The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(60)

Through the floorboards, she could heart the faint sound of the string quartet playing in the library. By now, everyone had arrived. They'd be taking their seats at any moment. Soon enough, someone would come and knock on the door to tell her it was time.

"Charlotte Coburn," she said as she looked in the mirror. The name was starting to sound more natural to her. She hoped that it would fit her the same way Veronique had tailored the dress to perfectly hug her body, but she worried that the opposite was true. She worried that she was changing herself to fit the role of Mrs. Coburn. Either way, everyone was counting on her.

The knock came a few minutes later: three light taps.

"Come in," Charlotte said. She nearly jumped when she realized it was Jack standing in the doorway.

Jack pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was already in his tux, and he had a small present tucked under his arm, wrapped in silver. The way he looked her up and down, Charlotte could have almost believed he was actually in love with her, instead of with the woman in the costume she was wearing.

"Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?" Charlotte asked.

"Not when he comes bearing gifts," Jack said. He held the package out for her.

"Who's this one from? I feel so bad accepting all these gifts. I haven't even met half the people who sent them. We should have suggested a donation instead. Put it with the rest, I guess."

"It's from me."

Charlotte's heart sank. "I thought we agreed not to get each other gifts. I didn't get you anything."

"I know. It's nothing really. Don't think of it as a wedding gift. Think of it as a thank you."

"For marrying you?"

"A thank you for reminding me what matters." Jack placed the gift down on the powder table. "I'll let you open it on your own, and I'll go entertain the guests. You look beautiful, by the way. I don't think I tell you that enough."

"Stop or you'll make me blush," Charlotte said.

"Just remember that someday you'll have this for real. You deserve something real." Without another word, Jack ducked back into the hall, leaving Charlotte alone with the gift.

We have something real, she wanted to shout at him.

Instead, she stared down at the neatly wrapped box. She didn't want to open it. She didn't want to look at it. He had said no gifts, and then he had gone and gotten one for her. He was impossible, sometimes. She didn't know whether to be angry, annoyed or flattered.

Charlotte reached forward and lifted the present off of the desk. It was heavier than she had expected. There was a card taped to the top. She pulled it off and started reading.

Charlotte, may this help you, as you have helped me, keep an eye on the horizon and see the beauty in life, both near and far. —Jack

Now she had to know what was inside. She slipped a finger under the wrapping paper and slowly ripped it open, pulling it off of the box to find a pair of binoculars just like the ones Jack had handed her that morning at his family's house on the Cape.

What does he mean by this? Charlotte wondered. Why this, why now? Why didn't he stay and watch me open it?

She tried to bring herself through every possible scenario, but none of them seemed to answer her questions. It seemed ironic that he'd give her this gift when he couldn't see what was right before him. She wanted to believe he felt the way she did. Maybe this was his way of saying it, but she needed a sign more sure than a cryptic gift.

There was another knock on the door.

"Another gift?" Charlotte called.

The door opened slowly, and Charlotte pointed the binoculars toward the opening.

"Oh," she mumbled, putting down the binoculars, "hi, Mom."

"Hello, Mrs. Coburn," Ellen said as she stepped into the room. She paused for a moment and looked at Charlotte, like she wanted to commit the scene to memory before it was gone. "I wanted to be the first to call you that. I do have a small gift for you, but I can hold onto it if—"

"No, I thought you were Jack. He gave me these as a kind of… I guess I don't know." Charlotte shoved the binoculars back into their case. She tried to get used to the fact that her own mother had called her Mrs. Coburn. She slipped the binoculars back out and looked at them. "I don't know what this is supposed to mean," she finally said.

"Looks too expensive to not mean something," her mother said. "I know this has all happened so fast and that you're ready to go, but your father I wanted to give you a small reminder of how much we love you. He's downstairs tying and retying his tie as he tries to calm his nerves."

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh. "Is he alright?"

"He's never been better," Ellen said. She pulled a pendant out of her pocket, a small sapphire set in gold. "This belonged to your grandmother. You don't have to wear it for the ceremony, but I thought it would make a good something blue."

Charlotte smiled and took to the pendant. She felt the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"You're going to make me cry," she said. "I love you, Mom. Will you help me put it on?"

"Of course," Ellen said, smiling.

"It's beautiful," Charlotte said.

"Your groom awaits," her mother replied. "I'm very proud of you, Ms. Crowley. I wanted to tell you that one more time."