Read Online The Cinderella Moment by Jennifer Kloester - Free Book Online Page B

thought of—some other way to beat Margot. Let’s talk about it at home.”
    As they entered the foyer, they found Simone carrying two of several large white boxes towards the stairs.
    “I’ll do that, Maman,” said Angel.
    “Let me take those, Simone,” said Lily.
    “Thank you,” panted Simone.
    Angel frowned. “Are you feeling all right?”
    Simone smiled tiredly. “Just my wretched indigestion again.”
    “Oh, Maman—” began Angel, but Simone interrupted.
    “It is all right, chérie . I have a cup of peppermint tea waiting for me in the kitchen.”
    “Go have your tea,” said Lily. “We’ll put these in Margot’s room.”
    “Clarissa’s room,” corrected Simone. “These are for Clarissa.”
    “Okay.”
    Picking up the remaining boxes, they ran upstairs to Clarissa’s room and dropped the boxes on her bed. Angel ran her fingers lightly across the Handmade by Harrington’s logo on the lid and wished she could look inside.
    “I wonder what the evil diva has ordered from Harrington’s this time,” said Lily, as Angel headed for the door.
    Angel considered the boxes, “Maybe she’s had some of her designs made up for Miki Merua. Didn’t you say she’d shown him some of her sketches and he’d asked her to bring in some samples?”
    “Yes, but I didn’t believe her.”
    “Well, maybe she was telling the truth for once.”
    “Let’s find out,” said Lily mischievously, grabbing the nearest box.
    “I don’t think you should do that,” began Angel, but Lily had already pulled off the lid and was parting the swathes of pink tissue paper.
    A moment later she held up a green-and-white silk dress. “Gorgeous—” Lily stopped as Angel uttered a strangled cry and leapt forward. She grabbed the dress, flipped it around and sank onto the bed.
    “What is it? What’s wrong?”
    “It’s mine !” croaked Angel. “ My design, in a Harrington’s box.”
    “No way! How can that be?” demanded Lily. “You’ve never… ”
    Suddenly Angel grabbed the nearest box and tore off the lid. Lily stared as tissue paper flew through the air. Moments later Angel held up a striking red cocktail sheath.
    Before Lily could speak, Angel was ripping a third box apart. She pulled a navy-blue suit with fine white trim from its nest of paper, threw it on the bed, and wrenched the lid off the next box. Thrusting both hands into the papery depths, she lifted up a hot-pink frilled bathing suit.
    White and trembling, Angel turned to the last box.
    It was by far the largest of the five and the lid was tight. Angel tugged at it, her nails raking the edges, until it gave way. She parted the tissue paper and lifted out the contents.
    Lily gasped. Angel was holding up a stunning midnight-blue velvet ball gown with filigreed silver straps and a small silver angel delicately embroidered on the bodice. Tenderly caressing the velvet was a layered half-skirt of sparkling silver gauze pieces which floated to the floor.
    Angel clasped the gown to her breast and sank slowly onto the bed amidst a sea of pink tissue paper.
    “My designs,” she whispered. “They’re all my designs.”
    Lily stared helplessly at the agony on Angel’s face. “I don’t understand,” she faltered. “Are you saying that Clarissa has had Harrington’s make your designs?”
    Angel nodded.
    “How dare she!” cried Lily. “I knew she was bad, but I didn’t know she was a thief.”
    “She’s worse than that,” said Angel, and the color rose in her cheeks. “Think about it. Why would Clarissa have Harrington’s make my designs?”
    “Because they’re the best?”
    “Because they make everything by hand .”
    Lily stared as the light slowly dawned. “She couldn’t—She wouldn’t—”
    “Enter my designs in the Teen Couture?” finished Angel angrily. “It’s exactly what Clarissa would do if she’d messed up her own entry. That Japanese silk wouldn’t take resewing.”
    “But she’d never get away with it,” declared