Chapter Eight
Sasha arrived several days before Christmas, along with Robert’s brother and sister-in-law, Anthony and Cleo—yes their names were the family joke.
With Foxglove turning festive with the season, Gabrielle felt like little more than a servant. Her relationship with Robert went unexplained to his guests. And this master of his domain ordered her to fetch this and that at his command—sometimes kindly, but often tersely without an ounce of affection. Gabrielle bit her tongue, remembering that with any complaint, and on any whim, Dante might be inclined to spank her, and he wouldn’t care if there were an audience watching. What began in his mother’s music room was either on hold or so unimportant that it didn’t warrant his further consideration.
Since that night, Robert had bee
