Winter White (32 page)

Before she knew it, Ms. Norberry was giving the girls their final instructions. They had been herded into another room that was close to the long, scrolling staircase where they would be making their grand entrance. All the mothers had disappeared to take their places at the five-hundred-dollar-a-seat tables they purchased, and now it was just a sea of big white dresses.

“It has been an honor watching most of you grow and evolve over the last few years,” Ms. Norberry told them with misty eyes. She herself was wearing a floor-length deep
purple gown that accented the hydrangeas that covered the staircase and floral arrangements throughout the grand ballroom. “In a few moments, we will be moving into the hall, where your fathers are waiting. Mrs. Townsend will begin making her opening remarks from the top of the staircase, and then she will begin calling your names.” Someone sneezed. Izzie wasn’t surprised. The room smelled like so many different perfumes, she was starting to get nauseated herself. “You will proceed down the stairs in time to ‘Thank Heaven for Little Girls,’ which will be playing over the speakers….”

“ ‘Thank Heaven for Little Girls’?” Izzie gave Mira a look. “Is she serious?”

“It’s tradition,” Mira sniffed. “Stop with your snide comments. You’re going to ruin this for me.”

“You’re really okay with doing this without an escort?” Kellen hadn’t forgiven Mira for doubting him, and Mira had spent all day yesterday upset about it, staying in her room and listening to sad Taylor Swift songs. This morning she had emerged with a new attitude.

“I’m not going to let a silly boy ruin my cotillion,” Mira told Izzie, sounding much more confident than she looked. At least she was trying. “Ms. Norberry has an escort understudy I can use.”

“An escort understudy?” Izzie deadpanned. “Is that where escorts who aren’t good enough go to die?”

“There is that sarcasm,” Mira warned her. “It’s unbecoming of someone about to be presented to Emerald Cove society.”

“Society? Please,” Izzie sniffed. “We’re walking out in front of the same people we see at every event. Tonight they just paid five hundred dollars each to see us.” She felt a tap on her shoulder and froze, thinking it was Mrs. Townsend.

But it wasn’t. It was Dylan. She looked incredible in a knee-length black gown that was both sophisticated yet trendy at the same time. Dylan tried to break the ice with a small smile. “Hey.” She held out a blue envelope. “I have your final assignment.”

“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think? We’re seconds from starting.” Izzie’s voice was hard, and she wished Mira would tell Dylan to scram. She looked over. Mira was gone. If Mira had abandoned her to put on another coat of lip gloss, she was going to kill her.

“… and then after you walk with your father, you will be greeted by your escort at the bottom of the staircase,” Ms. Norberry continued. “He will lead you onto the dance floor for your first dance.” The girls were buzzing with nervous chatter, and Ms. Norberry was starting to strain her voice to be heard.

Dylan tried to give her the envelope again. “You have time to get this done. You don’t have to open it in front of me. I know I’m the last person you want to talk to.”

Izzie would rather stare at the back of Savannah’s egg-shaped head than look at Dylan. “I guess you finally got one thing right.”

“Look, I know I got carried away. My mother makes me crazy,” Dylan said, rolling her eyes. “But I shouldn’t have dragged you into our family dystopia. Despite what you might think, I really do like you, Izzie. We’re a lot alike.”

“No, we’re not,” Izzie said sharply. “I would never use someone the way you used me or your brother.”

“I know,” Dylan agreed. “You’re a better person than I am, and that’s why you’re so good for Brayden.” She glanced at Izzie’s dress. “I guess I was jealous of your relationship with him,” she admitted. “He stood up for you in a way he never did with me. You see, I once had an ‘Izzie,’ too, so to speak.” She smiled. “Andy. I called him Andrew in front of my mom, but she knew the minute she met him that he wasn’t from around here, and she never let me forget it. She did everything she could to keep us apart, and no one tried to stop her. Brayden didn’t have it in himself to fight for me yet. He could barely fight for himself,” Dylan said, wringing her hands. “When Andy and I got in that accident together, there was no turning back. My mom blamed it all on him, even though I was driving, and she shipped me off to boarding school without even giving me a chance to explain.” Her eyes seemed sad. “I haven’t talked to Andy since.”

Izzie wasn’t sure what to say. What Dylan had done to her and Brayden was still wrong, but she felt sorry for her suddenly.

Dylan shook her head as if to push the memory away. “Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said sharply. “I’ve moved on, but when I saw you that day at Scoops with my brother, it felt like I was watching the whole thing happen all over again. I couldn’t let it. I knew I had to get him to fight for himself, or get you to fight for you.” She shrugged. “I guess I failed at both. All I did was make everyone around me miserable.”

Izzie folded her arms. “That’s for sure.”

Dylan grimaced. “The difference between you and me is that you keep Brayden real and he needs someone like that to keep him from turning into those soulless droids in my house. Don’t give up on him, okay?”

Izzie smiled sadly. It was too late for that, but she didn’t tell Dylan. “I’ll try.”

“Read my note. I know you’re going to have a great time tonight if you let yourself,” Dylan said. “Me, I’ll be ducking out of here pretty soon. Doing it once was enough.” She raised her eyebrows. “But you’ll like it more than you want to. Trust me. Especially the food.” Dylan stepped back into the crowd, nudging her way through the future debutantes. “The lamb chops are outrageous. Don’t tell my mom I said that,” she added. “They’re her favorite, and I do not want her to think I like anything she likes.”

Izzie shook her head. When Dylan was gone, she turned the envelope over in her hand.

Ms. Norberry tried to get their attention again. “Ladies, if you could put on your white muffs, being careful not to crush the delicate hydrangeas on the top, we will proceed down the hall to the left, where your fathers are waiting.”

Excited gasps were heard around the room. Izzie couldn’t stop thinking about Brayden. He had wanted to go to cotillion with her, but she had said no. Was she wrong to blame everything that happened on him? She thought about that as she walked over to where former debs were handing out their muffs. Izzie stuffed hers under her arm (to the gasp of one girl) and opened up her note from Dylan. How was she supposed to have time to complete an assignment when she was about to be presented?

Izzie, if you’re reading this, then you must care just a little about this whole cotillion business, and that shows you’re better equipped to survive EC than I ever was. Your final assignment is simple: Make your debut into this crazy, self-absorbed world. No matter what happens on that staircase tonight, keep going. Avoid making the scenes I’m so famous for. And smile. You have such a pretty one, and I hope
I’ll get to see it from where I’m watching. If I don’t, maybe I will the next time I swing through town. I owe you dinner—make that ten dinners—for all the trouble I caused. Enjoy tonight! XO, Dylan

What could Dylan be up to now? And what did she mean by telling her to keep going when she reached the bottom of the stairs? Why wouldn’t she keep going? At that point, the only thing that would stop her is if the entire ballroom turned into zombies. Hmm… some of the people in Emerald Cove kind of already were.

“There’s a welcome smile,” she heard her dad say when she found him lined up with the other fathers. “You look beautiful, Isabelle.”

“Thanks,” she said, and stuffed the note inside her muff.

He held out a small box. “I brought you a corsage.”

The wristlet was made up of hydrangeas and baby’s breath. It looked similar to the one he had given her at her first event in Emerald Cove. That felt so long ago. She slid it over her white-gloved hand and admired the blooms. “Have you seen Mira?” Izzie asked.

He shook his head. “Ms. Norberry told me that you will make your debut third, and Mira will make hers last, since she is the cotillion speaker. That will give me time to get back upstairs.” He had another floral box under his arm. “I have a
corsage for her, too, if she’ll wear them. Pea hasn’t worn one since the sixth grade, but maybe she’ll make an exception tonight.”

“I have a feeling she will,” Izzie said.

“We’re starting!” Ms. Norberry started running down the line, yelling in a whisper. “We’re starting! Mrs. Townsend is starting!”

“Good evening,” Mrs. Townsend’s velvety voice crackled from a speaker above them. “I’d like to welcome you to the Winter White Cotillion Ball, presented by the Emerald Cove Junior League. Tonight’s cotillion will benefit the Emerald Cove Charity League.” There was polite applause from the bottom of the staircase. That’s when Izzie got nervous.

Her mind was full of questions. Was she really allowing herself to be presented to society like a made-up Barbie doll? In front of so many people who couldn’t stand her? Was she going to stand by and watch Savannah do the fox-trot with Brayden? Hadn’t she been hurt enough?

Izzie glanced at her father. He had taken her elbow and was leading her to the stairs. Savannah was a few girls behind her, but neither Izzie nor her dad turned around. Izzie suspected it would be a while before Mr. Ingram had the nerve to speak to her dad again.

She thought about everything the Monroes had done for her since she came to Emerald Cove. They had given her so much to be thankful for. They weren’t perfect, but neither
was she. She owed them this, escort or no escort. No guts, no glory, as her mom would say.

“I am pleased to present to you this year’s cotillion class, the debutante daughters of Emerald Cove.” More applause.

What if she tripped?

“Lauren Salbrook, daughter of Beatrice and Parker Salbrook the fourth, escorted by Teagan Adams the third…”

What if she couldn’t curtsy in this slim-fitting gown?

“Lea Price, daughter of Vera and Elton Jonathan Price the second, escorted by Teddy Darcy…”

What if this stupid flower fell out of her hair during her first dance with Hayden? What if Hayden wasn’t waiting at the bottom of the stairs?

“Ready?” Her dad’s hazel eyes were warm.

Izzie took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She just hoped this stupid green eye shadow didn’t melt off.

“Isabelle Scott, daughter of Chloe Scott and Bill Monroe…”

For a moment, her feet felt like Jell-O. They had said her mom’s name, here in Emerald Cove.
Of course they would
, she thought, feeling stupid. And yet hearing Mrs. Townsend mention her mom among all these strangers, haters, and a few new friends somehow comforted her. As they descended the steps, her thoughts were no longer on the beautiful scene below. They were on her mom. It was as if her mom was watching over her right then, letting her know it was okay to
do something she wouldn’t have done in a million years. Izzie was so wrapped up in her emotions, she almost missed the rest of Mrs. Townsend’s introduction.

“… escorted by.” There was the slightest of pauses, but Izzie heard it. What was wrong? Was Mrs. Townsend about to nix her whole debut over some glitch in her debutante training? She had done everything they asked of her! She’d fox-trotted, curtsied, given all her free time to a nursing home, practiced conversational techniques, and learned how to work a toilet in Japan. What more could this woman want?

“… escorted by Brayden Townsend,” Mrs. Townsend said in a strange voice.

Brayden?

Izzie stopped short in disbelief, but there he was, waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. He was wearing a black tuxedo, and his blue-green eyes were locked on her.

“Isabelle, are you okay?” her dad whispered.

Whether Brayden’s mother was freaking out internally or Savannah was having a coronary at the top of the staircase externally, she didn’t know. What she did know was that Brayden was finally there for her the way she wanted him to be. He had chosen her.

The question was, did she choose him back?

Dylan’s note went through her head.
No matter what happens on that staircase tonight, keep going. Avoid making the scenes I’m so famous for. And smile.

Dylan knew Brayden would be there for her tonight. She also was smart enough to make sure Izzie didn’t get stubborn and muck it up. There were things to say, but when all of Emerald Cove was watching was not that moment.

“I’m fine,” Izzie said surely to her dad. “Let’s keep going.”

When they reached the bottom step, Brayden slowly extended his hand. Her fingers were trembling, but she knew right then she was going to take his arm. She looked back at her father and then let Brayden lead her into the ballroom.

The Emerald Cove Castle ballroom took her breath away. The twinkling lights and Christmas trees shone brightly in the low-lit room that was filled with dozens of large tables where guests wore wedding attire and tuxes. The girls had been instructed to walk into the ballroom and then stand on the side of the dance floor and wait for the rest of them to make their entrance.