The Burning Read Free

laughed.
    â€œDid you see the gown Amanda Barton is wearing?” Angelica asked cattily.
    â€œNo. Is it charming and wonderful?” Liza asked.
    â€œAbout as charming and wonderful as our window draperies,” Angelica said with a sneer. “In fact, I believe it is made of the same fabric!”
    Both girls laughed again. “I think this is the most wonderful party,” Liza gushed. “I just adore—” She stopped when she saw she didn’t have Angelica’s attention. Angelica’s gaze had flitted away for a second.
    â€œAngelica, what did you see?”
    â€œWho
is
that young man?” Angelica asked finally.
    â€œWho?
Which
young man?” Liza asked.
    â€œThe one in the plain shirt and old-fashioned tailcoat,” Angelica replied. “Don’t allow him to see you looking. He is staring hard this way with big dark eyes.”
    Liza searched until she found him. “What an expression!” she declared, raising a hand to stifle her laughter. “Those brown eyes. He looks so sad and forlorn, like one of your father’s hunting hounds!”
    Liza expected Angelica to laugh, but she didn’t. “Why is he staring at me like that?” Angelica demanded, stealing quick glances at him. “Do I know him?”
    â€œI think I have seen his clothes on a scarecrow in one of my father’s cotton fields!” Liza joked. “But I have never seen
him!”
    â€œHe … he is frightening me,” Angelica stammered. Her face suddenly appeared pale. The color faded from her eyes.
    â€œDon’t let him see us stare at him. He will surely come over here,” Liza warned. “Shall we go upstairs for a rest?” She knew that Angelica was fragile, not as robust as she appeared.
    â€œNo. I—
Look!”
Angelica cried.
    Both girls peeked as two solemn-faced servants stepped up to the young man. There was a brief argument. Then each servant grabbed an arm and forcefully pulled the young man toward the door.
    â€œOh, my! Oh, my!” Angelica cried, raising her hands to her pale cheeks.
    Liza placed a hand on her cousin’s shoulder. “It’s all right.”
    A few girls cried out in alarm. Angelica heard a rush of murmured questions throughout the room. The string quartet stopped playing.
    â€œHe is leaving. It is all right,” Liza assured her cousin.
    Angelica watched as the young man moved toward the door, taking long strides, not turning back. As soon as he had disappeared, the music started up again.
    â€œJust an intruder,” Liza said. “I wonder how he got past the servants.”
    Angelica’s expression was thoughtful. Her emerald eyes began to sparkle again. “That young man was rather interesting,” she told her cousin. “There was something about him….” Her voice trailed off.
    â€œAngelica Pierce, I am ashamed of you!” Liza protested. “How can you be so selfish?”
    â€œSelfish?” Angelica asked, raising her long skirt as she stepped down to the carpet.
    â€œYou already have not one but
two
handsome young men eager for your attentions. James Daumier and Hamilton Scott are two of the best-looking, wealthiest young men in all of New Orleans. And they would both
die
if they knew you found that shabby intruder interesting.”
    Angelica sighed. “Speak of the devil,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Here comes James. It must be his dance.”
    â€œWell, go!” Liza urged, giving her cousin a gentle shove. “And
smile!
This is
your
party—remember?”
    Angelica forced a smile and raised her eyes to James. James grinned at her, showing off about eight hundred teeth.
    Does he have to grin at me like that? Angelica wondered unhappily. I am always afraid he is going to bite me!
    Most girls would probably consider James Daumier good-looking, Angelica realized. He was tall and broad shouldered and had intense silver gray eyes