“Okay, then,” the men agree, “You have yourself a deal.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Come over and tie me up,” Leilani commands impatiently.
The men exchanged questioning looks with one another, but they do as Leilani asks.
At three o’clock in the morning, the lights in the parlor are still on. Mrs. Florence Bamford sits in a rocking chair and rubbed her temples with her fingers. Leilani’s behavior has given her a headache and made it impossible to sleep. Leonie paces back and forth, compounding Florence’s irritation.
Suddenly, the phone rings, breaking the anxious silence. A maid runs to answer it and Leonie listens carefully to the conversation. After the maid hangs up, Leonie lets out a deep breath.
“Mrs. Bamford, everything has been taken care of,” Leonie says with glee, “Leilani won’t show up to my birthday party tomorrow.”
Mrs. Florence Bamford also sighs with relief. Leilani made everything chaotic. If she appeared at the party tomorrow, there’s no telling what kind of damage she could to the family’s reputation.
“It’s real,” Leonie says, unlocking her phone and send some photos to Florence, “Look at the pictures they took.”
After sending the photos, Leonie makes a mental note to dispose of her phone as evidence of her role in the kidnapping.
Mrs. Florence Bamford examines the photos. She worriedly looks at Leilani’s belly. Though she hates Leilani, Florence Bamford is concerned about the unborn child. She knows how badly her husband wants Waylen to have an heir, and if there’s any chance the baby is Waylen’s she knows she needs to protect it.
“No, they didn’t tie her belly,” Leonie said reassuringly, “She’s fine.”
“That’s good,” Mrs. Bamford says with a sigh of relief.
She continues to rub her temples and think about the birthday party. With Leilani out of the way, everything should go according to plan. However, she feels uneasy and upset anyway.
Lying on a big soft bed, Leilani sleeps well and deeply. She wakes only once in the middle of the night to sneeze. She was locked up in a dark, damp, and cold room. For three nights she woke to shiver to hear the wind and wolves howling.
When she wakes in the morning, the radiant sun shines on her face and body, warming her. She rolls over and finds a hairy blackhead inch from her face. She sits up in shock and then looks down at Lucky.
“Lucky, why are you up here again?” she asks, pushing the dog off the bed.
In Waylen’s absence, the dog seems to follow her everywhere she goes. Last night, she suspected that Leonie would try some sort of trick, so she went to the back parlor to get Lucky as insurance. After the two men tied her up and took photos, she went back to her room and went to bed. As she thinks, Lucky hops back on the bed and stretches out against Leilani.
Sarah Ethel, the servant assigned to care for Lucky, hurriedly runs into the room. “Mrs. Bamford, is Lucky acting up again?” Sarah asks.
Sarah looks at the bed and sees Lucky sprawled across the sheets. The dog’s left foot presses Leilani’s belly, the sharp claws inches from her skin. Sarah doesn’t know why Lucky likes Mrs. Bamford so much. Sometimes she feels a little jealous because, after almost ten years of caring for the dog, Lucky still dislikes her. Previously, Lucky didn’t let anyone besides Waylen get close.
Sarah looks at the dog and then at Leilani. She knows she’s powerless to control the animal.
“Mrs. Bamford, are you all right?” Sarah asks, “Lucky missed you and probably snuck up in the middle of the night to be with you.”
“I’m fine,” Leilani assures Sarah.
Leilani gently pushes Lucky’s head aside and sits up. She regards the dog, now sitting at attention, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
“Lucky used to be more docile when he wore a collar, but he’s gone totally wild without it.”
“Where’s the collar?” Leilani asks, hoping to get the dog back under control.
“Mr. Bamford wanted her to be free and he forbade us from putting on,” Sarah explains, “Eventually the collar disappeared.”
“You cheeky little devil!” Leilani says, patting Lucky’s head, “I’ll make you a new one as a gift and you’ll have to wear it every day.”
Lucky licks Leilani’s face.
The Bamford estate is filled with servants hustling and bustling in every direction as they prepare for the party. In the house, some prepare fruits and cookies, others decorate every room with flowers and balloons, and others ready the bar with wine and juice.
The large, open lawn in front of the house has already been decorated. Hundreds of pink balloons have been tied to the trees, and dining tables have been carefully set underneath. The tablecloths and flowers are all pink—Leonie’s favorite color. The entire scene looks romantic and girlish.
A servant holding heavy, silver trays, staggers towards the tables. A maid arranging the flowers pauses and buries her nose in them, quietly inhaling the beautiful scent.
In the house, a beautiful girl wearing a pink princess dress whirls around in front of the full-length mirror.
“Tie a pink bow to my hair,” Leonie commands.
Immediately a servant arranges her hair as she’s asked.
“By the way, I want pink earrings, too,” Leonie says.
Another servant brings her a jewelry box filled with pink earrings.
“Pink eye shadow and blusher,” Leonie says.
A make-up artist rushes to her side and begins to apply the desired makeup.
“And a pink diamond ring,” Leonie says as she sees Peerless Love in the jewel box.
She slides the ring onto her finger without a moment of hesitation.
In the back parlor, Leilani reaches to her back to zip up a long, tight red dress. The color of the dress, her smoky makeup, and her haughty expression make her look as regal as a queen. She turns around and sees Sarah and Lucky standing behind her.
Sarah holds a small cake in her hands and the dog carries a pink bag in his mouth. A small candle is lit atop the cake, and the flame flickers in the wind. Sarah offers Leilani the little cake on a plate.
“Happy birthday, Mrs. Bamford,” Sarah says, “I’m sorry I only had time to prepare this little cake. When Mr. Bamford comes back, I’ll make a bigger one.”
Leilani is touched by this simple gesture. Apart from Gabrielle, no one has ever acknowledged her birthday or given her anything. Though the cake is small, it means the world to Leilani. She can’t believe that Sarah remembered her birthday.
“Thank you,” Leilani says, with emotion, “It’s really thoughtful of you.”
“Mrs. Bamford, make a wish,” Sarah says, “I know you’re twenty-two years old, but I hope this year you’ll be as carefree and beautiful as a teenage girl.”
Leilani closes her eyes and makes a wish.
“I hope that everyone I love and everyone who loves me is happy and safe,” Leilani thinks.
She bows her head to blow out the candle. Excited, Lucky jumps up and drops the gift bag. Leilani and Sarah laugh at the excitable dog.
“Lucky is a really smart dog,” Sarah says affectionately, “He saw me making the cake and must have guessed it was your birthday. I don’t know where he found that gift bag, but I figured it was alright. I once saw Mr. Bamford holding it.”
Leilani squats down, rubbing Lucky’s head.
“Lucky, I appreciate the gift, but this belongs to your master,” Leilani says, “You’re not allowed to move it without permission, understand?”
Lucky whimpers a little.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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