Brocade Series 02 - Giselle (12 page)

“Monsieur
Poinre was right,
Madame
la
Duchesse.
You’re so beautiful, and ever so small. It’s a pleasure to assist
you, I vow.”

Giselle narrowed her eyes, smiled her thanks
to Gerty, and then looked
away. The maid knew about the bill for payment. They all did. Giselle shouldn’t be surprised at the way news flew
about the castle.
She’d lived too long in seclusion. Although she knew little
about the world about her, little was known about her, too.

Everyone probably
knew what she’d been asked to do with Etienne, too. That was a
disgusting thought.

“S
he’s right, Giselle,” Louisa said. “But you need jewels
. I’m certain the family has a selection.
Gerty, could you see that the
Berchald jewels are placed at the
duchesse’s
disposal?”

Gerty curtsied as Giselle looked
back at her reflection. Why
hadn’t she thought of commanding that? Would she never learn to be mistress of her own castle? And Louisa was wrong. It would be impossible to enhance her appearance. She looke
d astonishing.
A necklace couldn’t make much difference. Her hair was high atop her head and pristine white, making her
look dazzlingly pale. The
dress was a masterpiece of needlework, too.

The material’s pattern of pink and white stripes had been sewn
at the bodice so that only the pink showed. The white stripes were revealed at the waist. The darts in her bodice must have taken days to sew, but it was worth it. The dress was everything she could have hoped, but a
bit lower cut than she was used to. Although the others beamed their
approval, she felt shy at the neckline.

Giselle hadn’t been blessed with much b
osom, and it had never mattered before to her, but the corset Isabelle had laced her into
pushed everything toward the bodice’s lace edge. Giselle
had never seen cleavage displayed as hers was.
She couldn’t imagine what Navarre would think when he saw—
Oh…
why was it Navarre that occurred to her first? It should be
Etienne, but something always brought
Navarre to mind. It was perverse…but it was very
delightful, too.

Immense p
anniers had been strapped atop her petticoats, holding
Giselle’s gown out so far at the sides, she could only go
through a door sideways. The cage-like affairs were fairly weightless, and even bounced if she did. It might be fashionable, but it felt strange. It did make her waist look even smaller than it was, though.
If anyone noticed that after her neckline.

There was a polite knock at the door
. Neither woman moved.
They all seemed transfixed by Giselle’s reflection. The
knock came again.

“
See who’s at the door, Isabelle,” Giselle commanded.

She couldn’t tear her own eyes away from herself
. She didn’t
look like herself at all. Was that what the designers of
haute couture
had in mind? Giselle tipped her head
to one side and then the other, and decided she wasn’t as flattered at the image as she had once been. She would rather look more like
herself.

“Monsieur
Navarre requests entry,
Madame,”
Isabelle said a
moment later. “He brings a selection of jewelry for you to choose
from.”

Giselle
’s heart stopped. Isabelle’s even tone helped restart it
. Navarre was here? He would see her
and she’d yet to acclimatize herself to the neckline! She wore almost nothing at her bosom! And worse. She could actually see the tops of her breasts turning a rosy shade. She took several
calming breaths, before she dared speak.

“A
-a-allow him in.”

She
stammered. Louisa caught her eye in the mirror and Giselle looked away quickly. It wouldn’t do for anyone to suspect how she felt. And that’s when she went white. She could actually feel the blood drain from her face. She couldn’t label anything.
No
. She did not have feelings. Not for another man.
Etienne was her husband, and she shouldn’t even think of another—
“Giselle?”

Navarre’s voice broke through her thoughts. Giselle turned toward him and
gaped.

Magnifìque!

There was no better word for him. Navarre had his hair pulled back in a queue, and a froth of white lace at his throat. His thigh
-length coat was made of dull yellow sateen, while black knee breeches looked sewn to his thighs. And she already knew they were muscled and lean. Giselle focused on the floor beneath his shoes.

“I brought the Berchald emeralds, sapphires, and of course, the
Star of Savignen diamond. My ancestor, Jean-Claude, bought the
diamond and named it after the vineyard, although he had no idea the
Berchalds would someday own it. That was a strange idea of his,
wasn’t it?”

How
he could ramble on, without the
slightest tremor to his voice? Perhaps his emotion didn’t match hers. Perhaps he didn’t think of her, at all. Giselle trembled through the
instant flash of pain through her breast and hoped no one noticed. And then she swallowed, and looked up at him.

And the world stood still
. A huge rush of noise whooshed through each ear, cancelling out sound, and it was replaced by a low buzz.

H
e had beautiful eyes, dark blue, bordering on amethyst, and
shadowed by those long, lush lashes. But she already knew that.
There was something else. Something she didn’t know enough about
to name.
Giselle’s eyes widened as he licked his lips, before sucking in the full lower lip. Shivers ran her
, raising gooseflesh, and Giselle sent the command, but her mouth didn’t listen. She actually pursed her lips.

Oh…sweetness
! Heavens!

Her breath quickened, making even that small
, almost-not-there bodice feel too tight. Restrictive. Oh, this was wicked. It was depraved and immoral, too. But nothing stopped the delicious tremors that hit her legs and weakened her knees. And that’s when she was extremely grateful for the skirt’s fullness. And the panniers, as not one soul would be able to tell!
What she wouldn’t give to be in his arms, experiencing those lips.
No!
She mustn’t think that.
It was evil, and yet nothing about this sensation felt wicked. Every sensation felt more exciting than the last
. Enticing. Stimulating. Thrilling.

Oh
. This was horrid. She had Louisa, Isabelle, Gerty, and two retainers watching. And even that failed to staunch the emotions coursing her. Navarre cleared his throat and spoke from what seemed a long way away.

“
I didn’t know which dress you’d be wearing, Giselle
. Your maid should’ve warned me.”

His eyes dropped
.
A nerve twitched in his jaw, and Giselle felt herself respond, as if her bosom pulsed toward
him, aching for his touch, caress and kisses.

“The emeralds are out of question
with that gown,” he continued, although his voice had deepened to
Giselle’s ear. “But the diamond is almost as well-known. Savoy,
bring the tray.” He gestured, and a dark-haired man stepped forward
to Navarre’s side. “Savoy is the keeper of our vault, Giselle. If you
need assistance in the future, send for him, not me.”

She hadn’t sent for him, but w
as it such a
faux pas
? The question made her feel vaguely ill. As did the realization that it was Gerty who’d devised this to happen. Giselle turned to
examine the perfect square diamond set in a
necklace of smaller stones. Named after her dowry, it would be the
perfect choice for her pink and white dress, but something held her
back. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the setting. She
was too small for such a necklace.

“Let me see the sapphires.” She spoke in a whisper.

Navarre flicked his glance to her, imprinting heat
everywhere, and then he looked over Giselle’s right shoulder.
With that one glance, she felt as if flames roared through her, filling her ears this time with a loud, melodic humming sound. She vibrated
as it filled her, overpowered her. Owned her. Terrified her.

She gulped.

Oh no. No. No.

She was in love!

As horrible and as disgusting as that might be, and as morally
wrong and degrading, the certainty was still there. Carried through her with every heartbeat. Nothing had ever seemed so wondrous. Extraordinary. Thrilling. Giselle felt like a flower under the touch of the sun
. She couldn’t believe it. She’d never felt so
gloriously, perfectly, stunningly alive.

And somehow she had to hide it.

She looked down to the sapphires. They
were a perfect match to Navarre’s eyes. Perhaps
it was due to the red velvet cushion beneath them. She couldn’t be
sure, but the purple deepened the blue stones to the hue of his eyes. Giselle loved the stones the moment she
saw them. She wondered if he’d known that she would.

“I’ll wear the sapphires, Navarre.”

Giselle ignored the impulse
to look toward him, knowing how many watched
.

“Tres bien.”

He spoke formally, as if bored
.

“If
you’ll turn around,
Madame,
I shall do the honors and clasp the
necklace. There’s a matching tiara, a bracelet, and two rings.”

“Merci,
Na…arre.”

Giselle
split his name. And it shook. Oh dear. And she w
as trying to prevent that very thing! It
was impossible! And then she watched him pick up the stone with fingers that trembled. Giselle’s lips curved, and she had to hide that, too.

Th
ere was a cluster of tiny stones at the center, like
little grapes. Giselle watched in the mirror as he hooked it. His
fingers were icy cold against the back of her neck. Giselle lifted her eyes to meet his in the glass. Her skin was
probably sensitive from heat — she was blushing, and that could have
accounted for it — but nothing accounted for a spark that bit into
her flesh and made him leap backward at the same time.

Stunned purplish eyes gripped hers, and she no longer cared
how many others were in the room. They were invisible.
She loved him, and he had to feel the same toward her! She knew it
from the way he scrunched his eyes closed, and the look of pain that flickered
across his cheekbones before he opened them again.

“I…must see to-to
…Etienne.”

He stammered the words and stepped back, out of her sight
.
Giselle turned in time to see him bow. She hadn’t noticed before that he hadn’t powdered his hair. That
was strange, but she was glad. She loved the golden
color. She loved everything about him! I
sabelle held the door open as he swept from the chamber.

“Oh
. My. T
his is interesting, Giselle.”

She turned to Louisa as she picked up the tiara
. It was made of
smaller stones laced together with golden filigree, like the necklace. Two larger, egg-shaped stones hung from either end.

“These are meant to fall behind your ears
,” Louisa noted. “I’ve
never seen such a design. Thank you,
Monsieur
Savoy, but I
don’t think the
duchesse
will need the rings or bracelet.”

Giselle let Louisa dismiss the man, although that should have
been her decision. But Louisa was right. The color of
the sapphires would jar against the striped skirt.

“Perfection!” Louisa
announced once the tiara was in place. “When you first chose those
stones, I almost interrupted, but it’s clear you know your colors. Nothing could become you better. I can’t wait to see the
duc’s
face when you are presented.”

The
duc?

Giselle bit her tongue
. Who cared about Etienne? She was aching to see Navarre again. She couldn’t help it. She
loved him. The emotion was fraught with a
passion and intensity she’d always dreamed existed. And now that
she’d found such wonder, it must be kept hidden? Oh, but that was going to
be difficult. She longed to shout it from the rooftops, it felt so
beautiful. So wonderful. So amazing.