She checked her hair and blouse one more time, making sure the girls’ first impression of her new look would be perfect. Her friends had been shown into one of the reception rooms off the main entrance hall. She had hoped they might be given a quick tour of the building, so they could soak in the opulence before she appeared, fashionably late and effortlessly casual. But Alinda had fetched her as soon as they had arrived. Still, the mansion was impressive enough even without a tour – they’d still be bowled over.‘Hello, everyone.’She wasn’t disappointed with their reaction. Grace’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline, Adie and Delilah stood with open mouths and Jenny, who sat bent over in a chair, fiddling with something on her ankle, looked up and stared. ‘Wowza,’ Una said, clumsily replacing the gold-plated ornament she had plucked from the mantelpiece. ‘You’ve been Swanned!’‘Well,’ Rachel said, faking modesty as she swept a hand over her plaited locks, ‘don’t know about that, but they lent me some new clothes.
