Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
I reach out and settle my hand over hers. “I like ours better. It’s cozy.”
She rips her gaze off the ten thousand plus square foot mansion long enough to meet mine before snorting.
“Come on, honey…you can be honest. It won’t hurt my feelings. Living here would be a dream.”
It’s funny, I used to think the same thing, but not anymore. A lot of these people are self-absorbed jerks. They don’t care about anyone or anything but themselves. It took me a while to realize the kids behave that way because they’ve learned it from their parents. In this instance, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Wanting to lighten the mood, I wave a hand toward the property. “Can you imagine what a nightmare that place is to clean? It probably takes days.”
“Do you honestly think they do it themselves? They probably have an army of help.”
Not that I’ll admit it to her, but she’s right. There’s a housekeeper who lives full-time at the residence and another woman who comes in daily to cook meals.
It takes another ten minutes to finally make it to the front entrance. As soon as we roll to a stop, a valet springs into action and opens Mom’s door. I almost wince when a loud creak fills the air. If the younger man notices or doesn’t think we belong, his expression remains impassive.
Another valet in matching black pants and a white shirt opens my door before offering a hand to assist me from the compact vehicle. As soon as they drive away, Mom flashes a bright smile, and we walk arm in arm up the wide stone stairs that lead to the front door.
Mom’s hand flutters before smoothing the front of her dress. “I hope Jasper’s parents remember me. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
I don’t tell her that they entertain almost every weekend and not once has an invitation been issued. It’s probably never occurred to them to offer one or get to know her on a more personal level.
“I’m sure they will.” My gaze sweeps over her length. “You look beautiful. The dress is really pretty, and I like the way you styled your hair.”
She beams before pressing a kiss against the side of my face. “Thanks, sweetie. I watched a tutorial on YouTube. It’s amazing how much you can learn there.” Excitement fills her voice as she drops it to a whisper. “And I didn’t cut the tag off the dress. My plan is to return it tomorrow. It’s just too expensive to keep. I mean, where else am I going to wear something this fancy?”
“You know, we didn’t have to attend. It’s not mandatory or anything.”
Her blue eyes widen. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. When else am I going to get a chance to look around the Morgan mansion and rub elbows with the elite of Hawthorne? Tonight, we’re like Cinderella at the ball.”
I give her a tight smile, wishing she wasn’t in such awe of these people. Most aren’t worthy of her admiration.
The front door swings open and a tall, thin man gives us a quick once over before stepping aside and allowing us entrance into the spacious foyer. It’s probably as big as our entire ranch.
“Good evening.” He extends an arm toward a woman dressed in a simple black outfit carrying a silver tray filled with a dozen flutes. “Feel free to help yourself to a glass of champagne. There’s a bar set up in the dining room and all the silent auction items are on display in the music conservatory.”
“Thank you.” Mom beams, brimming with pleasure as she helps herself to a glass of bubbly liquid before bringing it to her lips and taking a delicate sip. “Mmm. Delicious.”
As we step farther inside the monstrous house, her gaze bounces around the room, trying to take in everything at once. It would be impossible not to be awed by the sheer amount of wealth on display. From the gorgeous, crystal chandelier that hangs suspended from two stories above to the intricate iron banister that curves along the sweeping staircase and the arched doorways that boast detailed plasterwork. It all drips old, established money.
“This place is even more beautiful inside than I imagined,” she says, voice filled with awe.
Unlike Mom, I’ve been attending parties in mansions like this since freshman year. A good number of the girls I’ve gotten to know at HP live in similarly sized homes. Maybe not this grand, but affluent by anyone’s standards.
“And look at how beautiful everyone looks. The gowns are gorgeous, and the jewels so sparkly.” She leans closer and whispers, “It’s doubtful they bought their dresses at Rothchild’s. I had to scour the racks just to find this one.”
Jasper mentioned that his mother and a few of her friends flew to Chicago for a long weekend. These gowns didn’t cost a couple hundred dollars, they were more like thousands.