by Alexia Praks
Tara chuckled. “Then we should give Kate a call ASAP.”
Alaina nodded and picked up the phone.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 7
Silk & Sakura
Beth didn’t look very pleased when Sakura showed her the ruined bridesmaid’s gown. It was beyond fixable. Of course she knew what had happened yesterday, along with James and Brenda, who had a serious meeting with Alaina and Tara early this morning. Though Beth hadn’t a clue as to what had been said, from the look on the two women’s faces she surmised it wasn’t good. They had looked as though James had given them a sentence worse than death itself. Serves them right, she thought secretly, for behaving in such a distasteful manner and bullying Sakura, even at this age. Had they forgotten how James and Brenda loved Sakura?
What Beth couldn’t believe also was the fact that Sakura didn’t tell her friends, Mary and Katherine, who naturally had already found out. Sakura just told them she’d had an accident and now the dress was ruined.
“We have to fix it,” Mary said. “It’s too late to find you another one that will actually fit you.”
Katherine said, “I’m sure between the four of us, we could figure something out. Maybe cut something out. I mean, Sakura’s dress and mine don’t have to be in the same design, right?”
“Yes, it doesn’t have to be in the same design. The color alone is enough,” Mary said, nodding her head.
Sakura sighed with relief that her friends, especially Mary, the bride-to-be, weren’t pissed with her. After all, most brides would have flipped by now when their wedding was a mere week away and the bridesmaid’s dress was completely and utterly ruined.
Then Sakura realized something. After this particular wedding, everything would go back to normal. The brothers would all return to their own lives and she to hers. Her heart skipped a beat at that thought, and she wasn’t sure what that meant.
At this time, outside on the terrace, the brothers and their parents were just finishing their afternoon tea. It was lovely, and they enjoyed the meal tremendously, especially since there was coffee made by Sakura.
“So I heard you had a race,” James said. “Should’ve told me.”
“It was an urgent matter,” Nicolas put in.
“I can hardly imagine that choosing a swimming instructor for Sakura is an urgent matter. Don’t you think, Brenda?” James asked his wife.
Brenda nodded and said, “I don’t understand why Sakura didn’t come to you if she wanted to learn how to swim. You could have easily taught her.”
Sebastian said, “She asked me.”
James chuckled. “And you being the noble one decided to put up a race instead?”
“Hayden said it wasn’t fair,” Sebastian put in.
“Ah,” James said. “A race sounds fair enough in this case.”
“Oh well,” Conrad said easily as he got up. “Seb won so he’s still her teacher.” He headed toward the French doors leading into the house. “I’m off.”
Tristan eyed Conrad suspiciously. He knew the youngest had something up his sleeves. He couldn’t help himself and got up as well. “I’m off, too,” he said, going after Conrad.
James hid a smile. “Ah, such a lovely day.” He reached for his cup of coffee and observed as one by one his sons left them.
“Where do you think they’re going?” Brenda asked as she watched them disappearing into the house.
“Do you know, Brenda, that our sons never agreed on anything before?”
“What do you mean? Of course I know that.”
“They’ve changed,” he said. “They never go anywhere together unless we make them. But recently they hang out a lot. Not that I’m complaining.”
“What brings them together?” Brenda asked.
“Something they’re all interested in,” James said, smiling.
In the house, Tristan caught up with Conrad and yelled out, “What are you up to, Conrad?”
Conrad jumped and cursed under his breath. “Nothing!”
Tristan hooked his arm over his younger brother’s neck and eyed him closely. “Come on, brat. Tell me what’s going on here. You’re hiding something.”
Conrad went red as a beetroot.
“Stop pestering him,” Sebastian said, coming toward them.
“Yes, stop pestering me,” Conrad muttered darkly. “And leave me alone. I have important things to do.”
“Like what?” Logan asked.
Conrad clamped his lips together and marched past them.
“He’s going to see Sakura,” Nicolas said easily.
“Now,” Hayden said, “we can’t let that happen.”
Up on the second floor, Conrad sighed in relief once he realized none of his brothers were following him. Well, at least he thought so. Thus he rushed across the corridor and headed straight to Sakura’s bedroom. He was about to open the door when Tristan coughed loudly, intentionally.
Conrad turned and glared at them. “What the hell?”
Tristan chuckled and said, “What?” and opened Sakura’s door and walked in.
“What are you guys doing?” Conrad shouted, which of course drew the attention of the occupants from inside.
“Helping Sakura fix her dress,” Darcy said and walked in as well.
Conrad sighed, his face still flaming red as he watched his brothers filing into Sakura’s room. He gritted his teeth and entered as well.
Sakura wasn’t pleased when her room was filled with men. Young. Hot. Princeton. Men.
“What are you guys doing here?” she asked none too gently.
“Helping you,” Tristan said. “Fixing that horrid dress.”
Sakura looked heavenward. “I have enough help here,” she announced. “Now please leave my room. And there isn’t enough space for all of you here.”
It was true. Her room wasn’t that large, and with all of them there, there was absolutely no space to move.
“Then let’s move to mine,” Mary offered. “Mine is bigger.” Of course, since she was the bride-to-be, James had given her one of the biggest bedrooms in the mansion, which pleased Mary.
“Let’s go, then,” Tristan said, pulling Sakura by the hand and leading her out the door.
“Isn’t that nice?” Beth said to Katherine. “The brothers are here to help their sister out.”
Sebastian and Darcy didn’t like the sound of that and didn’t bother to hide their scowling.
A few minutes later, Sakura found herself standing before the full-length mirror and everyone inspecting her.
“I think it should be shorter,” Tristan said.
“How short?” Beth asked.
“Short short,” Tristan said.
“Not that short,” Sebastian put in.
“I like it short,” Logan said. “Just above the knees.”
“No,” Tristan put in. “Shorter.”
“I don’t want it short,” Sakura said. “Mary?” She turned to her friends for help. She thought the bride-to-be should put in a few words. Otherwise, the brothers would go out of control designing her new dress to their hearts’ content. When Mary just cocked her head to one side, Sakura said, “I thought the bridesmaid’s dress was supposed to be long.”
“Well—” Mary started, but Tristan cut her off.
“Of course not,” he said sharply. “It suits you better short.” And he grabbed a bunch of the material on her and ripped off the bottom bit.
Sakura sucked in her breath. “Tristan!” she screamed. But he wasn’t paying her any attention. When she turned to look at the other brothers, they too weren’t shocked to see the material being ripped off from her person. Now she stood before them, her long legs bare.
“Honestly,” she said. “That’s it. I’m not in this anymore.” She took one step toward the door before Darcy caught her wrist and pulled her back.
“Be patient,” he said. “We’re fixing your dress.”
She blinked and wanted to laugh. First, they’d forgotten she ever existed. S
econd, they had a swimming competition to see who got to be her instructor, and now they were fixing her dress. She wanted to laugh at that. After all, they were men and how could—
Stop! Pause right there, Sakura! she told herself. Most great fashion designers were men, so maybe these Princeton men could just be onto something.
She allowed herself to be roped back into the center spot. Then the inspection proceeded.
“I think it should be strapless,” Hayden said. All the brothers noticed Sakura had very nice shoulders and thought they were better bare.
“I want straps, thank you very much,” Sakura said. “And it’s my dress, so I do have a say in it.” She eyed Hayden, telling him she meant what she’d said.
He chuckled. “Of course.”
It was two hours later when the final design was done, mostly by Tristan, and by then it was nearly dinnertime.
The brothers went off down to the dining room with Mary and Katherine while Sakura went to change. The brothers were expecting her to join them, but she never turned up.
“Where is she?” Conrad muttered under his breath.
“Who?” Mary asked.
“Sakura,” he said, agitated.
“If you’re waiting for her, she’s not coming,” Mary said. “She said she’s been slacking around for a couple of days now, and she needed to get back on with it.”
The brothers weren’t happy with the sound of that and wondered what she was doing.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 8
An Unexpected Hope
“You’re frowning,” Ned Fabre said from across the room. “It doesn’t become you. Stop frowning.”
From across the studio, Sakura glanced at the man who had been like a second father to her. She saw that he wasn’t actually looking at her. He was concentrating on his painting. She knew he was teasing her because he had a smile on his wrinkled face as he concentrated on his work, moving the paintbrush ever so gently as if he were caressing the canvas with each stroke.
“How did you know I was frowning when you’re not even looking?” she asked, returning her eyes to her canvas. She cocked her head to one side, wondering if she had overdone the green leaves.
“I can tell when you’re frowning,” he said, carefully moving the tiny brush downward. Ah, the rose looks perfect now, he thought with a smile.
“Really?” Sakura asked, eyeing the photo she’d clipped to the side of the canvas. It was of the cherry tree she had taken that day before she met the brothers. She picked this particular picture because the tree stood alone with petals floating across in the wind, and in the distance, there were hills and beyond that the sea of the island. It was perfect for her painting.
Ned put down his brush and folded his arms across his chest, finally eyeing her. “So what’s bothering you?”
Sakura flicked her eyes to him, taking in his silvery-gray hair, thin face, and slight frame. He was completely different from Beth considering the fact that they were siblings. Their personalities, too, were completely different. Beth was the outgoing one with a no-nonsense attitude while Ned was the laidback one, very quiet and preferring to stay in the background.
Sakura had met him when she first moved into Princeton Mansion, and since then, he had become a very good friend of hers, treating her like his very own daughter and teaching her how to draw and paint. He had said that first day in the garden that painting was like meditation. It calms you down and makes you forget about the world. He had been right. When Sakura painted, she forgot about the world, so consumed she was with her work. Then when it was finished, it was like seeing her baby coming to life for the first time. She felt proud. That was why she loved to paint.
“Nothing is bothering me,” she said, gently stroking the paintbrush against the white sheet, making another tiny green leaf.
“You’re lying,” Ned said. “I can tell it in your voice.”
Sakura chuckled. “It’s hard to hide anything from you, Ned dear.”
“You’re mocking me, Sakura. I’ve known you since you were a wee girl, hiding behind the house crying your wee heart out ’cause Tara hit you and the boys wouldn’t play with you. Why you didn’t tell James is beyond me. But you know as well as I that he knew what was going on. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent you so far away to that bloody boarding school.”
Sakura chuckled again. “Did you miss me that much, Ned dear?”
“Bloody well I did, young missy, and bloody worried about you, too. Who’s to say you don’t get bullied again, even though that little brat Tara wasn’t there with you.”
“Well, I’m glad Daddy James sent me away to boarding school. I met my two best friends, Mary and Katherine,” Sakura said. “They’re very nice to me.”
Ned got off his chair and went to a desk on the other side of the large studio. He took out some paper and came back to her. “Let’s just hope Tara and Alaina don’t go whispering nasty things about you and turn their heads against you.”
Sakura frowned at that. “That won’t happen.”
“Who knows?” Ned said. “Here.”
Sakura eyed the envelope in Ned’s hand with confusion. “What’s that?”
“Open it,” he said.
Sakura put down her paintbrush and took the envelope. She opened it and took out some papers. She flicked through them and widened her eyes in surprise. “Ned!”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s your birth mother. You did ask me to help you find her, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes, but I didn’t expect you to go this far. I mean, you got her name and everything.”
He laughed. “There isn’t much I can’t do for Sakura.” He patted her head like he would his daughter.
“How did you do it? I mean, I’ve e-mailed so many people, but—”
“Now.” Ned chuckled. “You were just a wee baby when your mother was here, leaving you there at the orphanage doorstep. I’ll admit it was easy for me because I know a lot of people in this small town. Chasing up those women who used to work in the orphanage was a tad hard, and, mind you, they weren’t very cooperative either.”
“I see,” Sakura murmured, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe Ned had found out who her mother was. “Thank you so much, Ned.”
Ned chuckled. “Now, don’t you give me those distasteful big eyes. It’s disgraceful.”
Sakura chuckled, too. Ned always said that every time she was about to cry. But this time she wasn’t about to cry because she was hurt. No, she was about to cry because she was happy with gratitude.
“You’re wonderful, Ned.”
“Nope, I ain’t wonderful. I’m awful. I should have found this out a long time ago.”
Sakura read the name on the paper. It said Haruka Tanaka. Was that really her mother?
“Now then, what are you going to do about that?” he asked, watching her carefully.
Sakura put down the paper and stared at the half-finished painting. “I’m going to find her.”
“It’s all in there,” Ned said. “She’s here, in America. New York City, to be precise.”
Sakura felt her heart quicken. “Here? In America? But I though she lived in Japan.”
“It seems she’s just moved. She’s working for some Japanese fashion designer. They’re opening another headquarters in New York. I heard they’re opening a new store soon. Supposedly the guy she’s working with is very famous in Japan.”
“I see. That’d make things a lot easier, wouldn’t it?” Sakura asked herself. “Yes. After the wedding.”
Ned smiled. “You know, setting up that gallery for you isn’t that easy either.”
Sakura blinked and turned her attention to him. “Ned! You didn’t!”
He chuckled. “Of course I didn’t.”
She sighed. “If you did, it’d be so much work and—”
“Didn’t want to waste your talent.”
“Ned!” Sakura was shocked. “You?”
“Yes, I di
d. Set up a gallery for you. Your paintings are all there, ready to sell. Got a sales assistant all set up at the shop, too.”
“Oh, Ned.” Sakura jumped up. “But rent in New York? It’s so expensive.”
“Ha-ha! Made a contract with one of your patrons, I did. He loves your work. Bought most of them online. He’s some real estate tycoon of some sort.”
Ned didn’t dare explain to her that their landlord was Sebastian Princeton, the man who was infatuated with her paintings. If he told her, she’d flip and tell him to stop everything immediately.
“Whoa!” Sakura couldn’t believe it. She placed her hand on her chest. Suddenly, she was feeling just a bit dizzy. “My mother and my paintings, both in New York.”
“Waiting for you,” Ned said, chuckling.
“Thank you, Ned,” Sakura said, tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“Didn’t I tell you you look disgusting when you have tears in your eyes?” he scolded.
Sakura chuckled. “You did indeed, Ned dear.”
After that, they both returned to their paintings. Sakura was so engrossed that she’d forgotten about the time until Mary texted her.
“Oh, damn!” she muttered under her breath.
Ned glanced up. “Must be dinnertime,” he said. “Mother hen looking for her chick.”
Sakura laughed. “Mother hen Mary,” she said. “Hold on. It is rather late. I better tell them to start without me.”
“You’re not eating properly again,” Ned said. “This is when a husband comes in handy.”
“Not interested,” Sakura said as she began to text Mary back.
“That Mark person is interested,” Ned said. “So I heard.”
“This Sakura person isn’t interested,” Sakura replied, packing up her gear.
“Well, good luck with that,” Ned said. “Now home with you and stop bothering me. You’re wasting my electricity and paints,” he muttered.
Sakura laughed. “I shall indeed come and waste more of your wonderful electricity and paints.” She grabbed her satchel and headed to the door. “See ya later.”
