Catharine & Edward Read Free

mother. She won’t like this.”
    Since Cat’s mother, Queen Genevieve, had taken an active role in the wedding planning – to say the least – she definitely wouldn’t like this. “Look, we don’t have to tell her, at least not yet. Let’s come up with a solution, then tell her we’ve already got it figured out.”
    Rebecca sighed. “I can’t see a solution right now. Bocci was temperamental–”
    “That’s an understatement,” Cat interjected.
    “–but he also had the experience to handle this. There are other brilliant designers out there, but I can’t trust this dress to an up-and-coming designer with little experience, and a future queen can’t get married in a dress not made by a Vallerian.”
    Francine pulled her daughter into her arms. “There, there, my child. We’ll figure this out.”
    “I don’t think we will,” Rebecca said, her voice muffled by her mother’s shoulder.
    Cat rubbed a hand down Rebecca’s back. “It’ll be all right.”
    Rebecca sniffled and sat back, pulling out of her mother’s arms. “Am I being ridiculous about this? Making too big a deal about it?”
    “You’re not being ridiculous,” Francine said matter-of-factly. “Your dress was just destroyed, in front of your very eyes, no less. Besides, a wedding dress is important to all brides, and yours is a bigger deal than most. The entire world will be watching the wedding live. Of course the dress needs to be perfect.”
    Rebecca dabbed at her eyes, trying futilely to keep her makeup intact. “What do you think I should do, Mama?”
    Francine pursed her lips for a moment, considering. “I have an unconventional suggestion. You can absolutely turn it down, though, no hard feelings.”
    “What, Mama?”
    “Use my dress.”
    “What?”
    “Wear my wedding dress. I know it’s not nearly as fancy as yours would have been, but we can get it altered. Or, you can just buy a new dress, if you think that’s easier than fixing mine. You know any designer would do whatever it took to get the dress finished, for nothing else but the exposure they’ll get when you wear it.”
    “You’d let me wear your dress?” Rebecca whispered.
    Francine put a hand to her daughter’s damp cheek. “Of course I would. I don’t know that it’s enough for a future queen, but if it works, take it.”
    Cat clapped her hands together. “That’s a brilliant idea. The press will never guess it and, technically, it was made by a Vallerian, correct?”
    Francine nodded. “It’s actually an heirloom. My great-grandmother bought the dress from a local designer in Masillia, where they were living at the time. At least, that’s according to the family documents we’ve preserved.”
    Cat nodded. “I think it will be fine. The people will appreciate a generations-old Vallerian heirloom.”
    Rebecca dabbed at her damp eyes. “Are you sure?”
    Cat waved away the comment. “Of course. Believe me, people love that sort of thing, and the public’s always loved when I’ve worn something ‘vintage’ or with a bit of history.”
    Cat gasped, an idea dawning on her. “Oh! I know. The Royal Museum is doing a special exhibit around the wedding. After the ceremony and everything, we could loan them the dress along with the documents. We could ask them to do a piece on the dress through the years – from that local designer in Masillia all the way to the wedding dress of the future queen. We’ll do a whole press campaign around it, starting with the day of the wedding when you arrive at the church. If people don’t love the dress when they first see it, for some reason – though why wouldn’t they? – they’ll definitely appreciate it after.”
    A sliver of hope bloomed in Rebecca’s eyes. “Do you think that could work?”
    “I think it could.” Francine chuckled. “My goodness. My wedding dress in a museum? Who’d have ever thought?”
    “Is the dress still in good shape?” Cat asked. “Does it need restoring? We would need