Everlasting Enchantment
filigree perfume box. Silk swished and corsets strained as the ladies leaned closer for a better look. With a dramatic flourish, the lady dug something out from the very bottom of the bag, set it on the table, and swept everything else aside.
    Some of the ladies sighed with disappointment, but Millicent’s heart skipped. It looked old. Old enough to be a true relic. A solid band of dull silver with a round stone set in the center. The blue-gray shimmer of the jewel hypnotized her for a moment; the wink of the fire reflected in the depths made her heart twist with something she couldn’t define. “What is that gem?”
    “A moonstone,” murmured Lady Yardley. “A common enough jewel, although I’ve never seen one with quite so much translucence.”
    “Each of you will try it on. Like so.” Lady Chatterly slipped the large band easily over her hand and up her arm. “I know it looks rather big, but if you’re chosen, it will tighten to a snug fit.” She stared at the relic for a moment, then sighed in disappointment as it fell off her wrist. “Well, one can still hope.”
    “What do you mean?” asked a rather matronly woman.
    Lady Chatterly answered the question in a roundabout way. “He will come to you at midnight and disappear with the dawn. He won’t appear twice to the same woman, so there’s no use in keeping the relic longer.” Her gray eyes glittered as her voice lowered to a husky whisper. “He will make your every desire come true. And some that you didn’t even know you had.”
    “Who?” demanded Lady Yardley.
    “His name is Gareth Solimere and he wears the clothing of a knight of the Round Table… yes, as in King Arthur. He has been trapped in the relic for a long time.”
    Questions spun around inside Millicent’s head. She could see her questions mirrored on the faces of the others, but Lady Chatterly held up her hand to forgo them. “Trust me, they are not important. Once you look into his brown eyes, run your fingers through his ebony hair, feel the touch of his lips upon yours…”
    Giggles and gasps followed her words but Lady Chatterly seemed lost in rapturous memory. Millicent rolled her eyes in disgust. So that’s what all these women were in such a twitter about? A man? Her mother had taught her about men. Enough to know to stay away from them.
    She fought the urge to stomp from the room.
    One of the youngest girls—her cheeks a bright pink—had the temerity to say, “What did he do to you?”
    “Aah. Shall I make my reputation even more notorious?” Lady Chatterly asked herself rather loudly.
    “Is it possible?” countered Claire with a laugh.
    “Certainly.” Those pale gray eyes sparkled in challenge and her feathers danced a jig on her head. “I thought I knew myself. I have been married, after all.”
    The few women who had kept themselves apart from the circle around the table suddenly drew closer. The room had been fraught with tension since they entered. Now the walls fairly vibrated. Even Millicent couldn’t resist the urge to lean forward expectantly.
    Lady Chatterly’s voice lowered to a mere whisper. “He knew exactly how to ignite my passion. He knew how naughty I’ve been…”
    Her hand flew to her breast as her breath quickened. “He slowly removed my clothing piece by piece…”
    A handful of the younger girls, and a few of the older, swooned.
    “…and he spanked me soundly.”
    Skirts flew up right and left as several of the ladies fainted. Millicent reflexively rose to catch someone but couldn’t decide whom and froze in indecision. Lady Yardley blinked at her in surprise. Millicent’s were-nature allowed her to move faster than an ordinary human, so it was probably just as well she had frozen before fully betraying her true nature. She gave Claire a weak smile and slowly sat back down.
    “I stand corrected,” said Lady Yardley as she pulled smelling salts out of her reticule and handed them to another woman to administer to the fallen.

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