Read Online Enchanted by Your Kisses by Pamela Britton - Free Book Online
Authors: Pamela Britton
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ended and she hadn't even noticed it.
"Ariel?" he asked when she didn't say anything in response.
"I need a moment to catch my breath," she gasped, lurching away from him.
His expression actually turned concerned. "Would you like something to drink?"
She nodded, not really wanting anything, just feeling the need to be alone.
He stared down at her a moment longer before turning away from her, reluctantly, it seemed. She watched him go, feeling the stares of people as he did so. They stared at Nathan, too, though for a different reason. Like a Greek god he moved through the crowd, his face chiseled, his bearing that of a warrior. Purposeful. Commanding. Intimidating.
She looked down at the ground, wondering what it was that drew her to him. And would she ever have the courage to trust a man again? Somehow she feared she wouldn't. The ring he wore had caught her attention. She had stared at it. Abloodstone . There was a Greek name for the stone, too. Something that had to do with the sun, so named for the red color.
She stiffened.
Helio . Meaning sun. The stone was also called a heliotrope. Nathan Trevain , recently from the American colonies, wore a heliotrope.
The spy Helios was suspected of being in England .
"There you are," Phoebe gushed, gaining her side after shooting her a look of triumph. "Goodness, Ariel, I had to skirt the entire dance floor to reach you."
"I need to be alone, Phoebe."
"I—you what?" she asked, surprise etching her features.
"I need to be alone for a second. To think. Some fresh air." She spun toward one set of three double doors allowing air to circulate through the ballroom.
"Ariel, wait," Phoebe called, stopping her with a hand on her arm. "What is it?" A look of concern clouded her cousin's pretty eyes.
She shook her head. How could she tell Phoebe about the horrible presentiment she'd just had? "Just give me a moment alone."
Phoebe nodded. "Very well."
Ariel walked away, knowing Phoebe felt hurt at being excluded. But how could she express her fear to a cousin who already disapproved of the man in question? And how farfetched was that fear? She plunged into the evening's darkness. Fresh air. Cold fresh air. She inhaled sharply, her mind clearing.
Helios.
Nathan Trevain wore a heliotrope.
It seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore.
The stone was not that rare, yet it was an uncommon stone to choose for a setting. And why had he lied to her about the kind of stone it was? For as certain as she knew he wore a bloodstone, she also knew he'd lied.
She stopped by a fountain, which glowed a muted gray in the moonlight. Cherubs were clustered in the middle of it, water spewing from their mouths and noses. Frogs and crickets chirped nearby. She looked down at the dark water, the vague shadows of fish floating beneath the surface a focal point for her eyes.
Was she being ridiculous? Had her mistrust of men clouded her judgment? And really, out here in the fresh air of the garden, the idea seemed far less plausible.
"My lady," a deep voice said.
Ariel spun, not surprised to see him standing there, suddenly not surprised at all. She looked up at him. His dark hair glistened with silver streaks, his eyes were bright even in the darkness. And as she stared up at him, her suspicion returned. He looked like a spy. Darkness and danger. Shadows and lies.
She took a step away from him. "Mr. Trevain , there was no need to follow me."
He looked at her as if he sensed her withdrawal. "I thought you wanted your refreshment."
Could she tell him that she suddenly feared him? That she suspected he might be a spy? She couldn't very well ask him outright and arouse his suspicions. But there might be another way to gauge his reaction. She held out her hand to take the glass he offered her. He used the hand with the ring on it. Perfect.
"Where did you get your bloodstone?" she asked, taking a nonchalant swallow of the drink while watching his face carefully. Punch.
"' Tis a serpentine," he
"Ariel?" he asked when she didn't say anything in response.
"I need a moment to catch my breath," she gasped, lurching away from him.
His expression actually turned concerned. "Would you like something to drink?"
She nodded, not really wanting anything, just feeling the need to be alone.
He stared down at her a moment longer before turning away from her, reluctantly, it seemed. She watched him go, feeling the stares of people as he did so. They stared at Nathan, too, though for a different reason. Like a Greek god he moved through the crowd, his face chiseled, his bearing that of a warrior. Purposeful. Commanding. Intimidating.
She looked down at the ground, wondering what it was that drew her to him. And would she ever have the courage to trust a man again? Somehow she feared she wouldn't. The ring he wore had caught her attention. She had stared at it. Abloodstone . There was a Greek name for the stone, too. Something that had to do with the sun, so named for the red color.
She stiffened.
Helio . Meaning sun. The stone was also called a heliotrope. Nathan Trevain , recently from the American colonies, wore a heliotrope.
The spy Helios was suspected of being in England .
"There you are," Phoebe gushed, gaining her side after shooting her a look of triumph. "Goodness, Ariel, I had to skirt the entire dance floor to reach you."
"I need to be alone, Phoebe."
"I—you what?" she asked, surprise etching her features.
"I need to be alone for a second. To think. Some fresh air." She spun toward one set of three double doors allowing air to circulate through the ballroom.
"Ariel, wait," Phoebe called, stopping her with a hand on her arm. "What is it?" A look of concern clouded her cousin's pretty eyes.
She shook her head. How could she tell Phoebe about the horrible presentiment she'd just had? "Just give me a moment alone."
Phoebe nodded. "Very well."
Ariel walked away, knowing Phoebe felt hurt at being excluded. But how could she express her fear to a cousin who already disapproved of the man in question? And how farfetched was that fear? She plunged into the evening's darkness. Fresh air. Cold fresh air. She inhaled sharply, her mind clearing.
Helios.
Nathan Trevain wore a heliotrope.
It seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore.
The stone was not that rare, yet it was an uncommon stone to choose for a setting. And why had he lied to her about the kind of stone it was? For as certain as she knew he wore a bloodstone, she also knew he'd lied.
She stopped by a fountain, which glowed a muted gray in the moonlight. Cherubs were clustered in the middle of it, water spewing from their mouths and noses. Frogs and crickets chirped nearby. She looked down at the dark water, the vague shadows of fish floating beneath the surface a focal point for her eyes.
Was she being ridiculous? Had her mistrust of men clouded her judgment? And really, out here in the fresh air of the garden, the idea seemed far less plausible.
"My lady," a deep voice said.
Ariel spun, not surprised to see him standing there, suddenly not surprised at all. She looked up at him. His dark hair glistened with silver streaks, his eyes were bright even in the darkness. And as she stared up at him, her suspicion returned. He looked like a spy. Darkness and danger. Shadows and lies.
She took a step away from him. "Mr. Trevain , there was no need to follow me."
He looked at her as if he sensed her withdrawal. "I thought you wanted your refreshment."
Could she tell him that she suddenly feared him? That she suspected he might be a spy? She couldn't very well ask him outright and arouse his suspicions. But there might be another way to gauge his reaction. She held out her hand to take the glass he offered her. He used the hand with the ring on it. Perfect.
"Where did you get your bloodstone?" she asked, taking a nonchalant swallow of the drink while watching his face carefully. Punch.
"' Tis a serpentine," he
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