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Lily turned and walked into the adjoining room. She emerged a few minutes later with a beautiful blue and gold dress draped over her arm. She held it up for him to admire.
He let out a low whistle. “I don’t know a whole lot about evening gowns, but that is one knockout of a dress.”
“It really is,” Lily said. “She’s going to be over the moon about it.”
“Remember,” Case said, placing his finger up against his lips. “This is top secret. Fancy is not to know that I was the one who bought the dress for her.”
“Are you sure about that, Case? A gesture like this is every woman’s dream.”
“I’m positive, Lily. I want Fancy to have the most wonderful night of her life at Savannah House. It’s important that she’s allowed to wear the gown of her dreams.”
Lily smiled at him, then began to wrap the dress up. He handed her his credit card and signed his name along the dotted line, then took his copy and stuffed in his jacket pocket.
“I’ll have it delivered later this afternoon,” Lily said. “For the record, you’re quite the gentleman, Case Duvall.”
“Why thank you, Lily. Have a good day.” As he walked out of the shop and toward his car, a feeling of joy roared through him. Buying the gown for Fancy had lifted a weight off his soul. Doing something kind for Fancy made him feel as if he could soar above the clouds. All he knew for certain was that it felt much better than bitterness, pain and endless regrets.
“Oh how I love a good party. There’s nothing like lively music, good company and delicious food to make me want to kick up my heels.” Miss Hattie
Chapter Five
Savannah House was in full swing. As the sun dipped down below the horizon and faded into nothingness, Case walked across the pebbled path toward the main house. Cars were parked everywhere, and valets were standing by to park all of the guests’ automobiles on the main road. Case had made arrangements to park out by the guest cottage where his cousin Callie and Jax were living. That way he wouldn’t have to battle the congestion when the party wound down.
Excitement pulsed in the air. For a moment he simply stood and sta
red at the huge, historic edifice. He felt a burst of pride at all the hard work that the six women had done on the place. It hadn’t been just fluff work. They’d all put in their time, creativity, muscle and discipline. And now they were within reach of their goal. Savannah House was opening in a matter of weeks. There was still work to be done, but they had completed the bulk of it.
He couldn’t imagine Miss Hattie being anything other than proud at the dedication of her girls to restoring her legacy. She had chosen well in selecting Fancy, Hope, Morgan, Callie, Olivia and Charlotte to be the torch holders for her beloved inn.
Fancy’s quiet resolve about her work at Savannah House had surprised him. For the first time he’d been forced to realize that she had grown up in the time they’d been apart. No longer was she flitting around chasing after frivolous things. She had stuck to this goal and worked hard on the interior design of Savannah House. Case was impressed by what he’d seen. Fancy had more skills than she probably realized. Her style was fresh and classic, yet some of her touches were so innovative that it made him do a double take.
It was petty of him not to have told her what an impact her work had made on Savannah House. He made a solemn promise to himself that tonight he would be kinder and gentler to her, if only for old time’s sake.
Case raised his hand and called out a greeting to a Duvall client as he walked the path toward the house. White lanterns lit the way, providing a touch of timeless elegance with a dash of mystery. The strains of piano music drifted toward him, and as he stepped over the threshold, he sucked in a deep, steadying breath at the sight of Fancy decked out in her magnificent gown.
He had known when he’d purchased the dress for her at Lily’s shop that it would be sheer perfection. He had sworn Lily to secrecy about the purchase because he didn’t want to make things even more awkward between them. It had been a sentimental gesture on his part. When he’d overheard Fancy talking about the dress with Charlotte he had felt a burst of sympathy for her. More than anything, Case had wanted her to have the dress of her dreams for this amazing celebration.
Now, standing a few feet away from her, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her radiant beauty. As if she sensed his presence, Fancy turned toward him, locking gazes with him. The blue of the dress picked up the sky blue of her eyes. The honeyed shimmer of her cascading locks was made even more dazzling by the gold tones in the gown. She looked like a movie star from the olden days. Her hair hung loose in soft waves and a golden clip sat by her temple. Her makeup looked natural—golden tones that made her look like a fairy princess.
She was standing off to the side in an alcove with a clipboard in her hand.
He took a few steps toward her, knowing he couldn’t simply stand there and gawk at her all night.
“Good evening, Case. Thanks for coming,” Fancy said, her beautiful face betraying no discomfort with his presence at the party. He watched as she searched for his name on the list and drew a line through it.
Although she’d known he was coming due to the invite list, he would imagine seeing him wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world. Things had been so tense between them lately. Even though they had waved the white flag and come to an understanding, it was still slightly awkward. Just for tonight he wanted everything to be cordial and friendly and relaxed. They owed it to Miss Hattie to honor her memory with dignity and a measure of grace.
It was no longer animosity that hovered in the air, he realized. It was awareness. Attraction. They were like moths who would always be attracted to each other’s flame.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said in a voice that sounded a lot smoother than he felt. Being so close to Fancy felt dangerous to his equilibrium. “You look lovely tonight.”
Fancy’s eyes widened. Her smile was slow in the making, but by the time it was in full effect it had the power to bring him to his knees. “Why thank you. This gown makes me feel like I’m a princess.”
“Is it something you picked up in New York City?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“No. Matter of fact it came from Lily’s shop. I’m in love with it.”
“Case!” The sound of his sister’s voice washed over him. He felt a tugging at his arm, right before Charlotte planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Mom and Dad have been asking about you.”
