The bride and groom had already left in a cream Daimler to be driven the short distance to the hotel. The rest of the congregation walked: a stylish procession of men in morning coats and dark striped trousers and women in the most beautiful couture, silk heels and feathered fascinators.
Allegra was in Chanel: a classic two-piece suit in hot pink,
with
a daringly short skirt that showed off her long legs. She wore Fendi heels in pale grey suede, with grosgrain ribbon trim, and carried a Marc Jacobs quilted shoulder purse in hot pink satin for a touch of rock and roll. Her hair was up in a loose pony-tail and she’d used an antique Victorian cameo brooch in black and white as a hair pin.
Imogen had chosen a beautiful silk jersey dress by Temperley, its black flutter-cap sleeves and skirt offset by a white bodice in the same fabric, ruched around the breasts with a silken white flower in the middle, with a draped panel of white silk down the front. She wore it with a pair of Jimmy Choo slingbacks in champagne-pink satin and carried a white quilted Chanel bag.
‘My perfect accessory, of course, is a pushchair,’ she said brightly as she pushed Alex through the Mayfair streets in his apple-green Bugaboo. It was a beautiful spring day and the blossom was out.
‘It suits you wonderfully.’
‘Well, the nanny’s coming to take him away in an hour or so, and then I’ll be able to let my hair down. We’re going to Colette’s later, aren’t we?’
Allegra nodded. ‘The party continues there after the reception.’
‘You will come, won’t you?’ Imogen said, giving her friend an anxious look.
‘Yes. It will be hard – but I’ll go.’
The reception was small by the standards that might be expected of a rich and well-connected bride like Romily: two hundred people had come to see the happy couple wed and then toast them with glasses of the bride’s favourite vintage Bollinger.
The wedding breakfast was elegant and delicious, the speeches all the more moving for the fact that the couple
were
marrying for the second time. Very few of the guests knew of Romily’s ordeal, but they could see how overwhelmed with joy she was, along with her family, who appeared delighted with their son-in-law.
‘I think Mitch has won the de Lisles over,’ Allegra murmured as she watched Athina de Lisle fawning over him.
‘Do you think it’s his incredible success as a businessman or his brave rescue of Romily that did it?’ Imogen asked with an ironic laugh.
‘Ooh, that’s a tough one. But, I must say, he looks pretty irresistible in that suit. Savile Row’s finest, Romily told me.’ Allegra gave Imogen a sideways look. ‘And Malik has scrubbed up pretty well too.’
Imogen flushed and glanced away.
‘Just teasing. I bet he’s nervous about his best man’s speech. He’d better not make any jokes about Mitch’s underworld connections or he might be sleeping with the fishes by nightfall!’ Allegra laughed at her own joke.
Imogen rolled her eyes. ‘Some things it’s better not to joke about. I’m sure there are a couple of distinctly
Sopranos-
style blokes hanging around.’ She let one of the waiting staff refill her glass with champagne. ‘And who is that funny-looking guy over there with the goatee?’
‘Oh, that’s Vincente, Romily’s one-time boyfriend. Bet he’s pissed off he’s lost her to Mitch.’
Imogen laughed. ‘It’s a bit late now to put up a fight!’
After the meal, the toasts and the speeches, most of the guests headed back to their own homes or hotels, or to fly off somewhere glamorous. A select forty went to Colette’s, to carry on celebrating in the most magical nightclub in the world.
It was a strange feeling for Allegra as she went down the staircase into the place that was so familiar. She couldn’t
help
thinking of David almost constantly: his presence was still so strongly felt in the club. Mitch had kept it exactly as it had been, so David’s exquisite taste was still in evidence everywhere. The staff were delighted to see her, each one coming up to greet her and ask how she was. She was pleased to see that no one had been laid off and that they were all happy with the new management.
‘Some things have changed,’ Freda said frankly when Allegra went into the ladies to see her. ‘There are a lot more girls who are no better than they ought to be – teenage things from Russia and wherever. And some nights there are queues outside to get in! Can you imagine? Queues outside Colette’s, like some second-rate cocktail place. I’m no fan of the new music either. Too bumpy and spiky. They don’t play my favourite Sinatra numbers any more.’
‘I’m just glad you’re still here,’ Allegra said, giving her a hug. ‘I can’t imagine Colette’s without you.’
When she came out of the ladies, she found Mitch waiting for her outside in the corridor.
‘Ah, Allegra, I’ve been looking for you. Would you mind coming with me, please?’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Of course. It’s been a beautiful day, Mitch.’
‘It has, hasn’t it?’ He grinned at her. ‘This way.’
He led her to the private dining room. Inside, a bottle of champagne was chilling on the table in a solid silver ice bucket. Romily and Imogen were already waiting there, Imogen looking as surprised as Allegra felt. Romily had changed from her wedding dress into a stunning Marchesa coffee-cream lace dress that set off her smooth brown shoulders beautifully.
‘Please, do sit down.’ Mitch gestured to the chairs. ‘This won’t take long, but I did want us all to be able to talk in private.’
They took their places and waited for him to enlighten them. He reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a long, thick white envelope, put it on the table then slid it across in Allegra’s direction. ‘This is for you.’
She stared at it, but didn’t touch it. ‘What is it?’
Mitch looked a little shamefaced. Romily touched his arm, encouraging him to continue. He said gruffly, ‘I’m aware that mistakes have been made in the past. Misunderstandings led to things happening that maybe should not have happened. You lost your stake in these clubs through no fault of your own, and I want to show my appreciation for the help you offered me when things were tough. I also now know that your uncle’s state of mind contributed to his decision to sell. So I want to give back some of what was taken from you. I’d like to return a third share in the David McCorquodale Group to you.’
Allegra stared at the envelope for a moment, then looked up at Mitch with a big smile. ‘That’s very kind of you, Mitch, but no.’
‘No?’ He looked astonished and glanced over at Romily.
Her expression was concerned. ‘Why not?’ she asked.
‘I can’t take this as a gift. I just can’t.’ Allegra shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t be right, no matter how much both of us might want it. The only way I can consider this is if I buy it from you.’
‘Buy it?’ Mitch sounded dubious. They all knew that Allegra had been cut out of her uncle’s will. He’d left the bulk of his fortune – the proceeds from the sale of his clubs, plus his properties and furniture – in trust for baby Alex.
‘How can you do that?’ Imogen said. Alex’s money could not be touched, so they couldn’t possibly use it, no matter how tempting it was.
Allegra looked at them each in turn and smiled. ‘Because David forgot to cut Xander out of his will. He left money to
Xander’s
estate and heirs. And Xander’s heir is … me.’ She laughed at the looks on all their faces. ‘He didn’t know he was going to have a baby or he would certainly have changed his will, but as it is, I don’t think Alex is going to miss it from his fortune. So I’d like to use that money to buy back in.’ Her expression became serious. ‘With certain conditions, of course.’
‘What are those?’ Mitch said, raising his eyebrows.
‘I want a share of Oscar’s and Astor House only, and I want to control and run those two places myself – and have Imogen on my team as my in-house lawyer. If she wants to join me.’
Imogen looked delighted. ‘You bet I want to! I wouldn’t miss it for anything!’
‘Sounds very reasonable.’ Mitch frowned. ‘But you don’t want a share of Colette’s?’
Allegra shook her head. ‘No. It’s time to leave Colette’s. This was David’s baby, not mine, and I can’t imagine going on here without him. I’m prepared to let it go. After tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever come back here.’ She looked melancholy for a moment, then her eyes flashed. ‘But I want to put my heart and soul into the clubs
I
created. I know I can make them special.’
‘I believe you,’ Mitch said softly. ‘And I’d be crazy to pass up the chance to have your talent on board.’
‘Then perhaps,’ Romily said thoughtfully, ‘
I
will take on Colette’s. I think I would enjoy running this place.’
‘Oh my God!’ Mitch laughed and threw up his hands. ‘I’m gonna be overwhelmed by you three! But you know what? I might just like it.’ He reached for the champagne. ‘Do we have a deal? We’ll thrash out the details in due course, but I’m more than happy with the idea.’
An expression of relief and happiness transformed Allegra’s face. ‘Are you sure?’ Mitch nodded. ‘That’s fantastic.’
‘I consider myself the lucky one,’ he said. ‘The more I’ve seen of what you’ve achieved with Oscar’s, the more talented I think you are. I’m delighted you’ll be joining me. I’ve got plenty of other ideas for where to use you as well.’
‘One step at a time,’ laughed Allegra.
‘One step at a time,’ Romily said, still looking radiant. ‘But together all the way.’
Mitch popped the cork of the champagne, filled each flute with sparkling liquid, then they raised their glasses to each other.
‘Here’s to the success that’s waiting for us in the future,’ he said.
‘Here’s to all of us,’ Imogen said. ‘Health, happiness …’
‘Family and friends,’ said Romily.
Allegra smiled. ‘Forgiveness and understanding.’
They all drank to their toasts.
‘Mmm,’ Romily said thoughtfully. ‘I wonder what the woman who runs Colette’s ought to wear. Vintage Dior? Pucci? Something a little bit seventies – Diane von Furstenberg, perhaps …’
‘Honey, are we talking about clothes again?’ Mitch grinned and took his wife’s hand in his.
She smiled back at him, then looked round at the circle of bright faces. ‘We’ve all had our tragedies. I think our greatest triumphs are yet to come.’
‘You bet they are,’ Allegra said, with feeling. ‘I’m only just getting started.’
Imogen smiled at her friends. ‘It’s exciting! So full of possibilities. Let’s toast the Midnight Girls – more midnight than ever now, with the clubs. Now we’re together again, we can’t fail.’
They lifted their glasses and clinked once more. Allegra lifted her eyes to the oil sketch of her uncle that hung on the wall, and smiled, sending him a silent message of thanks.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to everyone at Random House, particularly my editor Emma Rose who worked wonders and gave me terrific encouragement, Kate Elton, Louisa Gibbs, Claire Round, Amelia Harvell, Caroline Sloan and the superb sales team for their support.
Thank you to Lynn Curtis for her brilliant work on the text.
Special thanks to my splendid agent, Lizzy Kremer, who is amazingly patient, unceasingly supportive and very clever, and to wonderful Laura West at David Higham Associates.
Thank you to Emily for helping me with my research – it was hard work, going to exclusive nightclubs, but it simply had to be done.
Thank you to my family for helping so much during the months of writing, and to my friends, especially Fiona and Claire, who were so kind and generous when I needed those precious hours.
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Copyright © Lulu Taylor 2010
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