posh! You have always been beautiful, you just never saw it.” Adele said with a big smile to them both. “Now you girls take a glass of champagne each and get caught up.” She handed each of them a glass. “I will call you when your perspective suitors arrive. Now off you go.”
Kat took Ally’s arm just like old times and started dragging her towards the veranda. “Come on, I want the gossip on this man Adele was telling me about.”
So Gran didn’t mention the name, she thought.
“And what about you, there is some suitor lined up for you as well,” Ally laughed.
They took a seat at one of the many tables that had been set up for the evening.
Ally looked around her. The lawns were decorated with fairy lights and the big white silk tent stood tall and proud in the middle of the magical garden.
Despite the cold, it was beautiful outside and Gran had ordered enough outdoor heaters to melt the Antarctic which didn’t hurt either. The cool crisp breeze that flowed past, tickled her back into reality.
Kat was looking at her expectantly. “So who is this god? It all sounds very romantic. You have met before but were kept apart by circumstances.”
Ally looked at her curiously. “What has my grandmother been telling you?”
“Just that,” Kat was curious now as well.
“Yes I met him once before. The morning that my parents…” her voice trailed off for a moment. “But I never saw him again so that part is true. However, as far as I know we haven’t been kept apart by circumstances,” Ally said with an amused smile.
“She always was a good story teller,” Kat laughed. “What is his name?”
“Well…this is the part where I expect you to run screaming towards the hills.” She looked at Kat trying to predict what the reaction would be when she revealed his name.
“Why would I do that?” She was genuinely puzzled.
“It’s a name you have heard before.”
She started to say something then Ally saw the wheels turning in Kat’s head as the pieces of the puzzle all started fitting into place and then the comprehension hit. “Oh, you mean…the man that Madame Isabella predicted was your guardian and soulmate?”
She’s still here, that’s a good start Ally thought. “James Carlisle.”
“You met him,” her face was alive with excitement again. “You met him and you didn’t tell me Alessandra!”
“Well no, not as such.”
“Why not? We never hid anything from each other?” Kat said sounding a little hurt.
“Because it freaked me out, and I thought that if it freaked me out then what would you think?”
“Oh Ally. I have stood by you through thick and thin haven’t I?”
“Yes, it was me that became distant.” She looked at Kat, “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to deal with everything so I hid from everyone.”
Kat put her arm around Ally. “No one would know how to deal with what happened to you honey. I’m just glad that I’m back in your life.” Kat said as she drew her friend in for a hug. “I have missed you.”
“I missed you too Kat.”
“No more secrets ok. Even if you think it is going to freak me out, you must tell me.”
“Ok I promise.” Ally smiled at her newly returned best friend.
“So tell me about James,” she said with a smile, full of glee and excitement.
“There isn’t much to tell yet. All I know is that he is gorgeous, there was a definite spark and that he is apparently a friend of the family.”
“So fair he sounds great,” She paused as if deciding whether to ask the obvious or not. “Ally, what was he doing there that morning?”
“That’s where things start getting freaky again.”
“I’m listening.” Kat leaned closer in anticipation.
Ally smiled at her then proceeded with caution. “Well it seems that Madame was right on a few things. My parents died, I met James and there was a secret.” She let the words hang in the air for a moment.
“What?” her best friend was clearly shocked and intrigued.
“I
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