The Boss (Chateau #3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,61

dress from Louis Vuitton with some matching pumps, along with a few pieces of jewelry Gilbert had placed in my room. When he first showed me the jewelry box, I didn’t touch anything because I’d never seen jewels like that in my entire life. Now, I put them on every day, always wearing something new because he had such a variety.

I made my way downstairs and found Gilbert in the main living room, carefully dusting a teapot with a soft brush, like it was a fossil found in the desert that needed to be handled with care. “Gilbert?”

He finished what he was doing then carefully placed the lid on top before he rose to his feet, in his tuxedo with his shoes as shiny as the paint job on a brand-new car. “Is there something I can get you, Melanie?” He removed the white gloves he used to handle the tea set as he approached me.

“Is that tea set really old or something?”

He halted in front of me, giving me that look that clearly asked, “Did she just really say that?” After he recovered from his shock, he finished with his gloves and held them at his sides along with the brush. “Yes…very old. This estate has been restored as minimally as possible to protect its history. A lot of the items in the house date back to the sixteen and seventeen hundreds, when Parisian society was bustling with parties and gatherings.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that. Fender doesn’t…talk much.”

Gilbert stared at me, his lips slightly pressed together in displeasure and his eyes a little dark. He didn’t beam at me the way he did with Fender, and I’d just have to accept the fact that he never would. “Did you have a request?”

“Yes. Maybe the two of us could go shopping in Paris?” He was passionate about designers and fashion, the perfect colors on the right complexions, the accessories that elevated an outfit from simple to fantastic. “Then get lunch or something?” Raven and I never really had a chance to do those things because we went sight-seeing instead. My time with her had been short…before everything happened.

Gilbert’s gaze dropped briefly before he found the words. “His Highness has requested that you don’t leave the premises in his absence.”

I was a bit disappointed but unsurprised. Without him present, there wasn’t much for me to do. It was too cold to spend much time outside, and it’d been raining a lot. “Have you been in contact with him?”

He shook his head.

“Then how do you know when to prepare for his arrival?”

“Because I’m always prepared for his arrival.” When his job was questioned, he was immediately defensive, like his occupation was the bread and butter of his life.

“Do you ever leave the house?”

“House?” he asked. “This is a palace, Melanie. Not a house.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“And yes. I have my time off to do what I wish. I would normally leave in his absence, but since you’re here, we both agreed I should stay put.”

“Because you’re the only one who speaks English?” Whenever I tried to talk to the housekeepers, they looked at me blankly then continued to work.

“Because the head butler is the only one who speaks to the master. Everyone else reports to me.”

I didn’t understand the hierarchy in this house, but that made sense. The rest of the staff moved in and out of the background, doing their jobs but trying to remain unseen. If Fender had to give orders to every single one, his day would be spent running a house rather than working. “Well, how about lunch?”

He gave a cut nod. “We can do lunch. Take a seat, and I’ll join you momentarily.” He turned to walk away.

I turned back around to admire the tea set, realizing that it could be hundreds of years old, that Parisian socialites may have drunk out of it and smeared their lipstick along the rim.

“And Melanie?” Gilbert turned back around.

I faced him.

“You look lovely in that dress. Purple is your color.” He gave a slight bow before he departed.

“Practicing your French?” He sat across from me in the garden room, which was surrounded by French doors made of glass, showing the water drops on the green leaves, the slight bop of the plants as the rain came down and made everything move. When spring arrived, I was certain it would be the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

I turned back to him. “Yes. That’s all I have to do…”

“Good.” He delicately