’t want to go back to bobbly polycotton – or like plastic car upholstery that you stuck to in summer.

She gazed out of the window wondering if she had been spoilt for ever – all her economical ways tainted by luxury. She laughed.

‘What’s funny?’ asked Luke.

She considered for a moment and then told him. ‘My life is so different at home. I’m just wondering if I’ll be able to go back to it.’

‘I’m sure you will.’

She shot him a glance but she couldn’t tell if he meant anything by this. Usually she was good at reading body language but she found Luke’s very confusing. Although she was trying to get over it, she still worried that he might think she was a woman on the make.

‘Are we nearly there yet?’ she asked.

He laughed. ‘Why, are you feeling ill or just impatient to get to the party?’

‘No!’ She was indignant. ‘I just thought we ought to get our story straight.’

‘Our story?’

‘Yes! How we met and everything.’

‘We don’t need to go into details. We’ll just say yes, we’re engaged, but your family doesn’t know yet and we’re not
planning to get married for a couple of years. Say until you’ve finished university. You’re very young.’

‘I know! People will say you’re a cradle-snatcher.’

‘No they won’t.’

She realised he was right and sank back in her seat, looking out of the window. She was wondering if all Luke’s and Matilda’s friends lived in houses that would convert to hotels without having to be extended and then frowned. ‘But I’m not at university.’

‘OK, some kind of training then. You don’t have to be specific. No one will ask.’

‘Aren’t you worried about your mother finding out? Won’t she be worried to hear you’re engaged to a woman she’s never heard of?’

‘Not really. She’s very involved with her own life.’

‘The gossip columns? They could have a field day!’

‘That would be to my advantage. It would tell the world I’m off the market.’

Sophie didn’t quite know how to respond to this and felt a bit deflated. It seemed so strange that she, an impoverished girl from England, should take Luke, sought-after man-about-town away from all the other lovely women who wanted him. She wasn’t convinced.

‘Did I tell you how very attractive you look?’ Luke said, possibly feeling obliged to cheer her up.

‘Do I? If you spend enough money it’s not hard.’

He laughed. ‘Oh yes it is! Believe me! And while the girls might all wonder why I picked you and not one of them, the men will all be completely convinced.’

Sophie realised she wasn’t very good at accepting compliments. Maybe she should practise with the make-you-feel-better ones that Luke was paying her. ‘Well, thank you, Luke. That’s very kind.’

*

Luke parked his car outside a house easily as big as Matilda’s. Had she not been on Luke’s arm, wearing very expensive clothes, a heavenly handbag and an adorable ring, Sophie would have been daunted by the exhibition of wealth and beauty that greeted them. Then she realised that being with Luke gave her status it would have been hard for her to achieve on her own. Her first emotion was pleasure: she knew what it felt like to have made it. Her second was shame: she shouldn’t want to be the centre of attention because of who she was with and how much money he had. Still, she’d play the part even if it killed her.

‘Luke, honey!’ A very tall, very blonde girl with nearly waist-length hair, who could have stepped straight off the cover of American
Vogue
, seemed to have been lying in wait. ‘What’s all this about you being engaged? To this lovely girl?’

There was enough irritation and surprise in her voice to make Sophie feel almost guilty; she’d taken their best unattached man and she didn’t even look right. But the blonde’s attitude stiffened Sophie’s backbone. She decided to stop feeling like a fake and really throw herself into the part!

Luke kissed the offered cheek. ‘Hi, Lulu, meet Sophie.’

As Lulu moved forward, Sophie realised she was expected to kiss her too. She did her best through the blonde curtain that was offered. ‘Hello,’ Sophie said.

‘English! That explains why none of us have met you before!’

Sophie smiled and nodded. She didn’t want to gush.

‘Well, come on in and get a drink.’

A uniformed waiter appeared at their side. He had a tray of Bloody Marys sporting sticks of celery and what looked like Buck’s Fizz. Sophie took a Buck’s Fizz. She had no idea how strong the Bloody Marys were likely to be.

‘Come and say hi to everyone,’ Lulu said.

She took hold of Luke as if he might run away and Sophie followed, beginning to understand why he’d been so eager to have a partner for this particular party. She really hoped he wouldn’t be wrenched away from her. The place seemed to be full of the sort of high-maintenance girls who had been in the New York club. Matilda’s party had been more of a family affair. Everyone had been extremely wealthy and well groomed, but here it seemed more competitive. She was so glad that Heidi had insisted on her having the right bag. Without it, even in her new clothes she felt she wouldn’t find anyone to talk to who didn’t make her feel shabby.

A group of girls clustered round Luke, not exactly ignoring Sophie but paying all their attention to him.

‘So have you known each other long?’

‘Yes, Luke, you’ve kept Sophie quiet.’

‘Who will our mothers plan for us to marry now?’