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Read Online [Samuel Barbara] The Black Angel(Book4You) by Barbara Samuel - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Samuel
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spirit. He was a much nobler man than I." A stile dividing a hedgerow stopped them, and Adriana watched the sorrow come on Tynan's face like the swift descent of a winter night. "Far more."
Against her will, Adriana wanted to know more, but he seemed to shake away the shadows, and turned his vivid gaze on her. "He despaired of what he called my sensual habits," he said, and lifted a wicked brow, flashing that dimple in his cheek with the effortlessness of long practice. "Shall I illustrate?"
Riana's lips quirked into a half smile before she could stop them. She held up a hand. "No, thank you."
He helped her over the stile and they walked in a peaceful silence to the spot Adriana had in mind, the deep shadows of an ancient tree, its trunk as wide across as three men. Below it grew a thick bed of tiny tangled daisies and grass. She sat, smoothing her skirts beneath her, and Tynan settled beside her, elbows resting on his uplifted knees.
"You'll have to go to London, you know," he said finally. "You can't send your brothers out there alone, when it was in your defense they acted."
"
Must
we discuss this?"
"Aye." He fell backward, taking his weight on one elbow as he looked up at her.
Adriana found her eyes sliding over the fall of his hair, thick and rich looking, barely caught by the thong he'd used to tie it back. A faint roar rose in her ears, induced by her embarrassment over the subject, and the whole made her speak sharply. "I don't see why."
"Well, for one, 'tis possible I might be able to help you, if you'll let me."
"You?"
For a moment he stared out toward the soft green view, and a faint hint of red stained the high plane of his cheekbones. He stood abruptly, brushed grass from his elbows. "Right. I am mistaken."
Adriana reached for him, and succeeded only in catching the hem of his coat, something she would never have ordinarily done. But now the roar in her ears was worsened by pride, and by embarrassment that she'd been rude to a man who appeared to only want to be kind. "Please wait."
He made a soft sound, a bitter whisper of a laugh. "For what purpose? Shall we sit here and think of more ways to humiliate each other? It seems we have already discovered the way to pain for each of us."
"No. No, I am sorry. I did not mean—well, I did. I meant to be rude because I was humiliated. The entire subject offers no end of humiliation for me, and—" She took a breath. "I apologize."
He gestured with one hand. "Let's walk, my lady. 'Tis often easier to speak when the feet are in motion."
She nodded, surprised when he held out one lean, long-fingered hand to help her to her feet. Accepting the gesture of sympathy, she took it, and had a fleeting sense of tensile strength, not only in his hands, but through the whole of him. "Thank you."
For a little while they followed the slim path that led over the crest of the hill into a small copse of hardwoods. Again the simple act of moving seemed to dissipate the tension Adriana felt. She squared her shoulders. "It is not my usual way to indulge in insults. I do most sincerely apologize."
"Accepted." A beat of hesitation, then: "Will you tell me how it happened with your lover?"
"How it happened? I made a fool of myself with a rake, and when he put me aside, my brother killed him in a duel."
"Not that." He looked at her. "Did you fall in love?"
She felt his eyes on her face and lifted her chin, "I thought so at the time."
"And is it, perhaps, that wound that still lingers a little?"
"No!" Adriana exclaimed. She hated the tiny, knife-thin slice that went through her at his suggestion. "What pains me," she said clearly, "is the utter disregard I displayed for my father, or the repercussions my actions would have upon my family. I acted heedlessly, selfishly—and hurt a great many people that I love in that heedlessness."
"Mmm."
He didn't speak again for several long minutes, and Adriana found herself watching him. He walked tall and straight, with a certain
Against her will, Adriana wanted to know more, but he seemed to shake away the shadows, and turned his vivid gaze on her. "He despaired of what he called my sensual habits," he said, and lifted a wicked brow, flashing that dimple in his cheek with the effortlessness of long practice. "Shall I illustrate?"
Riana's lips quirked into a half smile before she could stop them. She held up a hand. "No, thank you."
He helped her over the stile and they walked in a peaceful silence to the spot Adriana had in mind, the deep shadows of an ancient tree, its trunk as wide across as three men. Below it grew a thick bed of tiny tangled daisies and grass. She sat, smoothing her skirts beneath her, and Tynan settled beside her, elbows resting on his uplifted knees.
"You'll have to go to London, you know," he said finally. "You can't send your brothers out there alone, when it was in your defense they acted."
"
Must
we discuss this?"
"Aye." He fell backward, taking his weight on one elbow as he looked up at her.
Adriana found her eyes sliding over the fall of his hair, thick and rich looking, barely caught by the thong he'd used to tie it back. A faint roar rose in her ears, induced by her embarrassment over the subject, and the whole made her speak sharply. "I don't see why."
"Well, for one, 'tis possible I might be able to help you, if you'll let me."
"You?"
For a moment he stared out toward the soft green view, and a faint hint of red stained the high plane of his cheekbones. He stood abruptly, brushed grass from his elbows. "Right. I am mistaken."
Adriana reached for him, and succeeded only in catching the hem of his coat, something she would never have ordinarily done. But now the roar in her ears was worsened by pride, and by embarrassment that she'd been rude to a man who appeared to only want to be kind. "Please wait."
He made a soft sound, a bitter whisper of a laugh. "For what purpose? Shall we sit here and think of more ways to humiliate each other? It seems we have already discovered the way to pain for each of us."
"No. No, I am sorry. I did not mean—well, I did. I meant to be rude because I was humiliated. The entire subject offers no end of humiliation for me, and—" She took a breath. "I apologize."
He gestured with one hand. "Let's walk, my lady. 'Tis often easier to speak when the feet are in motion."
She nodded, surprised when he held out one lean, long-fingered hand to help her to her feet. Accepting the gesture of sympathy, she took it, and had a fleeting sense of tensile strength, not only in his hands, but through the whole of him. "Thank you."
For a little while they followed the slim path that led over the crest of the hill into a small copse of hardwoods. Again the simple act of moving seemed to dissipate the tension Adriana felt. She squared her shoulders. "It is not my usual way to indulge in insults. I do most sincerely apologize."
"Accepted." A beat of hesitation, then: "Will you tell me how it happened with your lover?"
"How it happened? I made a fool of myself with a rake, and when he put me aside, my brother killed him in a duel."
"Not that." He looked at her. "Did you fall in love?"
She felt his eyes on her face and lifted her chin, "I thought so at the time."
"And is it, perhaps, that wound that still lingers a little?"
"No!" Adriana exclaimed. She hated the tiny, knife-thin slice that went through her at his suggestion. "What pains me," she said clearly, "is the utter disregard I displayed for my father, or the repercussions my actions would have upon my family. I acted heedlessly, selfishly—and hurt a great many people that I love in that heedlessness."
"Mmm."
He didn't speak again for several long minutes, and Adriana found herself watching him. He walked tall and straight, with a certain
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