Heir Untamed - By Danielle Bourdon Page 0,51
ticking off the clock.
She had a Royal party to attend.
Chapter Ten
At precisely seven o'clock, Chey answered a subtle knock at her door. Expecting to see Mattias on the other side, she swung it wide, a smile in place. Elise stood there in her typical uniform, a box in her hands. The maid looked surprised to see Chey dressed in such elaborate finery.
“Oh, Miss, did I disturb you? I have a delivery,” Elise said with another glance at Chey's gown.
“No, I thought you were someone else. What's this and who is it from?” she asked, taking the box from Elise's fingers. It was blue, almost exactly the same color as her dress. A sheer white bow sat on top.
“I do not know, Miss. Mister Urmas sent me to deliver it and to tell you that you are to meet him at the end of the hallway in five minutes.”
Chey smiled at Elise. “Perfect, thank you.”
Elise returned the smile and added a conspiratorial whisper. “You look very beautiful. Good evening.”
“Thank you. Good evening, Elise.” Chey waited until the maid was gone before opening the lid to the box. Nestled inside on a bed of pale blue velvet was a diamond solitaire on a delicate silver chain. The princess cut diamond, three or four carats at least, sparkled and shined. Chey gasped. Had Mattias loaned her this so she would blend in with the company better?
Hurrying to the vanity, she set the box down and fastened the necklace around her throat. The clasp was easy to latch and felt secure once she was done. An exquisite addition to the outfit, she admired its beauty for several minutes, stunned that Mattias would entrust her with such a thing. It offset the corset style bodice of the gown perfectly, adding just enough elegance without being gaudy.
Smoothing her palms over the snug fit of the gown, she assessed herself in the mirror one last time. Her make up, applied with a bit heavier hand to help cover the bruise, accentuated her eyes with dusky shadow and smudges of kohl. On her cheeks, a tint of rose rouge which matched a subtle stroke of matte color on her lips. The dress fit like a dream, nipping in at her narrow waist and hugging her curves toward her feet, where the hem flared just so over her shoes. Dark and curled into soft waves, the front of her hair had been affixed atop her head with a clip, the rest left to cascade down her back.
For a moment, Chey lamented that Sander couldn't see her like this. She was always in jeans and sweaters, clothing fitting to keep the chill of late fall at bay.
She didn't think she'd ever dressed so fine for any occasion.
Aware of the time, she left her room, locking the door behind her, and joined Urmas at the end of the hallway. He did a classic double take when he saw her.
Did the man even know she was attending the soiree? Or had Mattias kept it a secret from even the liaison, bent on making a surprise of her presence?
“...Miss Sinclair, I do say, you look stunning. Is there something I should know?” Urmas sounded complimentary and also wary. Dressed in a typical, subtle suit, he offered his elbow as he'd been born and bred to do.
“I don't know. Is there?” She smiled up into his face and slid her hand through the crook of his arm. Instead of asking him where he was escorting her, she acted like she already knew. She suspected Urmas was to escort her to some parlor or another, where Mattias would be waiting.
Urmas narrowed his eyes and grunted. He led her along the hall and as she'd guessed, guided her toward one of the formal sitting rooms available to guests staying on this floor of the castle. When they arrived at the doors, which were both open, Chey saw Mattias standing near the roaring fireplace with a glass of wine in hand. She wouldn't be human, or female, not to notice how fine he filled out his clothes. Looking straight off the cover of GQ, dark hair combed carefully back from his face, he was freshly shaven and sported an expensive looking set of cuff links, a silver tie and a silver watch that screamed money and power.
Mattias spoke without looking over at the doorway. “Thank you, Urmas. You may go.”
Urmas opened his mouth, then closed it again. This time when he glanced at Chey, there was clear