need the wrap I’d bought to go with the dress. Oh well. I’d go in, bare shoulders, exposed cleavage and all. Given his current reaction, it wouldn’t be too shabby of a grand entrance.
I took his arm, and he guided me through the door. To both of our amusement, Mr. Deleon was waiting for us at the wheel of a golf cart to usher us to the main house ballroom. We laughed and made jokes as he drove us through the vineyard.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of Dutch spoken around us since we got here.”
“Well, I have a bunch of family here from the Netherlands.”
I frowned. “You never told me… do you speak it?”
He shook his head. “I understand a lot of it and only speak enough to be mildly conversational.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I know any Dutch at all. Wait, no. I learned a word from watching Friends. Gunther called Ross an ezel.”
He laughed. “Donkey? Don’t think you’ll need to use that one tonight.”
I raised a brow. “You never know. Okay, how do I say hello?”
“Tonight you can say goedenavond. Good evening.”
I practiced that a few times until he said I had it down.
“Okay, now quickly tell me how to say goodbye for when we have to go.”
“You’re going to be in a hurry to go?” He raised his brows feigning surprise.
“Don’t pretend you aren’t going to be, Jedi Boy. Now tell me.”
“Okay, goodbye is tot ziens.” And I practiced that one too.
My hand rested lightly on my husband’s thigh… until he gently removed it. Judging from the obvious bulge in his pants, it wasn’t hard to understand why. I vowed to be a good girl tonight, mostly. I’d given the little devil on my shoulder the night off until later. No need to torment him until we got back to our place.
And even with as much fun as I anticipated having at this fancy party, I hoped that would be soon. No time like the near-future to get on with the more rewarding parts of a marriage, right?
The grand ballroom was breathtaking. Every lamp was lit, every chandelier gleaming, the massive expanse of parquet floor shining golden under their light. Huge stands of flowers stood at studied intervals. Elegant banners in colors of a summer sunset—deep rust, gold and plum—hung from the mezzanine. There, onlookers clustered at the wrought railing to watch the floor below.
We were even announced by the main house butler, given titles and all. The reporter stood nearby, and the photographer caught it all. Even though it was a one-off, being announced as a baroness in front of a crowd of people was the deep thrill I never knew I wanted. Heads turned as we made our way down the stairs into the main room. It was all so Downton Abbey that I expected to see Carson’s nod of approval or Mrs. Hughes’s proud smile. I shook my head to wake myself up from the dream.
This was the world that Lucas had been raised into—and had summarily rejected. Because it didn’t allow for someone to break away and be their own person. It was enjoyable as a one-off, but I couldn’t imagine this being my life.
The party was just getting started when we arrived. Cocktails and appetizers were served on the back patio as the sun sank in the sky, our long shadows stretching out opposite the spectacular colors on the horizon. A classical quartet playing the airs of Vivaldi accompanied us in our Roaring Twenties glamor as everyone socialized.
I made sure to stick by my husband’s side and ordered another Sea Breeze in honor of his thoughtfulness. A few sips of the one back at the villa had given me the beginnings of a pleasant buzz. To say nothing of a boost in courage to get through this event surrounded by dozens of people I didn’t know.
Julia showed up right as Lucas went to fetch our drinks. He hesitated as if to ask her for her drink order, but I interrupted him, telling him I had to speak to Julia alone.
She took my hand and squeezed it. “Thanks.” She was wearing a red dress with silver sequins and lots and lots of floaty red feathers everywhere.
“Goedenavond,” I said to her with a grin, ready to impress.
She smiled wide. “Goedenavond! Hoe gaat het me je?”
My smile vanished. “Uhh. You exceeded my Dutch limit.”
She laughed. “Did Lucas teach you that? Did he tell you we had to go to Dutch school for years when we were