Wedding Party Collection: Here Comes The Groom: The Bridegroom's Vow / The Billionaire Bridegroom

“Why don’t we have a sneak preview before dinner.”

“I thought you wanted to work.”

“Indirectly, I would say a costume to promote publicity for the fair falls under that particular umbrella.”

Her hands tightened on her laptop before she got up and put it on the coffee table.

Certain things in life were private. If she were his fiancée or his wife, she couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than having the right to be in his bedroom, rummaging around in his walk-in closet, handling his clothes.

This was the danger her mother had talked about. To share all this with him—except the most important thing.

“What color is the bag?” she called to him.

“Dark blue.”

He had a good size wardrobe, and she saw several bags matching that description. Before looking inside each one, she decided to open the floor-length cupboard. Maybe Leon had hung it in there so it would be easier to find again.

What she discovered caused her to forget why she was in there. Both sections contained boxes full of trophies, plaques and cups lying in haphazard fashion, some large, some small. Dozens of them.

One thing was clear from some of the trophies depicting a man in climbing gear with a pickax. He was an expert mountaineer.

Most of the engravings were in foreign languages, including Greek, but a few were in English. He’d climbed all over the world. There were dates going back fifteen years, yet there was one as recent as this year.

She remembered a trip he’d taken in June. He said he’d be out of the office a week and she wouldn’t be able to reach him unless he phoned her. If there was a problem, she should consult Stavros.

He’d returned with a deep tan. Alex had assumed he’d gone sailing on the Aegean or some such thing. She had no idea the mountains were his great love.

“You haven’t lost your way in there, have you, Ms. Hamilton?”

She shut the cupboard abruptly. “I’ll be right out.”

Without wasting any more time, she felt the bags until she found one that she could tell didn’t contain a man’s suit jacket.

Emerging from the closet, she walked over to her chair and unzipped it. A soft gasp escaped her throat when she held it up and saw what a fabulous job the seamstress had done.

Faithful to the colored sketch Alex had made from the well-known Greek icon depicting Saint Dimitrios on his horse, the short-sleeved, hip-length vest was authentic in every detail.

She found a pair of dark gold braided boot covers in the bottom of the bag. They were meant to hide his shoes and hug the trousers to his legs at a point above the calves.

Along with the boots, Cossack-style rust trousers and a great flowing ruby cape completed the outfit.

“Bring everything closer.”

She did his bidding. “You have to visualize yourself on horseback wearing all this and carrying your scepter, of course.” He would look magnificent.

One black eyebrow lifted. “Did you arrange for a mount, too? Am I to be interviewed on the back of it?”

No amount of self-control could hide the blush that swept up her neck and face.

On cue a knock sounded at the door causing Alex’s head to swerve around.

“Uncle? I’ve brought your dinner.” The next thing she knew Leon came into the room wheeling a tea cart laden with food. “I hope you’re hungry because the cook outdid—”

He paused mid-sentence when he saw her standing next to the bed holding up the costume.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s all right, Leon. My secretary was just showing me what she had made for me to wear for the initial television interview to open the trade fair. What do you think?”

Leaving the cart, his nephew stepped closer to examine everything. His brown eyes moved in fascination from one item to the other, then he looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.

“This is fabulous,” he whispered. “You picked his namesake.”

“I told you she was clever, Leon.”

“But Uncle, this is really fantastic!” He kept looking at it, then at her.

“Do me another favor and try it on so I can see what I’ll look like in it.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Alex encouraged him. “You’re almost the same height as your uncle. If something’s wrong, I’ll be able to get the alterations done in time.”

He took the costume from her. “How did you know about Saint Dimitrios?”

“I love European art history.”

“So do I! It’s too bad you can’t see some of the icons and stained glass windows in the monasteries on Mount Athos.”

“That’s the holy mountain where women aren’t allowed.”

“You know that, too?”

She smiled. “I would suppose every woman who has studied Greece has heard of it. I think it’s sad only men get to see its beauties. If it weren’t for women, those monks would never have been given life in the first place.

“In fact I think it’s sad they can’t marry and worship at the same time. They miss out on so much. Can you imagine never watching the birth of your own baby?”

She’d said the last without thinking. Between the way Dimitrios’s face darkened, combined with the hostile glance Leon suddenly flashed his uncle, she knew her words had been offensive to both men.

Leon’s eyes slid away from hers. “If you’ll both excuse me, I’ve just remembered something I have to do.” He handed the things back to her and strode out of the room.

Alex felt sick.

Leon was always so polite and deferential in front of his uncle. For him to leave like that meant she’d really affronted him.

“I’m so sorry.”

“For what, Ms. Hamilton? Speaking your mind?”

She shook her head. “I’m the one who drove him away with my remarks. I meant no irreverence, but I’m sure that’s how they sounded to him.” And you.