Authors: Beth Trissel
Too dazed to think
, she
managed a
brief reply
in the
civil manner
to
which she’
d been brought up
.
“
I’m sorry you have
been put out,
Mr.
Cameron.
”
His blue eyes
softened slightly. “Oh, aye.
You say that now.”
He laid gloved fingers on
her bare arm, the heat of his
unwanted
hand radiating through the white fabric
.
“Take a turn in the garden
with me
, Miss Maury
.
It glitt
ers like a thousand fireflie
s.
‘Tis a rare sight.”
It wasn’t
so much
a request
as a demand.
Unless she could plot some swift demise for him, she’d rath
er die than honor his request.
But she was a lady
,
not trained to fence or shoot.
It smacked of cowardice to strike him over the head with a stone
under
the
cover of darkness
.
At a loss,
Julia
shot a mute appeal at the duchess.
Lady Pembrook
wagged
her
pink silk
fan at him.
“For sham
e, sir
.
We cannot
allow you to steal Miss Maury off to yourself
unchaperoned
.”
He
swept her a bow
.
“
‘Tis
my fondest wish that you will
honor us with your
presence,
my lady
.”
“M
y guests
would suffer at my absence
, but I thank you, sir
.
Aunt Penelope
mi
ght allow you a gentle stroll.
Penelope, can you manage?”
An older woman in a somber
jet gown and
black
bonnet
gave a nod and
rose
stiffly
from an armchair.
A gold-headed cane in hand, she
swished toward them
in taffeta
skirts, a bustle behind
.
Juli
a was riveted on
the bent figure
.
The lined
face, though
much
older than the one she knew, was undoubtedly Charlotte’s
and h
er
figure
equally
rounded.
The elderly lady
s
miled
at Julia.
“Come on, dearie, let’s see thos
e lights I’ve heard so much
of.”
She cocked her head, bird-like at
Mr.
Cameron.
“Y
ou may as well come too,
sir,
” she said with a
twinkle
in her pale blue eyes
.
Good heavens
.
She
even had Charlotte’s humor.
Feeli
ng safer under her watchful gaze
,
Julia accep
ted
Mr.
Cameron’s despised
arm.
T
hey walked a little ahead of Au
nt Penelope across the
long
room and out the door
way
into the adjoining hall.
He
opened the ornate front door and ushered them out onto the landing, then reclaimed
Julia’s arm.
Their chaperone
declined
his assistance
.
“I’m not so old I
can’t manage a few
steps
,
Justin
Cameron.”
“As you wish.”
He
s
te
pped ahead of the elderly woman
and led Julia
along the garden path
in
the
light
of
myriad
lanterns
suspended from the trees.
“
Is it not like the heav
ens
have been
brought
down
to us?”
Julia couldn’t have said what she
expected of him, but not this. “Indeed.
It’s a fairyland.”
“As if all the wee folk have gathered with
their
candles.”
H
is
appreciation of beauty and
whimsy
weren’t
traits she
’
d
anticipated in a would-
be murderer.
And he seemed sincerely friendly.
Likely it was an act.
W
hat else?
“‘Tis a night in a thousand,” he continued.
“Far m
ore than that,” she said
, wondering
how many
it took to fill two centuries
worth
.
He
firmed
his grip
on her
, as though he mistook her meaning
and attributed the yea
rning in her heart to himself.
Raising his free hand to his chest, he struck
a dramatic pose.
“‘Who is Julia?
What is she, that all swains commend her
? Holy, fair, and wise is she.
The heaven such grace did lend
her, that she admired might be
.’”
Julia was dumbstruck to hear him
quote
a Shakespearian sonnet, and
his nerve at
changing
the original name of
Sylvia to Julia.
This man was more and more like Lyle.
Aunt Penelope came up behind them and rap
p
ed hi
s too tight hand
with her cane.
“Try reciting
‘
When Forty Winters besi
ege thy brow.’”
He lightened his hold and eyed her narrowly
.
“Not very apt for courtship.”
“And who gave you permission
to court this young lady
, Mister Cameron
?”
“The passion burning in my breast.”
“Such speech is unseemly,
sir,
” the older woman chided.
“What of this?” he asked, and
lifted his fingers to stroke Julia’s
cheek.
“‘Shall I
compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and
more temperate.’
”
She stiffened at his
too
familiar
touch.
A
pplause
intruded on
Cameron’s bold move.
“Bravo
!” Cole strode
toward them in
scarlet
evening
tails, the more
resplendent
of his riding coats
.
“Now, take your leave of Miss Maury or I shall take it for you.”
Julia’s heart caught in her throat.
“G
oodness,” Aunt Penelope said
.
The astute woman stepped back as Cameron
released Julia and
pivoted
to meet
Cole
.
Julia looked on
in horror
.
Would he strike Cole now?
Rather
than drawing
his sw
ord, Cameron opened his mouth.
“Am I not a
guest in your house
, sir
?”
Col
e walked up to the bigger man.
“Until now.
Guests do not paw my intended.
”
Ca
meron gave an impatient snort.
“Your family has made no such announcement
regarding the lady
.”
“
They shall
.
Be
off,” Cole said icily with a wave of his gloved hand.
“
Yo
u are
no longer welcome here.
”
Cameron stood his ground.
“Miss Maury is not
averse to
my attentions.”
“Miss Maury is too well-bred to protest.
I say she loathes you.”
“Oh, aye?”
Cameron
tossed back, patting
his sword hilt.
“Is that a point you care
to drive home?
I don’t
carry this
blade
simply
as an ornament.”
“
You think
I do?”
Cole
unsheathed his s
word in a whistle of steel
.
He grasped Julia’s arm, pulling her back, and
slic
ing
the blade
through the air
so fast
the wind
fanned
her face.
Before Cameron
drew his
sword
, Cole had the tip of his
blade
pointed
at the man’s
throat
.
“Y
our mare
is
saddled and ready
for your departure
.
Peter! Bring Sheba!
”
The tread
of hooves echoed
above Cameron’s explosi
ve breath.
“You damnable swine!
There will be a reckoning fo
r this behavior, Captain
.”
Cole kept his blade lev
eled at Cameron’s
throat with one a
rm and swept his other in a gallant salute
.
“I remain
at your service
, sir
.
Name the time and place.”
“Not now
with your steel
in my gullet.”
Cole smiled in wicked challenge
. “Send word when your thoughts are clearer, or accept my claim on this sweet lady and no more need be said
on the matter.”
A gangly youth led a raven-colored
horse
up the
pearly
path and stopped a few paces from Cole and
Cameron.
“YY
Y––Y
our mare, sir,
”
he st
ammered at
the incensed Scotsman
.
Julia
jerked her head
at the young
groom
partially hidden beneath a cap
.
He angled his thin face at her and she stared into intent tawny eyes
.
God in heaven
.
Paul.
Will paced
back and forth
through
the
great hall, scouring
each
new
arrival
and turning away in mounting tension
.
The one he sought wasn’t here and m
ost of the
cast had dutifully assembled.
“Where the devil is Julia
?” he hissed to Charlotte.
A slight frown creased
her
normally
tr
anquil expression.
“I
thought she’d
have
emerge
d
from her room
by now, but if it’s a nice long nap
the poor girl needs
then
we should leave
her
to it.”
The
hint of
chiding
in her demeanor
only added to the remorse churning
in
his gut
.
He
raked
his hair
back
as he did when feeling
anythin
g but serene.
“She can’t possibly need
this much rest, and
the Queen
Mother will be perturbed if Julia
doesn’t show up for practice
.”