Veiled Revenge Read Online Free Page A

Rosalie grabbed her hair into a ponytail with a look of terror. “You’re not going to cut, are you? It took me two years to grow it out from last time.” She shot an accusatory glare Stella’s way. “I was practically bald.”
    Stella shrugged and waved her drink. “So we learned something. Really short hair doesn’t work for you. And you got even, didn’t you, Rosalie? You wouldn’t believe it, Lacey. She attacked my car. Disabled it completely.”
    “Oh, please,” Rosalie said. “It was just the plug wires. Easy-peasy. It’s not like I put a potato in the exhaust pipe or anything.”
    Weddings always bring out the best in people
. Lacey didn’t know quite what to say, but Michelle stepped in again. She eyed Rosalie’s hair with interest. “It just needs a trim, just an inch or two. And if we straighten it a little, you won’t even know it was cut.”
    “Straighten it?” Rosalie’s eyes were wide.
    “Trust me, I am the expert straightener. And it will last.”
    Rosalie took a gulp of her drink. “If you’re sure. And you have to promise you won’t scalp me.”
    “I promise. You can trust me, even if you can’t trust Stella.” Michelle smiled.
    “That was a joke, Rosalie,” Stella said. “Hey, would I steer you wrong?”
    “Yes, you would and you have,” Rosalie replied, backing away from her cousin.
    “Michelle is a terrific stylist and she really understands naturally curly hair,” Lacey said.
    Rosalie shook her head. “Hair and makeup, hair and makeup! It’s always come so easily for Stella. But when she does
my
hair and
my
makeup, she makes me look weird. Like a clown.”
    Stella sighed. “You’re just not used to looking different.”
    “Maybe I don’t like looking
crazy
. Hey, speaking of crazy, I need a drink.” Rosalie headed to the bar. Stella covered her face with her hands.
    “Honestly, I don’t how I’m going to make it through this wedding. And to top things off, Lady Gwendolyn made me invite . . . my
mother
to all the festivities.”
    “You can’t not invite your mother, Stella. My advice, play nice.”
    “Ha, easy for you to say. You have a great mom. Mine, not so much.”
    Lacey rolled her eyes. She had yet to meet the notorious Retta Lake, but she was looking forward to it. She’d already met Lady Gwendolyn Griffin, Stella’s soon-to-be mother-in-law, who’d submitted like a lamb to a radical hair and makeup makeover under Stella’s supervision.
    “My mother doesn’t even really believe I’m getting married,” Stella said. “Retta’s all negativity. Who’d want her around? Anyway, Lady G guilted me into it. She may look all House of Windsor and
Downton Abbey
, but she can badger with the best of them. And my mother’s coming a week early. Her idea, believe me. And Rosalie’s only here to be gossip central for the relatives back home. This party will be all over her Facebook before midnight.” Stella tossed a sour look toward her younger cousin. “And I’m going to have to do something about
that
!”
    “That?” Lacey squinted at Rosalie.
    “That mop of hair. And did you hear her? It’s not like she’s ever
grateful
or anything. Plus, the salon’s going to be short-staffed on account of the wedding anyway. I’m totally doing her a favor.”
    “Sometimes it’s hard to take charity, Stella. Even from your cousin. At any rate, Michelle will have it under control. More pink champagne?” Lacey inquired. “No one wants to see a glum bride. You aren’t having, um, cold feet, are you?”
    “In these hot shoes?” Stella lunged for another pink cocktail. “No, no doubts about Nigel, or the cherry blossoms, or anything like that. But there is something. Something that could wreck everything. Besides my mother and my cousin showing up to ruin my big day.”
    Alarms were going off in Lacey’s brain. “I’m your maid of honor. You can tell me anything.”
I really don’t want to hear this, do I?
    “I meant to tell you. But it’s too