The Wedding Dress (10 page)

It was Philip who finally said:

“
We mustn’t forget that our Loraine is a working girl, Mother. It’s time she was home and in bed.
”

And not until that moment did Loraine realize that the process of depositing her at home involved a considerable degree of risk
—
even disaster if Elinor should accompany her and see where she was living.

For a second she felt blank. Then, with an air of decision which Elinor herself could not have improved upon, she said:

“
You take Elinor home, Philip. Your mother and I will have a taxi. I can drop her off at her hotel and go on.
”

“
Or I can drop you off, dear.
”
The faint edge in Mrs. Otway’s usually pleasing speaking voice was the only sign of her extreme annoyance at being forestalled on the question of home-going arrangements.
“
Or why
don’t we
—
?
”

“
We can settle that in the taxi.
”
Loraine smiled, but with a pleasant firmness there was no gainsaying.
“
And now I really
must
go. I had no idea it was so late.
”

The party broke up, while Philip was still saying something about being perfectly able to take everyone home. But Loraine patted his arm in something commendably like a sisterly way and said:

“
Don’t be silly. You and Elinor want
some
time alone together, I’m sure.
”

A remark which Mrs. Otway evidently considered so foolishly unco-operative that she could hardly conceal her irritation. With an effort, however, she produced her sweetest smile and declared firmly that they must see dear Loraine again very soon.

“
Yes, indeed!
”
In spite of Elinor’s presence, Philip did not conceal his eagerness about that.
“
I’ll phone you at Florian’s.
”

“
Better make it her home address,
”
suggested his mother.
“
Telephone calls will be taboo at Florian’s during the next few weeks, I imagine.
”

“
Of course
—
”
He turned to Loraine.
“
What’s the
number?
”

“
I have it.
”
And before Loraine could invent a new number or resort to any other desperate remedy, Mrs. Otway opened her bag and produced the white and gold notebook.
“
It’s
—
she flicked over the pages
—
“
Palais Four-Three-Three-Two.
”

“
Palais Four-Three-Three-Two,
”
repeated Philip, scribbling it down on the back of the restaurant bill.

And
—
“
Palais Four-Three-Three-Two?
”
repeated Elinor softly, but on a rising note of query. Her eyes met Loraine’s widened, frightened ones. Then she just dropped her glance and murmured,
“
How
—
odd.
”
But so quietly that only Loraine heard.

“
The taxi is here, monsieur,
”
said the waiter, coming up at that moment. And never, it seemed to Loraine, had sweeter, more intelligent words been uttered.

By hurrying through the goodnights at top speed, she contrived to avoid Elinor’s speculative glance again
—
and at last she was safely in the taxi with Mrs. Otway, though so limp with suppressed nervousness that presently her companion said:

“
How quiet you are, darling. I hope it wasn’t in some ways a disappointing evening for you.
”

“
No, of course not!
”
Loraine roused herself determinedly.
“
It was a perfectly lovely evening. The show was
just as good as the report said and
—
”

“
Oh, the
show
—
”
Mrs. Otway did not seem to consider that of much importance in the evening’s programme.
“
I was thinking of more personal things.
”
Then she added, with the faintest touch of asperity.
“
If you had left the home-going arrangements to me, Loraine, it would have been better. I intended Elinor to share my taxi and Philip to take you home.
”

“
I think the other way worked very well,
”
replied Loraine.

Mrs. Otway seemed to find this too silly and inexplicable to be even worthy of comment, so they lapsed into silence. And only when the taxi began to slow down outside the handsome house in which Paul Cardine had his apartment did she lean forward with interest and say:

“
So this is where you live, Loraine? A very pleasant situation.
”

“
It’s very convenient for my work,
”
Loraine explained, as though that were her sole reason for living in one of the most distinguished parts of the city.
“
I’m able to walk there and back.
”

“
Very nice,
”
commented her companion. But she glanced at Loraine as though it struck her for the first time that perhaps she was not handling quite such simple material as she had supposed.

However, she kissed Loraine very kindly, bade her goodnight and watched from the taxi until she was safely inside the doorway
—
an attention which Loraine appreciated, even though the unworthy thought passed through her mind that Mrs. Otway was possibly just making quite sure that she did live there.

“
I’m just thinking nasty things because I’m so scared about what has happened,
”
Loraine told herself, as she fumbled for her key and quietly let herself into the flat.

Mimi would have gone to bed long ago, she knew, and it was a completely deserted place into which she stepped. But, even so, in some inexplicable way, the atmosphere of her guardian’s home closed round her with a suggestion of reassurance and comfort.

It was partly the contrast of warmth, after coming in out of the cool night air, she supposed. But it was also the subtle feeling that here, in some indefinable sense, she belonged and was safe.

But when she reached her room she could not immediately go to bed. She walked about softly, talking to herself under her breath in a stream of agitated question and answer.

“
What will Elinor do about it? Will she have told Philip even now, on the way home, that my telephone number is inexplicably the same as Paul’s? And what will Philip think? Oh, why didn’t I tell him the truth from the very
beginning
? It would have been so much simpler, really. Except that he might have decided regretfully to see no more of me. Only now, if she wants to make trouble, I’ve simply handed her the ammunition on a plate.
”

At this hour, and in her present state of mind, it did not even strike Loraine as an odd way to pass ammunition.

She could only think about Elinor
—
and the damage she could do or not do, as she chose.

And yet, if Elinor did want to make trouble, why had she not said something right away
—
there in the restaurant? Loraine’s discomfiture would have been complete.

Was it
—
and here, for a moment, the first gleam of hope entered the argument
—
was it perhaps that she was no more anxious than Loraine to have Paul brought into the conversation? After all, he could hardly be a comfortable topic, so far as she and her
fiancé
were concerned. And certainly not with Mrs. Otway standing by.

Loraine sat down on the side of her bed and, for the first time since her telephone number had been mentioned, she felt her tense nerves relax. Whatever Elinor had thought
—
and surely even she must have felt some sort of curiosity, if nothing else
—
she had deliberately chosen to say nothing. That in itself was hopeful.

It was not, of course, possible to feel entirely reassured. But at last Loraine felt sufficiently calmed to go to bed and, since she was young and healthy, almost immediately to sleep.

The next morning much of her anxiety returned at the moment of waking. But she then discovered that she had overslept, and over a hurried breakfast and a rush to work, she had no time to indulge in anxious reflection.

The day
—
like so many days now
—
was spent almost entirely in designing and fitting. And although part of the time she felt she could willingly drop on the ground and stay there, she was also sustained by the proud and exhilarating thought that all this meant she was an element
—
possibly a vital element
—
in the magical concern, the new Florian Collection.

She had so successfully thrust her own affairs to the back of her mind that her heart gave an uncomfortable skip or two when, at the end of the afternoon, Florian said gravely:

“
Sit down, mademoiselle. I have something to say to you.
”

He seldom called her
“
mademoiselle
”
, and she thought at first that he was going to reprimand her for something. But almost immediately she realized that he was merely impressing her with the importance of the occasion.

He leaned back against his desk, his arms folded, and regarded her with those uncomfortably penetrating grey eyes.

“
You have seen enough now,
”
he told her,
“
to realize that twice a year every great dress house goes on fresh trial before a pretty pitiless audience. None of us is exempt. And to every one of us the most important weapon in the contest is the element of surprise. That is why, if secrets leak out before their time, the whole Show can be a failure. You understand this?
”

“
Yes, monsieur.
”
She was deeply impressed and her tone showed it.

“
Good. Now, as with a book or a play, a dress show requires a dramatic opening and a heart-catching close. In certain circumstances, it can survive a tame opening, though this is dangerous. But no dress show has ever survived a finale which is either tame or lacking in the element of surprise. This, then, throws upon the Wedding Dress
”
—
his tone conferred capital letters upon it
—
“
and on the one who wears it, the heaviest responsibility in the whole show.
”

He paused again, and she said,
“
Yes, monsieur,
”
in a subdued whisper.

“
I have decided, mademoiselle, to let you wear the wedding dress in the new Collection,
”
Florian stated with telling simplicity. And so effective was his way of making the announcement that, although Loraine had entertained hopes of this ever since she had overheard his words to Madame Moisant, the confirmation of her hopes actually brought tears into her eyes. A tribute which Florian obviously both marked and approved.

“
Monsieur, I
—
I’m overwhelmed. I
—
don’t know what to say,
”
Loraine gasped at last.

“
Then say nothing,
”
Florian advised her drily.
“
For that is what you are going to have to contrive to do, in the strictest sense, during the next two or three weeks. First, I want you to say nothing about my choice to the other girls, until I choose to make the matter known myself. There will be enough trouble then
—
as always,
”
he added sardonically.
“
Then to no one
—
to absolutely no one, you understand
—
must you disclose one single detail of the dress itself.
”

“
Oh, Monsieur Florian, I wouldn’t dream of it!
”

“
Oh, yes, you would. Just like everyone else,
”
he assured her.
“
After a while you will become so obsessed with the secrecy of it all that this is exactly what you
will
do
—
dream of it. And then you will wake, sweating with terror lest you have been talking in your sleep. At least, I hope you will,
”
he added callously.
“
For this will show that you have the right attitude of mind.
”