Page 15 of Bad Luck Bride (Scandal at the Savoy #3)
“What?” Delia’s amusement faded at once, and she shook her head vehemently.
“No, no, you’ve got the wrong end of the stick there.
The whole thing was just a muddle between Simon and me, as I already told you.
I assure you, dearest, it wasn’t deliberate in any way.
We each reserved the room and forgot to tell the other.
But there’s nothing to worry about now anyway, because we’ve got an absolutely divine alternative for your wedding banquet, big enough to seat everyone. ”
“You do?” Kay blinked, taken aback, her frustration fading. “Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s all arranged, I promise you.”
With those words of reassurance, Kay’s relief was so great, she felt weak in the knees, making her realize just how worried she’d really been all these weeks since the Pinafore had been snatched away.
“But where is it?” she managed at last. “Did that plan you were developing for us at the Savoy work out after all, the one you were so mysterious about? Even though you’re not there any longer?”
“Oh, no, it’s not at the Savoy, but speaking of the Savoy, my crowd is going to supper there after the opera. Why don’t you join us, and you and I can talk about it all?”
Kay looked at her askance. “The Savoy? You’re giving them your business after they fired you?”
“Yes, well, Simon still does business with some of the investors there, and one hates to burn bridges in business. You’ll learn that soon enough once you marry your American millionaire.
Besides, you know as well as I do that the Savoy serves the best opera suppers in town.
So will you come? That way, I can pull you aside and we can discuss all the details. ”
“I’d love to, but I’ve got my mother and sister with me. And Wilson, of course.”
“Oh, that’ll be all right. I’ve already got such a crowd, what’s four more?
Now, I see Calderon standing by the staircase, beckoning me and tapping his pocket watch.
He’s such a stickler for punctuality. But he’s probably right to nag me.
I’ve got heaps of people in my box tonight, and they’ll surely be wondering what’s happened to us if we don’t go up.
Besides, abandoning one’s guests is terribly poor form, so I should probably toddle. ”
“Wait,” Kay implored as her friend moved to go. “You can’t just tell me it’s all arranged and go dashing off before you tell me where!”
“Oh, didn’t I say?” Delia smiled. “How does Westbourne House suit you?”
“Your cousin’s house in Park Lane? But I thought it wasn’t available. We talked about it in January, and you said the duke had already leased it for the season to some American family.”
“So he had! But Max is here in town just now, and he told me himself only a few hours ago that we could have Westbourne House for you after all, if we still wanted it. Only for the weekend of the wedding, but I told him yes, of course. I hope that was all right?”
“All right?” Kay laughed, her emotions ricocheting back once again to relief, making her feel a bit dizzy in consequence. “My wedding banquet in the duke’s ballroom? How could that not be all right?”
“Well, that’s just it. You may not want the ballroom after I’ve told you my other idea.”
“I don’t understand. What other idea?”
“You remember I told you I had a way we might be able to keep your banquet at the Savoy? Well,” she went on as Kay nodded, “my vision was to build a glass-walled banqueting room on the roof of the hotel.”
“What a wonderful idea! How did you ever think of such a thing?”
“If you remember, Max built an immense hothouse on the roof of Westbourne House for Evie when they got married, and that was the inspiration for my idea. Of course, if you would prefer to use Max’s ballroom instead of Evie’s hothouse, we could do that.”
“No, no, I love the idea of having the banquet in a conservatory. All the benefits of a garden setting, without relying on the fickle English weather. Oh, Dee, how clever you are. No wonder you were so marvelous at planning parties for the Savoy.”
“The hotel didn’t agree. I got fired, remember?
Anyway, with Max’s house already leased for the season, I thought my idea was completely out the window, and I was just sick to think you were being left high and dry.
I was determined to find you something, of course, but now I don’t have to, and it’s all settled, thank heaven. ”
“But how did the duke manage to persuade his tenants to vacate for a week in the midst of the season?”
The second gong sounded before Delia could reply, warning the crowd still milling about the lobby they had only five minutes to find their seats before the performance resumed.
“That’s the second gong, so I simply must go, dearest. I’ll see you at the Savoy later?” she added over her shoulder as she turned away.
Kay nodded. “Of course. Thank you, Delia. Thank you, thank you.”
Delia gave her a rueful smile. “Don’t thank me, darling. I’d love to take the credit, but I wasn’t the one who arranged it. I came back from Paris prepared to beg, borrow, or steal a banquet room for you somewhere, but as it turned out, I didn’t have to.”
Kay nodded in understanding. “I’ll be sure to write the duke tomorrow and thank him.”
“Max isn’t the one you should be thanking either, I’m afraid.”
“But who then?”
“Brace yourself. It was Devlin Sharpe.”
“What?” Kay stared at her. “You’re joking,” she said with a laugh.
“Would I joke about something like that?” With those words, Delia dashed off, leaving a bemused, completely bewildered Kay staring after her.