“I’m so sorry,” Xenia whispered.
“It was a hard time for our family,” Lady Gigi acknowledged. “Which is why I am grateful you entered Ethan’s life. Because of you, he is finally getting better.”
At the other’s knowing look, panic tiptoed up Xenia’s spine.
“You misunderstand, my lady. I’m just his housekeeper?—”
“And a very fine one you are,” Lady Gigi said warmly. “You’ve made my brother’s house into a lovely home, and now he’s making music again. I cannot thank you enough.”
“You don’t have to thank me?—”
“But I already have,” Lady Gigi said gaily. “Come take a look.”
The younger woman took Xenia by the hand, leading her to the full-length looking glass.
“Blooming he—” Xenia caught herself in time. “Colette, what have you done?”
“You don’t like it?” the maid said anxiously. “When I was arranging your hair, I noticed the dye had already faded. I used a little paste to remove the rest, and I think it looks better,non?”
“You lookresplendent,” Lady Gigi declared. “Red suits you so much better, Xenia, and that shade in particular is stunning. The dress sets off your natural coloring to perfection.”
Staring dazedly in the mirror, Xenia had to admit that she’d never been in better looks. She didn’t even recognize the lady in the mirror with her fancy hair and clothes. Vanity got the better of her, and she went with Lady Gigi to the drawing room.
Now that she was here, however, she was having second thoughts.
I don’t belong with this rarefied group. What if Ethan doesn’t want me here? What if he is embarrassed by me? What if others suspect that we are having an affair? And now that my hair isn’t dyed, I am far too exposed…
“Mrs. Wood?”
She froze as Ethan emerged from the drawing room. Her hands curling at her sides, she met his gaze. His eyes widened…and then his entire expression changed. The admiration—and hungry possessiveness—on his face gave too much away, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. In that moment, she wanted his claim—wanted the world to know that she belonged to this magnificent fellow. And hewasmagnificent: there was no other way to describe the way he looked in his elegant blue tailcoat and trousers, a white silk cravat knotted elegantly beneath his chin.
“How lovely you are,” he said huskily.
He took her hand and brushed his lips over her trembling fingers. His indigo gaze remained locked on her while he addressed his sister.
“Is this what you were up to, Gigi?”
“You are welcome,” his sibling said brightly. “But do not think to monopolize Xenia. She is my guest, and for once I shan’t be so dreadfully outnumbered by males. Come along, dear. I want to show you that novel I was telling you about.”
As Xenia was pulled into the drawing room, she looked desperately behind her.
Ethan raised his brows, mouthing, “Xenia?”
She gave a bewildered shrug and saw a smile tug at his lips.
A moment later, he followed.
Admittedly, Ethan had a preference for redheads, and he’d known that Xenia in particular, with her creamy complexion and velvety-brown eyes, would look splendid with red hair. Yet even he hadn’t guessed quite how stunning her transformation would be. Her hair wasn’t just any red: it glowed like fire. It was parted in the middle and styled into shining wings that framed her lovely face. Fresh flowers added simple adornment to her chignon.
He'd also never seen her in anything but dull colors, and in the leaf-green taffeta, her beauty hit him like the lush heat of summer. The cut of the frock, while relatively modest, made him realize how much her usual dresses hid. The square neckline displayed the rounded tops of her breasts, which gave a tantalizing jiggle when she laughed. Her nipped-in waist invited a man to span it with his hands. Compared to Gigi’s ruffled blue dress, Xenia’s was plainer, but its simplicity suited her, allowing her elemental beauty to shine through.
On an ordinary day, Xenia made him hard. Seeing her now, he felt like a cross between a pirate and a troglodyte. He wanted to haul her over his shoulder, take her to his cave, and ravish her until she was hoarse from screams of pleasure. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one captivated by her charms. Parkhurst and Canning were taking eyefuls too, practically tripping over themselves to get closer to her.
He downed another shot of whisky to prevent himself from going over and driving his fist into Parkhurst’s charming visage as he partnered Xenia in a polka while Gigi accompanied on the piano. Unused to the bite of jealousy, Ethan couldn’t say he liked it. His sister hadn’t been wrong when she said that he’d once taken feminine interest as his due. In the past, when women had flocked to him, he’d enjoyed the interludes but hadn’t much cared how long they stayed. With Constance, he’d felt a certain complacency because he thought she was too perfect to err out of passion…which showed how much he knew. When Constance left, she’d taken a chunk of his self-confidence with her.
Being with Xenia had restored his faith in himself. While he didn’t doubt her loyalty, he couldn’t say the same about his cronies. To be fair, Canning and Parkhurst were unaware that Xenia belonged to him…but, dammit, they ought to know better than to lust over his housekeeper. The fact that he couldn’t cut in without raising suspicion frustrated him to no end. As it was, he’d already interrupted a few times to take her for a turn around the drawing room. Fear of discovery had limited their conversation, but her sparkling eyes and shy smiles had made him feel like the luckiest bastard alive.
Since his discussion with Gigi, he’d started thinking about marriage to Xenia as less a question ofifand more a question ofwhen. The bottom line was that Xeniadidmake him happy…happier than he’d ever been. With a certainty that he’d only felt about music, he knew she was his destiny. If his sister was right, his family would pose no barrier to their union, and beyond them, he didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought.
