Page 38 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
When she was a good distance away from the house, so that the laughter and music was dulled, she found a garden seat, sitting down with a sigh of relief. Quickly, she glanced around, but there was no one here. Blessedly, she was alone.
The tears that she had been desperately holding back suddenly spilled over, streaming down her face. She made no effort to stop them. Instead, she luxuriated in them. It felt good to be able to let it all out, at long last.
For a few minutes, she cried, sobbing a little. And then, the tears abruptly stopped as quickly as they had arrived.
Ara dabbed her face with her handkerchief, staring down at her beautiful new gown, purchased especially for this ball. She remembered her inexplicable joy in it, her desire to put it on and parade herself in front of the man she had thought was the Duke, so that his eyes lit up in admiration.
It seemed a hundred years ago, now.
She felt the luxurious silk of the gown between her fingers, wishing she could rip it off and fling it into the trees. She vowed that when this awful evening was finally over she would never wear it again. And she also vowed that she would never feel the same way about a gown again. Never again would she become so caught up in the attentions of a man that she would try to change herself to look good in his eyes.
She sighed deeply, feeling the cool air upon her face, drying the last remnants of her tears. She knew that it had not been her fault that this had happened; that the fault alone rested with the Duke and his brother and their stupid bet. But still, she had fallen for the man, against her better judgement.
A shudder fell through her. The shame of it. She had barely known the man, and she had let him kiss and caress her in a disturbingly intimate way. She had let him push her against a stable wall, and lift her gown, to caress her most private area. Her face burnt so brightly, thinking about it, that even the cool night air couldn’t hope to dim it.
He must be laughing about it,she thought bitterly.I was just a notch in his belt, no doubt one of many silly women who he has taken such liberties with, never intending to see again.
The soft hoot of an owl, in a tree above her, startled her. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, thinking longingly about Rudwick House. Sometimes she would wander the gardens at night, without her parents knowledge, entranced by the hoots of the owls in the trees.
A wave of intense homesickness overcame her. She wanted to be riding Pem, beyond the estate grounds, near the coast, feeling the wind whipping her hair behind her. The city was slowly suffocating her. She vowed that tomorrow morning she would beg her parents to let her leave and return home. She didn’t care anymore about their disapproval. She didn’t care about anything except escaping this awful place and putting this terrible experience behind her.
Suddenly, she heard a rustling, in the bushes behind her. She glanced back, frowning. Was it a squirrel, or some other animal, that lived in such areas?
Slowly, she stood up, gazing at the spot. For some reason she felt strangely fearful, as if she was under threat.
Suddenly, to her utter shock, a man stepped out onto the path, just in front of her. It was as if he had emerged from the very shadows beyond.
She stared at him, too stunned to say anything for a moment. He was in darkness, and she couldn’t see his face, but she saw that he was tall. His figure was framed against the light of the moon, in the distance.
He took another step forward, so that his face was abruptly illuminated by an overhanging lantern.
“Ara,” he said slowly, gazing at her. “Itisyou, isn’t it?”
Chapter 19
Miles gazed at the woman, standing before him. His eyes widened, drinking her in.
She looked absolutely breathtaking in her new white ball gown, and her dark blonde hair was swept up in an elaborate hairstyle. He saw tiny diamantes sparkling within it. He had to restrain himself from reaching a hand down to pick one out.
Yes, she looked breathtaking, but somehow, she didn’t look like the Ara that he knew. He gazed into her face. Her velvet brown eyes were stunned, and already burning with a fierce light, but he could plainly see the tracks of dried tears on her face.
She knows, he thought miserably.Of course she knows.
He already knew that she did, of course. But somehow, in his desperate flight back here from Brown’s, he had convinced himself that she mightn’t have arrived yet. That he might still be able to waylay her before she was introduced to his brother, and explain everything.
He had searched for her in the house, pushing through the crowd, desperately scanning the faces of the guests. As he had passed the dance floor, he had spied her cousin, Ruth. The young lady had blanched when she had spotted him, her eyes as wide as saucers in her face. But he had pressed on. If Ruth was here, then Ara must be here also.
But he hadn’t been able to find her. In despair, he had sought out his brother.
“Is she here?” he had quickly asked. “Has she been introduced to you?”
Andrew had looked surprised, but gratified, to see him. “I knew you would come back,” he had said quietly. “I knew you were more honourable than that, little brother.” He had paused. “Yes, she is here. And I have explained to her what happened. She was not happy. In fact, she walked off on me on the dance floor. I thought that she was about to clobber me…”
His heart had dropped to the floor, but he had rallied. “Do you know where she is now?”
Andrew had sighed. “She was very determinedly pushing through the crowd. Despite her anger, she looked like she was about to burst into tears.” He paused. “I think that I saw her heading towards the courtyard. She probably wanted to be alone, to think it through…”
Miles had nodded. “I will try to find her, there. Thank you.”
