She nodded, her eyes wide and open. “I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. I didn’t mean to mess up the party. We were having a good time.”
They went back to mingling, but Peter didn’t enjoy it as much as he had before. He kept reminding himself that they still had another month, and there was no reason to feel hopeless.
After another month, maybe she wouldn’t be so eager to take off his ring.
***
Kelly needed a little break.
The party was better than she’d expected it to be, and she loved the way other women looked at Peter, like he was something impressive, a husband they’d like to have. But her feelings were in an uproar after the little conversation with Peter, and she needed to get some space to breathe and pull herself together.
So, after another fifteen minutes, she said she had to go to the bathroom. After she had, she slipped into a small side room off the main ballroom so she could sit down and relax for a minute.
She was startled, after she sat down on an antique sofa, to discover she wasn’t alone in the room.
The other person was a pretty blonde who was standing near the window. She looked elegant and expensive in a gown with a vintage looking ivory top and a sleek black skirt, but her expression when she turned around wasn’t cool or pretentious at all.
She gave Kelly a sincere, sunny smile. “Oh, hi. I didn’t hear you come in.” She spoke with a slight accent—maybe French.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone was in here.”
“Don’t be sorry. I just had to get away from the ballroom for a while. There was beer, and I…I don’t do well around beer.”
Kelly frowned in concern. “Really? I’m sorry. Most people are drinking champagne, but I guess a few people wanted—”
“Oh, there’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s my issue, not yours. The smell of it makes me…panic. Just something from the past I can’t seem to completely get over. My husband was going to see if he could take care of it, but if he can’t, it’s really no big deal.” The other woman walked over and extended her hand. “I’m Etta.”
“Kelly.”
Etta gave her a playful smile as she sat down beside her. “I know who you are, of course. You’re the new bride.”
Kelly felt that sliver of guilt again. “Yeah. I’m sorry we haven’t met before. The party is so big, I don’t know half the people here. My grandmother and Peter’s mother invited everyone. Even some of the Damons are here, if you can believe it.”
Etta’s eyes sparkled in a very appealing way. “Really? You know the Damons?”
“Only Benjamin and his mother. We grew up in the same neighborhood. My sister actually dated Ben in high school.”
Benjamin was the nephew of Cyrus Damon, a billionaire with a corporate empire that stretched around the world, an army of old-fashioned hotels, clubs, restaurants, and tea houses, each held up the same standard of excellence. Cyrus also had three other nephews, although Kelly had never met them.
“I’ve met Ben’s wife Mandy too, a few times. She’s so sweet. And Harrison really helped my sister out before she got married,” Kelly continued, since Etta seemed interested. “It was because Ben asked him to help, but I know she really appreciated it. She said he was a great guy. Deanna said he and his wife were supposed to be here tonight, but I haven’t seen them yet.”
“I’m sure they’re around somewhere. So, if this is your celebration, why are you hiding in this room with me?”
“I’m not hiding,” Kelly said, surprised by the other woman’s bluntness but kind of liking it just the same. “I just needed a little break. It’s…it’s overwhelming.”
“The party or the marriage?”
Kelly gave a little shrug. “Both, I guess.”
“I haven’t met your husband yet, but I’ve got a pretty good intuition about people. I can tell just from looking at him that he’s got a really good heart.”
“He does.” Kelly felt a warmth spread out from her heart.
“And he’s obviously crazy in love with you,” Etta added.
Kelly’s cheeks grew hot, and she started to argue with this statement before she caught herself. She could hardly go around at their wedding celebration and declare that her new husband wasn’t in love with her.
If Etta saw her embarrassment, she didn’t say anything. “What is he like?”
“Oh, he’s great,” Kelly replied, relieved by something easy to talk about. “He’s really smart and funny. He started college late because he went to travel around the world for a few years. He’s been everywhere. His family has a lot of money, but he won’t take any of it. He’s determined to do everything on his own merit.”