Chapter One #2
He knew about her affliction. It happened enough she’d had to get over the embarrassment or at least pretend she didn’t mind that he saw one of her weaknesses. Better to act as though she was totally fine with having a weakness than to add embarrassment to the mix.
She wasn’t fine with it at all, but if he knew she was embarrassed by it, the situation would be worse. So she did her best to hide her more violent reactions, accepted that he would note something and was always prepared to accept any and all commentary with her typical aplomb.
When she felt something cold against her forearm, she had to open her eyes. A cold bottle of water was on the little table next to her, pressed up against her arm. She had to let out a careful breath before lifting her gaze to Mr. Delgado standing there.
“Thank you,” she said.
“We will be landing soon.”
“Yes, of course.” She unclenched the grip she had on the armrest, though it was no easy feat, and grabbed the water bottle.
He stood there, looming over her, even as the airplane shook. Like it didn’t concern him at all that a hard gust of wind could send them into a tailspin and straight into the ocean.
Maybe it had never happened, but the way the airplane shuddered, surely it could.
But he merely stood there, only balancing by holding one hand up to the ceiling of the cabin. He’d shrugged off his jacket at some point, so the fine fabric of his impeccably tailored shirt clung to the muscles of the arm that seemed to keep him easily in place.
She stared at his arm for a moment, wondering what all that impressive muscle would feel like under her palm.
She knew all about what kept him in such excellent shape—the exercise schedule he kept both at home and away on business. She knew nearly everything about him. So she would blame the errant and unbidden thought about his muscles on the turbulence.
“How are the castle repairs coming?” he asked her.
She refused to clear her throat and give away the unwelcome turn of her thoughts.
She spoke firmly around the odd tightness there.
“Quite well. The royal wing will be ready for you and Lady Coralie.” She had to swallow at the way her stomach rolled when the plane pitched.
“We’ll make sure to schedule the remaining repairs and upkeep around your plans so nothing should cause issue for the proposal. ”
“Excellent. Everything needs to be perfect.”
“Of course,” she murmured. But she had to grip the water bottle to near strangling at the next jolt of the plane.
It kept her mind off his arm at least.
He eyed her in that way of his that seemed to absorb every piece of information and file it away with absolutely no emotional response. “On the way back, we can wait for better weather.”
She hated when he was kind to her. It made her feel like she’d failed something. As the assistant, she was supposed to have a handle on everything, take care of everything, and if there was a kindness to be extended, she was meant to be the one doing it.
It was what made her indispensable.
“Whatever is best,” she managed to reply, without even sounding like she was gritting her teeth together.
He returned to his seat, and the flight smoothed out as they began their descent. Upon landing, Mara made sure everything was in place and the car was waiting.
Because Mr. Delgado wanted the element of surprise when it came to his engagement and wanted to ensure not even a hint of it leaked anywhere beforehand, they brought no staff.
They would depend on the keepers of the island and castle, Senor Silva and his wife.
When they arrived, they would let themselves in, rather than be greeted by a butler.
There would be no kitchen staff or the like until the day the countess arrived.
They would be a bit on their own the first two days.
Mara hadn’t met Senor Silva in person, but from what Mr. Delgado had told her, and her phone interactions with the estate manager, she had a feeling he was quite elderly and wouldn’t be of much help.
Mara hadn’t loved the plan. Mr. Delgado had excellent staff, the kind who could keep a secret, but Agustin had been even more hyper-fixated on perfection lately.
That was definitely grief. Not that she’d ever tell him that. Not her place. Not her business. It was simply her job to provide the perfection he required.
The car slowed to a stop in front of a huge stone gate. Mara tried not to gape, but it was a bit like traveling back in time. A fortress of a wall surrounded the great sweep of a gigantic, ancient-looking castle.
Like an actual castle. Mara liked to think after ten years working her way up the Sosten assistant ladder that she’d become resistant to being impressed by the wealth and opulence around her.
But she wasn’t prepared for a castle, even if she’d known that was exactly what it would be. But the sheer size as it thrust up into the beautiful blue sky was…
It brought to mind the old fairy tales her younger sisters had loved. The ones that had made Mara unreasonably angry. Because there were no Prince Charmings in this world. Only hard work and making yourself indispensable.
Case in point, here she had made herself needed, and she got to see a castle in person. And stay in the crumbling staff wing, but still. Closer to a fairy tale than her little sisters.
The car moved through the gate and again came to a stop in front of a grand staircase. It needed some landscaping to soften the harshness of the old stone before the countess arrived. Mara internally added it to her list as the chauffeur came around and opened the door for her.
She took his hand and let him draw her to her feet.
“What the hell is this?”
Shocked by the harsh utterance from her boss, Mara turned away from the majestic turrets reaching up into the impossibly blue sky and looked at him.
He was scowling at the grand staircase that led up to an ornate set of carved wooden doors. Then her gaze snagged on what he must be referring to.
It looked like a…baby carrier balanced on the stairs.
Unease crept into her.
Especially when she heard something that sounded suspiciously like a baby’s grunts when they first woke up.
Neither she nor Mr. Delgado moved at first, both just staring at the carrier, but when he finally slid her an expectant look, Mara gathered herself. She marched forward, then crouched down and looked into the little carrier. Her heartbeat sped up with shock.
Big brown eyes squinted back at her.
She looked up at her boss and his disapproving expression. “It’s…a baby.”