flared his tails behind
him as he sat. Brigitta narrowed her gaze in his direction.
“I wonder what you’re up to.”
He stalled the bite of stewed
damsons halfway between the plate and his mouth.
“You lead me back into the estate
then disappear, and now you show up here, at the ball, in costume.”
The fork with the prunes
clattered to his plate as he leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles
underneath the table. Smiling, he said, “Perhaps I am the black sheep of the
family. A rogue. Or perhaps I don’t truly belong to the family, but stole your
master’s clothes and masquerade as something I’m not.”
She tapped a finger on the side
of her face. “I don’t think so. No, your air, your bearing, is regal, noble.
You hail from nobility, just as you claimed. I believe you speak the truth when
you say you are the baron’s brother. What I cannot see is besides appearance
what you two have in common, for he has a most foul personality.”
Luke stifled his mirth and
cleared his throat. “Your opinion of your husband is exceedingly low.”
“I’m afraid there is very little
to endear me to him.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Have you?” she asked, plucking a
bright red strawberry from his plate and plopping it into her mouth.
Luke swallowed and glanced around
to see if anyone noticed her unorthodox behavior. The guests seemed
preoccupied. To continue in the same vein of thought, he said, “It is almost
all the guests can speak of.” His focus centered on her smacking lips as she
licked her fingers.
She smiled. “Are you sure? From
the rumors I hear, they talk mostly of my ill disposition.”
“Well, I—” he stuttered.
She laughed. “You shouldn’t lie
when the truth is so obvious.”
He nodded. “You are correct. I
apologize.”
“Please don’t. I find it quite
attractive that you would lie to assuage my feelings.”
She leaned in closer. Luke
started to lean toward her, enchanted by the conversation and by her. Prickles
of intense sensation raced along his spine. Quickly, he sat up straight,
feeling naughty at publicly flirting with his brother’s wife. The attention he
afforded her could become an issue.
To lighten the mood, he said, “Since
you ate half my plate as well as your own, maybe you should find a dance
partner?”
“I’d be delighted,” she said,
holding out her hand.
Luke clasped it reluctantly.
Again they slid onto the dance floor and she melted into his arms. As they
waltzed, she said, “I should never have let you bring me back inside the
estate.”
He continued to glide. His heart
felt as if it had jumped into his throat as he struggled to find an appropriate
response.
She said, “However, I must say
the midnight adventure did spur me to embolden myself.”
“How so?” he asked, clearing his
throat.
She shrugged. “I took charge and
left my room. Of course, all I did was run to the kitchens — I was fairly
starving. But still the exhilaration was beyond compare.”
“So you escaped?” Pride swelled
in his breast.
A twisted grin tilted the corner
of her petulant lips. “I did, briefly. However, I still returned to my rooms.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.” She sighed and changed the
subject. “What do you think of having a ball where only the gentlemen wear
masks?”
“Very creative.”
“Hmm. I think so, as well, but I
wouldn’t really know because I’ve never attended another.”
“You haven’t?” Where did
Brigitta hail from? He could kick himself for not having asked Jarvis this
question.
“No, I haven’t. I lived in the
village until, well, until recently when the baron proposed marriage.” Again
she released a long breath. “I had such high hopes.” She shook her head and
added, “Tonight I was going to apologize for my behavior, but I’m afraid it is
not to be.”
“Is that because the baron is not
here?”
“Yes. I can’t understand it. He
arranged this entire event and then doesn’t even attend. Perhaps he is ill,
him as he sat. Brigitta narrowed her gaze in his direction.
“I wonder what you’re up to.”
He stalled the bite of stewed
damsons halfway between the plate and his mouth.
“You lead me back into the estate
then disappear, and now you show up here, at the ball, in costume.”
The fork with the prunes
clattered to his plate as he leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles
underneath the table. Smiling, he said, “Perhaps I am the black sheep of the
family. A rogue. Or perhaps I don’t truly belong to the family, but stole your
master’s clothes and masquerade as something I’m not.”
She tapped a finger on the side
of her face. “I don’t think so. No, your air, your bearing, is regal, noble.
You hail from nobility, just as you claimed. I believe you speak the truth when
you say you are the baron’s brother. What I cannot see is besides appearance
what you two have in common, for he has a most foul personality.”
Luke stifled his mirth and
cleared his throat. “Your opinion of your husband is exceedingly low.”
“I’m afraid there is very little
to endear me to him.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Have you?” she asked, plucking a
bright red strawberry from his plate and plopping it into her mouth.
Luke swallowed and glanced around
to see if anyone noticed her unorthodox behavior. The guests seemed
preoccupied. To continue in the same vein of thought, he said, “It is almost
all the guests can speak of.” His focus centered on her smacking lips as she
licked her fingers.
She smiled. “Are you sure? From
the rumors I hear, they talk mostly of my ill disposition.”
“Well, I—” he stuttered.
She laughed. “You shouldn’t lie
when the truth is so obvious.”
He nodded. “You are correct. I
apologize.”
“Please don’t. I find it quite
attractive that you would lie to assuage my feelings.”
She leaned in closer. Luke
started to lean toward her, enchanted by the conversation and by her. Prickles
of intense sensation raced along his spine. Quickly, he sat up straight,
feeling naughty at publicly flirting with his brother’s wife. The attention he
afforded her could become an issue.
To lighten the mood, he said, “Since
you ate half my plate as well as your own, maybe you should find a dance
partner?”
“I’d be delighted,” she said,
holding out her hand.
Luke clasped it reluctantly.
Again they slid onto the dance floor and she melted into his arms. As they
waltzed, she said, “I should never have let you bring me back inside the
estate.”
He continued to glide. His heart
felt as if it had jumped into his throat as he struggled to find an appropriate
response.
She said, “However, I must say
the midnight adventure did spur me to embolden myself.”
“How so?” he asked, clearing his
throat.
She shrugged. “I took charge and
left my room. Of course, all I did was run to the kitchens — I was fairly
starving. But still the exhilaration was beyond compare.”
“So you escaped?” Pride swelled
in his breast.
A twisted grin tilted the corner
of her petulant lips. “I did, briefly. However, I still returned to my rooms.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.” She sighed and changed the
subject. “What do you think of having a ball where only the gentlemen wear
masks?”
“Very creative.”
“Hmm. I think so, as well, but I
wouldn’t really know because I’ve never attended another.”
“You haven’t?” Where did
Brigitta hail from? He could kick himself for not having asked Jarvis this
question.
“No, I haven’t. I lived in the
village until, well, until recently when the baron proposed marriage.” Again
she released a long breath. “I had such high hopes.” She shook her head and
added, “Tonight I was going to apologize for my behavior, but I’m afraid it is
not to be.”
“Is that because the baron is not
here?”
“Yes. I can’t understand it. He
arranged this entire event and then doesn’t even attend. Perhaps he is ill,
Similar Books
