CHAPTER ONE
“Sarah,
you are doing it again.”
Glancing
sideways at her best friend, Sarah made a face and sighed. “I know,” she
admitted, twisting her hands anxiously on her lap. “But I simply cannot help
it. He is so very handsome , Lily. Do you not think he is handsome?” With
another little sigh, this one dreamier than the last, Sarah returned to staring
unabashedly at Lord Devlin Heathcliff as he waltzed across the ballroom floor.
Strikingly
tall with a well muscled physique to match, the Viscount of Winswood had been
blessed with glossy brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and two matching dimples.
His jaw line was strong, his nose straight. From the top of his head to the
tips of his boots he was sheer perfection in every way, shape, and form. It was
a fact he knew very well and used to his full advantage at every opportunity,
especially where women were concerned.
As
Sarah watched, her face all but green with envy, the slender brunette in his
arms threw back her head and tittered. The Viscount drew her close to whisper
something in her ear and she laughed again, this time loudly enough to cause a
few heads to swivel. Fearing she could be caught gaping Sarah turned in the
uncomfortable wooden chair she had been sitting on since the ball began some
hours before and exchanged a rueful smile with Lily.
“I
think Lady Roland has big ears and an absolutely vile temper,” her friend said
loyally, referring to the brunette upon whose neck Devlin’s lips were currently
resting. “Not to worry, Sarah. She will be nothing more than yet another
passing fancy. You know how he is with them, like a child with a shiny new toy.
At the last ball it was Lady Awning, remember? And before that Lady Newmore
caught his eye for all of five minutes.” Leaning forward, Lily took Sarah’s
hand and squeezed it tight. “You will have your chance, not to worry. Although—”
her dark eyebrows lifted knowingly “—your chance would come a lot more quickly
if you ever actually got up the nerve to speak to him.”
Every
fiber of Sarah’s body rebelled at the idea of talking to the man who she had
been in love with since her sixteenth birthday when she first saw him from
across a crowded room. That had been seven years ago when she was a young
debutante with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart. Now those stars were
long ago extinguished, and the hope… Her shoulders slumped. The hope was all
but gone as well.
“You
know I could never do that,” she said in a whisper, less the other unfortunate
wallflowers who hovered around them overhear. Fretting with a long blond curl
that had come undone from her coiffure, she peeked sideways at Devlin one more
time before looking away with a little gasp. Had he been staring at her ?
Surely not. The very idea was inconceivable. Impossible, even. And yet…
Holding
her breath, she dared one more glance. For an instant her heart slammed against
her ribcage as she saw he truly was facing her, but his gaze… Oh, drats.
His gaze was focused on Lily.
“He
is looking at you,” she said glumly.
“Who
is?”
“Lord
Heathcliff.”
Her
friend snorted in unladylike disbelief. “He is not. He is merely – oh, well I
never. Sarah ,” she hissed, her violet eyes widening with ill disguised
excitement, “he is walking over here, right now! What do you want me to do?”
It
was of no surprise to any of the wallflowers, least of all Sarah, that it was
Lily, amidst all of the women that spent every ball sequestered away in a
corner of the room, who would manage to attract attention of the masculine
variety. After all, she was not truly a wallflower. No, she was much too
pretty to be one of them with her long flowing black hair, heart shaped face,
and eyes the color of amethysts. She sat with them out of loyalty, and because
she and Sarah had been the best of friends since childhood.
“Dance
with him,” Sarah said, giving Lily a little push. “Quickly, before he
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