Enchanted by Your Kisses (9 page)

Ah, but society adores perfection. ‘
Tis
why you are banned, Ariel, for you are not perfect anymore. They think your innocence has been taken, even though it has not.

She clenched her hands, staring at the man before her in sudden sympathy. Mr.
Trevain
either hadn't seen the look or else he ignored it. Either way Ariel was still miffed. "Mr.
Trevain
," she said, trying to distract him in the event he had seen the look. "May I present my cousin, Lady
Sarrington
?

Nathan bowed. Ariel felt further troubled by the look upon her cousin's face. Though she'd warned her friend, she'd hoped Phoebe would be better able to conceal her absorption with the defect.

"Lady
Sarrington
," he said, bowing, and though he hadn't been raised in British society, though he hadn't been immersed in its customs and culture, his manners were as impeccable as any of the men she'd seen here tonight. He dressed more elegantly, too. He wore a dark gray coat, a light yellow waistcoat and elegant beige silk breeches. Once again he wore no wig, but the lack of false hair only made him stand out more. She felt dowdy by comparison, like a vicar's daughter, and suddenly as naively tongue-tied as well. She resisted the urge to fiddle with the single gray curl that dangled from the back of her wig, especially when he turned to her.

"You look beautiful tonight, Ariel."

Once again, the couple turned, Ariel knowing they were probably scandalized by his use of her Christian name. But she didn't care. Suddenly she didn't care about anything. The way he looked at her with those wonderful eyes—gracious, it took her breath away. And the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. . .wicked.

Careful, Ariel, 'tis but an act.

Oh, but what an actor he was. And from nowhere came the wish that it wasn't an act, that a man could look at her as he looked at her and actually mean it. She bowed her head, so confused by the feelings coursing through her that she could barely think, much less converse. Thankfully, her cousin took matters into her own hands.

"I confess myself relieved to see you here tonight, sir." Ariel realized her cousin had gotten herself under control. Her face was filled with friendly interest as she said, "We could use some male company, I fear."

"Can you?" he asked, but it was to Ariel that he addressed the question. When once again she stared up at him, she saw a twinkle come into his eyes. "But of course, where else would I be but by my fiancée's side?"

Someone gasped; Ariel didn't know who. And with those simple words it was done. Word would now spread throughout the ballroom like fire. It would begin with a murmur here, a word there, the result being everyone would know she'd become engaged to Mr. Nathan
Trevain
, heir to the dukedom of Davenport, by night's end.

She could hardly wait.

"Take my arm,"
Trevain
ordered. They stepped forward, Ariel realizing they were about to be announced. The ballroom spread out before them like a sea of moving color. People stood around the edge of the dance floor, eyeing them. She saw eyes widen. What an odd couple they must look, she thought. A misfit and a rake. Yet she held herself proudly and when their names were announced, stepped gracefully into the room, lifting her skirts elegantly as she moved. And as people stared her up and down, never was she more grateful for a man's presence. He may not have had a perfect face, but at that moment he was the most beautiful man she knew. His arm felt solid, his presence so commanding that for the first time since rejoining society she felt more in control.

"Shall we dance?" he asked her, just as he had the night before, his look a polite question.

"We should probably wait for Phoebe."

"Your cousin will not mind our dancing one dance."

Yes, Phoebe would, but he gave her no time to argue. Shooting Phoebe an apologetic glance, she allowed him to lead her toward the dance floor. He'd placed her hand on his arm, his ring catching the light. A serpentine, he'd called it, but she knew that was wrong. A serpentine was all green, like a snake, hence the name, whereas this stone had those spots of red in it. Like the skin of a poisonous snake or blood.

She stiffened. That was it! A bloodstone. That was what the gem was called. She felt sure of it, even thought about telling him, but he spun her around to face him, making her momentarily breathless. The dance was already in progress, but he didn't seem to care. He led her into position, the feel of his hand holding hers more pleasurable than she would have liked. With his body so near she could feel the heat radiate off it, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. She looked up at him. '
Twas
no country dance. This was a French dance, one that kept them close together, at times circling like birds in a mating ritual. Mating ritual. What an odd thought.

Gracious, but she had a lot of odd thoughts about him. Was it his wickedly handsome looks? Or was it the way he seemed only to have eyes for her? Though they were occasionally separated, his gaze never left her own. She told herself to concentrate, told herself that appearing moonstruck with the man did her reputation no good. Then again, what harm in letting society think theirs was a love match?

A love match?

She stiffened. What a silly notion. As if they acted in love. She forced herself to look away, just to prove to herself that she could, forced herself to think of something to say, something mundane.

"Did you have a pleasant ride over?" She nearly cursed. What a ninny. There was mundane, and there was mundane.

He appeared amused by her question. "Indeed I did, thank you for asking."

What was it her governess had often said? When conversing with a man, one should stick to his health and the weather. Well, he looked perfectly healthy. She shivered: too much so. And the weather seemed like a silly topic.

"Your ring is a bloodstone," she blurted, at a loss as to what else to say.

His gaze suddenly intensified. Ariel felt sweat bead upon her lip.

"Is it?" he asked, black brows raised.

"Indeed."

"And how do you know that?"

She had to wait for them to come together again, the time that it took for him to return to her side only reinforcing Ariel's nervousness. "I've studied such things."

"Have you?" he asked. "While in the country?"

She nodded, feeling rather proud of her education, and suddenly anxious to show it off. "Yes. A bloodstone is a chalcedony, also known by another name, though what that name is escapes me at the moment. It is said that the stone has the power to turn the sun blood-red, to cause thunder, lightning and rain to hail down. Is that not amusing?"

He didn't look amused. He looked rather perturbed. They moved apart again, Ariel wondering if he was the sort of man who didn't like women to be educated. Well, fie on him if he didn't. Women were every bit as smart as men, although men much preferred to think the opposite, but that only showed their ignorance.

When they came back together, she expected him to say something derogatory. Instead he merely smiled down at her. "Your knowledge amazes me," he surprised her by saying. "Tell me, what other things have you learned?"

She shrugged, unaccountably wanting to impress him. "Human anatomy. Greek mythology. Principals of general carriage mechanics. Things of that nature." Not to mention following the war closely, but she didn't think it wise to mention the recent hostilities between their two countries.

"Human anatomy?" he queried with an amused smile.

Something nagged at the back of her mind, something about what she'd just said. She put the thought away for later. "Indeed. A most interesting subject, human anatomy." Especially the part about human reproduction. Her father's library was most complete.

"And what sorts of things did you learn?" He moved closer to her, far closer than the steps of the dance dictated. Ariel wanted to move away, knew she should for the sake of her reputation, but in an instant the steps sent them apart. She almost sagged to the ground in relief, the dancers around them a blur as she waited for them to come together again.

"Well?" he prompted, when next they met. He took her hand, stepped close to her, his silver gaze intense.

She swallowed. Gracious heavens, what this man could do to her with only a look. She forced herself to concentrate, to remember their conversation. "I learned about the parts of the body. Liver. Kidney. Heart."

Hearts that can be broken,
Ariel told herself. But her heart didn't want to listen. She felt her legs begin to tremble, felt herself stumble.

He caught her. "Careful, my lady. It wouldn't do for you to come to any harm."

She pulled back, mortified to realize the dance had ended and she hadn't even noticed it.

"Ariel?" he asked when she didn't say anything in response.

"I need a moment to catch my breath," she gasped, lurching away from him.

His expression actually turned concerned. "Would you like something to drink?"

She nodded, not really wanting anything, just feeling the need to be alone.

He stared down at her a moment longer before turning away from her, reluctantly, it seemed. She watched him go, feeling the stares of people as he did so. They stared at Nathan, too, though for a different reason. Like a Greek god he moved through the crowd, his face chiseled, his bearing that of a warrior. Purposeful. Commanding. Intimidating.

She looked down at the ground, wondering what it was that drew her to him. And would she ever have the courage to trust a man again? Somehow she feared she wouldn't. The ring he wore had caught her attention. She had stared at it.
Abloodstone
. There was a Greek name for the stone, too. Something that had to do with the sun, so named for the red color.

She stiffened.

Helio
. Meaning sun. The stone was also called a heliotrope. Nathan
Trevain
, recently from the American colonies, wore a heliotrope.

The spy Helios was suspected of being in
England
.

"There you are," Phoebe gushed, gaining her side after shooting her a look of triumph. "Goodness, Ariel, I had to skirt the entire dance floor to reach you."

"I need to be alone, Phoebe."

"I—you what?" she asked, surprise etching her features.

"I need to be alone for a second. To think. Some fresh air." She spun toward one set of three double doors allowing air to circulate through the ballroom.

"Ariel, wait," Phoebe called, stopping her with a hand on her arm. "What is it?" A look of concern clouded her cousin's pretty eyes.

She shook her head. How could she tell Phoebe about the horrible presentiment she'd just had? "Just give me a moment alone."

Phoebe nodded. "Very well."

Ariel walked away, knowing Phoebe felt hurt at being excluded. But how could she express her fear to a cousin who already disapproved of the man in question? And how farfetched was that fear? She plunged into the evening's darkness. Fresh air. Cold fresh air. She inhaled sharply, her mind clearing.

Helios.

Nathan
Trevain
wore a heliotrope.

It seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore.

The stone was not that rare, yet it was an uncommon stone to choose for a setting. And why had he lied to her about the kind of stone it was? For as certain as she knew he wore a bloodstone, she also knew he'd lied.

She stopped by a fountain, which glowed a muted gray in the moonlight. Cherubs were clustered in the middle of it, water spewing from their mouths and noses. Frogs and crickets chirped nearby. She looked down at the dark water, the vague shadows of fish floating beneath the surface a focal point for her eyes.