“Through the new year?”
“Less than a week, but close.”
“You are not giving me an answer, my darling.”
“Your family is very gracious, but to be honest, I really love being at your house on Mallorca.”
“There is no place on earth I’d rather be, especially if I’m with you.”
In the end, we agreed to stay for a few more days, but not as long as Fiesta de los Reyes.
New Year’s Eve at the palace was spectacular. There was a huge ball, and I was told there would be fireworks at midnight.
I’d brought nothing appropriate to wear, but Maya, Cortez’s brother’s wife, had plenty of gowns I could choose from, and as we discovered, we wore the same size. She also offered to let me get ready in her dressing area, saying that the two of us could make a grand entrance into the ball together.
“I’ve longed for him to find someone who makes him happy,” she said as we looked through her formal dresses.
“This…thing between us is very new,” I said, pulling one that caught my eye off the rack.
“Cortez will love you in that one,” she said when I came out a few minutes later. The gown I chose draped over one shoulder and had a wide satin sash at the waist. The Georgette fabric was a pale lavender on top and transitioned to peach. It was long and flowing, which was perfect since I was more than a couple of inches taller than Maya.
“You should leave your hair down. It’s so dramatic with its length.”
When I spoke with Teagon earlier about the ball, she reminded me she was working and wouldn’t have felt at all comfortable attending as a guest. While I still felt odd about it, she assured me she didn’t.
Maya had chosen a dark purple raw-silk gown. With her darker skin, hair, and eyes, she was striking in it.
When we came down the grand staircase of the residence, Cortez and his brother were waiting for us at the bottom.
He grasped my hands when I stood in front of him. “You look magnificent,” he murmured, kissing my neck right below my ear. I shuddered. “It’s as though the gown was made for you.”
“Doesn’t she look lovely?” said Maya, taking my hand.
“I’m happy for you, Cortez,” I heard his brother say. “I could not imagine a woman more perfect for you.”
“You have enchanted my family. It seems everyone is taken with you.”
“Cortez…” I slowed so his brother and wife were several paces in front of us. “Do comments like those of your brother bother you?”
He put his hand on my bare shoulder, stroking my skin with his fingers. “He speaks the truth.”
I felt my cheeks flush and looked away. Cortez moved his fingertips to my chin and turned my head to face him. “They all speak the truth, Kensington.”
I shook my head. “But…”
“As I feared, this is too soon for you.”
“It isn’t that.”
“No?”
“Celestina was your wife.”
With his other hand, he brought my palm to his lips and kissed it. “An evening such as this would not have been possible with her.”
I felt my eyes fill with tears. “Why not?” I whispered.
“She wasn’t comfortable socializing with my family.”