I really miss you.
Maddie.
* * *
Dear Foolish Girl,
I’m glad you liked my birthday gift. I shall let Tiffany & Co. know their Blue Divine bracelet is safely carried in the underthings of Condé Nast Traveller’s roaming Vietnam reporter. I’m sure they’ll want to put that endorsement in all their advertising.
I saw L’Express picked up your orphan girl story, and your photo has gone viral since they put it on their website. It deserves to. People need to see this. How is it you keep surprising me?
My birthday is a state secret. But let’s just say you identified the day once, why not twice?
Stay safe. E.
* * *
Dear Elena,
Your birthday is the Ides of March? Wait a minute—that means you planned to celebrate your birthday last year by firing an entire newspaper’s staff? Were you trying to live up to your reputation? Is this how a tiger shark parties?
I will not be able to write after this, as I’m heading out of internet range again.
Thanks for sending me the links to my photo online. You won’t be too shocked to hear I’m setting up a crowd-funding campaign to get the little girl looked after and make sure she gets a good education. She has a foster family now too.
See you in Sydney soon. One week, one day in fact.
Thinking of you every day.
Maddie.
CHAPTER 33
Felicitations
Maddie crawled off the plane at Sydney Airport, looking like a rumpled blanket. Her backpack felt far too heavy. She turned to find the taxi ramp.
“Don’t bother. I have transport,” said a familiar voice beside her ear.
Maddie swung her head around. “Felicity?” It was nice to see a familiar face after being away, even one who only sometimes tolerated her.
“This way.”
“Did Elena send you? I told her—repeatedly—not to send someone for me.”
Felicity gave her an impatient look. “No, she did not send me. Now come on.”
Oh. Well, so much for small talk.
Within minutes, they were in a high-end Uber, headed towards Sydney’s CBD. All conversation had been forestalled by Felicity choosing to sit in the front seat.
Maddie shrugged and stretched out as much as she could, hoping for a brief bit of shut-eye after being cooped up in the air for the past half a day. She couldn’t wait to see Elena again. After all their emails and a few calls, Maddie was beside herself with anticipation. She’d missed her so much.
* * *
Half an hour later, Maddie’s eyes fluttered back open, and she glanced around. They were in the inner city. She squinted at the blur of signs. Paddington? What the hell?
“Felicity, this isn’t the way to my apartment.”
“Who said we were going there?”
“What? Jesus, Felicity, I only have two hours to get ready and get to the Oceania Media ball. I have to find my best dress and make sure it’s at least ironed. I have to wash a layer of grime off from the airport, and I don’t have time for detours!”
“Would you stop complaining? We’re almost there.”
“Almost where?”
Moments later the car pulled up in front of a row of terrace houses. They looked elegant, charming, and expensive.
“The blue one,” Felicity told the driver. He stopped, and she paid. “Be back here in ninety minutes.”
“What…?” Maddie looked around. Where the hell were they?
“We’ll talk inside.” Felicity didn’t even glance back. She unlocked the terrace house’s front door and held it open impatiently.
Maddie headed up the path, dropped her bag inside the door, and looked around. The place was decorated in pale hues, with tasteful art on the walls as placid and serene as everything else. None of it matched the tightly wound woman beside her. It was so conservative and safe. Surely Felicity didn’t live here? How could she afford to? She had an apartment back in New York.
“Sit.” Felicity pointed to a lounge room. “Drink?”
“Uh, water?”
Felicity disappeared behind an alcove, and Maddie sank onto a black leather couch and waited.
A clock ticked loudly, and Maddie fidgeted. This was too weird.
Felicity reappeared. “Here.” She thrust a glass of chilled water into her hand and then slid onto the matching leather chair facing Maddie. Her fingers curled around the knees of her stylish navy designer pants. “I knew you’d be cutting it fine and wouldn’t have had time to get a dress for the ball tonight.” Felicity pointed at a hook on the wall near the door. From it hung a dress under clear plastic. “That’s for you. Courtesy of Perry.”
It was a simple dress, black, elegant, and classic. A V-neck and the sleeveless arms made it look like something Audrey Hepburn might skip around Rome in. A shoe box sat beneath it.
Maddie stared at her. “Did Elena…?”
“No, she did not. You told her not to, remember?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, she listened.” Felicity peered at her closely. “Don’t pass out or anything, but this is my doing.”
“Why?” Maddie was at a complete loss.
