Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue (New York Ever After Book 3) Read online

  ‘Morning.’ Myles had one hand against his bare chest, the other rubbing his eyes as he stood in sweats at the corner of the lounge room.

  Darcy smiled over at him. He was gorgeous. Sometimes she wanted to pinch herself that he was hers. ‘Did I wake you?’

  ‘No, and I’m sorry about last night.’ He looked as though he was waiting to be reprimanded.

  ‘Come here.’ When he’d sat next to her on the sofa she put her arms around him. ‘You’re doing your job, I get that.’

  ‘I don’t deserve you.’

  ‘True.’

  He made a half-hearted attempt to tickle her but he was still too sleepy. He looked at the iPad. ‘What are you up to?’

  With a gasp she snatched it away. She’d had a picture up of the wedding gown style she was going for. ‘You mustn’t see the dress.’

  ‘I thought you weren’t choosing one until today.’

  ‘I’m not, but I’ve done my research. You know I like to be prepared.’ She clicked on another window on the iPad. ‘And here, this is the venue. I’ve got all sorts of ideas on how to decorate. I was thinking we string white lights, you know, with the big bulbs like you have on your terrace here, and then flowers – haven’t thought about what type yet – and a big long table for the meal. Which reminds me, we need to make a guest list. I know we talked about it, but we need to finalise it so I can get the invites out. There’s a place four blocks from here that does them. We could go for cream, white, gold, silver…’

  He put a finger to her lips. ‘Darcy. It’s not even 6 a.m. and you’re throwing way too much information at me.’

  She was, but what choice did they have? They’d agreed they didn’t want a long engagement. He’d suggested they elope or go down to City Hall, but as soon as he’d seen Darcy’s face he’d realised that wasn’t an option. They’d agreed on a small, intimate ceremony, as long as she could have her five bridesmaids. They both wanted somewhere in Manhattan, and Myles had been enthusiastic, chatting away about where they could go, what it would be like, how happy he was. But somehow work had very quickly taken over for both of them and when Darcy managed to get her own mind back to the wedding, it was hard to get him to do the same.

  He kissed her on the lips, then moved to her neck. ‘You’re so organised, I love that about you.’

  ‘I know you do, but you need to join in so we can get things moving. We don’t have long until the wedding. I love doing as much as I can, but it should be something we enjoy doing together.’ She giggled when she saw his face. ‘OK, so maybe enjoy is a bit of a stretch. But it should be something we at least do together. How about tonight? You could come to the Inn after seven when things have quietened for me and we can at least finalise the guest list.’

  ‘I’m not sure I can do tonight. Can it wait until the weekend?’

  ‘Not really.’ She lost concentration when he began to move his kisses lower. ‘Myles, you need to get to work. We don’t have time for this.’ His kisses went lower still. ‘And I need to get back to the Inn, shower and go find myself a dress.’ Her words faltered as the warm feeling spread through her body. ‘Myles…’

  But he wasn’t listening. It was a case of actions speaking louder than words, for both of them.

  *

  ‘You make me sick, you know,’ was the first thing Isabella said when Darcy trotted down the steps of the Inglenook Inn. ‘Eurgh…you just look obscenely happy.’

  ‘It’ll be your turn soon.’ She hugged her friend.

  ‘No chance. Jake and I need to get used to living with each other first. I have to make sure he’s house trained.’

  ‘How was Vermont?’

  ‘Wonderful, very romantic.’

  ‘It sounds as though everything is still going well for you guys.’ They sauntered away from the Inn. The sun was out for once but the biting cold meant sweaters, coats and gloves today.

  ‘Apart from a little bit of education about doing chores before the woman of the house does, yes. I mean, he always did his own laundry just fine before we moved in.’ She rolled her eyes and looped an arm through Darcy’s. ‘I wonder what annoying habits Myles will show once you’re living together full time.’

  ‘I think I’ll live in ignorant bliss until then.’ It had crossed Darcy’s mind that they hadn’t had long enough to be irritated by one another’s little ways, but today wasn’t the day to try and predict Myles’s bad points. Today it was wedding gown shopping all the way.

  ‘I thought you’d changed your mind.’ Cleo hugged each of them hello when they met her at the first bridal boutique in the East Village. They were starting with the farthest one away and had four stores on their itinerary, with the final one being closest to the Inn. That way, if they were running late, Darcy would be ready to take the reins from Sofia before she left for the airport and they’d juggle her appointment around that.

  Darcy took a deep breath and looked up at the storefront signage. Thanks to a feature Holly ran last year in the major New York magazine, Contemporary Edge, where she worked as one of their top editors, she’d been able to point Darcy to some of the lesser-known places when it came to wedding gown shopping. ‘Well, girls, this is it.’

  ‘Can Holly make it?’ Cleo asked as they pushed open the door to the store.

  ‘Not today, she’s snowed under with work so says she’s relying on you two to choose something perfect for me.’

  ‘Mission accepted,’ said Isabella as they stepped around a cluster of women laughing away at the front of the store, one clutching a dress as the excitement got so much their voices reached a pitch Darcy was sure only dogs would be able to hear.

  ‘Please slap me if I ever get that bad,’ she whispered to Cleo.

  ‘Deal.’

  The assistant appeared and welcomed them warmly. ‘You must be Darcy, it’s wonderful to meet you.’ Her make-up stayed obediently put with rouge that matched her lipstick. ‘I have six dresses lined up ready for you, and I think you’re going to love them.’

  Darcy’s heart soared. She’d been excited from the moment Myles popped the question, giddy all the way to Tiffany & Co, but this moment was surreal, like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

  She came down to earth with an almighty bump as she made her way through the dresses and it became abundantly clear the woman, whose name Darcy couldn’t even remember, either hadn’t looked at the email she’d sent or had disregarded it completely.

  ‘Lucky number six,’ the assistant sighed as Darcy wiggled out of the fifth dress and handed it back to her.

  When the woman helped her step into a mermaid-style dress that Darcy hated with a passion even before she’d manoeuvred it over her hips and up to chest level, Darcy couldn’t keep quiet any longer. ‘I’m wondering, did you have any dresses like the selections I emailed you about?’

  ‘Huh?’ The woman wasn’t listening; she was trying to pull the material tightly across Darcy’s chest so she could do up the zipper, each tug limiting Darcy’s ability to breathe and get her words out to voice her concerns.

  ‘The email I sent,’ Darcy tried, between sucking in everything she could and wondering whether it was possible to break ribs just by squeezing into a dress that was clearly on the small side. ‘It had examples of gowns I’d go for,’ she managed before the woman stood up looking victorious that the zipper had gone all the way to the top.

  ‘We don’t have a huge variety in off-the-rack dresses – I’ve pulled most of them from the floor. I tend to have an eye for what suits a bride and, I think, this is the one.’ She put a hand on Darcy’s shoulder, smiling at their reflection, and Darcy forced up the corners of her own mouth because that was what was expected.

  She shuffled out of the changing room into the communal area where Cleo and Isabella were waiting. ‘So, what do you think?’

  Neither said a word as the woman circled Darcy and brushed imaginary pieces of dust from the fabric or straightened up sections to make them hang better. Darcy wished she’d give them some privacy but she hung around as though she were part of the wedding party entitled to an opinion. Of all the ways today was going to go, Darcy hadn’t imagined this one and she wanted to burst into tears.

  ‘Could you help me out of it?’ She didn’t look at her friends, just went back into the changing room, and the woman seemed to pick up on the vibe because she said nothing else until Darcy was fully dressed, and even then it was a vague, non-committal exchange about getting in touch.

  The three girls left the boutique and only when they’d reached the next block did Darcy hear a snigger.

  ‘It’s not funny!’ she told Cleo. And then Isabella joined in, her eyes swimming with tears of laughter. ‘It’s not!’

  ‘I’m sorry, but that last one made you look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid.’ Cleo’s voice shook.

  ‘That was awful, I’m never going back there. I only said I’d be in touch because it felt like the polite thing to say. She hadn’t paid attention to a damn word of my email. She has no people skills whatsoever, she put me in dresses I wouldn’t be seen dead in.’ She finished her rant as her friends quietened so as not to upset her but as they crossed the street she took one look at them and burst out laughing too. ‘Oh, please let the next place be better.’

  They headed uptown towards the Upper East Side, where they went into a store nestled between a café and a dry cleaner, but the second Darcy walked through the pale blue door, she knew they were onto a winner compared to the last place. This time, the assistant had read the email and brought out appropriate choices. Darcy loved the place so much that she was disappointed nothing jumped out at her, and so it was on to the next venue.

  The third store, in Chelsea, they reached by taxi and it was there Darcy found a dress that was near-enough perf
ect. It was a sample, fitting snugly but not too tight. The ivory material had a beaded sweetheart neckline and lace appliqués, and both Isabella and Cleo were lost for words when Darcy emerged from the changing room in the gown. The only thing that stopped everyone from smiling was the lack of understanding that Darcy was getting married in August of this year, not the next. The dress didn’t come as an off-the-rack garment and there was no way another could be made in time for the wedding, and so off they trudged to the fourth and final store.

  ‘I don’t think I’m going to find anything today.’ Deflated, she almost wanted to head to the Inn right now, admit defeat.

  ‘Don’t say that,’ Isabella scolded. ‘When have you ever been one to give up without a fight?’

  ‘Come on.’ Cleo spotted the store ahead of them on Bleecker Street, not far from the previous one. ‘And if you don’t find anything, we can go to Magnolia Bakery and buy red velvet cupcakes.’

  ‘If I don’t find a dress,’ said Darcy, ‘I think I’ll buy more than a cupcake…maybe a huge carrot cake, with all that yummy frosting.’

  Isabella sniggered. ‘You’ll talk yourself out of this in a minute.’ They’d reached the door to the store. ‘Come on, in you go.’

  The quaint boutique, fronted by a curved window and a small step leading down, was run by two very jolly sisters, one with a tape measure hanging around her neck like a doctor would walk around with a stethoscope ready to listen to the internal sounds of the human body, and the other with glasses perched on the end of her nose as though any moment now she’d be sewing exquisite beading onto material. The second Darcy went in they must’ve read the look of despair on her face because they rallied round all three women, they offered champagne, they chatted with Darcy to put her at ease before they even looked at a single gown.

  ‘I got your email.’ Alexis, glamorous even with the tape-measure appendage, was friendly and warm and took control as her sister, Serenity, handed out glasses of champagne. ‘You don’t know how helpful it is to have a bride who already has an idea of what she wants.’

  ‘Really? It doesn’t make your job harder?’ It was the impression Darcy had got from all three of the stores so far.

  ‘Not at all. I’ve picked out gowns that are as close to what you’ve asked for as I can, but if you’re not happy with those, we’ll find others. You can try on every single gown in the store if you like, the floor is yours. We’re here to make this part of your wedding plans go smoothly, and hopefully make it fun for you.’

  Cleo had somehow managed to wangle a cup of herbal tea from Serenity but Isabella was into the champagne. She’d taken the full day off work so had no hesitation in getting into the spirit.

  Darcy tried on four gowns, all beautiful but none of them quite getting there. She was sick of taking off all her layers to ward off the March chill on the Manhattan streets, trying on dresses that disappointed, only to have to put everything on once again and traipse somewhere else.

  But it was the fifth gown that made Darcy stand stock-still.

  Serenity’s soft voice floated on the air as she fastened the buttons on the low back of the dress above the silky bow that would tie and flatter Darcy’s shape. ‘I think we may have found something here.’

  Romantic lace motifs over tulle on this ivory A-line gown were shaped in an off-the-shoulder bodice that hugged Darcy just right. Her eyes glistened. ‘It’s beautiful.’

  Serenity finished the last of the buttons. ‘Would you like to try a veil? I can bring in samples and we’ll fit one on before you show your friends. Then we can see their reaction.’

  Darcy kept her gaze glued on her reflection as she waited for Serenity to bring back three veils, all at different lengths. But the first sample captured her the minute Serenity put it in her hair. There was no need to try the others. ‘I’m ready,’ she said.

  Serenity pulled back the curtain and with Cleo and Isabella gossiping away, they almost didn’t see her.

  ‘Oh, Darcy.’ Now on her feet, Isabella put a hand across her mouth.

  Cleo grinned from ear to ear. ‘That’s the one. It really is.’

  Darcy stood in the designer label dress that made her feel more beautiful than she’d ever felt before as Serenity and Alexis let all three of them take in the vision of the bride Darcy would be in only five short months. While the girls chatted excitedly Serenity and Alexis jumped on in, bustling around their new client, discussing the minor adjustments that would take this dress from stunning to completely out of this world. They wanted to nip it in at the waist a teeny bit, take half an inch off the hem, pull in the bodice at the back to really accentuate Darcy’s shape. Most of it went over Darcy’s head, but she trusted them. They worked out a schedule for fittings and booked them in the diary. Cleo and Isabella looked at a few bridesmaid dresses and were all set to make an appointment for a trying-on session but Serenity insisted they do it now. ‘You’ve not got long before the wedding – time is of the essence!’ she told them. They tried on gold, red, lavender, bottle green, but when Darcy pulled out a silver lace sequinned dress, with a V-neck that sparkled beneath the lights, she held it up to two nods of approval.

  ‘Holly did tell me no yellow or pink,’ said Darcy, urging Isabella to try on the gown. ‘But I think she’ll be happy with silver. Can I send a photo of this?’ she asked Alexis.

  ‘I don’t usually allow it, but I trust you girls.’

  ‘We’ve had people rip off our designs before,’ Serenity hollered from the other side of the store where she was rehanging some of the gowns that hadn’t been suitable.

  ‘Do people seriously do that?’ Isabella asked as Darcy took a photo and sent it to Holly.

  ‘Oh yes.’ Alexis explained. ‘Wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses are expensive so people want to cut corners wherever they can.’

  ‘Isabella, you look gorgeous.’ Darcy was so pleased it had been easy enough to select bridesmaid dresses, and when Cleo tried on the same dress in her size she looked just as fabulous. ‘You’re both stunning.’

  Alexis fussed around them both talking about slight alterations they would make and when Darcy’s cell pinged she pulled it from her bag. ‘Wow, that was quick. Holly loves it and wants to know when she can come and try one on.’

  With the wedding so close they couldn’t waste any time so Serenity set up an appointment for Holly.

  ‘I’ll get measurements from my sister and my friend in Switzerland,’ Darcy assured Alexis.

  ‘Excellent. We have an assortment of sizes with this new line so you’ve timed it perfectly. Let me know as soon as you can and I’ll put the dresses to one side, then do last-minute alterations once they’re in town.’

  ‘Thank you so much, I’m so glad we found this store.’

  ‘It’s our pleasure to help,’ Serenity chimed in. ‘Here…’ She passed a business card Darcy’s way. ‘Give this lady a call; she can do your hair and make-up on the day. Free trial, so no commitment if you don’t like her.’

  ‘Thanks, I’ll give her a go.’ Another thing to tick off her list.

  Darcy left the store floating on air. They’d looked at tiaras after the bridesmaid dresses, discussed hairstyles – updo, or loose and floating? – they talked flowers, jewellery and shoes, and by the time she left the girls and headed to work she felt as though nothing could stop her now. Everything was moving in the right direction and more smoothly than she’d ever have imagined.

  In five short months she was set to be Mrs Darcy Cunningham. And she couldn’t wait.

  *

  Darcy had had a grand total of twenty-four hours off from the Inn, but now it was as though that break had never happened. After their success in project find-a-dress, Isabella had gone off to meet her boyfriend, Jake, Cleo had gone to meet her former employee, Kaisha, at Magnolia Bakery – apparently the mere mention of cupcakes earlier had been enough for Cleo to develop a craving that couldn’t be ignored – and when Darcy had got back to work there’d only just been enough time to do a handover before Sofia hopped in a cab to go to the airport.

  Back in January Holly had arranged for Contemporary Edge to give the Inglenook Inn generous coverage, with photographs showing readers a stunning Christmas at the boutique hotel. Holly had also arranged a second article about the Inn, featuring its versatility for corporate bookings as well family breaks or romantic getaways, and the official photographer would be here at 3 p.m. today, which meant Darcy needed to make up the bed in the apartment on the top floor, their best suite, make certain the windows were clean to give the ultimate city views, and ensure fresh flowers were on display all around the Inn. This time she’d chosen daffodils for a bit of colour and a spring lift with their gentle sweet scent, and once she’d set the vase on the table in the hall, she went through the new menu items with Rupert, the chef.