The Good Sister: Part One (16 page)

Even more shocking was the fact I was completely naked beneath the frock of frost white. I’d never been bare beneath my clothing before. A strange coolness swept across my secret places, and was somehow deliciously tempting as I moved. I swept my gaze over the garment upon my body. The dress, strapless. The bodice, boned and corset-like, lifted my breasts up as an offering and created the illusion of cleavage beneath the sparkling crystal décolletage of the gown. The long dress flowed to the ground with a side slit so high it highlighted the top portion of my creamy thigh.

My new sisters applied my make-up to perfection. It wasn’t me: not the Trinity I knew, and definitely not Bentley’s mouse or Reid’s baby bird. I was someone else, but I liked the reflection in the mirror.

“Trinity, Alec will be up to escort you in a few minutes,” Amelia announced. She placed a peacock feathered mask over her beautiful face. “Remember, we are all with you this evening.”

“Thank you, Amelia.”

“There is nothing to thank us for. This is you, all you,” Amelia assured. Amelia placed a kiss on my cheek. “You are spectacular, my sister. I will see you downstairs.”

I glanced down at my hands. They should be twisting in nervousness, but were not. I focused on a white gold and pearl ring on the index finger of my right hand, along with a delicate white gold bracelet around my wrist. Behind me, I caught a flicker of movement. I peeked and saw myself and Alec bounce back at me from the reflection. He was dark against my white. Alec wore a handsome black suit that highlighted the length of him. He was at least six foot, maybe more. Our gazes met within the confines of the mirror.

“If this is not a vision, glorious, angelic, and stunningly beautiful, then I do not know,” Alec said, placing his hand gently to my hip. “Trinity,” he crooned, “you are the most beautiful and the most desirable woman I have seen in quite some time. No man will be able to keep his eyes from you this evening.”

I started to look down. Alec stopped me, resting his fingers under the shelf of my pointed chin.

“Thank you, Alec.”

“I should be thanking you, my beautiful Trinity. You do me a great honor in allowing me to escort you this evening.”

Alec reached around me to grab a frost white mask adorned with white feathers. The feathers were delicate, curling down and around the right side of the disguise. He placed the mask over my face. It obscured the arch of my brow. Hidden was the angle of my cheekbones. Alec tied the silken strings, securing the mask. I gazed at the new reflection. The mask itself was delicate. It shined with inlayed stones of crystal, and hid most of my face yet it allowed my lashes, the shape of my eyes, and the plumpness of my lips to be seen. As if the mask were made for me, the feathers curved around my jaw line, cupping under my chin.

I blinked. I was hidden in plain sight, the ghost come to life.

“Shall we go?” Alec asked. He extended out his arm in invitation.

I took in a large breath, placed my arm around Alec’s arm, and walked with him. We made our way to the grand staircase then descended. I wanted to bolt as I came to the bottom of the stairs, but I pushed back the fear. I’d come too far to stop now.
You have to do this, you coward
.

Alec placed his hand overtop mine. We walked forward into a waiting room of sorts. Two large ornate doors stood closed in front of us. When we reached the doors, Alec stopped. He looked at me. “It’s time.”

I lifted my chin. Straightened my shoulders. Nodded. Alec reached out and opened the doors.

I peered into a long hall. Inside this room was an elaborately decorated table that ran down the middle of the space like a landing strip. Around the table sat all of my sisters. They were stunningly dressed, and all wearing colorful detailed masks that disguised the perfection of their faces. Beside each woman sat a man, free from the disguises, but all dressed formally. Jacqueline was seated at the head of the table, dressed in deep shades of crimson, her face obscured behind a crimson veil.

There he was, Reid Addison, as perfect as I remembered, sitting to Jacqueline’s right. He wore a gray suit. My stomach dropped, but I held back the panic. I closed my eyes, giving myself some time for all of this to sink in. Whether it truly sank in or not, I knew I was something and someone else tonight.

When I opened my eyes, everyone’s attention rested upon me. Jacqueline rose in a fluid graceful movement to her feet.

“Welcome. We have been expecting you, my petit.” Jacqueline bowed her head in greeting. I followed Jacqueline’s lead and bowed my head, not saying a word as instructed.

Alec escorted me forward where he pulled out the chair on the far end of the exquisite table. If Jacqueline was seated at the head, I was seated at the foot. Once settled, Alec sat to my right. I witnessed the gentleman to Jacqueline’s left lean into Jacqueline’s ear. He was whispering. Unsure of why, I stared at him. It was strange. Something about this man,
his eyes
I realized, caught my attention. I held my gaze upon him. His eyes glittered white. For a brief moment I wondered if he were blind then changed my mind. He did not move like someone who could not see.

With the realization I was staring, I tore my attention from this man. I returned my interest to Reid, who was staring at me. I smiled.

“You were right, John Paul,” Reid said. “We needed to come tonight.”

John Paul, who was handsome himself, nodded at me. His tousled blond hair and piercing denim blue eyes were probably his best features.

“Reid, have I ever made a bad suggestion?” he asked confidently.

“Tonight was definitely not a bad one,” Reid confirmed.

My gaze snapped back to Jacqueline. Jacqueline whispered something into the gentleman’s ear. When Jacqueline pulled away, straightened, the man grinned, almost naughtily. He turned to look at me. The intense expression on his face made my heart flutter, like the flapping of butterfly wings. I frowned beneath the mask. I was not at all sure why I would feel this way. He was a stranger. If anything, I should be frightened of this fact. But even more perplexing was the fact this man, this stranger, was breaking my concentration enough to keep me from really watching Reid.

Once again I pulled my gaze away from the man, allowing myself to glance over to Alec. Alec took my hand, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed the back of my hand in a gentlemanly fashion.

Jacqueline lifted a silver bell. “Shall we eat?” she asked then rang it.

Several people entered through a set of doors located in the back of the room. They brought in plate after plate of food. It reminded me of something one would read about in a fairy tale: the queen, her court, and an elegant dinner party. Without making myself obvious, I lifted my gaze upward.

Overhead three opulent chandeliers hung, one after the other, following the length of the table. Throughout the room golden candelabras held scores of candles, all lit, flickering. The walls were a mixture of burgundy, floral patterned wallpaper, and deep rich panels of wood, inlayed with smaller panels of trompe-l’oeil scenes. The painted scenes encompassed grassy countrysides, rolling hills, and wildlife. White roses, with some sort of delicate silver foliage, adorned the middle of the table in large crystal vases. And the china, goblets, and silverware were all very detailed in design, just as elegant as Jacqueline herself.

I observed as Desiree and Domonique gave special attention to the man sitting between the two of them. Desiree adjusted his napkin while Domonique whispered something into his ear. The dark-haired man smiled. I guessed his smile was his best feature, made up of otherwise plain features on a square shaped face. The man proceeded to kiss Domonique on the side of her neck before he leaned to his right to kiss the back of Desiree’s hand. This kiss to the hand was not done in quite the gentlemanly manner.

When his plate was placed in front of him, both sisters started feeding him. Not in a childish way, but in a slow, seductive manner. They treated him like a king, and both sisters were fixated upon him. They acted like nothing or no one else was in the room. To my amazement, he was just as enthralled, being entranced by both of them.

My attention flickered over to Amelia, who was weaving her magic with the man to her right. He was exotic looking, possibly Middle Eastern in his heritage, sporting black hair combed tight to his head, and a dark black mustache groomed to perfection. His eyes were dark as well, seeming almost black. Amelia brushed her fingers lightly over his shoulder. Her movements were smooth, but somehow seductive as her hand continued its trail down his arm, resting upon his hand, which was perched dangerously high upon Amelia’s bare thigh.

I might not be able to eat, captivated by what I was seeing. However, movement in Reid’s direction caught my attention yet again. Reid was leaning into Jacqueline. Speaking very low, so low in fact, I could not hear a thing, but I saw the movement of his lips. Jacqueline smiled, skimmed her hand over his hand then shifted her gaze to me.

“Everyone is so interested in who you are, my petit. I have told everyone you are my newest protégé. A mystery to be learned. A secret worth keeping. Do you wish me to tell them anything further?” Jacqueline asked.

I shook my head. The feathers from my mask tickled under my chin.

Jacqueline laughed the sound of chiming bells. “There,” she said, looking at Reid then over to the gentleman on her left, “you see. She does not wish to make herself known nor do I wish to give away the mystery.”

I heard the voice that belonged to the strange man who seemed so interested in me. The man with the white eyes spoke in a British accent. “Then what shall we call you?”

I said nothing. He brought his thumb to his chin and rubbed his thumb in the middle of it, as if he were considering.

“You are a vision in white, an angel, even yet angel does not seem quite right.” His gaze flowed over me. He took me in like a man starved, and I was his banquet. “You are elegant, graceful, beyond beautiful, purity in the flesh, and as quiet as a whisper. I believe I shall call you, my dove,” he announced. Honey dripped from his tongue.

Maybe he’s the definition of a silver-tongued devil?

The round red faced man who was seated to the right of the British man puffed up, indignant. He seemed to throw, not place, his napkin to the table.

“What makes you believe she will be yours?” he asked.

Reid’s eyes flashed. He shifted his gaze to the British man.

“I must only dare to hope,” the British man returned as he glanced back toward me.

I studied this man’s features, his face. His face was just as perfect as Reid’s, flawlessly cut in chiseled angular shapes that did draw the eye. He had high cheekbones. The defined triangular jaw line which lead into a slightly clefted chin. His hair was the color of dark milk chocolate, meticulously cut to highlight the form of his face. His sideburns were long. He had long thick lashes, and his eyebrows dark, were shaped and tapered off at the outside ends. They topped the strangest eyes. There was something about his eyes, but I was too far away to see the detail of them.

I tore my gaze from this stranger, fixing my attentions back toward Reid. Reid was still looking at me. For a moment I thought he might recognize me, but then I decided he would not, if for nothing more than he would never render a guess I could ever be here, in France.

I glanced down at my plate, took my fork into hand, and proceeded to spear some of the green leafy salad, well aware people were watching me eat. My movements became small, my bites delicate. I wanted to slink down my chair and hide beneath the table, but I took hold of myself.

Chatter continued within the room. Seduction and lust flowed throughout the space. I drank it all in, soaking up the atmosphere, the actions, movements, the words of my sisters like a sponge, and placing each into my mind. Everything, even down to the flick of their wrist when they picked up a napkin, was complete and total beauty, complete and total temptation.

I observed the movements of their eyes, the batting of their lashes, the looks of seduction as my sisters spoke to the men around them. I watched the slow movement of their mouths as they ate. I took in the rounding of their lips as they formed words, the inviting body language as they moved. Then I watched the responses of the men. Even something as inconsequential as the movement of the women’s hair, the shifting of their shoulder or the tap of a finger seemed to capture the men. The men took in every moment and every movement the women made available to them. Yet I could tell it was the women who were in control here, only allowing the illusion of the men being in control.

I had the distinct feeling this dinner was the prelude to something more. I’d entered a forbidden world. A world of pleasure, seduction, and temptation. This was a world of endless hidden need, wishes, desires, and wants. I’d entered the world of sex. Jacqueline, as well my new sisters were sex, I realized, and for the men who could afford their attentions they had an endless supply of pleasure for the taking. But only if my sisters wished to give. This much was evident.

Seven courses later I had already learned so much, not only about my sisters but also about myself. What I had not learned yet, Reid.
What is he really doing here in France other than sleeping around? What does he hope to gain from his time here?

Jacqueline broke through my reverie. “Shall we excuse ourselves to the parlor?” she asked. She rose from the table and walked to the back set of doors.