Read Online Beauty and the Wolf by Marina Myles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marina Myles
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“They will be delivered in a few days.”
“I’m sorry if my wardrobe displeases you,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“Not at all,” Draven replied. “I think you look lovely.”
A scalding warmth rose in her cheeks. She tore her eyes from his and looked down at her food.
“Your notorious pendant is rather stunning.” Helena spoke up.
“Thank you.” Isabella brushed her fingers over the smooth surface. Radiating a spectacular blue color, the thin, rectangular lapis bore carved lines of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Symmetrical inserts of coral and onyx highlighted the ancient engravings.
“I, for one, have never heard the story of the prophecy in full detail,” Helena said. “Pray tell?”
Sucking in a breath, Isabella considered sealing her mouth shut and running from the room. But Helena was showing a rare moment of civility, and better yet, their conversation deterred her from acknowledging Draven’s narrow stare. She proceeded to recount the curse of the stone as succinctly as she could.
When she was finished, Helena offered no visual reaction to the story. “Don’t tell me you believe in this curse.”
“Of course not,” Isabella replied. “But I cherish the amulet greatly since it was a gift from my father.”
“Word has it that your father never recovered its counterpart, the bracelet of Amenhotep,” Draven chimed in.
“That’s right.” Isabella slid him a glance. She was surprised that he’d taken an interest in her father’s work.
“And what power does this bracelet supposedly possess?” Helena queried.
Isabella took a sip of her tea then returned the cup to its saucer. “Amenhotep had the bracelet made so that the other priests from the court—his loyal friends—may bless it. Filled with the power of good, the bracelet was created to oppose the forces of black magic. Amenhotep was about to put it on, to protect himself, when Tousret stabbed him to death.”
“What a dreadful story,” Helena said. “I would never wear anything so morbid.”
“You mean you would never be brave enough to,” Draven said. “Personally, I think it’s fascinating.”
Both Isabella and Helena flung him a disbelieving stare.
His chair scraped the marble tile as he stood. “Adequate breakfast,” he said. “Now I’m off for a good ride. Care to join me, Isabella?”
She bit back her surprise. Hadn’t Draven claimed they would see each other at mealtimes and nothing more?
“I don’t own a riding habit,” she protested. If he was ready to discuss the ultimatum she had given him, they could hardly do so while they rode.
He made a clucking sound with his tongue. “I’m sure that frock paired with an overcoat will do. Remember I have ordered you a bevy of new dresses if that one gets ruined.”
She cringed inwardly for riding was one of her least favorite things to do. “But it rained this morning. Surely the moors will be soaked with mud—”
“Don’t tell me a sensible woman like you is afraid of a little mud? I suggest that, since we are stuck here with one another, we should try and be civil.”
She said nothing.
His gaze was direct as he tried another tactic. “Still, if you’re inept on the back of a horse—”
Isabella looked down her nose at him. “I’ll meet you at the stables in a quarter of an hour.”
Draven breezed from the room and her stomach fluttered. She’d been aware of his fixating stare at breakfast but whether or not he meant for her to notice it, she wasn’t sure. She only knew it belied his attraction to her and she was going to take this opportunity to seduce him.
Chapter Eleven
I sabella was the first to admit that she had very few adventuresome qualities. Clumsy at anything involving motion, she’d fallen from a horse when she was a girl and hadn’t ridden since. She had watched little Phillip receive riding lessons every Wednesday afternoon, but that did her no good now.
Trying to ignore her quaking nerves, she hastened to her room and
“I’m sorry if my wardrobe displeases you,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“Not at all,” Draven replied. “I think you look lovely.”
A scalding warmth rose in her cheeks. She tore her eyes from his and looked down at her food.
“Your notorious pendant is rather stunning.” Helena spoke up.
“Thank you.” Isabella brushed her fingers over the smooth surface. Radiating a spectacular blue color, the thin, rectangular lapis bore carved lines of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Symmetrical inserts of coral and onyx highlighted the ancient engravings.
“I, for one, have never heard the story of the prophecy in full detail,” Helena said. “Pray tell?”
Sucking in a breath, Isabella considered sealing her mouth shut and running from the room. But Helena was showing a rare moment of civility, and better yet, their conversation deterred her from acknowledging Draven’s narrow stare. She proceeded to recount the curse of the stone as succinctly as she could.
When she was finished, Helena offered no visual reaction to the story. “Don’t tell me you believe in this curse.”
“Of course not,” Isabella replied. “But I cherish the amulet greatly since it was a gift from my father.”
“Word has it that your father never recovered its counterpart, the bracelet of Amenhotep,” Draven chimed in.
“That’s right.” Isabella slid him a glance. She was surprised that he’d taken an interest in her father’s work.
“And what power does this bracelet supposedly possess?” Helena queried.
Isabella took a sip of her tea then returned the cup to its saucer. “Amenhotep had the bracelet made so that the other priests from the court—his loyal friends—may bless it. Filled with the power of good, the bracelet was created to oppose the forces of black magic. Amenhotep was about to put it on, to protect himself, when Tousret stabbed him to death.”
“What a dreadful story,” Helena said. “I would never wear anything so morbid.”
“You mean you would never be brave enough to,” Draven said. “Personally, I think it’s fascinating.”
Both Isabella and Helena flung him a disbelieving stare.
His chair scraped the marble tile as he stood. “Adequate breakfast,” he said. “Now I’m off for a good ride. Care to join me, Isabella?”
She bit back her surprise. Hadn’t Draven claimed they would see each other at mealtimes and nothing more?
“I don’t own a riding habit,” she protested. If he was ready to discuss the ultimatum she had given him, they could hardly do so while they rode.
He made a clucking sound with his tongue. “I’m sure that frock paired with an overcoat will do. Remember I have ordered you a bevy of new dresses if that one gets ruined.”
She cringed inwardly for riding was one of her least favorite things to do. “But it rained this morning. Surely the moors will be soaked with mud—”
“Don’t tell me a sensible woman like you is afraid of a little mud? I suggest that, since we are stuck here with one another, we should try and be civil.”
She said nothing.
His gaze was direct as he tried another tactic. “Still, if you’re inept on the back of a horse—”
Isabella looked down her nose at him. “I’ll meet you at the stables in a quarter of an hour.”
Draven breezed from the room and her stomach fluttered. She’d been aware of his fixating stare at breakfast but whether or not he meant for her to notice it, she wasn’t sure. She only knew it belied his attraction to her and she was going to take this opportunity to seduce him.
Chapter Eleven
I sabella was the first to admit that she had very few adventuresome qualities. Clumsy at anything involving motion, she’d fallen from a horse when she was a girl and hadn’t ridden since. She had watched little Phillip receive riding lessons every Wednesday afternoon, but that did her no good now.
Trying to ignore her quaking nerves, she hastened to her room and
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