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Theo McNeil
I re-read the note three times before setting it down on the tray, my appetite fled.What the fuck is he doing?The marriage is arranged, the contract signed in ink and in blood, even blessed by a priest. There’s no need for anything else before we’re wed. And yet—
He’s asking me out on a date.
It feels absolutely preposterous—and I’m suspicious of it, too. I can’t help thinking of what Nikolai told me—that there was something between Theo and my mother.What if he really is just trying to rekindle that all over again? What if that’s the reason he wants you?
That thought makes my skin crawl. But it feels so insane that I can hardly believe it. I’d never heard the slightest hint of it until Nikolai said it last night.
But it wouldn’t be unlike my father to keep something like that from me.
If it’s true, how can I marry this man? How can I even let him touch me, thinking—
Would I still have wanted him last night, if I’d known any of this?
I know I need to accept. If I don’t, it will seem insulting, and I can’tnotaccept the gifts that he says he’s sending, either. That would also be an insult, and Nikolai would be furious with me. But if I accept the gifts and don’t go out with him, then it will look as if I only want him for his wealth.
Technically, that would be fine. There are plenty of women who would marry a man like Theo only for his money and status. ButI’mnot one of those women—I never have been—and I don’t want him to think that I am.
I let out a sigh. I don’t really have a way out of it.
And maybe—maybe I don’t want one. Maybe I can pick up some clues about whether or not Nikolai is right about Theo and my mother, if I spend a little more time with him.
Either way, I need to go.
Since he insists on being old-fashioned about it—and I don’t have his number—I send him a reply the same way, accepting the date. I text Lilliana, telling her what’s happening, and ask her to come over and help me get ready. At four p.m., just as Lilliana is arriving, I open the door to see not only her but a large gold-wrapped box on the doorstep.
“I assume this is from Theo?” Lilliana says dryly, and I nod. I don’t need to look at any note attached to it to know. I pick it up, motion her inside, and head up to my room with her before I can run into Adrik. I think he’s off the security rotation for this week, and I’m glad of it—except that if Nikolai was the one who took him off, it might mean he suspects something.
Thatwould be bad.
I set the box on my bed, looking at it. “He sent this for me to wear tonight,” I tell Lilliana, and I’m unsure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it’s high-handed and a little arrogant, deciding for me what he wants me in for our date. On the other hand, it’s a little romantic—and could even be construed as thoughtful, if I wanted to cast Theo in that light.
Be careful.I hear Nikolai’s voice in my head again, warning me, and I choose to look at it as arrogant.
But still, I’m going to wear it—not least of which because I can’t risk angering him by not.
I lift the lid off of the box and stifle a gasp.
One of the most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen is lying nestled on silvery-white tissue paper. It’s made of a slinky gold silk that looks as if it were woven with actual gold threads, sparkling in the overhead light in a way that looks luxurious and expensive, not gaudy. It’s form-fitted, with straps two-fingers wide that turn into a bodice that plunges below my cleavage, almost to my navel, and a skirt that will cling to my hips and legs. It’s low in the back, too, the fabric draping at the base of my spine, and I can already see the hair and makeup that will go with it—thick curls and a red lip, old Hollywood glamour.
“Shit.” Lilliana peers into the box. “There’s more in there, too.”
“Oh!” I’m not really surprised that he sent more than just a dress, but Iamsurprised how much to my taste it all is. The dress is stunning, and so are the shoes that I lift out of the box, a pair of gold Louboutin sandals to match. There’s a small jewelry box next to it, and I open it, gasping a little when I see what’s inside.
There’s a fine gold chain with a string of small diamonds hanging from it, ending in a pearl teardrop, with a bracelet and earrings to match. The bracelet is pearls and diamonds strung together on a fine chain, and the earrings are a string of small diamonds hanging in a line, ending with a pearl teardrop, matching the necklace. It’s all delicate and beautiful, and perfect for me.
“Well, he can’t be accused of lacking taste,” Lilliana remarks, looking at it spread out. “You think he picked this all out himself?”
“Probably not,” I murmur. I know how men like him are—he has a personal assistant, and he likely sent her to do it, maybe with a few notes on what he thought he would like her to get. But I doubt this is all hand-picked. If it were—
I push the thought out of my head. It won’t do for me to start thinking kindly about Theo McNeil. I need to make himthinkI want him, that I’m falling for him, but anything beyond that is dangerous.Realfeelings are dangerous.
And how could I ever have any real feelings for a man like that, anyway?
Lilliana waits for me while I get in the shower, washing my hair and blow-drying it. She ends up sitting on the bed, distracting me with small talk while I curl my hair and do my makeup, making the red lip I’d planned the focal point of it. She hands me the dress when I’m finished, and I slip into it as I look in the full-length mirror next to my closet. It fits me perfectly, and I have to admit, I look stunning in it. The gold is the perfect shade against my pale skin and white-blonde hair, brightening me instead of washing me out. The sandals fit perfectly, too, and the jewelry is gorgeous, the necklace falling in the exact right spot in my slight cleavage, drawing the eye.
“I’m surprised he’d dress you up like this,” Lilliana says, looking at me speculatively. “There’s not a man in Chicago that isn’t going to stare if he sees you like this. I wouldn’t think a man like Theo would want so many eyes on you.”
