She couldn’t understand Ned. She wa

She couldn’t understand Ned. She was sure he’d at least bring up how busy he and the guys were getting Mystique and Doc Holliday ready for the Hunt Cup tomorrow. With Travis gone and her time taken up with the shoot, they were down by two pairs of hands. “You’re certain you can spare the time, Ned?”
“Sure, I am.”
“And what horse do you think would work? I don’t want to risk—”
“We’ll use Stoneleigh. He’s a beaut and seasoned—he won’t spook at a bunch of bright lights and whatnot,” Ned said, with his typical pride. Indeed, he struck her as almost enthusiastic about the photo shoot. But for all his gung-ho attitude, he wouldn’t meet her gaze. This must be so hard for him, having to pretend he was all for Stoneleigh being photographed when it went against everything he believed in as a horseman. She wasn’t going to make it harder for him by continuing to question him.
“That’s a great idea, Stoneleigh will be perfect. I’ll ask Jade to come down and help get him ready. When do you think you can have him ready?”
“Well, that’s a bit of a problem. We should let Stoneleigh have his normal turnout time and maybe Andy should hop on him for a little to get him nice and relaxed. Then we’ve got to bathe him. Don’t think he’ll be ready until much, much later,” he warned, with a fierce frown at his watch.
Here was the Ned she knew and loved: always putting the horse first. She wasn’t going to push him to set an exact hour for all the money in the world. “That’s all right. Charlie will have a lot of other shots to take first.” Impulsively she kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Ned. I really appreciate your help in this. I realize it’s not what you wanted.”
Scarlet flags stained his weathered face. “You know we’d all do anything for you, Miss Margot,” he returned thickly, before whipping out his handkerchief and blowing loudly. “You go on now. I’ll bring the stallion out when I can.”
Margot had lost track of the wardrobe changes and adjustments to her hair and makeup that Charlie had called for during the course of the day’s shoot. She’d never known him to be this fussy. Then again, he seemed to be truly inspired by the visual opportunities Rosewood offered. Like a kid on Christmas morning, he wanted to try everything and have her pose everywhere: lounging on the porch in a body-hugging citrine evening dress by Zac Posen, nestling against the trunk of one of the old chestnut trees wrapped in a bloodred satin and velvet cape by Yves Saint Laurent, hanging from one of its bare limbs in a flirty chiffon cocktail dress by Balenciaga, twirling and leaping across the lawn and then dropping down to sit like Little Miss Muffet in a silver Nina Ricci. Charlie had gone through hundreds of frames. She was getting really tired of trying to be beautiful. And Ned had yet to bring Stoneleigh out.
It was past two o’clock and despite the balmy weather, the November sun was already at an angle. Yet Charlie had made no mention of the promised horse; this was an incredible display of patience, even for someone as mellow as he.
During one of the short breaks, while Charlie, Evan, and Keisha were doing a light-meter reading, Margot took the opportunity to speak to Jade. “Hey, Jade, where’s Jordan?” Both her sisters had been watching the shoot from the sidelines, with Kate nestled on Jordan’s lap and Max playing with his fire truck by her feet.
“She had to go upstairs and put Kate and Max down for their naps. Said to keep her seat warm. She can’t wait to see what you’re going to wear next.”
Margot was happy to hear the shoot was providing a pleasant distraction for Jordan. “Listen, would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Would you go down to the barn and see what’s keeping Ned?” She had told herself she wasn’t going to rush him, but this was becoming absurd. Ned was surely finished grooming Stoneleigh by now.
“Nothing’s keeping Ned. You know what he’s like. He won’t bring Stoneleigh out until he’s show perfect.”
“Could you do it anyway, maybe lend him a hand? I don’t want to hold up the shoot.”
Jade’s brows drew together.
“Please?” she asked.
“Oh, all right,” Jade said peevishly. “Not that it will make any difference. Ned’s not going to bring him any faster just because I’m there.”
Bemused, Margot shook her head as Jade stomped off. What was up with Jade? She knew full well that Ned positively doted on her and that she could get him to do anything. But then Charlie was calling out, “Okay, Margot, come on back. Kristin, can you give her foundation a touch-up?”
More poses, more wardrobe changes, more makeup and hair adjustments. Margot was growing numb with fatigue.
And then Jade was tearing over the lawn, a wide smile splitting her face. “He’s coming. Just give him a few minutes and he’ll be here. He looks fantastic. Totally awesome.”
Margot’s brows rose at Jade’s enthusiasm. Then again, even at nearly twenty Stoneleigh was a beautiful horse. Maybe Ned had used a bluing shampoo in his tail to make it extra white and shiny. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Margot, why don’t you change into that Vera Wang now?”
“You want me to change?” she asked in confusion. She’d only just been zipped into the Stella McCartney.
“Yeah,” Charlie replied, fiddling with his camera. “The light’s changed and the colors are all wrong. The lavender-blue of the Wang will work much better with the tans and golds of the landscape. Right, Evan?”
“Absolutely, Charlie.”
“Okay, back in a few.”
“Take your time, babe. And Kristin, give me a deeper red for her lips.”
“Gotcha, Charlie.”
And so Margot, Kristin, and Palin trudged back to the house for yet another wardrobe change and more fussing with her hair and skin.
Palin had used a curling iron to make her hair fall in soft waves about her shoulders. Kristin had retouched her makeup with a different blush, a red-wine-colored lipstick, and a hint of brown shadow around Margot’s mascaraed eyes. When they slipped the silk-tulle Vera Wang on her, the blue-violet hue of the dress turned her eyes a deep, fathomless blue.
“Wow,” Palin said. “We did some good work here.”
“You guys always do good work,” Margot replied, not bothering with a second glance in the mirror. Why would she possibly care how she looked? She just hoped Ned had Stoneleigh so that they could get the shot done and call it a wrap.