prince and that it wouldn’t be too long before tongues started wagging. Still, Esmeralda decided not to divulge too much until she knew how much her cousin heard .
“What about him?” she asked, busying herself with pouring lemonade. “He came to the tavern and asked if someone could lead him to a fortune-teller. I brought him here to see grandmother.”
Tatiana took a long gulp of her lemonade, wiped the back of her hand across her lush mouth, and grinned. “Oh? And did he happen to mention that he was royalty?” She studied Esmeralda intently , narrowing her eyes when none was forthcoming. “You don’t seem surprised. You knew!”
“Tatiana, it is not a big deal. He obviously did not want anyone to know who he was!”
Tatiana rolled her eyes. “And yet you allowed him to walk you home last night. I hear your Tristan was very angry when he found out.”
“He is not my Tristan!”
“He could be your Tristan if you allowed it. Come on, Esmeralda! Don’t pretend you don’t know he loves you desperately. Everyone knows. E ven though he could have any woman he wants, he wants the only one around who does not want him.”
Tatiana was right. Tristan had pursued her endlessly, since the time they were both old enough to be aware of the differences between man and woman. No female of her acquaintance had gone unaffected by his looks or his charm. His talent as a dancer and a musician only added to his appeal. He was what most girls dreamed of, yet Esmeralda could feel nothing beyond sisterly regard for him.
She had always been able to keep her feelings on a platonic level with all of the men of her acquaintance, yet one man had been able to nearly shatter her carefully laid detachment in the breath of a moment. He certainly was not more handsome than Tristan, she thought, recalling Damien’s golden hair and emerald eyes. She supposed both men were equally handsome and masculine, though Damien portrayed an inherent sensuality in the mocking lift of a brow or quirk of his mouth.
“So is he as beautiful as they say?” Tatiana asked, as if reading her mind. “More striking than Tristan?”
“I suppose he’s handsome enough,” she lied, hoping that if she spoke the words aloud she would believe them.
“According to Tristan, who followed you home last night, you seemed to find him more than handsome enough.”
Esmeralda gasped, heat rising in her face. Embarrassment and anger rose up and nearly choked her, and she fought for composure. “He followed me?”
Tatiana nodded, the gleam in her eyes turned from mischievous to downright devilish. “Oh yes, did I forget to mention? Tristan arrived just in time to see you and the prince in quite a cozy position in the doorway. He believes the prince intended to take advantage of you.” After Esmeralda had been silent for a moment, Tatiana gasped. “Oh no! He did not, did he?”
“No,” Esmeralda said wearily, finally deciding to tell her cousin all. “You must promise not to tell anyone, not even Morgana,” she warned before spilling her story of the previous night. “I was awful, Tatiana. I accused him of trying to take advantage of me, though I’m not sure that’s what he was doing.”
“And just what did you think he was doing, kissing a Gypsy girl he‘d only known for an hour?” Tatiana demanded as her brow wrinkled. “Esmeralda you are a beautiful woman and a fine catch, but a man like that will not see that in a girl like you. He probably saw you dancing at the palace and thinks to satisfy his lust with you.”
Esmeralda buried her face in her hands wearily. Tatiana could be right, but for some reason she just wasn’t sure. “You don’t understand. I can’t really explain it but there was something there. Besides, when I told him to leave he did and he was very polite. If he wanted to ravage me, don’t you think he would have done so?”
“Of course not,” Tatiana argued. “He is a notorious seducer. His ego would demand that
“What about him?” she asked, busying herself with pouring lemonade. “He came to the tavern and asked if someone could lead him to a fortune-teller. I brought him here to see grandmother.”
Tatiana took a long gulp of her lemonade, wiped the back of her hand across her lush mouth, and grinned. “Oh? And did he happen to mention that he was royalty?” She studied Esmeralda intently , narrowing her eyes when none was forthcoming. “You don’t seem surprised. You knew!”
“Tatiana, it is not a big deal. He obviously did not want anyone to know who he was!”
Tatiana rolled her eyes. “And yet you allowed him to walk you home last night. I hear your Tristan was very angry when he found out.”
“He is not my Tristan!”
“He could be your Tristan if you allowed it. Come on, Esmeralda! Don’t pretend you don’t know he loves you desperately. Everyone knows. E ven though he could have any woman he wants, he wants the only one around who does not want him.”
Tatiana was right. Tristan had pursued her endlessly, since the time they were both old enough to be aware of the differences between man and woman. No female of her acquaintance had gone unaffected by his looks or his charm. His talent as a dancer and a musician only added to his appeal. He was what most girls dreamed of, yet Esmeralda could feel nothing beyond sisterly regard for him.
She had always been able to keep her feelings on a platonic level with all of the men of her acquaintance, yet one man had been able to nearly shatter her carefully laid detachment in the breath of a moment. He certainly was not more handsome than Tristan, she thought, recalling Damien’s golden hair and emerald eyes. She supposed both men were equally handsome and masculine, though Damien portrayed an inherent sensuality in the mocking lift of a brow or quirk of his mouth.
“So is he as beautiful as they say?” Tatiana asked, as if reading her mind. “More striking than Tristan?”
“I suppose he’s handsome enough,” she lied, hoping that if she spoke the words aloud she would believe them.
“According to Tristan, who followed you home last night, you seemed to find him more than handsome enough.”
Esmeralda gasped, heat rising in her face. Embarrassment and anger rose up and nearly choked her, and she fought for composure. “He followed me?”
Tatiana nodded, the gleam in her eyes turned from mischievous to downright devilish. “Oh yes, did I forget to mention? Tristan arrived just in time to see you and the prince in quite a cozy position in the doorway. He believes the prince intended to take advantage of you.” After Esmeralda had been silent for a moment, Tatiana gasped. “Oh no! He did not, did he?”
“No,” Esmeralda said wearily, finally deciding to tell her cousin all. “You must promise not to tell anyone, not even Morgana,” she warned before spilling her story of the previous night. “I was awful, Tatiana. I accused him of trying to take advantage of me, though I’m not sure that’s what he was doing.”
“And just what did you think he was doing, kissing a Gypsy girl he‘d only known for an hour?” Tatiana demanded as her brow wrinkled. “Esmeralda you are a beautiful woman and a fine catch, but a man like that will not see that in a girl like you. He probably saw you dancing at the palace and thinks to satisfy his lust with you.”
Esmeralda buried her face in her hands wearily. Tatiana could be right, but for some reason she just wasn’t sure. “You don’t understand. I can’t really explain it but there was something there. Besides, when I told him to leave he did and he was very polite. If he wanted to ravage me, don’t you think he would have done so?”
“Of course not,” Tatiana argued. “He is a notorious seducer. His ego would demand that
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