Blossom in Winter (Blossom in Winter #1)(104)

“Welcome, Mr. and Ms. Van Gatt. My name is Stuart. I’m the main butler.” He greets us enthusiastically. “I hope you had a great trip getting here. And Merry Christmas!”

“Thank you very much, Stuart. Merry Christmas to you,” adds Dad.

As we step inside the entrance hall, Stuart helps me take off my black coat, then Dad’s, and disappears to hang them.

I gape as I take in my surroundings. The wood-paneled hallway opens into an opulent lobby with high ceilings, a crystal chandelier in the center, and a majestic stairway. Old family portraits in golden frames—maybe some centuries old—decorate the walls.

I see five figures emerge from a room—two women accompanied by two men I don’t recognize, and Alex. Ahhh… I feel my body melting at the sight of him. My heart starts fluttering nervously. After all, it’s the first time Dad’s around since we’ve been together.

“Roy, always so nice to see you.” Alex gives him a warm, friendly hug and a clap on the back. “Merry Christmas, my dear friend.”

Dad grins with joy. “Merry Christmas, Alex.”

His blue eyes finally land on me.





Alexander Van Dieren





All of a sudden, my heart stops for a moment, frozen at the sight of such a holy creation. I lose track of time as I stare at the thin figure standing beside Roy, with long, wavy black hair falling below her chest, a barrette holding some strands back, and wearing a red plaid dress and black stilettos. I swallow hard and dare to look into her big blue eyes. They petrify me. I manage to compose a smile—hopefully a good one. She giggles innocently at me. Damn, my eyes can’t help but devour her. My heart always pounds faster and louder when she’s around. I feel like just a poor human admiring the most divine creature ever created.

“Ms. Van Gatt,” I greet for the sake of politeness in front of our respective families.

She beams at me. “Mr. Van Dieren.”

I take her hand and slightly bend down to kiss her hand. She shuts her eyes for a brief instant as I lay my lips on her skin. But for me, that’s enough time to picture our entire stay in Aspen and to know exactly how right this is. There’s nothing in this world that I’m more certain of than her—her as my fiancée, her as my wife, her as the mother of my children, her as my lover, her in every sense. She smiles tenderly, as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking. I love you, my gaze says.

“Alright, enough, Van Dieren,” snaps the most annoying woman I know, stepping forward. “Welcome, Petra. I’m Yara, the youngest sister. And this my husband, Elliott. Merry Christmas!” Yara greets Petra by plunging her into a warm hug.

“And I’m Maud, the second youngest. This is Philip, my husband. Merry Christmas!” Maud also does the same, and Philip shakes her hand.

“Nice to meet you all. Merry Christmas.”





Petra Van Gatt





I can’t help but notice the difference in the two sisters’ appearances. Yara is fit and tall, with spotless pale skin. She has a defiant, cold dark-brown stare and seems like a general in the army with her impeccable posture. On the other hand, Maud’s shorter, tanner, not as athletic, and a bit curvier. Her face is much warmer and shows more empathy. Their styles are also quite the opposite—Maud is wearing a simple long silk tunic with loose black pants and heels, plus an oversized necklace, while Yara wears an elegant white shirt buttoned up to the neck, beige slim-fit pants, and equestrian-style boots.

“Yara’s a professional polo player,” states Alex, probably noticing my curious face. “She has an obsession with boots and an aversion to stilettos.”

We all burst into laughter.

“Ha Ha. Van Dieren is in funny mode tonight.” She looks back at me. “Let’s just say I wear heels only in extreme situations, or when there’s a mandatory dress code.” I can’t help but chuckle. “And Elliott loves to see me like that, right?”

“Of course.” He sounds sarcastic. “It wouldn’t be the Yara I know if you wore stilettos at Christmas like everyone else.” I love this Elliot. His sarcasm is fantastic. We all laugh even harder.

“Well, glad to meet someone like me. I don’t wear heels very often either.” I add, but obviously tonight I made an exception.

“You know, Petra, Yara plays even in winter when the fields are covered in snow,” adds Maud.

“Wow. I hope one day I’ll be able to attend one of your games. Where do you usually play? Here in the Netherlands?”

“Sometimes, but in winter it’s mostly in St. Moritz. They usually do the World Cup there.”

“Amazing! You’ve got to show me some pictures and videos when you can. I’ve never seen a polo game in the snow.”

“Sure. I’d be happy to show you after dinner.”

“Actually, her bedroom is full of awards and pictures, so it’s not hard to get an idea of her obsession for polo,” teases Maud.

“Well, I just copied my dear brother…”

“You used to be a polo player?” I had no idea.

“Nothing serious, just as a hobby. But our team did win some competitions,” Alex says. “Everyone used to play, right, Maud?”

“Indeed…” She sighs. “Sports have never been my thing. But we have annual tournaments between families. It’s always fun.” I wonder what Maud’s “thing” is—after all, she looks more creative and artistic and much less rigid than Yara. “I’m a lab scientist, so nothing to do with all of that,” she ultimately admits. Definitely not what I had in mind. “I must have the most boring job in the family…” She smiles with an ounce of embarrassment and takes a sip of her water.