Chapter 4
LISA
The next morning, the empty space in the closet jumped out at Lisa the instant they returned to their room.
She and Rafael had come back from a walk around the grounds of the French chateau, pink-cheeked and energized from the crisp October morning.
Feeling as frisky as teenagers, they’d bounded up the skinny, winding stairwell to the second floor.
Rafael had used the ancient key to cajole the door open, and they stumbled into the room together, already kissing, ready to put all that fresh autumn air to good use and make the old walls blush.
She’d glanced over Rafael’s shoulder and screamed at the sight of the black hole where the perfect dress for Pepper had hung happily waiting for its beautiful bride.
Rafael clutched his chest. “What is it?”
Just like a man not to notice. “Pepper’s dress is missing.”
Rafael sighed with obvious relief. “I thought you’d seen a dead body.”
“This is worse than a dead body. Not worse, of course, but oh my God, what will Pepper do without a dress? She can’t walk down the aisle in her boyfriend jeans.”
“She probably took it back to their room. Maybe she wanted to try it on.” Rafael could be remarkably and annoyingly calm during jarring situations.
Pepper had spent months planning this wedding.
Every detail, including the wedding dress, had been thought through with great care.
She’d only been planning for this wedding since she was nineteen years old.
It took another eleven years to find the groom.
As a little girl, like Lisa, Pepper had been enamored with princesses. The Loire Valley was known for castles. Truth be told, Pepper wanted to be a princess. Getting married in a castle was the next best option.
Lisa was her best friend—her maid of honor—the person who was supposed to make sure everything was perfect.
From the time they were students at NYU together, they’d been planning their weddings.
They’d discovered the chateau in a travel magazine.
Once a small castle, it was now an inn with an upscale restaurant, a pool, and a view of the horizon so beautiful it made Lisa’s breath catch.
This was the place, Pepper had decided. The place to marry the one and only Stone Hickman.
Last Christmas, when Lisa married Rafael, Pepper had made sure everything went as planned. Her white wedding in Colorado had been magical. The plan went off without a hitch. A missing wedding dress was not in the plan.
“She would never take that risk,” she said to Rafael. “What if Stone saw it?”
“She might have changed her mind about tradition,” Rafael said. “Or maybe she just wanted to try it on one last time. Bride jitters or something?” He said the last part without much conviction, as if he knew his theories would soon be immediately discounted.
Lisa didn’t bother to correct him. It would take too much time to explain to him. Men, even her clever Rafael, had limitations comprehending the nuances of women’s psyches.
“Where’s my phone?” she asked.
Rafael, who might not understand the importance of a wedding dress, always knew exactly where everything was at any given time. Even when said objects weren’t in places they were supposed to be. He went right to the bedside table and pulled it out from under a magazine.
“Here,” he said, handing it to her. “Try to talk to her in a calm voice. You don’t want to alarm her.”
“Honey, she’s going to be alarmed. Her wedding dress is missing.”
Pepper answered on the third ring, sounding sleepy. “What’s up, love?”
“The dress. It’s gone. We went on a walk and when we came back it wasn’t there.”
“Way to stay calm,” Rafael muttered under his breath.
She was too upset to send him a dirty look.
“What do you mean, it’s gone?” Pepper asked.
“I mean, it’s gone. Poof. Vanished,” Lisa said, her voice an octave too high. “I think it’s been stolen.”
“But who could get in your room? Besides staff?” Pepper asked, way too calmly. Especially for Pepper, who was as fiery as her name. She might be in shock. This was awful.
“Maybe one of the staff took it?” Lisa asked.
“I’d be shocked, but it could happen.” The staff had been five-star quality thus far—friendly, helpful, and seemingly thrilled to have the famous Pepper Griffin’s wedding at their chateau.
“It isn’t every day we have a movie star married on our property,” the manager had said when they arrived.
From the beginning planning stages, they’d worked side by side with Pepper and Lisa to ensure the event remained private and secret from the press.
Lisa listened as Pepper explained to Stone what had happened.
Stone’s deep voice came across the line. “This is a misunderstanding. That’s all. Probably the staff took it to iron out the wrinkles or something.”
“Did you hear that?” Pepper asked in a tone between amusement and sarcasm. Stone Hickman could never believe the worst in anyone.
“Yes, I heard it,” Lisa said. He was dead wrong, but she kept that to herself. No need to cause friction. They were all on the same team, after all.
“We need to report it to management,” Rafael said. “They’ll have to call the authorities.”
They agreed to meet downstairs in the lobby in five minutes. When she hung up, Lisa stood there, looking at her phone. Her screen was a photo of Pepper at the last dress fitting. She’d been stunning in the tight bodice and flared layers of tulle and lace ballroom skirt.
“We have to get the dress back,” Lisa said to Rafael.
He nodded and gave her a stiff smile. She could tell he thought it was a lost cause.
As a former cop, he was the opposite of Stone.
He usually suspected the worst from humanity.
No one could blame him after what he’d seen during his years on the LAPD.
He didn’t think there was a chance they were getting that dress back.
Someone was probably figuring out how to sell Pepper Griffin’s dress on the black market while they stood there helplessly.
“My bet is on a staff member,” Rafael said. “Since no one else knows we’re here.”
“And they have keys to all the rooms.”
The public didn’t know about the wedding yet, but what about once the dress was out there? Would the wedding be ruined by helicopters flying overhead or people sneaking into the property on foot to try to capture photos?
These thoughts rumbled through her mind as they walked downstairs to the lobby.
“Let me talk to them,” Rafael said. “I’ll use my interrogator skills.”
“Agreed,” Lisa said, fighting tears. How could this be happening?
They’d planned everything so carefully. She knew the answer.
Pepper’s fame had risen dramatically in the last six months.
The film they’d made together with Gennie Banks had been a summer blockbuster.
Much to Gennie’s delight. The studios had advised her that a film with three female costars in a story about friendship and community had no monetary staying power.
As the producer, Gennie had put her heart and her pocketbook into the project.
The movie had introduced the world to Pepper Griffin.
Finally, she had the career she wanted. Unlike Lisa, who had conflicted feelings about the fame aspects of her career, Pepper ate it up.
Funny and witty on talk shows, loving the red carpet, she thrived in the spotlight.
They’d started plans on the Cliffside Bay Playhouse last month.
They’d have their debut season next autumn.
Pepper had been instrumental in moving it all forward, and the more she worked, the more energy she seemed to have.
But nothing was as important to her as Stone or this wedding.
Without a dress, there was no wedding.
The authorities were called. They interviewed the staff.
It didn’t take long to solve the crime. The manager, Michela, informed them the valet went missing around the same time as the dress.
“He was here this morning for his usual shift. When I looked for him just now, he was gone,” she said to the police. “He’s nowhere to be seen.”
A search was sent out for the missing valet and the dress. In the meantime, minutes were ticking away. Soon, the guests would be gathering under the tent. What would they do without a dress?
Lisa found Pepper curled up on one of the settees in the sitting room. She was staring into the fireplace with wide, dry eyes.
She sat next to Pepper. “You all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I have a plan. What we’ll do is just postpone the wedding for one night. I’ll have someone ship us something from Paris. Something simple that requires no alterations.”
“Mom could help,” Lisa said. “She could find one for you.”
Maggie burst into the room. “Am I hearing this correctly?” Her freckles were more evident than usual on her fair face, and her copper hair was twisted into a thick braid that hung across one shoulder. “Someone stole your wedding dress?”
“The valet did it,” Pepper said, giggling somewhat manically.
“What’re we going to do?” Maggie asked.
They told her their idea.
“Postpone one day, then get married in some dress you’ve never seen?” Maggie asked.
“We could pick one out online, maybe?” Lisa asked.
“She could take pictures of some and send them to us,” Maggie said.
“I loved my dress,” Pepper said with a quiver in her voice.
“I know you did,” Maggie said. “But we’ll find another one.”
“Maybe even better,” Lisa said. She knew this was a lie, but they had to stay positive for Pepper.
Lisa called her mom and explained the entire situation. Mom, always good in a crisis, especially when she could be the hero, agreed without hesitation.
“I know just the place,” Mom said. “Beautiful gowns. I’ll pick a few and take pictures. Pepper can decide which she wants.”
“Would you be able to bring it here?” Lisa asked. “Like on the train?”
“There’s no reason why not. Pierre and I’ll take a train in the morning. We could be there by early afternoon. I’ll do the alterations tomorrow before the vows.”
“Mom, that sounds great. We’ll be here waiting.”