Captives' Charade Read Free

flashed at her, as if he were enjoying her reaction, in particular.
    When she had mustered the nerve to look up again, it was to see her handsome father enthusiastically greeting their latest arrival. With a suddenness that caused several raised eyebrows, Sarah leapt to her feet, intent on evading the inevitable introduction. But the sound of her father’s voice proved her failure to escape in time.
    Feeling more like a lamb to the slaughter than she cared to admit, Sarah straightened her shoulders in the somber gown and walked the short distance to her father’s side. Her gaze never resumed contact with the stranger’s, but an inner trembling afforded proof that his eyes never left her.
    “Mr. Chamberlain,” The Duke of Weston bellowed proudly as Sarah approached them. “I’d like you to meet my elder daughter, Lady Sarah Tremont. Daughter, this is Stewart Chamberlain, our guest from the Colonies. Massachusetts to be exact. Mr. Chamberlain is here on business, and I was able to persuade him to join us this evening,” her father said as Sarah cautiously extended her gloved hand.
    Something in his lazily smiling countenance forewarned Sarah that Stewart Chamberlain’s touch was not going to be one she would soon forget. His long, tanned fingers gently but firmly grasped Sarah’s gloved hand as he bent to kiss the back of it. She gasped inwardly at the warmth of his lips and shivered, despite her resolve not to.
    “My pleasure, Lady Sarah,” he intoned in a deep, indolent voice, the sound of which assaulted her senses as much as his grasp. “Your father told me I would be able to meet the two most beautiful young ladies in all of England if I came, and indeed it appears that I have.”
    With great effort, Sarah summoned an unnaturally bright smile to her face. “Why Mr. Chamberlain, you are much too kind.” And then, hoping to undermine his composure, she quipped, “I fear you have been too long at work to believe an indulgent father’s opinion of his daughters.”
    “On the contrary. It is only in business that I have learned whose opinion to trust. And your father’s,” he replied, casually assessing her bosom, “is unerringly sound.”
    The nerve! Sarah flushed, feeling a tremendous urge to cover herself from his burning eyes. He had matched wits and then had the audacity to leer at her in front of her father! Weakly, she prayed for escape from the disturbingly virile Stewart Chamberlain and was barely able to hide her relief when Lady Juliana suddenly appeared with young Jack Harrington at her side.
    “This, Mr. Chamberlain, is my daughter, Lady Juliana Tremont, whose birthday we are celebrating. And with her is Viscount James Harrington, the son of our neighbor, The Marquess of Oxfordshire.
    To Jack, Juliana and Sarah, he said, “This is Mr. Stewart Chamberlain from Boston, Massachusetts.” As the Duke made the introductions, Sarah watched Juliana staring at the Yankee with unveiled delight. The fair-haired Jack, having observed this, was finding it more difficult to be congenial.
    “Lady Juliana, it is my pleasure to meet you. Birthdays quite agree with you,” Chamberlain said as he gave Juliana a dazzling white smile. “And Harrington,” he said to Jack, extending his hand, “Indeed you are a fortunate man to be escorting the belle of the ball.”
    “Oh, Mr. Chamberlain,” Juliana tilted her head provocatively, “Lord Harrington may be my escort this evening, but it appears that I have this next dance free. And I think that on my birthday, I should dance every dance, do you not agree?”
“Ido,indeed,”Chamberlaingrinned,offering his arm. “It would be my pleasure.”
    She smiled, very pleased with herself, and with a wave over her shoulder to the three, Juliana and her partner joined the others already waltzing on the dance floor.
Weston chuckled deeply, “So like her mother, it pains me to remember.”
    His faced turned a tight mask, Jack turned to Sarah. “Would you care to dance