held it a few inches from her face. “Are you sure? I think this one’s a little dark. It won’t complement the black. What about this one?” She picked up a lighter sample with a tiny amount of sparkle to it.
“It’s beautiful,” Shaun murmured, then smothered a yawn.
Dasha’s frown amped up a notch as she surveyed Shaun critically. “Are you okay, my dear? We can go over the samples this afternoon if you need a rest.”
Shaun wanted to point out that, no she was not okay, she was still the victim of a kidnapping. Also, she’d spent the entire night previous getting her brains fucked out by the woman’s nephew and was still a little fuzzy from the happy hormones.
Since neither response seemed appropriate for the Koba matriarch, she said, “I’m fine, thank you. It’s just that I have no experience with party planning and your decorating skills are stunning.” Shaun waved her hand around the sitting room where they were having their meeting. It was a combination of heavy woods, gold and beige trimming and the occasional pop of modern. Really, every room Shaun had visited so far had been a feast for the eyes. “I think this engagement party is better left in your capable hands. I will happily bow to your expertise.”
“Lovely, dear.” Dasha beamed at her and squeezed her hand. “You won’t regret this. A few years ago, I threw a 50-year anniversary party for the Baroness Von Grieger. European society is still talking about it. Never mind Leeza’s wedding. Now that was the event of the decade...”
Shaun checked out while Dasha described her daughter’s lavish wedding in meticulous detail over the next hour. Since it was impossible to get in a word edgewise, Shaun didn’t think Dasha would notice that she wasn’t paying attention.
Shaun sipped her tea which seemed to magically refill with hot tawny liquid before she could reach the bottom of her cup. The weird part was she couldn’t once remember seeing a servant. She suspected they were quick and stealthy, neither seen nor heard by the family unless called upon. In Montréal, Shaun had a housekeeper that came in twice a month to make sure she didn’t get too far behind on cleaning when she was working long hours.
“I think we’ll go with the choices of prime rib or salmon for the reception dinner with a vegetarian alternative. We’ll add roasted garlic rosemary potatoes, fresh greens and fresh-baked sweet buns. That should do for the Westerners, and we’ll serve vepÅ™o-knedlo-zelo, roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut for the locals. Oh, I forgot to ask, do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Shaun blinked at Dasha as her brain kicked in to repeat the question. “No, nothing. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I try to limit sugar and alcohol, of course.”
“Of course.” Dasha squeezed her knee. “You’re a doctor; you would know best how to protect your body.”
Shaun started to snort and cut it off so as not to offend Dasha. She clearly did not know how to take care of her body, as it had been through the wringer the past several days. She’d been kidnapped, pushed around, attacked with guns, accosted in a women’s washroom, and forced to sleep in a cold dank prison cell. She wasn’t doing awesome at taking care of herself, but most of that wasn’t her fault.
“I vote for the prime rib.” Saskia wandered into the room, though she’d clearly been standing near the doorway for longer. “With mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and green beans smothered in fresh butter. Our English and American attendees will love it.”
Shaun decided to cast her vote for Saskia’s menu. It sounded amazing. “People will come that far for a last-minute engagement party?”
“Of course they will, we’re extremely rich, dear.”
Shaun had to smother a laugh. This was the second time Dasha had reminded her of the Koba wealth as though it should be perfectly obvious the family would get whatever they wanted.
Dasha turned the full force of her frown on her youngest daughter. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop; it’s not ladylike.”
Saskia dropped into the ornate chair sitting opposite the couch and reached for a cucumber sandwich, stuffing it into her mouth before pulling her legs up underneath her and getting comfy. “The menu for Jozef and Shaun’s engagement party is hardly top-secret business.”
Dasha glared at her daughter as she cleared the samples off the table. “I can hear your sarcasm, daughter, and I don’t like it. You need to do something with