stepped all over them. Now, George seems to think we're having a Halloween party. The kids at the club called to say the lights are orange and yellow."
"Eww. Sounds like the charity won't be getting as much this year."
"No, most of the stuff is donated or sponsored. But besides the lights, we have sixteen boxes of unicorn horns on headbands that should have gone to a rich girl's sixth birthday party in LA.” She flipped on the stove and retrieved two mugs. “She got our icicles and silver garland that were supposed to drape from the ceiling, creating a mystical ice palace.” She slammed the mugs on the table, then added the sugar bowl and teabag canister. “Oh, and the Christmas tree got knocked over, and all the needles fell off."
Sophie opened the canister and shook out a teabag. “How did that happen?"
"I guess the same geeks who tried to fool around behind it had forgotten to water it for two weeks. They actually had the gall to ask me to come help them clean up the needles. They keep clogging the vacuum cleaner."
Sophie stared at her, her lips twitching. Brie glared, then gave in. They laughed, Brie's tinged with hysteria, until the kettle screamed. Sophie got up to retrieve it and pour the water.
"How come you're dealing with all this crap tonight? Where's Darcy?"
"A very convenient Realtor's convention in Boston. She won't be back until tomorrow. She wants me and Ken to oversee the actual decorating tomorrow."
"Not you and Cable?” Her lips twitched again, but this time Brie didn't laugh.
"Definitely not me and Cable."
"I thought you two were back together?"
Brie shrugged and blew on her tea. “We are. Darcy doesn't care. She's determined to keep us apart. I wouldn't be surprised if she orchestrated every one of these problems, just to keep me hopping."
"I doubt that."
But Sophie had never been on the receiving end of Darcy's scheming. She had watched while she tried to ruin Jake's life in one way after the other, but watching and experiencing were two different things.
For the first time in her life, Brianna was dreading the ball.
CHAPTER 8
Forty-eight hours later, she wondered if her dread had been pointless. She stood in the country club's ballroom surveying the final scene, two hours before the start of the ball. Somehow, everything had come together—with dozens of phone calls on her part and hours of labor by Ken and Cable supervising the college and high school students.
She hated to admit it, but the room did look like the ice palace Darcy had been aiming for. They'd gotten the white lights just in time, and they glowed through the garland and icicles hanging from the ceiling. White and silver candles glowed on blue-clothed tabletops, sparkling off silver and crystal. A tiny stage had been set up next to the dance floor. Darcy had commissioned from a local printer a giant poster of all the children Brook Hollow had lost to illness or accident since the first ball. That poster backed the stage, flanked by a display listing all the local charities they'd collected for and the good that had been done. In the center was another poster on an easel, describing the new foundation fashioned after Make-a-Wish. The money they would raise tonight would help form a base for fulfilling needs and desires of the area's sickest kids. Brianna never would have expected Darcy to display that much compassion.
On the opposite wall they had created a collage of town photos, including tree-lighting ceremonies on the square, people dancing at the balls, kids who'd been honored or memorialized or aided, the snow sculpture contest they used to hold—all the images of the season. Around and between the photos were handmade ornaments Darcy had had the elementary kids make in class. The only sign of the “inner Darcy,” as Brianna had begun to think of her, was the absence of Macgregors and McKennas on the wall. Brie hadn't realized it until it was too late, and had managed to find only one shot of Jake lighting
"Eww. Sounds like the charity won't be getting as much this year."
"No, most of the stuff is donated or sponsored. But besides the lights, we have sixteen boxes of unicorn horns on headbands that should have gone to a rich girl's sixth birthday party in LA.” She flipped on the stove and retrieved two mugs. “She got our icicles and silver garland that were supposed to drape from the ceiling, creating a mystical ice palace.” She slammed the mugs on the table, then added the sugar bowl and teabag canister. “Oh, and the Christmas tree got knocked over, and all the needles fell off."
Sophie opened the canister and shook out a teabag. “How did that happen?"
"I guess the same geeks who tried to fool around behind it had forgotten to water it for two weeks. They actually had the gall to ask me to come help them clean up the needles. They keep clogging the vacuum cleaner."
Sophie stared at her, her lips twitching. Brie glared, then gave in. They laughed, Brie's tinged with hysteria, until the kettle screamed. Sophie got up to retrieve it and pour the water.
"How come you're dealing with all this crap tonight? Where's Darcy?"
"A very convenient Realtor's convention in Boston. She won't be back until tomorrow. She wants me and Ken to oversee the actual decorating tomorrow."
"Not you and Cable?” Her lips twitched again, but this time Brie didn't laugh.
"Definitely not me and Cable."
"I thought you two were back together?"
Brie shrugged and blew on her tea. “We are. Darcy doesn't care. She's determined to keep us apart. I wouldn't be surprised if she orchestrated every one of these problems, just to keep me hopping."
"I doubt that."
But Sophie had never been on the receiving end of Darcy's scheming. She had watched while she tried to ruin Jake's life in one way after the other, but watching and experiencing were two different things.
For the first time in her life, Brianna was dreading the ball.
CHAPTER 8
Forty-eight hours later, she wondered if her dread had been pointless. She stood in the country club's ballroom surveying the final scene, two hours before the start of the ball. Somehow, everything had come together—with dozens of phone calls on her part and hours of labor by Ken and Cable supervising the college and high school students.
She hated to admit it, but the room did look like the ice palace Darcy had been aiming for. They'd gotten the white lights just in time, and they glowed through the garland and icicles hanging from the ceiling. White and silver candles glowed on blue-clothed tabletops, sparkling off silver and crystal. A tiny stage had been set up next to the dance floor. Darcy had commissioned from a local printer a giant poster of all the children Brook Hollow had lost to illness or accident since the first ball. That poster backed the stage, flanked by a display listing all the local charities they'd collected for and the good that had been done. In the center was another poster on an easel, describing the new foundation fashioned after Make-a-Wish. The money they would raise tonight would help form a base for fulfilling needs and desires of the area's sickest kids. Brianna never would have expected Darcy to display that much compassion.
On the opposite wall they had created a collage of town photos, including tree-lighting ceremonies on the square, people dancing at the balls, kids who'd been honored or memorialized or aided, the snow sculpture contest they used to hold—all the images of the season. Around and between the photos were handmade ornaments Darcy had had the elementary kids make in class. The only sign of the “inner Darcy,” as Brianna had begun to think of her, was the absence of Macgregors and McKennas on the wall. Brie hadn't realized it until it was too late, and had managed to find only one shot of Jake lighting
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