Page 55 of Notorious

“You should buy that,” Eva had told her when she’d noticed Drusilla eyeing it.

The gown was a deep shade of teal, an unusual blue-green silk that had made her fingers twitch to touch it. She loved colors and fine fabrics, but she tended to order more serviceable clothing. It wasn’t only her academic reservations concerning finery, but also the fact so many people had nothing—why did she need a hundred gowns that she would wear only once? And so she wore her simple gowns many times. She kept the minimum in her dressing room, giving away an old gown whenever she bought another and keeping her selection of clothing sparse. Sparse enough to drive her maid to distraction. But now . . . didn’t she have some duty to her husband? A duty to not always appear the dowd?

Oh, she was so weak; she was just lying to herself. All she wanted was to make him see her—not as an object of pity he’d needed to rescue, but as a desirable woman.

A new dress is hardly likely to do that. You will not be different—only the dress.

Drusilla did not want to become a different woman, but she wouldn’t mind looking like a more attractive one. Surely there was no sin in wanting to make the most of the gifts one had?

Perhaps the gown was still available?

* * *

Fletcher had just finished with Drusilla’s hair and was securing her small pearl drop earrings when the door to her dressing room opened and Gabriel entered. Drusilla had to pull her eyes away from his powerful body, which she had often imagined bestride some stallion charging through a desert, but which also looked every bit as natural in stark white-and-black evening clothing, his hair glowing like a banked fire.

He met her gaze in the mirror and smiled. “Good evening, Drusilla.” His eyes drifted to Fletcher, who was fiddling with something in her jewelry case.

“You may go, Fletcher. And you needn’t wait up tonight.”

The maid left without a word, her cheeks flaming.

Gabriel came to stand behind her, their gazes locked.

“This is a new gown, I think? Or at least I have not seen it before.” His expression was one of surprise and it immediately put her on the defensive—but not as much as his admission that he might have noticed what gowns she wore, which left her feeling almost light-headed.

“I thought this color was more suitable for a married woman than white. I am not profligate when it comes to clothing. Or at least I hope not. I saw this last week when I was out with Eva and thought it was an unusual color.” She stopped, her cheeks also an unusual color.

He looked amused by her babbling. “It is a lovely color and you look very fine.” His eyes dropped to the snug, low bodice, a bodice that was moving up and down more quickly than was normal. “You have very beautiful skin—like a pearl.” His eyes lingered on her breasts, which were mounded over the top of the bodice. Her breasts had always embarrassed her. They were large—far too large for her small rib cage, and she usually did her best to reduce the appearance of their size. But this gown had already been cut, and there was nothing Madame Hortense could do to create a more modest neckline. And of course one did not wear lace fichus with ball gowns.

He looked up and caught her with lips parted in shock. She closed her mouth.

“It was your skin which made me think of this for you.”

She saw he was carrying a rather large jewelry box.

“This is a belated gift to thank you for agreeing to be my wife.”

Drusilla’s hands shook when she took the box, and she stared at the lovely inlaid patterns on the lid rather than her husband’s face. She was no stranger to jewels, even though she didn’t wear most of them. Her father had lavished them on her, and there was a king’s ransom in the safe. But this was different. Gabriel had picked out something for her?

She flipped up the lid and gasped. “Oh.”

He chuckled and she looked up. “Is that a good oh? Or a bad oh?”

“It is a very good oh. These are so lovely.”

His cheeks darkened with pleasure. “I am relieved to have selected something you like. Here, let me help you put them on.” He reached into the box and removed the five joined strands of pearls that were held together with a gold clasp inlaid with diamonds. His long, elegant fingers were intensely masculine against the creamy, silky pearls.

“The jeweler called this a choker.” She stared at his hands as they hovered over her shoulders and then lifted the strands against her throat. “Not only do they look lovely with your skin, but I knew this design would be flattering to your neck, which is long and elegant.”

Her breath froze in her chest. She wrenched her eyes up to his, but he was looking at the clasp he was fastening, unaware of the impact of his words. It was pitiful to experience such crippling pleasure at such a minor comment. But only her aunt and father had ever complimented her appearance, and they’d made just the obligatory “you look pretty” type of comment she knew was not true. But a long, elegant neck? She turned her head slightly as he continued to fiddle with the clasp. Yes, she did have a rather nice neck—why had she not noticed before?

“There,” he said, his gaze turning back to the glass, his mouth curving into a genuine smile. “They suit you.” He absently caressed the jewels, his fingers grazing her skin, his pupils flaring. They stared at each other, and Drusilla realized she wasn’t the only one whose breathing was uneven. His gaze dropped back to the box.

“Remove your earrings and put these on,” he instructed in his usual arrogant style. She decided to forgive him for it this time and did as he bade her. Each earring was a pearl dropped from a large solitary diamond, the design simple and extremely elegant.

“Thank you. I—I like both gifts very much.” Drusilla knew the dress and jewels didn’t transform her into a diamond of the first water, but she did look her best.

His expression turned serious. “It will be uncomfortable tonight. We will have to acknowledge Visel.”