“Sabrina,” Jecca said. “I was thinking more Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Minus the sunglasses and the hat, of course.”
Mrs. Wingate stood up. “I may have a
solution,” she said as she opened a drawer and removed a key from a little metal box. “If you both will follow me.”
She led them through the house to the back and used the key to unlock a door Jecca hadn’t noticed. Inside was a darkened room that was filled with old toys, a heap of curtains, a few worn-out chairs, and lots of boxes. “Now you see my secret life as a hoarder,” Mrs. Wingate said. “If you can step over those . . .” She pushed some boxes aside. In the back against a wall was a big armoire. Mrs. Wingate opened a door to show that it was packed full of women’s clothes.
Jecca was puzzled for a moment, then Mrs. Wingate opened a blind and a ray of sunlight exposed what was unmistakably silk. “Ooooh,” Jecca said, her hands out. She looked at Mrs. Wingate, who nodded her permission for Jecca to remove the garments.
The dresses, suits, and a couple of gowns had labels that took Jecca’s breath away: Chanel, Balenciaga, Vionnet. “Where did they come from?”
“My late husband insisted that I dress well,” she said in a way that didn’t invite questioning. “Here it is.” She removed a sleeveless sheath dress of black silk. “It’s not exactly like Miss Hepburn’s dress, but—”
“Close enough,” Jecca said, holding it up to her body. She wasn’t sure, but it seemed to be a perfect fit. “May I . . . ?”
“Try it on, please,” Mrs. Wingate said.
“Yes, do,” Lucy echoed.
Unselfconsciously, Jecca pulled off her jeans and T-shirt to strip to her underwear. Lucy helped pull the dress on over Jecca’s head and zipped it up the back.
Mrs. Wingate pushed the door of the armoire open wider to reveal a full-length mirror.
The dress fit Jecca as though it had been made for her, and the silk felt wonderful against her skin. She’d never before had on anything like it. It wasn’t just a couple of pieces of silk sewn together. No, the dress was constructed. Engineered like an expensive car. She could feel the boning in the bodice, the stiffness of the buckram at the waist. The dress made her stand up straighter, lifted her breasts a bit higher, pulled her waist in, and smoothed her hips and thighhipa sls. She had a slim figure to begin with, but the dress sleeked her body into something that belonged on the cover of a magazine.
“I couldn’t wear this,” Jecca said. “It’s too valuable. It’s too . . . too beautiful.”
“Nonsense!” Mrs. Wingate said. “It’s been in this old cabinet for so many years it’s a wonder the moths haven’t eaten it. You must wear it to Reede’s party. When Tristan hears what he missed . . . Well, maybe it will keep him home.”
Jecca smoothed her hands over the dress. She never wanted to take it off.
“Of course we’ll have to do something with your hair,” Mrs. Wingate said.
“And you must wear hose,” Lucy said. “This dress doesn’t allow bare legs.”
“Not panty hose,” Jecca said. “Those things went out with go-go boots.”
“Of course not full-length hosiery,” Mrs. Wingate said. “That’s a dreadful idea. You will wear a French garter belt and silk stockings that reach to mid-thigh.”
Lucy and Jecca were looking at her with open mouths.
“Don’t just stand there!” Mrs. Wingate said. “We have work to do. Lucy, look in that case and I think you’ll find shoes that are appropriate to the dress.”
Lucy gave a couple of blinks, then obeyed.
Jecca left the house feeling great. Mrs. Wingate and Lucy had spent hours with her. They’d used a curling iron on her hair, and Mrs. Wingate had expertly applied makeup. Once Jecca was finished—“Our masterpiece,” Lucy said—they’d lavished praise on her. She felt like a high school girl going to her first prom. She thanked both women, hugged them, and kissed their cheeks. “I never had a mother,” she said, “but you two . . .”
“Go on,” Mrs. Wingate said. “You already have Lucy crying and I’ll be next.”
Smiling, Jecca left. But as soon as she arrived at Kim’s parents’ house, her euphoria vanished and she wanted to leave. She felt overdressed and out of place. People smiled at her but they—wearing jeans and shirts—didn’t make any moves to introduce themselves. She wished Tristan had returned from Miami. It would have been nice to have an escort, someone to introduce her to people.
Jecca was halfway to the door to leave when Kim caught her.
“You look fabulous!” Kim said as she took a firm hold on Jecca’s arm. “Sorry I didn’t see you come in and I didn’t get to call you, but Mom has me swamped with work.”
“How did you do in Texas?”
“Mom has threatened me with no business talk tonight,” Kim said but then whispered, “Great! I think I’m going to get a contract.” Her voice returned to normal. “I want you to see Reede. He asked about you.”