Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,84
gifts she’d made for the members of his family. She’d worked on them diligently every morning and late at night after she and Benedict parted ways in the library. She could seldom sleep until her skin stopped tingling from the gazes he gave her.
“Oh, he’s not going to half fall in love with you tonight.”
Not Benedict. Jewel.
“I told her almost the same thing,” Hester said, plopping down in the chair as though her work was done. For all practical purposes, it was.
She decided against responding to Jewel’s comment because if she couldn’t fool Hester, she most certainly couldn’t fool Jewel. “Do you know if he’s ready?”
“He’s waiting in the foyer.”
“Then I should probably be off.” She took a step.
“Before you go . . .”
Althea stopped, met the gaze of a woman Lady Althea never would have given a passing glance. She arched a brow.
“These were my mum’s pearls.” She held out her hand, unfolded her fingers to reveal a necklace. “I’ve never worn them when I’m working. I only bring them out on special occasions. I thought tonight you might like to wear them. They’d look awfully nice with that gown.”
“Oh, Jewel.” She was so deeply touched. “What if I lose or break them?”
“You’re not going to do that, pet. It would mean a lot to me if you would wear them.” Her smile was a bit impish. “Then I can boast that they’ve been inside a duke’s residence.”
Her throat had grown so tight she wasn’t certain she could speak, so she merely nodded and turned to face the mirror. Jewel draped the necklace around her neck, secured it, patted her shoulder. “There.”
“It’s beautiful, Jewel. It really sets off the gown.”
“It’ll draw his gaze to that fine cleavage you’re displaying so enticingly.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, even as she laughed and shook her head. The madam was too forthright with her comments, even if there was truth to them. She gave her a hard hug. “Thank you, Jewel, for so much.”
“Anytime, pet.”
“Hester, if you’ll help me with my cloak.”
“Oh, no,” Jewel said. “You need to descend those stairs wearing naught but what you have on now. Hester, you carry her wrap and put it on her in the foyer after he’s gotten a good eyeful.”
She had no reason to be nervous as she descended the stairs. She was simply going out for a nice evening with a gentleman she liked very much. So many people would be there, they’d probably have very little time to actually be together. She’d once had no trouble at all carrying on conversations with strangers. If his family didn’t welcome her, she would adapt.
She was halfway down the final flight of stairs when she came to an abrupt halt as his gaze slammed into hers. It wasn’t so much the heat in his eyes as it was every aspect of him. She’d given so much thought to how she wanted to look for him tonight that she’d given no thought at all to how he might look for her.
Gorgeous was too paltry a word. As were striking and magnificent, but still they all ran through her mind in rapid succession.
He’d trimmed his hair. Half an inch. Strange that she knew him so well she could discern the slightest changes in him. He was wearing proper evening attire: his black trousers fitted, his black double-breasted tailcoat unbuttoned, hanging open to reveal the white silk waistcoat. His snowy shirt was pristine. His light gray neck cloth was perfectly knotted. His outercoat was draped over one arm, his hand holding his black hat. It was obvious he had an incredibly skilled tailor. He could stride into any aristocratic ballroom, and no one would question his right to be there.
“Breathe,” Jewel whispered behind her, and only then did she realize she’d ceased doing so.
She continued down until she was standing before him, basking in the appreciation warming his eyes.
“You take my breath,” he said quietly.
“That’s only fair. You took mine.”
She smiled. He grinned.
“Thorne sent a carriage,” he told her, “so we should be off.”
In the carriage, she sat opposite Beast, a fur blanket draped over her lap, her slippered feet resting near the footwarmer. She’d offered to share the warmth with him, invited him to sit beside her, but his skin already felt like it was on fire, a fire that could only be doused by tumbling her. On a bed, on a settee, in a carriage.
Why he continued to put the temptation of her within easy reach was