The Wedding Dress (15 page)

“
I know just what you mean!
”
his mother cut in brightly.
“
But then that’s partly the clever way our little Loraine wears her things. They become essentially
her.
I thought that was particularly so with the wedding dress, didn’t you?
”

“
Yes,
”
said Philip, without elaboration, and for a couple of seconds that monosyllable seemed to hang significantly in the air.

Loraine found that she could not look at the other girl. In this moment, which should have been her own moment of triumph, the things she was most aware of was the mortification of her rival and, from the bottom of her heart, she was sorry for Elinor.

“
Perhaps,
”
murmured the
vendeuse
tactfully,
“
the models worn by one of the other girls
—
one that he does not know personally
—
might please Monsieur more. I will see.
”

She melted away discreetly, and Loraine supposed she was expected to do the same. But she stood there for a moment longer, unable to do. And then, just as she was secretly pitying Elinor for her defenceless state, the other girl drew the most dangerous weapon she possessed.

“
It would be hard on Florian if all the menfolk thought as you did,
”
she told Philip, with an almost affectionate and indulgent little laugh.
“
If no one wanted to see Loraine’s models on anyone but Loraine, who would buy them? Even the man she lives with could hardly be as generous as that.
”

“
The
—
What did you say?
”
Philip turned on his
fiancée
almost fiercely.
“
Who on earth are you talking about
?
”

“
Why, Paul Cardine, of course.
”
Elinor opened her eyes quite wide.
“
Didn’t you know? But you
must
know that Loraine is living there in his flat. He calls her his Ward, I believe.
”

CHAPTER
EIGHT

FOR the second time that day Loraine found herself the cause of a stunned silence. But this was very different from the enraptured hush which had greeted the appearance of the wedding dress. This was something so appalling and so totally unexpected that she felt herself pale.

Then Philip said, with a deadly sort of calm:

“
Are you mad, Elinor? Loraine is one of our closest friends and it’s simply impossible for you to make such a statement about her.
”

“
But she
is
living in Paul Cardine’s flat,
”
reiterated his
fiancé
e, unmoved.
“
Ask her, if you don’t believe me
.
Or ring her up at the telephone number she gave you. That’s Paul’s number. I should know!
”
And she laughed shortly.

“
Loraine
—
”
Philip turned almost appealingly to her
and she saw him start slightly
—
perhaps with shock at the sight of her pale face and curiously guilty demeanor.

“
Paul Cardine is my guardian,
”
Loraine said, in a breathy little voice.
“
I do live in his flat. But Elinor’s implication of
—
of anything else is, of course, ridiculous.
”

“
What am I supposed to have implied?
”
murmured Elinor, with a deprecating little shrug. But Philip was not even looking at her. He was still looking, in incredulous dismay, at Loraine.

“
But, for heaven’s sake, why didn’t you tell me? Why this disquieting mystery?
”

“
There was no mystery,
”
Loraine began desperately. But before she could say any more, or in any way remove the unfortunate impression which Elinor had created, the
vendeuse
came hurrying back into the room, accompanied by Madame Moisant, who immediately addressed herself apologetically to Mrs. Otway.

“
You must excuse us, dear Madame Otway, but Loraine is needed by Mons
i
eur Florian. The wedding dress is already to be photographed for the Press. In any case, I understand that Mademoiselle Roye would rather see some models on one of the other girls.
”

This was not exactly what Mademoiselle Roye had indicated, but she immediately said accommodatingly that she would be interested to see some of Lisette’s models. And, before Mrs. Otway could protest, or Philip insist on finishing the discussion
—
which would have been useless in any case
—
Loraine was whisked away and once more arrayed in the gorgeous wedding dress.

No form of mockery could have been more cruel, and it was all she could do to hide her unhappiness and despair. But she was, after all, a vital part of Florian’s great day. There was no question of her allowing her inconsiderable little private affairs to interfere with the natural course of events. She had tried that once
—
and been forgiven. She could hardly expect to be indulged any further.

“
You need not look so serious,
petite,
”
Florian told her.
“A
bride should show happiness, even if she is also awed and
un peu
exaltée
.
”

So Loraine did her best to look as an awed and happy bride should look. And she must, she supposed, be more of an actress than she had known. Because everyone seemed very well satisfied and a great many photographs were taken.

Then she was seized on immediately to display the yellow and green evening ensemble and two of her day dresses for a young South American heiress, to whom time and money were apparently of equally little importance. So that, by the time Loraine had finished that assignment, there was no sign of the Otways or Elinor and, on inquiry, she found they had gone at least half an hour ago.

There was nothing she could do about it. This day
—
or what was left of it
—
belonged to Florian. And all that afternoon, and quite far into the evening, she patiently posed and changed and posed again
—
for customers, for photographers, for Florian himself, when he required her in order to reinforce some viewpoint he wished to put over to the Press.

She was deadly tired by the end. So tired that it was difficult to say if her head or her back or her legs ached most. But, far more than any physical ache, was the dull, despairing knowledge that, on this day to which she had pinned so many bright and secret hopes, she had only succeeded in creating doubt and dismay in Philip’s mind.

“
There will be a chance to explain,
”
she kept on telling herself, in the intervals of smiling and looking bright and attentive.
“
Of course there will! He didn’t really believe anything questionable about my presence in Paul’s apartment. It’s only a matter of having a quiet talk with him and explaining everything.
”

But she knew uneasily that, all the while she was rooted here in Florian’s salon, time was going on, unfortunate impressions were being confirmed, and Elinor was undoubtedly using every advantage she had so ruthlessly snatched.

It was over at last
—
though one or two of the girls were actually going on to show their models at a midnight charity affair.

“
You have no need to drop and look pathetic,
”
Lisette told her briskly.
“
You are not wanted any more and can go home. Me, I am still needed for further display.
”

“
Good luck to you,
”
replied Loraine, who knew she was supposed to feel mortified by this slight.
“
My only concern is how to
get
home. If I can’t pick up a taxi, I think I’ll drop in my tracks.
”

“
You cannot get your boy friend to fetch you in his car?
”
asked Lisette contemptuously.

“
No,
”
said Loraine, not bothering to inquire which her boy friend was supposed to be.

But when she came out into the street, the most beautiful, welcome sight met her eye. Paul’s car was drawn up by the curb, and he was sitting at the wheel, patiently reading an evening newspaper.

“
Oh,
Paul
!”
With what strength she had left, she ran across the pavement to him.

“
Hallo, darling—
”
He leant over and opened the door for her.
“
Slip in. I expect you’re pretty whacked, aren’t you
?
”

“
Nearly dead,
”
she assured him.
“
How did you
know
I needed a lift so badly and would be coming out just at this moment?
”

“
I guessed it would be a tough day and reckoned I’d better come and wait for you.
”

“
You angel! How long had you been waiting?
”

He glanced at his watch and said, in some surprise:
“
About an hour, I suppose.
”

“
About an hour! How kind of you to waste your evening like that.
”

“
I didn’t think of it as a wasted evening,
”
he told her, with a quick smile.
“
I couldn’t wait to tell you how wonderful you were, Loraine. Florian wouldn’t let me have so much as a word with you when the Show was over, and I’ve been bottling it up ever since. I had no idea I was harboring a minor genius in my home.
”

“
Don’t exaggerate!
”
she said, and laughed. But she was infinitely pleased really, and oddly soothed.

“
No exaggeration,
”
he assured her.
“
It wasn’t only the natural grace and charm, Loraine. It was the way you made almost a stage role of every design. You were different every time. Did you know?
”

“
N-no. I don’t think I did.
”

“
It was fascinating. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone was talking about you. I was bursting with pride, and couldn’t help telling several people you were my ward.
”

“
Paul, you didn’t!
”

“
Indeed I did. Do you mind?
”

“
No, of course not. But somehow I can’t imagine your doing anything so
—
so naive and nice.
”

“
Good lord!
”
He made a face.
“
Was I actually being naive?
”

“
Well
—
no. Perhaps not. Perhaps you were just being nice,
”
she told him. And she put her head against his shoulder and rested very contentedly there.

He made no more conversation on the short drive home, for which she was glad. She was able to think about Philip and how she could explain everything to him
—
which made her draw a troubled sigh once, though, inexplicably, she already felt less distracted.

Paul glanced at her when she sighed, but still he said nothing. And, even when they got home, he treated her a little as though she were an invalid
—
which was hardly less than bliss after the day she had had.

He made her have her supper on a small table, which he drew up beside her armchair, and he gave her a glass of some very special wine, which made her feel exquisitely warmed and soothed.

“
Feeling better now?
”
he inquired when, her meal finished, she leant back in her chair and smiled at him.
“
Heaps better. You’re the best of guardians.
”

He actually flushed slightly at that, which touched her, as well as faintly amusing her, and reminded her forcibly of the way he had looked at her when she walked past him in the wedding dress.

“
You really did enjoy the dress show, then!
”
She put out her hand and lightly patted his arm.

“
Enormously. Particularly your part in it. Florian was delighted with you too, wasn’t he?
”

“
I think so.
”

“
There was no doubt of it! He was muttering to himself in a satisfied way each time you came into view.
”

“
Really?
”
She looked interested.
“
Even before the
—
the sensation of the wedding dress?
”

“
Certainly. But that doesn’t surprise you, surely?
”

“
It does rather. He was very cross with me just before the Show began, and I wasn’t sure at which point he forgave me.
”

“
Cross with you? Whatever for?
”
Paul looked rather annoyed on her behalf.

“
Oh, well
—
”
She remembered suddenly that she
could not possibly explain in detail.
“
There are lots of ups and downs on a day like this.
”

“
I gathered as much,
”
he said unexpectedly.
“
What went wrong, Loraine?
”

“
Nothing went wrong,
”
she assured him quickly.
“
What made you think so?
”

“
The moment you appeared, when I went to fetch you this evening, I saw that something had clouded the earlier radiance.
”

“
That was just tiredness.
”

“
No, dear, it wasn’t. I wish you’d tell me.
”

She wished she could. She wished it so intensely that she could not keep the eager impulse to confide in him from showing in her face.

“
Come on,
”
he urged her, half laughing, half serious.
“
What are guardians for if, they can’t offer counsel and consolation when things go wrong?
”

“
I don’t think I can. It’s so difficult
—
”

And then the utter longing to tell
someone
—
to shift even a small amount of the worry which was weighing her down
—
became too strong to resist, and she said in a rather small voice:

“
You won’t
—
like me very much when I tell you.
”

“
How do you know? It would take quite something to make me stop liking you.
”

“
Would it, Paul?
”
Again her hand went out to touch his arm in that light, appealing gesture.
“
You once said I was so
—
so straight and truthful. I haven’t been absolutely straight with you.
”

“
Haven’t you?
”
He frowned, but in thought rather than anger.
“
About Florian, you mean?
”

“
Oh,
no
!
It’s nothing to do with Florian
—
except indirectly, this morning. It’s to do with
—
Elinor and the man she’s now engaged to.
”