Before December

Chapter 8

Three beautiful dresses were laid across my bed when I returned to my room, all of them far too elegant for what I'd assumed was just dinner. I ran my fingers over the fabrics, wondering where on earth Mrs Henderson had booked for us to need clothes like these. After trying on all three and changing my mind at least twice, I eventually settled on the black satin dress. It fell almost to the floor, with a slit running up one side and thin straps resting across my shoulders. It wasn't something I would have chosen for myself, but when I looked in the mirror, I had to admit Mrs Henderson had good taste.

I applied my makeup before putting the dress back on, determined not to get foundation anywhere near the satin, then styled my hair into loose curls and added red lipstick for a splash of color. For the first time since arriving in England, I actually looked like myself again, or at least a slightly more glamorous version of myself.

Then I remembered the shoes.

"Oh, crap."

I opened the wardrobe and started pulling out everything I'd brought with me. Black ankle boots, flip-flops, sneakers. I stared down at the growing pile scattered across the carpet in disbelief. There wasn't a single pair that looked remotely right with the dress.

"Lydia, are you ready?" James called from the other side of my bedroom door. "It's almost six-thirty."

I pulled the door open so quickly that he took a small step backwards.

His smile disappeared. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Shoes. I have no shoes."

James blinked at me.

"I packed my entire life into one suitcase and apparently decided footwear wasn't important." I stepped aside and gestured towards the mess on the floor. "Look at this. I cannot wear any of those with this dress."

James looked at the shoes, then back at me, and laughed.

"What's so funny? This is serious."

"Come on."

Before I could argue, he took my hand and led me downstairs, where Celeste was still in the kitchen. He whispered something in her ear, and she glanced towards me before smiling knowingly and disappearing through another doorway.

"I've got this," James said. His gaze moved over me for a second and his smile softened. "You look lovely, by the way."

"Thanks." I laughed nervously, although the panic had started to ease. "I need to use the bathroom. I'll be back."

I hurried upstairs, opened the bathroom door and quickly closed it behind me, leaning my back against it as I took a few deep breaths. I couldn't understand why I felt so nervous. Back home, I'd loved getting dressed up and going to parties, but somehow this felt different. Maybe it was because I was about to spend the evening with a family I barely knew, or maybe everything here still felt like somebody else's life I'd wandered into by accident.

"Do you ever knock?"

Seriously?

How many times could one person accidentally walk in on the same guy before it stopped qualifying as an accident?

I opened my eyes and found Theo standing near the sink in smart black trousers, his shirt still nowhere in sight. I gulped before I could stop myself. The amused expression on his face told me he'd definitely noticed my reaction.

"You like what you see?"

I dragged my attention back to his face. "I thought this was the bathroom."

"It is."

"Then maybe lock the door."

His eyebrow lifted. "Maybe I'm starting to think you do it on purpose."

"Keep dreaming, Henderson."

I pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway before he could come up with another irritating comment. I hated how easily he managed to throw me off balance. One second I could be perfectly capable of speaking like a normal person, and then Theodore Henderson appeared and somehow my brain forgot how to behave.

I leaned against the wall opposite the bathroom and waited. For such an enormous house, there had to be another bathroom somewhere. I made a mental note to ask James before I accidentally walked in on Theo for a fourth time and gave him even more material to use against me.

Eventually, the bathroom door opened and Theo walked out, now dressed properly in a white shirt and black tie. He glanced at me as he passed, his gaze lingering for just a moment before returning to my face.

"Finally," I muttered.

He gave a quiet chuckle but didn't answer. As he reached his bedroom, he tugged at his tie as though it was already irritating him, then disappeared inside.

Once I'd finally used the bathroom, I returned to my room and checked the time.

Six-thirty.

Great.

I was officially late and still shoeless.

I headed downstairs anyway, already rehearsing an explanation for Mrs Henderson. Maybe I could tell her I couldn't go because I had nothing suitable to wear, although the thought left me more disappointed than I expected. She'd gone out of her way to buy me dresses, and I hated the idea of letting her down over something as stupid as shoes. When I'd packed my suitcase, heels hadn't seemed important. I'd been trying to fit what remained of my life into one bag, and there hadn't been room for dresses, shoes or half the things I'd owned. At the time, none of that had mattered. Now, standing in an expensive dress in somebody else's house, I suddenly wished I'd brought them.

"There you are."

I looked up to find James halfway down the stairs. Before I could explain, he hurried me back upstairs and into my bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

He held out a pair of black open-toe heels.

I stared at them. "Where did you get those?"

"Try them first."

I checked the size, slipped them on and immediately smiled when they fit perfectly.

I threw my arms around him. "Thank you."

James laughed. "Celeste has mysterious powers."

From somewhere down the hallway, Celeste called, "I heard that!"

James grinned. "Come on. We're already late."

He held out his arm dramatically, and I laughed as I linked mine through his before we headed downstairs together.

Theo was standing near the front door beside Mrs Henderson. He looked different dressed for dinner, although I refused to spend too much time thinking about exactly why. He kept adjusting his tie even though there was nothing wrong with it.

Mr Henderson appeared from the kitchen wearing a dark suit, and I immediately saw the resemblance between him and his sons. They shared the same dark features, although there was something calmer and more approachable about him.

Mrs Henderson's face lit up when she saw me.

"Oh, Lydia, darling. You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you."

Mr Henderson smiled warmly and stepped forward. "Lydia, good to finally meet you properly. I'm Michael. I hope you're settling in okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Thank you."

"Right," Mrs Henderson announced. "Since everyone is finally ready, let's go."

A black SUV was waiting outside, and somehow I ended up in the back seat between James and Theo. It was a tighter squeeze than I'd expected. James occasionally shot me a reassuring smile while Theo fixed his attention firmly out of the window, as though the scenery had suddenly become fascinating.

Every time the car turned, I shifted against one of them, my shoulder bumping James's one moment and Theo's the next. I tried not to notice how close we were all sitting, although Theo's determination not to acknowledge me somehow made me more aware of him.

It was a twenty-minute drive to the restaurant, but the silence made it feel longer. Nobody spoke, and low music filled the car instead. I was relieved when we finally arrived and I could get out.

I followed everyone inside and immediately understood why Mrs Henderson had bought the dresses. Soft lighting reflected off polished glassware, crisp white tablecloths covered each table and everything about the place looked expensive. We were shown to our table, where I somehow ended up sitting between Theo and James again. Apparently, the universe had a sense of humour.

Mrs Henderson thanked the waiter as he handed out the menus, and we all ordered drinks. After my spectacular introduction to the family, alcohol was absolutely out of the question. I wasn't eighteen yet anyway, so I ordered a soda and buried myself in the menu instead. The prices alone made my eyes widen, although the portions looked small enough that my lack of appetite probably wouldn't be obvious. After eventually settling on a chicken dish, I excused myself and headed to the bathroom, where I stood in front of the mirror for a moment and took a slow breath as I checked my makeup.

"You're fine," I whispered to my reflection.

I wasn't entirely convinced. After touching up my lipstick, I returned to the table.

"So, Lydia," Michael began once I'd sat down. "Tell us about yourself. Hobbies? Talents?"

"Oh, I'm not that interesting, really." I smiled awkwardly. "I'd rather hear about the town. What is there to do around here?"

Mrs Henderson immediately brightened. “There's the local leisure centre if you're into sports, and a great shopping centre not too far away if you fancy some shopping.” She glanced towards Theo. "Actually, maybe Theo can take you tomorrow. He's going into town to pick up a few things anyway."

Theo nearly choked on his drink.

"Mum, I have plans tomorrow. She can't come with me."

He looked at me as though I'd personally arranged the whole thing.

Charming.

Apparently, spending time in my company was a punishment now.

Mrs Henderson waved away his objection. "Don't be silly. You can do whatever you need to do and Lydia can have a look around."

Theo leaned back in his chair, clearly unimpressed. For once, we agreed on something. I wasn't exactly thrilled about spending the day with him either.

As dinner continued, the conversation turned to the rest of the Henderson family. Charlie, the eldest, had his own business in London and lived there with his fiancée, while Francesca was studying foreign languages at the University of Bath and had decided to stay there over the summer to work.

When they asked about my plans, I kept my answers vague. As far as I was concerned, I only really had one: make it to my eighteenth birthday, gain access to my inheritance and go home. I wasn't about to announce that over dinner.

"Are you two still going to that party tonight?" Mrs Henderson asked, looking between Theo and James.

"Yeah," James replied. "We'll probably go when we get back."

Mrs Henderson looked at me. “Take Lydia with you. It'll give her a chance to meet some people.”

Theo immediately put down his glass. "Mum, it's a birthday party. You know, invitation only? We can't just bring someone they don't know."

"I'm sure they'll be fine with one extra person." Judging by her tone, the matter was already settled.

"I'm up for a party," I said.

Theo turned towards me.

I smiled sweetly. “I'll come.”

He groaned beside me.

“Sounds fun,” I added.

The glare he gave me could have melted glass, but for once I didn't care. After spending the last few days feeling as though I didn't belong anywhere, the thought of going somewhere loud, crowded and full of people my own age actually sounded pretty good.

Maybe England wouldn't be completely terrible after all.