In the end Macey bought two gowns as well as outfits for the twins knowing Augustus he wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less and she hated shopping enough to only be bothered with it once. She managed a small victory in beating Stephen to the credit machine and paid for the clothes herself. He wanted to take them to a jewelry store but Macey refused. She was not one for flashy shows of wealth preferring to keep things simple.
Stephen didn’t press the issue. Mister DaLair had expected as much. If he insisted he would buy the jewelry at a later date and present it to her. Stephen had taken careful note of their purchases so he could relate color and style should Augustus wish to shop for accessories.
Once they were finished shopping they paused to eat. Aria and Caden voted for McDonalds. Fast food was a novelty for them as such establishments were not popular or common overseas. Stephen had no reason to deny them and Macey offered no argument. Afterwards he drove them to the villa Augustus prepared for them.
Aria and Caden excitedly ran through the clean, modern home. Their apartment in Paris couldn’t compare to the sheer amount of space available. There was even a backyard with a small pool and Jacuzzi. The kitchen was stocked with their favorite snacks. A number was left on the fridge for them to order whatever groceries they required for delivery.
The twins shared bedroom had also been carefully prepared. Each had their own twin bed with extra soft mattress and bedding. They both had a desk, dressers, shelves of books and toys to match their preferences. Their grandfather had spent more than enough time with them to know their personalities as well as likes and dislikes. He arranged everything to feel like home and insure their comfort. Running to the living room they immediately gravitated to the grand piano.
Caden climbed on the bench and lifted the cover. He touched the keys in awe. His keyboard at home suddenly seemed like a poor imitation now as he sat at the real thing. Without hesitation he began to play. The house was soon filled with the melody of Coldplay’s Clocks while Stephen brought in their luggage and shopping bags.
Macey stood looking around her. Slowly she stepped toward the patio door to look at the pool and well manicured yard. There was a small building tucked to the side. Even from his distance Macey could see the red light above the door. Combined with the lack of windows and ample ventilation she knew it was a private dark room no doubt already stocked with all the needed material to develop photographs from negatives.
She shook her head looking to Stephen and said, “This is too much.”
“It was Mister DaLair’s wish you would have everything you need. The villa’s location is also near the gallery which will be convenient for you.”
Macey sighed. She knew coming back was going to be difficult. Here Augustus could exert much more influence. He was only trying to support them but sometimes it was just too much. For now she would accept it as a grandfather doting on his grandchildren. She knew it had been difficult for him to maintain his distance for so long. Macey would just have to be carefully his doting didn’t cross the line into spoiling them. Aria and Caden were smart enough to take advantage if limits were not applied.
“In the garage you’ll find two vehicles for your use,” Stephen informed.
Macey only nodded. She needed transportation unless she wanted to rely on Stephen the entire time so she would accept those gifts as rentals. For that matter she could consider the villa itself as a rental thinking of it that way made it a little easier. She would ignore the fact Augustus probably purchased everything under her name.
“The party starts at seven at the Baccarat.”
Macey nodded. The Baccarat was one of Augustus’s favored venues so it didn’t surprise her. Unfortunately it conjured bad memories. Six years ago she suffered her worst humiliation there after all. She shook herself free of the memories. It would be different this time. She was different. The important thing was Aria and Caden. Nothing else mattered but them.
* * *
They took time to settle in before preparing for their debut. Macey used a clip to tame her mane into a cascading up-do. She used only light foundation to smooth blemishes though she made no attempt to conceal her freckles. Preferring to keep a natural look Macey avoided heavy make-up. She even avoided lipstick using a gloss instead.
“Me next! Me next!” Aria eagerly exclaimed.
Macey laughed. She separated her hair and used clips to create soft pigtails that still allowed her natural curls to bounce. Luckily Macey had become skilled in taming such curls as Aria always wanted her hair done in a new style. Caden’s hair was much easier to maintain especially as he insisted on keeping it short.
Once they were prepared they headed to the garage. As promised a pair of vehicles waited for her: a Mercedes S-Class sedan and an EQS SUV. Shaking her head Macey selected the sedan. Car seats were already installed and the twins happily buckled their seatbelts. They couldn’t wait to see their grandfather again.
Using the onboard navigation alongside her long dormant memories made it easy to find her destination. Hotel valets met them to park the car as soon as she retrieved the kids. She led the way to the door where security let them pass with a nod. No doubt Augustus had given special instruction to allow them in without harassment.
Hesitating Macey took a deep breath before entering. She intentionally arrived a little late to avoid the extravagant entrances of the other guests. Unfortunately that also met the crowd had settled into their little groups and made finding Augustus more of a challenge especially with two five-year-olds in tow.
Retrieving hors d'oeuvres Macey led the twins to a small table instructing, “Okay, I’m going to find your grandfather. You two stay right here until I get back with him. All right?”
“Okay mommy. Don’t worry about us.”
* * *
Julius sighed as he sipped his fourth whiskey. He tried to chase away memories too dangerous to linger over but failed. Why did his father always chose this place for his public birthday celebration? The worst night of his life had been here. So far he had avoided Katherine so he counted himself lucky. Even so it wasn’t enough to raise his mood. Six years of failure lingered. If only he could have found her. If only he hadn’t been such an idiot to begin with.
Turning and leaning on the bar he allowed his gaze to drift over the crowd. As he brought his drink to his lips he suddenly froze. A familiar figure with a mane of red curls tamed in a large clip flitted through the crowd. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. It couldn’t be. Julius suddenly lurched to his feet and pushed through the crowd looking for the stunning vision only to find she had disappeared. He stood wondering if he hallucinated it. Were all his years of failure finally catching up to him?
“Julius. Hey Julius.”
He turned to see his brother.
“You better come here. Katherine is causing a scene.”
Julius rolled his eyes but followed. He couldn’t deny he was somewhat responsible for her presence. If not for his tolerance Katherine would never have been allowed past the door. He knew his family was ready to bar her from every event they sponsored.
* * *
“What is this?”
Aria and Caden looked up at the harsh voice to see a woman with blonde hair cascading over her shoulder and a face heavily covered in make-up. Her dress was tight and cut low to reveal her large cleavage. The skirt was also very short, too short for her to bend down without revealing her rather large butt. To the twins’ eyes she was practically naked and fell well short of the pinnacle of beauty their mother represented to them.
Their silent stares seemed to anger her and the blonde roughly grabbed Aria’s arm dragging her off her seat, “I asked you what you are doing here you little heathen!”
“Let go of my sister, you old hag!” Caden quickly jumped out of his seat and stepped up to his sister’s defense scowling at the woman who accosted them for no reason.
“Why you!” Katherine slapped him across the face.
The sound resounded in the crowded hall attracting attention of those around them. Caden didn’t say a word as he glared at her. If looks could kill Katherine would have been dead to rights. The intensity of his stare caused her to momentarily freeze. It was almost as intimidating as facing Augustus. The scene was beginning to gather a crowd of onlookers.
“Why is she picking on a kid?”
“Did you see her hit him? Was that necessary?”
“I’m impressed he isn’t crying.”
“This isn’t a place for children. Why are they even here?”
“They weren’t hurting anyone.”
Katherine hesitated as the murmurs reached her ears. It seemed the crowd was not on her side. Her face turning red she called, “Security! Security! Get these little heathens out of here!”