The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers (the little red hen ebook TXT) 📕

on how she’d felt about Todd’s disappearance, Ben looked equally uncomfortable with their conversation and seemed to be itching to gather his drinks and go, but the bartender was taking his time. Whatever Kim was saying made Ben pull at the neck of his tuxedo. Finally, he snatched two glasses and quickly sidestepped her in mid-sentence. Kim watched him all the way across the room until her gaze landed on Lara. A chill went up Lara’s neck as the woman frowned, like Lara had won a round, then smirked, before turning and heading into a sea of partygoers.

Lara was shaken by the reporter’s boldness, like there was some competition between them.

“Here.” Ben handed her the second glass of champagne she’d held tonight, only this one wasn’t an illusion.

Taking a sip, she pointed her glass at the bar. “I see Kim Landau cornered you.”

“Unfortunately.” He clinked her glass.

She took a long sip of her champagne and wondered how it was possible that she’d thought Todd was real tonight, had ached for him as though he’d never left, and yet she could still be curious about the nature of Kim and Ben’s relationship. Her thoughts were beginning to scramble. She no longer trusted them.

Just then a doorbell sound rang through the room—the xylophone being played by the wait staff to let everyone know that dinner was about to be served.

The sea of people began to move into the back courtyard for dinner. Overhead was a tent; this time, white fabric streams hung overhead. “This is stunning,” said Ben as they got their first look at the color and texture of the silk, flowers, and candles.

Instead of traditional “rounds,” Marla Archer had set up the event with several long tables, like a Tuscan dinner. Green garland vines and chandeliers hung over each table. The chartreuse tablecloths featured bunches of hydrangeas in blue, green, and cream with cream roses. Other groupings were accented by tall gold candelabras or tall vases with gold cane chairs and chargers. With votives lighting every few inches, the event shimmered. In the last year, Marla had become the go-to photographer for Virginia wineries, so each course this year was paired with a local wine that had been donated for the cause.

“She was nice to me today,” said Lara, recalling how Marla inserted herself so Lara could flee Kim Landau.

“Not always nice to me, though.” He finished his champagne in a single gulp.

Lara found their place cards: Audrey and Ben were seated across from each other with Lara to Ben’s right and Inez Favre, the wife of Rivoli Circus director Louie Favre, to his left. On the opposite side of the table, Audrey sat between Gaston and Louie.

Watching Audrey and Gaston clearly flirt with each other was charming. Lara couldn’t figure out when this relationship had blossomed between them, but now, seeing them together, they were clearly a couple. During the salad course, Gaston leaned in frequently, whispering something to her mother, and Lara saw Audrey light up. She hadn’t seen this much joy on her mother’s face, ever. Lara had a pang of sadness for her father, who had always seemed to hold a soft spot for his ex-wife. Jason had taken the night shift at the station tonight. He’d avoided her all day after the song yesterday and she felt guilty. While Jason wasn’t much for events like this anyway, Lara wondered if he knew about Audrey and Gaston and had decided to stay away. Or was he just avoiding her? She recalled the way he looked at her last night, like he’d seen a ghost.

And what if the man from the field was nothing but an apparition? What if she had manifested both him and Margot tonight, just as she’d done with Todd? While the man had assured her he was “as real as her,” it would be exactly the kind of thing a figment of your imagination would say to you. Recalling the look of horror on Cecile’s face when she’d first told her about the man’s visit, she wondered if her great-grandmother had just been afraid that Lara was going mad like Margot. Is this what her mother meant by warning her to hide her magic? Did using it cause madness? Hallucinations? She was deep in thought when she felt her mother kick her back to attention from under the table. Lara hadn’t realized it, but she’d been rubbing her neck and staring off into space.

“They say four people from Washington, DC, bought second homes out here this month,” said Audrey, twirling her earring. “It’s a trend.” She met Lara’s eyes with a warning to pay attention.

“A good one?” said Ben, shifting in his chair and touching one of the flower centerpieces. “I’m not so sure.”

“Must be the low crime,” said Lara under her breath, seeing the opening to tease Ben.

“Smart-ass,” said Ben, not looking at her, but grinning.

As the waiter poured more wine, Audrey leaned in, her face illuminated by the votives. “Also, Gaston has news of the painting, don’t you?”

“Oui,” he said. “I sent an email to Teddy Barrow.” Gaston’s tuxedo was clearly one that he owned. His normally messy hair was now secured into a smooth, low ponytail. This change from day to night looked effortless for him, like he’d donned tons of tuxedos in his life.

“Barrow the Fourth?” Lara’s eyebrow raised. She was trying to show Audrey that she was focusing on the conversation at hand.

Gaston chuckled. “Yes. Barrow-le-quatrième. I sent him a photo of the painting. He called from Paris this morning, waking me up from a most wonderful sleep. He is very excited.”

“Gaston’s friend thinks a painting we had might be a real Giroux,” Lara turned to explain to Ben. She was enjoying this wine. It was a full-bodied red, and she took another sip to make sure it was as good as she’d thought.

“Yes,” said Gaston, lowering his voice so as not to be overheard. “Barrow thinks that it might, indeed, be one of the long-thought-missing Giroux paintings—The