Page 43 of Husband for the Holidays

“You speak Greek?” Konstantin snapped his attention to her. “Why have we been speaking English?”

“I’m rusty,” she excused with a shrug. “I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I’ll brush up now that I’m here, though.”

“You certainly will,” Konstantin muttered. In Greek.

Nemo looked between them, not sure if he was supposed to be amused.

“Please come meet Filomena,” he decided to say. “She’s the niece of the regular housekeeper who is on vacation. She has a young family so she can only come in for a few hours each morning. I’ve contacted an agency if you’d like someone here full-time?”

“Mornings are fine,” Konstantin said to the young woman when they found her putting away groceries in the kitchen. “Thank you for coming on short notice.”

“Of course.” She smiled shyly at both of them.

“Oh, this is beautiful,” Eloise said as they moved from the expansive kitchen out to the living area.

The decor was soothing grays and muted earth tones, picking up the colors of the marble floor and contrasting against the white walls. Beyond the abundant windows, the terrace and pool sat against a screen of endless blue sea and scudding clouds. Eloise was drawn outside to the covered dining area where she was protected from the bite of the damp wind.

Inside, she heard Konstantin say, “When can we expect the—wait. Let it be a surprise for Eloise, since it’s for her. When will it arrive?”

“This afternoon,” Nemo assured him. “And where...um...?” He smiled uncertainly as Eloise came back inside, drawn by curiosity. “Where would you like me to put it?”

“Here.” Konstantin waved at a cozy seating area next to the fireplace, where she could imagine herself curling up to read a book and sip a glass of wine.

“Are you getting a tree?” Eloise guessed, warmed that he would indulge her like that. “You don’t have to do that for me if it’s not something you usually have.”

“The tree will be here tonight,” Nemo said, faltering in a brief way that suggested to Eloise that he was expecting more than a tree. “Filomena’s husband will bring it. She looked for decorations in the storage room, but couldn’t find any.”

“I don’t have any,” Konstantin said.

“I’ll pick some up later and hang them tonight. Do you have a color preference?” Nemo asked Eloise.

“You probably don’t know, but I happen to be one of Santa’s helpers.” Eloise splayed her hand on her chest. “As such, I would love to buy decorations and hang them. It sounds like you have enough to do.”

“It’s no trouble for me.” Nemo looked to Konstantin for guidance, seeming anxious not to step on her toes, but nor was he about to shirk his duties.

“We’ll go into the village and see what we can find,” Konstantin said, adding ironically, “So Santa can get his sled in here without being seen.”

“Konstantin, I haven’t even got youonegift,” Eloise protested, growing anxious as she suspected something else was planned. Her finances did not run to plane fare and sapphire earrings and whatever else he was planning, either. Buying a few baubles for the tree would be a strain.

“I don’t need anything,” Konstantin said dismissively. “Except thirty minutes to finish speaking with Nemo. Please tell Filomena we’ll find dinner while we’re out. She doesn’t need to prepare anything.” He turned back to Nemo. “Come into my office and tell me where we are with the lawyers.”

Eloise delivered her message, but Filomena wouldn’t let her help in the kitchen or let her carry up the luggage that the pilot had left on a cart in the breezeway.

“Nemo and I will unpack it while you’re out,” she promised.

She told Eloise where to shop for decorations, but didn’t have any suggestions for a gift for Konstantin. “My husband enjoys assembling model planes and fishing so I always have options in that vein.”

Did Konstantin have hobbies? Eloise didn’t know, which was an uncomfortable reminder that she was marrying a man who was still a mystery to her. One who had made her feel divine, then left her in the bed and walked away, not seeming nearly as affected by their interlude in the shower as she had been.

He had also delivered her back to her mother and put her stepfather on notice. She wanted to show her gratitude for that. She had to give him something and it had to be meaningful.

She picked up her phone to searchinexpensive gifts for men, but was struck by the perfect idea before she’d unlocked her screen.

She hurried back to the kitchen to ask Filomena where she could find what she needed.

Konstantin parked the Jeep in one of the spots facing the beach, then walked around to wrap his arm around Eloise, trying to protect her from the gust of salt-scented wind.

“Do you want to get a coffee?” Eloise asked as they reached the stoop of akafeneio.

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