‘Cheers.’ Cally nodded with a smile. ‘Here’s to us, more like.’
‘Oh, speaking of us.’ Logan reached around behind him to the dresser. ‘I forgot to show you this.’ He slid an expensive-looking cream envelope with scalloped gilt edges across the table.
‘What’s this?’ Cally asked as she put her fork down.
Logan rolled his eyes. ‘Our first Henry-Hicks family outing together.’ He grimaced. ‘I can’t get out of this one. It’s an annual thing.I, I mean,wehave to attend. No getting out of this one, I’m afraid.’
Cally frowned. ‘Family outing?’
‘The races. It’s almost as serious as Christmas in this family. You donotnot attend.’
Cally went a bit cold inside. She didn't like the sound of the races at all. Not one little bit. She shoved her feelings aside, took the envelope, opened the back, and pulled out a thick cream-embossed card with scalloped gilt edges that matched the envelope. She swallowed as she read the invitation twice. “Lovely Manor Races”, it read, followed by a date and time. She slipped the card back into the envelope and propped it up against the pepper pot. A shiver of apprehension went down her spine as she stared at the thick, luxurious paper and the elegant, gilded script. Very, very fancy. Way out of her league.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down a rising tide of panic. The races. A high-society event that she had only ever seen in movies, on the telly, or read about in glossy magazines back in the day. A world so far removed from her own that it might as well have been on another planet. As she shoved another forkful of risotto into her mouth, she flicked her eyes to Logan and then back at the invitation. The embossed gold edges and the thick, luxurious paper screamed opulence, a stark contrast to anything she was used to. She tried to keep her face neutral to prevent the rising jitters from showing, but inside, her thoughts were going around so fast she almost felt as if she was spinning. In a flash, she remembered how she’d felt in a charity shop dress when Logan had surprised her with a trip to the theatre. She’d told herself she wouldn’t ever let herself feel that way again, but here she was with the same inferiority complex racing around her veins.
The doubting voice in her head started to chat away to her.What on earth do I wear to the races? Shoes? What the actual?Her mind whirled with images of fascinators, women riding in open carriages, top hats and tails. All sorts.
Logan’s voice cut through her thoughts. ‘What do you think? Sound good to you? It’s a really fun day, actually.’
Fun? Pah! Yeah, right. My left foot.Didn’t sound like her idea of fun in any shape or form. Cally plastered on a smile, nodded, and flicked the switch in her voice she used when she pretended she was okay. She was anabsolute expertat the voice. It betrayed none of her inner turmoil. ‘It looks lovely. Really good. Yes, great.’
Logan didn’t seem to notice her slight hesitation. The voice had clearly done its job. ‘It’s a bit of a to-do, but it’ll be great. We can make a day of it.’
Cally forced a laugh. ‘Mmm. Yes. Sounds good.’
It did not sound at all good. Not even close. It sounded more or less awful as far as she was concerned. She would have been fine to go to the races with just Logan or perhaps with Eloise, but not as part of a grand Henry-Hicks family outing. She had no idea how to behave, or what she was meant to do. She knew not a sausage about horses or racing for that matter and bottom line, she didn’t reallywantto know, either. All around, she wasn’t really interested. Plus, from what she’d seen on the telly, she felt sorry for the horses.
Then there was the absolute calamity of what someone like her would wear. It wasn’t as if she had oodles of money to splash out on a solution, either. It was alright for Logan. He would just whack on a suit, have a shower and shave, and be done with it. She, however, would have to spend way too much thought and brain power on what to wear and would be weighed down in the preparation. One thing she knew for sure was that she would not be turning up at the races in a secondhand dress. Not on your Nelly. Been there and it hadn’t been pretty for anyone involved. Even though it was trendy and all the rage to save the environment by recycling and wearing previously loved clothes, from her neck of the woods, it didn’t quite have the sameenvironmental clout. Where she came from, hand-me-downs came out of necessity not to make one look as if they cared.
Logan returned to his risotto, oblivious to the storm raging inside Cally’s head. She took a way too big gulp of her wine, trying to steady herself. Her mind raced, and her thoughts tangled in their own little private mess for one.What if I look completely out of place? What if they can tell I don’t belong?She imagined herself stumbling over her words, awkward with sophistication all around her.
Logan looked up and smiled. ‘Mum wondered if you might want to go out with her to shop for a dress and hat. She said she has nothing to wear.’ Logan rolled his eyes. ‘She has more clothes than anyone. I said I’d mention it.’
She’s not the only one, Cally thought grimly. She made an odd, tight-lined, not-very-happy smile. ‘Sure.’
There wasno wayon earth she was going dress shopping with Logan’s mum. In her mind, she pictured a boutique with intimidatingly stylish clothes, each more expensive than the last. She could feel the eyes of stuck-up sales assistants judging her. They’d be all friendly and beaming on the outside, but inside, silently assessing that she wasn’t one of their usual clients. The whole thing filled Cally to the brim withabsolutepure and utter dread. No way, José. She’d rather stick pins in her eyes than go shopping with Logan’s mum.
Logan continued. ‘Mum and Cecilia have a whole room full of hats for occasions like these.’
Cally already knew about the hat room. She’d been the one in there decluttering it when she’d first started working at the manor with Nina. She and Nina may have secretly tried on a few of the fascinators and made funny faces in the mirror. Cally nodded mechanically, her mind still racing.A hat. Of course, I need a hat. What kind of hat? Wide-brimmed? Fascinator?She had no idea.
Logan picked up on her body language, reached over, and squeezed her hand. ‘Hey, you okay?’
Cally quickly masked her anxiety, flicked her voice switch again, and added a bright I-don’t-care smile. ‘Yes, absolutely. Just a lot to take in.’
‘You’re not okay. You’re doing the voice thing.’ Logan stated flatly.
‘And here I was thinking I’d hidden it so well.’
‘Not a chance, Blackcurrant. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. And you’ll get to meet everyone properly. The extended family will love you.’
Cally’s stomach twisted at the thought. Meeting the whole family.What if they don’t? What if I make a fool of myself?She took another overly large sip of wine, trying to quell the doubts. ‘I’m sure it will be, err, fun as you said.’ She tried to keep her voice steady, be normal, and not flick the switch. ‘It’s just that I’ve never been to anything like this before. Like I have zero clue what to do or how to behave.’
‘Behave? What? What do you mean?’
Logan just simply didn’t get it. Heknewhow to behave because he had been bred to do so. That was the whole point. ‘I’ve never been before.’
‘No drama. I’ll lead the way. Honestly, I want you to be part of it. Just like the theatre, I think you’llloveit. It’s just entertainment. Fun.’
