glamorous about him. He was effortlessly sophisticated and elegant without ever showing off.
“I’m so glad,” he said about the car. “Her name is Josephine, and she’s the love of my life. I give you fair warning, if we ever fall in love, she will always come first. I hope you can live with that,” he said, grinning at her, and leaned over to kiss her cheek to soften the blow, as she smiled at him.
“It sounds like I’ll have to.”
“I’ll let you drive her if you like,” he said generously and Coco shook her head.
“I wouldn’t dare. I’d be afraid to hurt her, or do something wrong.”
“She’s rather temperamental, I’ll admit. It’s part of her charm.”
“Do you like temperamental women?” she teased him.
“Only Josephine,” he answered.
“Good, because I’m not.”
“I can tell.” He smiled at her. “That’s why you’re here.” It was an honest statement and she laughed.
They arrived just in time to change for dinner. There were about thirty people milling around the enormous drawing room, and their hosts were warmly welcoming, and delighted to meet Coco. They were a marquess and marchioness, and Nigel had briefed her beforehand on how to address them. They were in their early forties, and made everyone feel very much at home. Nigel said they had a genius for getting the right people together. Liveried servants showed them to their rooms, and Coco noticed that they were in separate hallways, which was apparently standard for couples who were not sharing a room. They would need a compass, a map, and roller skates to find each other, she whispered to him on the way to their rooms, and he laughed.
“No worries. I know the house very well. It’s full of shortcuts and secret passages, if I need to get to you quickly.”
“I’d probably end up in the dungeon and no one would ever find me if I tried to find you.”
“I promise to get up a search party if that happens,” he said, as they stopped at her room, which was a large, very English-looking room filled with handsome antiques, beautiful dark red damask fabrics, and a canopied bed. He hurried off with the footman to get to his own room and change for dinner. He disappeared down another hallway with a wave, as she closed her door. It was all a new experience for her, and she felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland as she opened one of her suitcases and a maid in a black uniform and white cap appeared. It was very Downton Abbey, and a throwback to another era, like the house itself, which was enormous, and very much a castle. The photographs she’d seen online hadn’t done it justice.
“Would you like me to unpack for you, miss?” she asked Coco, who was embarrassed to have someone else unpack her bags.
“No, thank you very much.” She smiled at her. “I’m fine.” The maid was about the same age as Coco and the two young women smiled at each other like two guests at a costume party. She disappeared and Coco rushed around to have a quick bath, unpack her dress, put on makeup, brush her hair, and dress for dinner. She wore a green silk dress the color of her eyes, with a string of her mother’s pearls, her own diamond earrings, and high heels. She wore just a little mascara, red lipstick, and brushed her hair until it shone. She looked very elegant and quietly sexy as she made her way along the hall, and down the grand staircase, where she saw Nigel looking up at her and smiling. He’d been waiting for her in a perfectly cut dark blue suit. He was very handsome, and they were a striking couple as they walked into the drawing room together, and their hosts greeted them again.
They made the rounds to meet the other guests. Nigel knew everyone with one or two exceptions, and everyone was happy to see him. He and Coco were the only single people there. The others were all in couples, his age or the age of their hosts. Coco was by far the youngest guest, but as soon as they spoke to her, they were impressed by her. Their hosts were particularly happy to see Nigel with such a charming girl. The hostess whispered to her that he had a penchant for either young actresses who acted like spoiled brats with no manners, or heiresses who were even more spoiled. They all thought