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They moved on to collect Matteo’s mother and sister, and thepack of them entered the ballroom together, Matteo taking her mom’s arm and Cara’s father taking Inge’s. That left Cara and Martina to bring up the rear, which was fine because Cara had come to adore Matteo’s younger sister.
“Why do you always look so amazing?” Martina mock complained. “You have such a consistent sense of style.”
“I don’t think it’s that so much as I just always wear black.” This year’s ball gown was less Cinderella-y than last year’s, being a sleek, one-shoulder number.
Armend had not made the trip home. He was interning in LA and up to his eyeballs in helping with an album by an up-and-coming pop star. They would see him the day after tomorrow, though, because he was flying into New York for Matteo’s party—as were they. The whole lot of them: Cara and Matteo, Cara’s parents, Martina and Inge. Matteo’s older sister and her family were even coming.
Matteo was mobbed as they crossed the floor to their table. He was fielding political and business inquiries—he’d only been at the UN gig a year, but he had been remarkably successful in raising Eldovia’s profile on the world stage. But he was also being hailed by friends. Some she recognized—the Duke of Aquilla and his now-wife Daniela, Torkel and his now-husband Sebastien, the princess and her husband Leo—but there were a whole bunch of people she didn’t know. Everyone seemed to radiate goodwill toward him. He had earned it.
She allowed the crowd to hijack him and got their families settled at their table. She didn’t get a chance to speak to Matteo before the king made his formal predinner remarks. In addition to welcoming everyone, he ceded the stage to the CEO of EldoviaNoel, the new company that was being launched this very evening. Cara beamed like a proud parent at the CEO that she had personally recruited as part of CZT’s ongoing contract with the fledgling company.
Matteo slipped into his chair beside her as the ribbon-cutting ceremony began. The crowd cheered as the king cut a ribbon that had been tied around a gingerbread replica of the new company’s headquarters. The building was in Riems, which had made one Mr. Leon Bachmann very happy.
The evening was fun if a bit too much. Too loud, too hot, too much talking. Someone was always wanting a drink refilled, or to dance, or for her to translate—she was doing pretty well with her German if she did say so herself.
She glanced at her watch—Matteo had given her an antique Abendlied when she moved in with him in New York a month ago. It was only ten o’clock. She sighed.
“Ms. Delaney.” A voice in her ear, one that made her shiver. “May I borrow you for a moment?”
She turned, and found him right there in her space. All she had to do was lean forward a little, and they’d be hugging. “I’m not waltzing,” she said.
“Good lord, no. But I was hoping you’d come with me for a moment.”
“Okay,” she said, understating the matter entirely. She would go with him for a moment. Or a million moments.
He led her to... the ladies’ room? “Change into this.” He handed her a big bulky bag, and murmured, “Trust.”
The bag contained her own clothing—casualwear and her winter outerwear. When she reemerged from the restroom dressedfor the elements, she said, “Do I gather we are abandoning this party?”
“We are.”
“And do I gather you have made arrangements for our parents?”
“I have.”
Of course he had.
He led her along dim palace corridors to a side door—the front of the palace was crowded with security and valet parking for the party. They emerged into the icy night, and Cara inhaled a big breath of that clean, cold Eldovian air. Eldovia Noel needed to figure out a way to bottle this stuff.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, catching sight of Hilda the groom and her charges. “A sleigh ride!” As she climbed on and Matteo took up the reins, a thought occurred to her. “Oh my gosh”—she whispered so Hilda wouldn’t hear—“are we doing Santa duty?”
He flicked the reins, and the sleighbells jingled as they set out into the starry night. “We are not. Kai and Imogen have that under control. I thought perhaps you would appreciate a reprieve from the palace. I thought perhapsIwould appreciate a reprieve from the palace.”
They didn’t talk. She sighed and let the slicing sounds of the sleigh’s blades and the snorting of the horses soothe her party-jangled nerves. Look at her, being soothed by horses.
“What are you smiling about?”
“How can you tell I’m smiling? Keep your eyes on the road, Mr. Ambassador.”
“I am. I don’t have to see you to know you’re smiling, I can sense it.”
“Oh, I forgot, the Jedi have nothing on you.” He needed bothhands to drive, but he bumped his shoulder against hers, which inspired her to take his arm and snuggle up against him. “I was just laughing at the idea of me, the confirmed city girl,enjoyinghorses. And look at this!” She snuggled harder. “I’m all cuddly. What happened to me?”
“I don’t think anything happened to you.”
“Youhappened to me.”
“I think we happened to each other.”
