Magic by Moonlight Read Free

three ruffians only moments ago. He was inside a
chateau, and staring into the very wide and frightened eyes of a
beautiful—if oddly dressed—young woman.
    He gave his head a shake and looked again.
She was still there. Frightened as if she were looking at a ghost.
Her eyes gleamed like dark sapphires in the moonlight, and her hair
was a delightful mass of raven curls he imagined would feel like
silk twined round his fingers. Never mind the odd clothing, or the
odd feeling in his head. A beautiful woman like this one certainly
took precedence over such trivial worries.
    “ Bonjour, mademoiselle,” he
whispered, quickly removing his chapeau with a flourish and bowing
deeply. Sheathing his sword, he gripped her small hand and drew it
to his lips. Ah, warm salty skin, and a telltale tremble. She liked
him already.
    The hand in his jerked away fast. “Who the
hell are you?” the fair lady demanded. “Wha-what are you doing
here?”
    He straightened, smoothed the luxurious
plume, and then replaced his hat. “So it is English you prefer,” he
said. “ ‘Tis well I speak it fluently. I am Alexandre, one of the
king’s finest Musketeers, my lady.”
    “Get real,” she said. “You are not.”
    “But I am.” He took a step closer. She
backed up, and it surprised him. “Do not fear me, pretty one. I
am... a bit disoriented, but believe me, I have only come to help
you.”
    “He-help me?”
    “ Oui, ma petite. I heard you calling
out for help—a protector, a hero I believe you cried for.” He
rubbed his perfectly pointed beard with his fingers. “It is a bit
of a blur, but I do recall that much.”
    She shook her head back and forth slowly,
taking another step away from him. “This is crazy. This is nuts.
You can’t be here; this can’t be happening.”
    He shrugged, smiling to himself, quite
familiar with the power of his presence on females. “Many a lady
has been overwhelmed by my charm, little one. Do not be concerned.
It is not a dream, ma belle. I truly am here. At your
disposal.” He let his gaze stray lower, to her lips, which looked
full and tempting, and added, “Anything you need, pretty one, I
assure you, I can provide.” As he said it he moved closer.
    The lady whipped a tiny weapon, which
vaguely resembled a black powder pistol, from somewhere beneath the
clothing she wore, and pointed it at him. “Don’t you come one step
closer, mister.”
    Amused, he reached out to snatch the toy
from her hands. “What is this silly thing?” He gazed down the
barrel, fingers grazing the trigger. The lady lunged forward,
knocking the rounded end upward, away from his nose, just as the
small device exploded in his hands. He felt his chapeau sail from
his head and heard the looking glass behind him shatter. Alexandre
dropped the weapon to the floor. “ Mon Dieu!”
    “You nearly shot yourself, you idiot!” she
shouted. “Or did you?” Gripping his shoulders, she scanned his
face, hands running up and down his arms in a most familiar
fashion.
    His fear faded quickly, and his notorious
smile returned. “Ah, do not fear for me, lady. I am unharmed.
But...eh...you may examine me further, if it would reassure you.”
He took advantage of her closeness to clasp her waist and pull her
tight to him.
    She drew back and punched him in the jaw so
hard that Alexandre staggered backward and wound up landing on his
derriere. But he never stopped smiling at her. “So,” he said,
rubbing his jaw, “you are shy, non?” He retrieved his hat
from the floor, frowning at the neat round hole in the front of
it.
    “I’m the farthest thing from shy, Al. Touch
me again, and you’ll wish I were.”
    He was quite confused by her reluctance.
Never had any lady sought to withhold her favors from him. They
tended to swoon at a mere glance. But he’d already noticed this
one’s strangeness. Perhaps her mind was unbalanced. Pity. She was
truly magnificent. He shook his head, sighing in disappointment but
resigned to defeat.