CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – HATTIE
Valentina is, weirdly enough, exactly how I remember her.
She was only with us in Sayana’s house for three months before she was tracked and found by—as I know now—the team her father hired to locate her.
Long enough to leave a mark, but short enough that she’s kept the spark that made me smile back then.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” She runs her nail across the stitching on the handle of a leather bag with a price that would have made my eyes bug an hour ago. “I trust Victoria, but that doesn’t mean Jasmine won’t run with her own narrative.”
“Of course, she will. That’s how I know she’ll be here. She’ll try to corner me in a public place to ensure as many witnesses as possible.”
“And you aren’t at all worried about what she’ll do to you?” She drops her hand and fixes her bright blue gaze on me. “Hattie, if this backfires…”
“It won’t,” I say firmly. “She thinks she knows me, but she doesn’t.
The only version of me she knows is the one that’s subservient and pushed around by her.
Even when I’ve argued with her and deliberately pissed her off, I’ve ultimately always backed down.
She won’t be expecting me to bite back like this. ”
Valentina presses her lips together. “That’s what you’re counting on.”
I nod, slowly moving over to a rack of coats. “I know where to provoke her, and I know how to do it subtly. Trust me. Even if I am wrong and she’s able to get a little something out of it, I doubt she’ll want to do much.”
“I suppose she is known for her hot temper. If you can use that to your advantage…” Valentina pulls a houndstooth coat from the rack and holds it against herself. “What do you think?”
I tilt my head to the side. “I’m not sure. It might be a bit busy for you. What about the blue one over there?”
“Hmm.” She returns the coat and grabs the blue one instead. “Oh, I do like the colour. You have a good eye.”
Hardly.
I just hate houndstooth.
“Here, hold this.” She shoves her bag at me, and I have no choice but to grab it before it clatters to the ground. She does the same thing with her current coat, shrugging it off and enthusiastically passing it to me, then puts on the new one.
She shimmies over to the nearby mirror and does up the buttons. I can’t help but smile as I watch her.
She reminds me a lot of Finn; a walking ball of sunshine that can brighten any room she walks into. She just emanates joy, although I saw enough of her father at the banquet to know it’s not that simple.
No.
Even the sun has dark spots.
And Valentina has some of her own.
I’d wager they’re simply hidden, just like mine.
Maybe that’s why I feel so comfortable around her. Sure, our shared experience at Sayana’s hands is definitely something, but this connection with her feels natural. Not something to be forced or even something that must be worked for.
Nurtured, sure.
But not worked for.
Like she was always meant to be in my life.
A bit like Finn.
“What do you think?” Valentina asks, spinning around and holding out her arms. “Shall I buy it?”
I nod. “If you don’t, I’ll buy it for you.”
“Oh, well, you don’t need to tell me twice.” She slides her arms out of it, then pauses, a sour look darkening her features. “She’s found us.”
I turn around, facing the entry of the store, and pause. Jasmine is walking in, one of her friends hot on her heels, and she scans the whole place until her gaze lands on me.
Our eyes meet for a moment, and she hesitates, deliberately stopping so her friend walks into her. She almost trips and grabs onto Jasmine’s arm to steady herself, then says something I can’t hear. Jasmine replies, and her friend looks up, her eyes narrowing when she sees me.
“Faye Townsend,” Valentina mutters. “My stepbrother’s on-off fuck buddy.”
Oh, joy.
“She’s pulled out the big guns, it seems.” I match her volume as I turn away from them.
I know what Jasmine wants.
And not giving her my attention is just one way to rile her up.
I hand Valentina back her coat and she puts it on before taking her bag from me.
“Valentina. What a surprise to see you here.”
Valentina barely glances at her. “Faye. Jasmine. What a coincidence. I didn’t think either of you shopped this particular brand.”
“Not usually, but there’s a dress Jasmine is interested in.” Faye’s cold brown eyes swing towards me. “I see you’re cosying up just like your father taught you.”
Oh.
I don’t like her at all.
A cold chuckle escapes Valentina as she secures the coat back on the hanger. “Well, you’d know all about cosying up to people better than you, wouldn’t you?”
“You—”
“And for what it’s worth, Harriet and I were friends when we were children. I’m thrilled that we’ve reconnected after twenty years.” Valentina turns to Jasmine. “Jasmine. You look well, all things considered.”
Oh.
That’s catty.
Jasmine forces a smile. “I have no idea what you mean. I’m happy for Harriet. After everything she’s been through, she deserves some happiness.”
“Mm. And I suppose you know exactly what she’s been through. In the last two years, at least. By the way, have you spoken to the DeLaurentis’ recently?”
She pales. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I must be mistaken. I heard that it was one of the Sinclairs who did that hit and run on his car. It was said to be a distant relative, but then Harriet was revealed, and...” Valentina shrugs. “I wondered if perhaps you’d checked in with them, given the injuries his girlfriend received.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Jasmine says flatly. “The pictures showed a blonde driver, and I am clearly not blonde.”
“True.” Valentina looks at me. “I just can’t see the Royal Family welcoming someone with such low morals.”
“Hm?” I look up from the rack of dresses I’ve been absent-mindedly rifling through. “Oh, I haven’t driven in about two years. I don’t even possess a physical licence right now. I’ve got no idea what happened.”
Jasmine clenches her jaw. “Harriet. I haven’t spoken to you since the banquet. You aren’t answering your phone.”
If you can count one missed call as not answering your phone... sure.
“People do miss calls,” I reply. “Especially when there’s only one. And no message.”
She clenches her fist at her side before quickly releasing it. “Yes, I’ve had some issues with my phone. Dad tried calling, too.”
“Oh, did he? I must have missed all of those, too.” I pause. “I didn’t see them at all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Would you like to see my phone? Check the call log?”
“No, no. It’s fine.” She glances at Faye. “Can we talk for a minute? Sister-to-sister?”
Valentina turns around and rolls her eyes. “My arse,” she mutters, just loudly enough for me to hear it.
“Of course.” I look at Jasmine and smile, then motion to a more open area of the store. “Shall we go over there?”
She nods and leads me over there, wrapping her arms around herself. She’s trying to make herself look small, but I know her well enough that her anger is already simmering along beneath the surface.
I just need a little something to bring it out of her.
She turns, and her mask has dropped. Her eyes are hard and cold, and her lips are pulled into a thin line that’s as tense as her shoulders. “How did you do it?”
I tilt my head, blinking innocently. “Do what?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Oh, my hair? I got a new curling wand and—”
“The engagement. To the crown prince. How did you do it?”
“I thought you already knew how that came around. Didn’t Finn tell you how we met during that meeting the other day?”
She flinches, presumably at my casual use of his nickname. “That’s not—” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “Yes, and I want to know how you managed to wriggle your way into the palace. How you conned them into letting you marry him instead of me.”
“Conned them?” A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “Good grief, Jas. You really can’t accept that he just chose me, can you?”
“There’s no way. No. Way.” She clenches her jaw but quickly releases it when she sees Valentina watching us. “I know you did something. Our engagement was guaranteed until you showed up in front of him. How did you do it? Did you stalk him? Deliberately appear in front of him?”
“You’re losing your mind,” I reply. “Whatever he told you about how we met, it’s the truth.
It was a coincidence in the park, and I tried my hardest not to reveal my real name when I ended up in the palace.
I had no idea that’s where I was going until I got there, and then it was too late for me to back out.
It’s not my fault the queen recognised me. What was I supposed to do? Lie to her?”
“Yes!”
Other eyes around us land on us, and I untuck my hair from my face in a lame attempt to hide my identity. I know this only serves to make me more suspicious, and good.
I want to be suspicious.
I want to be seen.
I want to be recognised.
“Yes,” she repeats, quieter this time. “You should have lied. You knew how I felt about him.”
“Oh, please. Don’t act as if he’s the love of your life.”
“You—” She stops again, as if to gather her thoughts. She takes another moment and smooths her hair from her face, deliberately looking down. “You should have lied. You should never have spoken to him or done anything. I was raised for this. You weren’t. You took it from me.”
“That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? It’s not about Finn. It’s not about what I did. It’s about the fact you think you’re owed an engagement to him because that’s what you were raised to believe.”
She says nothing and merely glares at me.