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Brooke nodded and Darcie undid the buttons for her, then she returned to the changing cubicle. She removed the dress and hung it carefully on the hanger, then reached for the next one. Stepping into the champagne satin gown, she felt like a princess in a fairy tale. The one shoulder gown had Grecian style pleating at the front and a train at the back. It fell to her feet and as she moved, it caught the light, making it shine like gold. She pushedthe curtain aside and stepped out into the shop again, and Clover and Darcie gasped.
‘Wow!’ Clover said, shaking her head. ‘You could be Helen of Troy.’
‘Who?’ Darcie asked.
‘The beautiful woman from the legends whose face apparently launched a thousand ships,’ Clover replied.
‘Don’t be daft!’ Brooke laughed, but she was secretly very flattered. The dress did make her feel like a princess because it was so beautiful.
‘That dress is from a designer called David Fielden,’ Darcie said. ‘It could be worn as an evening dress or even as an evening wedding dress.’
‘It’s gorgeous,’ Brooke said, gazing at her reflection.
‘You could wear some gold eyeshadow and a delicate chain or some dropper earrings with it.’ Darcie stood next to Brooke and adjusted the solitary shoulder of the dress. ‘It fits so well it could have been made for you.’
‘I don’t look like a bride in it though do I?’ Brooke asked. ‘The last thing I want is for Nolan to come and pick me up and get a shock because I look like I’m about to get married.’
Darcie laughed. ‘Not at all. It’s perfect for a spring ball.’
‘I love it,’ Clover said, resting her hands in her lap. ‘If I was fifty years younger, I’d buy it.’
‘It would probably look wonderful on you now,’ Darcie said.
‘I think my years of wearing off the shoulder dresses are long gone, dear,’ Clover said. ‘But thank you anyway.’
‘Ooh!’ Darcie lifted the hem of the dress. ‘You need different shoes.’
She scurried away, then returned with two pairs. The one pair were nude court shoes, and the other were strappy wedge sandals. She held out an arm for Brooke to steady herself whileshe tried them on, then the three of them agreed the sandals were a better match than the court shoes.
Over the next forty-five minutes, Brooke tried on the rest of the dresses and several pairs of shoes, but she couldn’t get the champagne designer dress out of her mind, so when Darcie asked her for her thoughts, she said, ‘I think it has to be the champagne dress.’
‘I think so too,’ Darcie said.
‘I concur!’ Clover said, nodding. ‘They’re all lovely but that’s definitelythe one.’
‘Are you sure?’ Brooke asked the other women, and they nodded vigorously.
‘OK then.’ Brooke pointed at the changing cubicle. ‘I’ll just get changed then I’ll take that one along with the sandals.’
‘Wonderful,’ Darcie said. ‘I’ll put it in a dress bag for you so it doesn’t get creased.’
‘I’ll have to hide it from Allegra because she’ll want to try it on,’ Brooke said as she stepped back into the cubicle and dressed in her own clothes.
When she emerged again, Darcie was behind the counter, and Clover was talking to her. They were smiling, and both looked up when Brooke walked over to them.
‘Right then,’ Brooke said. ‘How much do I owe you?’
After she’d paid, she picked up the dress bag and the one containing the sandals and thanked Darcie for her help.
‘I hope you have a lovely time,’ Darcie said. ‘I’d love to see some photos.’
‘Photos?’ Brooke asked.
‘Of the evening,’ Darcie said.
‘Oh … Yes, of course.’ Brooke swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry at the thought of posing for photos with a man who wasn’t her husband. However, it was too late to back out now, so she would have to go along with what was expected of her.
‘Come along then, Brooke,’ Clover said, leading the way. ‘Let’s get you home and that dress safely put away ready for Friday.’
