Tarnished Angel (32 page)

    "Devina, I've been waiting to find you free. If I might have the pleasure of dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room… no, the most beautiful woman in Tombstone… it would be the highlight of my night."

    "Albert, such flagrant flattery!"

    "No, Devina, it's nothing more than a statement of fact, I assure you. Shall we dance?"

    Devina looked up into her prospective partner's face just as history repeated itself: A bead of perspiration ran down Albert Wallace's cheek and disappeared into his high collar, following the same route taken by the moisture on Walter
Scherkraut's
face only moments ago. She suppressed a silent groan. Without a word she accepted the hand Albert proffered. It was moist and clammy. The hand he placed at her waist as she preceded him out onto the floor efficiently adhered to the waistline of her dress with its dampness. Her silent groan grew louder as she anticipated what the next few minutes would bring. Once out on the floor, she turned to face her partner as he stepped out with a firm, hard step.

    "Oh, my dear, excuse me!"

    Managing to subdue her instinctive cry of pain, Devina withdrew her small foot from beneath the large sole of Albert Wallace's shoe. She glanced down at her battered satin slipper, the thought entering her mind that she might never walk again. Bravely she raised her eyes in Albert's direction.

    "It's quite all right, Albert. Let's dance, shall we?"

    Allowing Albert to swing her out onto the floor, Devina leaned heavily on his arm, her eyes moving back to the doorway. Father was back in his conversation, and Charles was standing silently in a corner of the living room. What was he waiting for? A reluctant concession to her fear of crushed toes, Devina returned her attention to Albert in time to dodge his heavy foot once more. Damn Charles for playing the gentleman and waiting until the dance was over to come to her side!

    Devina gritted her teeth in a determined smile. How much longer would this dance last? More importantly, how much longer would her poor feet last? At this point in time, she was uncertain which would meet an end first.

    Ross smiled Charles's smile in return to the many greetings extended to him as he worked his way through the crowded room and into a secluded corner. It occurred to him that following his plan this evening was not going to be as easy as he thought.

    Without his realizing it, Ross's smile turned into a frown. Damn, he had not thought Devina Dale would light up the whole house and surrounding countryside with her party! A quick visual sweep of the house as he had approached it had revealed that lanterns were strung the entire length of the veranda and out onto the patio. Every room in the house appeared to be lit, and people moved around the premises with a freedom that would allow him little privacy. Jake's little mistress had surely not exaggerated. Everyone who was anyone in Tombstone was here.

    The warmth of the greetings he had been receiving since he had entered amused him to no end. No one had cause to suspect he was anyone other than Charles Carter, and it was obvious Carter had made himself very popular in the three years since he had come to town. It seemed the other man with Carter's face, the man the town had once sworn to hang, had been forgotten along with the countless other felons who had passed through the Tombstone court since. But that was all right. Ross would soon refresh everyone's memory.

    His line of thought coming to an abrupt halt, Ross stared awestruck at the vision whirling around the floor in the arms of Albert Wallace. It was Devina Dale
    
startlingly beautiful, lovelier than he had ever seen her in a sparkling silver gown that caught the flickering lights of the room and reflected them a thousand times. Her pale hair, soft and shining, gleamed with a mirroring hue, framing her face in a luminous, almost ethereal halo.

    An angel… she was an angel floating on a cloud of glittering silver. But he knew there was deceit in that illusion. The celestial glow of that angel was tarnished by the sense of superiority she had exhibited that first day on the stage, by hauteur, and by conceit. The surface was shining silver. The interior, the heart beneath her beautiful breasts, was cold, unfeeling. Yet he was enthralled, unable to take his eyes off her. He was fascinated by this magnificent, tarnished angel, although he knew full well the stain of selfishness ran deep.

    Their glances met and Ross felt the impact of that contact down to his toes. Her glorious eyes appealed to him, asked him to come to her, and in that moment Ross wanted to respond to her summons more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. It took a few minutes for him to get the situation into perspective. Devina Dale was not calling him. She was calling Charles Carter.

    With a supreme effort, Ross controlled the angry heat that realization evoked. A smile of bitter amusement touched his lips. What more could he ask? Tonight he
was
Charles Carter. And tonight Devina Dale would belong to him.

    Devina managed a smile through her silent sigh of relief. She had thought that dance would never end. The soft curve of her lips stiffened into a grimace as she turned with distaste from the sight of the perspiration trailing down Albert Wallace's puffy face. She had had enough of overweight, laboring dance partners to last a lifetime. As far as she was concerned, her duty dances were done.

    Mumbling a few polite words to Albert as he escorted her to the edge of the dance floor, Devina excused herself and took a few steps, seeking Charles's face. Her eyes darted to the far corner where she had last seen him standing. He was not there. Damn, where was he? When she caught up with him she would give him a piece of her mind!

    "Looking for someone, Devina?"

    Whirling around, Devina started to scold him, but the first deafening chord of another waltz drowned out her tirade. Charles's grin broadened, and she felt its warmth chip away at her annoyance. Only Charles could smile like that, dispel her anger without a word. He slipped his arm under hers and walked her to a quiet corner that would provide them a minimum of privacy. Smoothly but firmly, he backed her up against the wall, blocking her view of the crowded room with his broad chest. He looked down into her face, and Devina's heart jumped and set to racing.

    "Now, is there something you want to say to me, Devina?"

    Breathless, Devina shook her head. Charles's familiar face was suddenly disconcerting. Strange, she had not realized how very black his hair was, or did it only seem darker because of the way his sun-darkened complexion caught the candlelight? And   his eyes… she was not accustomed to the intensity she saw in them just now. Why wasn't Charles's smile reflected in their shadowed depths? Why did his gaze make her feel strange, insecure?

    Devina hesitated, and Charles broke into her silence. "Well, this is a surprise. I've never known you to be at a loss for words before, Devina."

    Devina managed a small laugh. "You've never backed me into a corner before, Charles. Your unexpected tactic took me off guard."

    Charles's eyes continued to hold hers as his smile dropped away. "Maybe that was my mistake."

    Devina's discomfort was increasing. This side of Charles was new, disturbing. No man had ever knocked her off balance in this way. No man except…

    A sudden tremor of fear shuddered down Devina's spine, and she took a short step back. A memory of haunting eyes returned sharply to her mind, merging with those of the man standing before her, and Devina attempted to retreat farther, only to feel the wall against her back. She tried to speak, but the words would not emerge past the lump in her throat.

    "Devina, what's wrong?"

    Charles was frowning, but it was a worried frown. She felt his hand on her arm, heard his familiar voice fill with concern.

    "Devina, are you all right? It's hot in here, and you've probably been dancing nonstop since the music began. You need some flesh air. We'll go for a short walk… Devina dear, answer me."

    Charles… it was the old Charles… Devina felt strength beginning to return to her limbs. What was wrong with her? Was she having hallucinations? Perhaps Charles was right… too much dancing and too little air.

    As if to reassure herself that this was really Charles, Devina reached up and touched the lines of his smile with her fingertips. Yes, there was no smile quite like his.

    "I'm sorry, Charles. Perhaps you're right. I do need some air, but let's go out on the patio. I can't be seen leaving my own party. Father would have a fit."

    Charles took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "We wouldn't want to do anything to make your father angry, would we?"

    The warmth of his lips scorched the palm of her hand, and   Devina shook her head. Still holding her hand captive, Charles urged softly, "Would we?"

    Devina's response was distracted. "Would we…?"

    Charles's smile faded as Devina continued to stare up into his face. His breathing, she noticed, was almost as ragged as her own, and Devina found it difficult to tear her eyes from his lips… those full, generous lips that smiled so easily. She wondered how they would feel…

    "Devina, there you are!"

    A familiar gushing voice broke into Devina's distracted state as Sally Lou Keane approached. Her animated expression matched her eager pace, and Devina suppressed a silent groan. Her eyes darted to Sally Lou's side to see the ever-constant Wilfred Bellows in attendance, and she attempted a smile.

    "Yes, here I am, Sally Lou. Hello, Wilfred. Are you both enjoying the party?"

    "Enjoying the party! Of course Willie and I are enjoying it! It's the most fabulous party I've ever attended!" Poking the silent Willie with her elbow, she urged anxiously, "Isn't it, Willie?"

    "It's a lovely party, Devina."

    "And your gown!" Sally Lou's eyes devoured Devina's silver dress. "It's just magnificent! I've never seen anything like it. Where did you get it? In San Francisco? New York?" Sally Lou paused as another thought suddenly struck her. Her eyes widened. "Not Paris? You didn't get it in Paris!"

    Devina took a firm hold on her patience. "No, not Paris, Sally Lou. I had it made right here in Tombstone."

    "Here in Tombstone?"

    Devina suppressed a groan. "Yes, here in Tombstone."

    Sally Lou shook her head unbelievingly. "
Here?
… In
Tombstone?
"

    Devina gritted her teeth with irritation. She could just as easily have had this conversation with a parrot. Charles's sudden interruption was as timely as it was unexpected.

    "If you'll excuse us, Sally Lou, Devina and I were just about to go out on the patio for some air."

    "Some air?"

    A smile curled the corners of Devina's lips. Had she actually seen Charles's mouth twitch?

    "Yes, some air. We'll see you later, Sally Lou, Wilfred."

    Taking her arm in a firm grip, Charles urged her forward. His rapid step did not slow until they had reached the patio. Halting abruptly, Charles acknowledged Judge Walsh's greeting before turning back toward Devina. "If that girl had uttered one more foolish word…"

    Devina's mouth dropped open with surprise. "Charles, aren't you the one who told me to be kinder to Sally Lou because she admired me so?"

    Charles's brows drew together in an uncharacteristic frown. A sudden chill moved up Devina's spine as Charles hesitated, his eyes roaming her face and then settling on her mouth. His voice was low, intense. "Maybe I've decided it's time to put other, more important considerations forward. Maybe I think we"

    "Devina? Where are you, my dear?"

    Devina turned spontaneously at the sound of her father's voice, only to feel Charles's hand tighten on her arm.

    Harvey Dale appeared beside them, his eyes dropping to Charles's possessive grip. "You're going to have to part with my daughter for a little while, Charles. There is a horde of hungry vultures waiting to devour our buffet, and custom demands that Devina and I lead them to the table." Not waiting for Charles's response, Harvey held out his arm to Devina.

    "Are you ready, dear? I hope you are wearing shoes that will enable you to run. If not, I fear we'll both be trampled in the rush to the table."

    Devina was suddenly intensely aware that Charles's eyes had not left her face. A responsive tingle moved up her spine, which Devina had time neither to fully comprehend nor indulge as her father urged her toward the dining room.

    She was in the midst of her official chore when she looked up again. Charles's eyes met hers, and her heart leaped. Inexplicably confused, Devina turned back to the task at hand.

    Ross whirled Devina around the floor to the swaying rhythm of another waltz. Aware that they had captured the eyes of many of the guests, he whirled her faster. Ross was truly surprised that people were talking. He had not expected so many of those present to find his attentions to Devina interesting. He was also puzzled that his charming, smooth-talking brother had not ingratiated himself in a more personal way with the beautiful Miss Dale.

   Taking a firmer hold on Devina's waist, Ross danced her toward the patio door. He would make up for Charles Carter's deficiency, and it would be no strain on him at all. He was well aware that although Devina doubtless found his ardor startling, she definitely did not find him repulsive. The attraction was more than mutual.