Gabriel toyed with a tiny silk flower on her hat. “Rhombusphobia,” he said, entering into the game. “Fear of rhombus.”
That earned him a spontaneous grin. Her deep blue eyes became places to frolic and revel in. “Rhombusolotry. Worship of rhombus.”
Stroking the exquisite line of her cheek, Gabriel murmured, “I’d like to worship you.”
Pandora barely seemed to have heard him, her mind still occupied with the word game. Smiling, Gabriel kept an arm around her as the steamer approached the dock.
After disembarking, they went to a horse-drawn tram which would convey them to the fashionable promenade a mile away. In the meantime, Gabriel’s valet, Oakes, directed porters and managed the transfer of luggage from the steamer. The valet would then travel separately to the hotel along with the lady’s maid.
Once they reached the promenade, it was only a five-minute carriage ride to the Empire, an opulent seafront hotel situated on a sand beach. The magnificent lodging was equipped with every possible modern convenience, such as hydraulic lifts for conveying packages to all floors, and suites with private bathrooms.
Having never stayed in a hotel before, Pandora was mesmerized by the lush surroundings. She turned in circles to take in every detail of the blue, gold, and white interior, lavishly appointed with marble pillars, hand-painted wallpaper and Italian plasterwork. The ma?tre d’h?tel, who could hardly fail to notice Pandora’s interest, offered to give the newlywed couple a personal tour around the public rooms.
“Thank you, but—” Gabriel began.
“We would love that,” Pandora exclaimed, bouncing slightly on her heels before she recalled herself and went still in a belated attempt at dignity. Gabriel bit back a smile.
Gratified by her enthusiasm, the ma?tre d’h?tel gave her his arm and escorted her through the hotel, while Gabriel followed behind. They went first to the picture gallery, where their guide proudly pointed out the fine portraits of the hotel owner’s family, as well as a landscape by Turner and a painting of children and dogs by the Dutch master Jan Steen.
Next they visited the hotel’s French restaurant, where Pandora was shocked and delighted to observe that mixed dining was allowed in the main room, instead of relegating ladies to small private rooms. The ma?tre d’h?tel assured Pandora that men and women dining together in fine hotel restaurants was already the done thing in Paris. In a manner of highest confidentiality, he discreetly pointed out a table occupied by an Indian prince and his wife, and another where a renowned American financier dined with his wife and daughters.
The tour continued along a wide gallery surrounding an indoor garden with a soaring roof of iron and glass. As the ma?tre d’h?tel expounded on the amenities of the hotel . . . a water supply drawn from its own artesian well . . . sea-breeze gardens where afternoon tea was served daily . . . a full ballroom paneled with red Verona marble and lit with Louis XIV crystal chandeliers . . . Gabriel’s patience rapidly wore thin.
“Thank you for the tour,” Gabriel finally interrupted as they neared the grand staircase with its balustrade of wrought bronze imported from Brussels, decorated with scenes of the twelve feats of Hercules. There was no doubt the ma?tre d’h?tel would describe each feat in excruciating detail. “We are much obliged. However, I’m afraid Lady St. Vincent and I have already taken up too much of your time. We’ll retire to our suite now.”
“But my lord . . . I have not yet related the story of Hercules defeating the Lernean Hydra,” the ma?tre d’h?tel said, gesturing to a scene on the balustrade. At Gabriel’s glance of refusal, he persisted hopefully, “Hercules and the Horses of Diodemes . . . ?”
Ignoring Pandora’s longing glance at the staircase, Gabriel thanked the man once more and tugged her up the steps with him.
“But he was about to tell us a dozen stories,” Pandora protested in a whisper.
“I know.” Gabriel didn’t stop until they had reached their private suite, where their valet and lady’s maid had just finished unpacking their luggage. Although Ida was ready to help Pandora change from her traveling clothes, Gabriel decided to dismiss her. “I’ll take care of Lady St. Vincent. You and Oakes won’t be needed for a while.”
Although the statement was hardly salacious, either in content or delivery, the fair-haired, round-faced lady’s maid blushed a deep shade of pink and bobbed a curtsey. She paused only for a brief, tersely muttered exchange with Pandora before departing the suite with the valet.
“What did she say to you just now?” Gabriel asked Pandora, following as she investigated the suite, which including sitting rooms, service rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a private veranda with a view of the ocean.
“She told me to drape my dress across a chair rather than throw it on the floor. Also she complained because I set my hat on a chair and soon someone’s going to sit on it.”