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the contract! You signed it!” “Oops. Guess I forgot.”
    Even Pippa looked worried. Ginny had always been a free spirit, but this was pushing the limits of independence. Hopefully Brent would think of a fix before Thayne saw the damage.
    â€œAre you making some sort of statement, dear?” Hazel drawled.
    â€œNo, I’m leaving for an expedition right after the wedding.” Ginny loved taking trips to jungles and deserts and other horrible places with giant bugs and no electricity. Although a triple legacy to Kappa Kappa Gamma, she hadn’t even rushed, an aberration that made her little above a leper in the bridesmaids’ eyes. After her first debutante ball, she had never been seen in a gown again—until now. No one could understand what Pippa saw in Ginny.
    â€œYou mean you won’t make it to the reception?” Cora asked.
    â€œCorrect. My plane leaves at eight and flies directly to Costa Rica. I have to be at camp by midnight to see the kinkajous feeding in the trees.”
    The bridesmaids sat stonily processing Ginny’s information. The bad news was that her haircut made her look sexier than ever. The good news was that she was disappearing immediately after the wedding. “Maybe you should leave a little early,” Kimberly said hopefully. “Security and all.”
    Ginny patted Pippa’s hand. “I’ll stay as long as I can.”
    Their second helpings arrived. Ginny easily convinced the waiter to supplement lunch with buttermilk biscuits and two bottles of Belvedere vodka. When all of that was gone, the waiter brought dessert, an artful arrangement of five strawberries and another waferlike object.
    Pippa glanced at her watch. Thayne was now an hour late. “Something awful must have happened,” she whispered to Ginny.
    â€œRelax. A Sith Lord couldn’t stop Thayne from getting here.”
    Kimberly unsteadily rose to her feet and cultivated a warm smile. “I’d like to propose a toast to Pippa. Congratulations on snagging the most eligible bachelor in Texas. Without even trying.”
Sneaky bitch,
she added under her breath, softly enough so that only her side of the table heard her.
    â€œThanks, everyone, for being my bridesmaids,” Pippa replied, raising her glass. “I appreciate the huge effort you made to be here.”
    Obviously she was referring to her mother’s mini Miss America competition. “No problem,” Tara said. “We all had the pictures lying around anyway.”
    Thayne burst in, resplendent in a pink linen pantsuit, matching pink top hat, green leather gloves, and a Milky Way of pearls. She looked less like a Mad Hatter than a transvestite version of Mr. Peanut. Thayne’s two favorite society reporters entered with her. “Sorry I’m late, girls,” she called, sweeping past the maître d’. Thayne placed two Coach totes and her laptop on an empty chair. “How was lunch?”
    â€œDelicious, Mrs. Walker! Thank you so much!” chorused ten suddenly modest, sober young ladies.
    â€œDid you get enough to eat?”
    â€œMore than enough! Thank you so much!”
    Pleased, Thayne looked around the table. She spotted Ginny’s hair, or lack thereof, at once. “What have you done with your hair, Virginia?”
    â€œTucked it into my hat, ma’am. It got seriously knotted up in the gym this morning.”
    â€œThank God we’ve got Brent upstairs.” Thayne placed a small fuchsia box with a purple bow in front of each bridesmaid. As she did so, her perfume saturated the room. Its floral overtones were heavier than a state funeral. Only Leah was stupid enough to sneeze.
    Kimberly astutely rushed into the void. “What is that fragrance you’re wearing, Mrs. Walker? It’s delightful.”
    â€œI’m so glad you like it.” Thayne beamed. “Do open your gifts.”
    The girls had a bit of trouble with the tight purple