Beyond the Broken Angel

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

When she looked in the mirror, she felt like a million bucks, and looked it, too.

"Oh, take that ring off," Marguerite said, motioning towards the ring Giselle had gotten from Will. "And the watch. The ruby doesn't match, and the watch distracts from the dress."

Giselle shook her head. "No, I'm keeping them on," she said, looking down at her jewelry.

Marguerite smiled to herself. "I wonder why that is," she teased, knocking Giselle playfully with her elbow. "But, here, at least put these on." She handed off a pair of sparkly diamond earrings.

"Hurry up! It's nearly five past!" Will called from down the hall.

Giselle sighed, taking one last look in the mirror to make sure all was right before heading out of Marguerite's room with Marguerite not far behind her, putting in her earring as she walked.

"Oh, you two look beautiful!" Selene cooed as the girls entered the foyer.

"Thanks, Selene," Giselle said. "Where's Will at?"

"He went outside to start the car," Selene said, moving along with the girls as they headed to the front door. "Wait, you'll need coats. It's chilly out." She opened the coat closet, retrieving two coats and handing them off.

Giselle slipped on the coat as Selene opened the door. "You two have fun now."

"Oh, we will," Marguerite said. "Jim Ludlow will be there."

Giselle smiled. "I bet you'll be busy tonight."

"Of course I will be," Marguerite said as she shrugged on her coat, "he's as rich as Will. No doubt a bunch of harpies will be swarming around him. It's a dangerous game, seducing a man," she said seriously, heading out the door.

Giselle and Selene shared an amused look before Giselle followed after the girl.

Will was leaning against his car when they emerged from the house, his foot tapping anxiously. He wore a matte suit as dark as night, the lapels a silky black that matched the bow tie that sat at his throat. His hair was perfectly slicked back, face freshly shaven. He looked like he had popped out of a movie and into Giselle's line of sight, as handsome as he was.

He pushed off of the car and stood to his full height when he noticed the girls, his eyes glossing over Marguerite and landing on Giselle.

Giselle couldn't even feel the bite of the cold wind with his eyes on her like that, warming her up from the inside out. She started to slip her coat off so that he could see the full picture, but kept it on.

His eyes never once left her as she neared him. They kept going over and over her body, eventually coming to a halt at her bare neck.

"Stay here," he said to no one in particular before going back inside.

"Where is he going?" Marguerite questioned, opening the back seat of the car. "He was just rushing us." She slipped in and closed the door before Giselle could answer her.

Giselle continued to stand, looking up at the clear, night sky as she waited for Will to return.

He came back a few minutes later, a sense of urgency to his steps as he closed the distance between him and Giselle, a slim, green velvet box in his hand.

"What's that?" Giselle asked. She looked down at the box and then up at him.

"A necklace," he said, opening the box to reveal a beautiful silver pendant on a silver chain, crafted with silver filigree and encrusted with diamonds.

"It's beautiful," Giselle gasped. "But why are you showing me this. Surely you don't want me to . . ?"

"You need to," Will said, his expression betraying nothing. "There won't be a neck in there that doesn't have a necklace on it. You'll stick out." He thrust the box toward her. "Put it on."