Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes

Author:Anita Hughes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Eight

Four Days Before the Fashion Show

6:00 p.m.

Felicity

IT WAS EARLY EVENING, FOUR days before the fashion show. Outside Felicity’s window, a light snow was falling on the hotel awnings. Festive ornaments twinkled on the Christmas tree, and the whole Engadin valley was bathed in a yellow glow.

Her sketchpad lay open on the coffee table, and she stared at the page. Camilla had loved the purple brocade gown the bride wore at the Knickerbocker Club, but could she submit something so daring for Bergdorf’s fashion show—a crepe dress with a bodice painted with flowers from a spring garden? Or should she create something more classical, like an empire-style gown with crocheted undergarments and white crocheted gloves?

Gabriel had called while she was working on her sketches to ask if her shoulder was all right, and she’d told him about her phone call with Adam. He couldn’t understand why Adam had made such a fuss about the photos online, when it was Adam’s decision to take a break. He’d offered to meet her for a drink, but she’d said she had to get ready for dinner at Chesa Veglia.

She had spent part of the afternoon matching accessories with the dresses and making a list of the undergarments. There was nothing worse than models milling around backstage and realizing they didn’t have the correct bustier, or noticing that a satin fascinator was missing. And the stockings! She’d packed six pairs for each model—one pulled thread and the whole stocking could unravel. But four pairs were missing, and she wondered if they’d ended up in Raj’s carry-on.

She stuck a pen behind her ear and admired the wedding dress hanging over the marble fireplace. It was an A-line organza gown with a crystal-beaded bodice. The beads had cost a fortune and it had taken her weeks to attach them, but when the model stood in front of the three-way mirror, she knew it was worth it.

The dress had been designed last spring after a brainstorming session with Adam about his new company. When Adam had fallen asleep, Felicity pulled on his shirt and crept out of bed. She couldn’t sketch the dress fast enough: a wide skirt like layers of marshmallow and a headpiece adorned with pearls.

It had all seemed so easy: they were two young professionals about to reap the rewards of their hard work. But now she was sitting in a hotel suite and Adam was barely talking to her. She glanced at the phone and wondered if she could call him. But she didn’t know what to say without making it worse.

There was a knock on the door, and she opened it.

“Can I come in?” Nell stood in the hallway. She wore a fuchsia dress, and her dark hair was curled in ringlets.

“You look gorgeous.” Felicity ushered her inside. “God, I lost track of time. I haven’t started getting ready. Raj will be furious if I’m late for our reservation.”

“I got reprimanded by Raj last night,” Nell admitted. “He saw me entering my room at two a.

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