Read Online Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson - Free Book Online
Authors: Penelope Williamson
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slightly and a grimace of pain flashed across his face. She reached out to him, to steady him. But he shook off her hand and, seizing her around the waist, hoisted her sidesaddle onto a blue horse's back. Laughing, she grabbed the pole as the world whirled by. He took the mount behind her. His legs were so long he dwarfed the horse. She laughed again, but not at him.
Their gazes met, and he smiled. The first true smile that she had seen from him. It melted the starkness of his face and turned the creases at the corners of his mouth into boyish dimples. She could still feel the imprint of his hands on her waist, like a lingering warmth. Around they went, riding on the wind and her laughter, and the Chinese lanterns became spinning stars. She wanted it to go on and on and on.
The merry-go-round wound slowly down. The music died, along with his smile. Too soon he was beside her. His hand slid beneath her elbow to help her dismount, then let her go. She had to catch her breath, as if she and not the horses had been galloping around and around. She turned to look at him. The dusk had deepened into darkness. The lanterns cast harsh shadows over the fairground and on his face.
The wind snatched at a lock of her hair, plastering it across her mouth. He plucked it free, the rough seam of his leather glove just brushing her lips. He rubbed the lock of hair between his fingers as if feeling its texture before he tucked it behind her ear, touching her again, and Jessalyn's stomach clenched with a strange hollowness that was close to pain. Or hunger. She wanted something, but what that something was she couldn't name or imagine.
He stepped back, and Jessalyn released the breath she hadn't even known she was holding. "Thank you for your charming company, Miss Letty," he said. "Perhaps someday we shall go riding together on the real thing."
She stared up at his face, at those piercing eyes and hard mouth. Dangerous to know... He both drew and repelled her. There was something dark and seductive about him; to come within his presence was like walking into a spider web. She knew she ought to tell him that it would be improper to call on her when they had not been formally introduced, but her throat and chest were suddenly so tight she couldn't speak.
"Jessalyn!"
She spun around to see a tall young man striding toward her. He waved his hat in the air, and the lanterns gilded his hair into a golden halo. "Clarence!" she exclaimed, laughing with surprise and delight.
"I thought it just possible that I might find you here," he said as he came up to her. "But I didn't dare to hope...." He seized her hands and looked down at her warmly, with eyes that were bottle green and a winsome smile that revealed the small gap between his two front teeth. Then his gaze slid beyond her, and his eyes narrowed.
Jessalyn turned around just in time to see the Trelawny man's broad back disappearing into the crowd. She felt strangely bereft, like a puppy that has been taken to the crossroads and abandoned.
"Were you with McCady Trelawny?" Clarence said, surprise in his voice.
"What?" She became aware that Clarence was still holding her hands and studying her face. She pulled away from him, forcing out a laugh. "Oh, no, I don't even know Mr. Trelawny. Not at all. Not to speak to, that is. Well, perhaps to speak to, but I don't really know him, if you know what I mean..."
Clarence was grinning at her. "Jessalyn, you are babbling. You always babble when you're nervous. Or when you have something to hide."
He knew her too well, did Clarence Tiltwell. They had spent so many hours of their childhood together, swimming, fishing, riding. They had shared their dreams and their secrets. But that was long ago; the dreams and the secrets had been those of children. She hadn't seen him much after he had been sent away to Eton and had then gone on to university. She realized suddenly that he was a man now, very much the London buck in his snuff brown coat and
Their gazes met, and he smiled. The first true smile that she had seen from him. It melted the starkness of his face and turned the creases at the corners of his mouth into boyish dimples. She could still feel the imprint of his hands on her waist, like a lingering warmth. Around they went, riding on the wind and her laughter, and the Chinese lanterns became spinning stars. She wanted it to go on and on and on.
The merry-go-round wound slowly down. The music died, along with his smile. Too soon he was beside her. His hand slid beneath her elbow to help her dismount, then let her go. She had to catch her breath, as if she and not the horses had been galloping around and around. She turned to look at him. The dusk had deepened into darkness. The lanterns cast harsh shadows over the fairground and on his face.
The wind snatched at a lock of her hair, plastering it across her mouth. He plucked it free, the rough seam of his leather glove just brushing her lips. He rubbed the lock of hair between his fingers as if feeling its texture before he tucked it behind her ear, touching her again, and Jessalyn's stomach clenched with a strange hollowness that was close to pain. Or hunger. She wanted something, but what that something was she couldn't name or imagine.
He stepped back, and Jessalyn released the breath she hadn't even known she was holding. "Thank you for your charming company, Miss Letty," he said. "Perhaps someday we shall go riding together on the real thing."
She stared up at his face, at those piercing eyes and hard mouth. Dangerous to know... He both drew and repelled her. There was something dark and seductive about him; to come within his presence was like walking into a spider web. She knew she ought to tell him that it would be improper to call on her when they had not been formally introduced, but her throat and chest were suddenly so tight she couldn't speak.
"Jessalyn!"
She spun around to see a tall young man striding toward her. He waved his hat in the air, and the lanterns gilded his hair into a golden halo. "Clarence!" she exclaimed, laughing with surprise and delight.
"I thought it just possible that I might find you here," he said as he came up to her. "But I didn't dare to hope...." He seized her hands and looked down at her warmly, with eyes that were bottle green and a winsome smile that revealed the small gap between his two front teeth. Then his gaze slid beyond her, and his eyes narrowed.
Jessalyn turned around just in time to see the Trelawny man's broad back disappearing into the crowd. She felt strangely bereft, like a puppy that has been taken to the crossroads and abandoned.
"Were you with McCady Trelawny?" Clarence said, surprise in his voice.
"What?" She became aware that Clarence was still holding her hands and studying her face. She pulled away from him, forcing out a laugh. "Oh, no, I don't even know Mr. Trelawny. Not at all. Not to speak to, that is. Well, perhaps to speak to, but I don't really know him, if you know what I mean..."
Clarence was grinning at her. "Jessalyn, you are babbling. You always babble when you're nervous. Or when you have something to hide."
He knew her too well, did Clarence Tiltwell. They had spent so many hours of their childhood together, swimming, fishing, riding. They had shared their dreams and their secrets. But that was long ago; the dreams and the secrets had been those of children. She hadn't seen him much after he had been sent away to Eton and had then gone on to university. She realized suddenly that he was a man now, very much the London buck in his snuff brown coat and
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