the Americas—such a majestic bird with its odd, long beak that nearly touched the ground and a large pouch to hold fish in its mouth. The birds made loud squawking and coughing noises.
“Goodness, if I ever met a bird like that on the seaside, I’d probably run away terrified,” Lady Hargrove commented as the great white bird’s wings opened and flapped futilely and it made an odd growling noise.
Genny covered her ears. “What a dreadful sound it makes.”
“Indeed, madam,” Mr. Torrance said. “I don’t think the bird cares to impress us in the least. He’d rather steal fish from a fisherman’s net than amuse anyone visiting the zoo. He’s merely making his displeasure known.”
“I think the bird rather handsome,” Ariel said. “I can’t imagine they would be threatened in the wild, since they are so large.”
“It’s possible,” Charlotte said. “But I prefer the birds from the jungles around the world. The hyacinth macaw is a favorite of mine, actually.”
Everyone took her hint and moved along to the wired cages that housed a number of brightly colored parrots. They varied in size and color. Everyone oohed and aahed over the beautiful birds. When she came to the one she admired most, she put her hands against the wiring, wishing the bird would come closer. She clucked her tongue, trying to draw its attention, but the bird stared somewhere else, its head tilted inquisitively as it chawed loudly enough to make her ears ring. The blue of the bird was so vivid, so beautiful that she stood there staring at it for a spell.
Because her party had wandered off, she said to the bird, “You are far more majestic than any other bird here.”
“I wouldn’t get too close, Lady Charlotte. That bird is liable to take your thumb before you can blink,” a low, delectable voice said close to her ear.
Her heart slammed against her chest and an excitement she couldn’t possibly contain or explain overcame her. Instead of releasing the fence, her fingers curled tighter around the heavy wire.
She didn’t turn around because she knew who stood behind her, and she didn’t want to draw the notice of anyone from her party.
Finally able to think coherently, she dropped her hand away from the wire fence and took a step back … closer to him. Her skirts pushed forward when they pressed up against the man behind her. She closed her eyes to savor their proximity, and she swore there was a whole minute that she was unable to draw a single breath.
Why did he have this effect on her? Why couldn’t she remain cool and distant in her dealings with him? Why did she want him to press close enough that they were touching? She reminded herself that she barely knew this man. Though that hadn’t stopped her from constantly thinking about him since their first meeting.
“Be at the monkey house in fifteen minutes, my lady. I will find you,” he promised. The back of his hand brushed a tantalizing line over her shoulder and down the length of her back to her hip.
She nodded and gave him a breathless, “I’ll be there.” She daren’t turn and reveal that she was talking with anyone. The marquess was her secret alone; she hadn’t even told Ariel yet that she was meeting the man in so public a setting and with so many potential witnesses, but she had every confidence that the marquess would keep his presence hidden from the rest of her party.
She’d been counting down the minutes till she saw him today, and now she’d have to wait a while longer. But how could she spend much time with him when her cousin was close at hand? Panic rose for a moment and she feared that the next encounter she would have with the marquess would be just as fleeting as the private words they’d just shared.
There was no denying that she wanted more. And what more with this man entailed she was all too eager to discover.
What was wrong with her? She took a few steps back from the cage and turned to follow her party farther into the
“Goodness, if I ever met a bird like that on the seaside, I’d probably run away terrified,” Lady Hargrove commented as the great white bird’s wings opened and flapped futilely and it made an odd growling noise.
Genny covered her ears. “What a dreadful sound it makes.”
“Indeed, madam,” Mr. Torrance said. “I don’t think the bird cares to impress us in the least. He’d rather steal fish from a fisherman’s net than amuse anyone visiting the zoo. He’s merely making his displeasure known.”
“I think the bird rather handsome,” Ariel said. “I can’t imagine they would be threatened in the wild, since they are so large.”
“It’s possible,” Charlotte said. “But I prefer the birds from the jungles around the world. The hyacinth macaw is a favorite of mine, actually.”
Everyone took her hint and moved along to the wired cages that housed a number of brightly colored parrots. They varied in size and color. Everyone oohed and aahed over the beautiful birds. When she came to the one she admired most, she put her hands against the wiring, wishing the bird would come closer. She clucked her tongue, trying to draw its attention, but the bird stared somewhere else, its head tilted inquisitively as it chawed loudly enough to make her ears ring. The blue of the bird was so vivid, so beautiful that she stood there staring at it for a spell.
Because her party had wandered off, she said to the bird, “You are far more majestic than any other bird here.”
“I wouldn’t get too close, Lady Charlotte. That bird is liable to take your thumb before you can blink,” a low, delectable voice said close to her ear.
Her heart slammed against her chest and an excitement she couldn’t possibly contain or explain overcame her. Instead of releasing the fence, her fingers curled tighter around the heavy wire.
She didn’t turn around because she knew who stood behind her, and she didn’t want to draw the notice of anyone from her party.
Finally able to think coherently, she dropped her hand away from the wire fence and took a step back … closer to him. Her skirts pushed forward when they pressed up against the man behind her. She closed her eyes to savor their proximity, and she swore there was a whole minute that she was unable to draw a single breath.
Why did he have this effect on her? Why couldn’t she remain cool and distant in her dealings with him? Why did she want him to press close enough that they were touching? She reminded herself that she barely knew this man. Though that hadn’t stopped her from constantly thinking about him since their first meeting.
“Be at the monkey house in fifteen minutes, my lady. I will find you,” he promised. The back of his hand brushed a tantalizing line over her shoulder and down the length of her back to her hip.
She nodded and gave him a breathless, “I’ll be there.” She daren’t turn and reveal that she was talking with anyone. The marquess was her secret alone; she hadn’t even told Ariel yet that she was meeting the man in so public a setting and with so many potential witnesses, but she had every confidence that the marquess would keep his presence hidden from the rest of her party.
She’d been counting down the minutes till she saw him today, and now she’d have to wait a while longer. But how could she spend much time with him when her cousin was close at hand? Panic rose for a moment and she feared that the next encounter she would have with the marquess would be just as fleeting as the private words they’d just shared.
There was no denying that she wanted more. And what more with this man entailed she was all too eager to discover.
What was wrong with her? She took a few steps back from the cage and turned to follow her party farther into the
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