The Marquis At Midnight Read Free Page A

Not a ladies man,
but very much a man, just the same. She rather liked the way he
held her; confidently, yet carefully, as if holding a woman in his
arms was a novel experience.
    The music came to a stop and they did too.
Grace and her unknown partner, falling into momentary stillness.
Somehow, they had ended up at the side of the dance floor where a
large statue loomed, cutting of the light from the candle sconces,
encasing them both in shadow.
    ‘Time for the unmasking.’ Grace could only
wonder that she sounded so breathless.
    ‘Yes,’ he murmured, but he did not move.
    ‘Shall I?’ She reached up a hand to undo the
string that held on the domino, but, strangely, he reached out to
lay a hand on her arm. Grace paused, looking up at him enquiringly.
There was something, some magic in the air. She could feel it,
trembling and fragile, making her catch her breath. How was it
possible, she wondered, to feel as if she were alone with this man,
in the middle of a noisy, laughing crowd?
    But that was exactly how she did feel.
    His voice was soft and to Grace, it felt as
deep as the shadows enfolding them. ‘Please. Wait for just a
moment.’
    Grace waited, holding her
breath as she stared up at him. He stood still for a moment longer,
then dropping his head, he caught her surprised lips, his own warm
and firm, gentle yet oh so definite, as if he meant it. He is so certain , Grace
thought dazedly. Dear God, he kisses much
as he dances; confidently and without compromise.
    She shivered beneath the kiss, but she did
not pull away for the pressure of his lips against her own had
triggered a flurry of warmth within. It rushed through her,
starting in the pit of her belly and flowing outwards, a burst of
sunlight that was as unexpected as the stranger’s kiss.
    I am not a wanton woman, but oh, I do not
want this to stop!
    When he raised his head, she felt his breath
against her face, coming fast, just as her own was. ‘I’m sorry,’ he
whispered, face still close to her own. ‘That was unpardonable of
me.’
    The right words, but he did not sound sorry
and Grace, still humming with the knowledge that she had been
thoroughly kissed by a man whose name she did not even know, smiled
despite herself. ‘It was,’ she agreed, ‘but as it was equally
unpardonable of me to allow it, perhaps we can absolve each
other.’
    She saw a smile curve his lips. Reaching up,
he undid the string that held her domino in place and tugged gently
at the knot. Grace pulled off the mask and arched an eyebrow at
him, amused by this highhanded approach.
    ‘And you, fellow stranger?’
    Reaching up, he removed his own mask and
stood looking down at her, gray eyes searching.
    Grace felt her smile freeze in place before
it slowly dissolved completely. The muscles in her face seemed to
stiffen, one by one, as recognition chased away her happiness, cold
replacing the warmth inside. She took an unsteady step backwards,
hand coming up as if to ward off the knowledge that she had just
made a hideous mistake.
    He appeared bewildered by the change in her.
‘Are you all right?’
    ‘I...’ She could not speak.
She felt sick. She felt… Oh God!
    She had to get away!
    She stumbled back, moving away from him. He
made as if to follow, but she turning and plunged through the crowd
of bodies, desperate to escape. Moving blindly, she suddenly found
herself free of people and flew forward, looking for space, frantic
to be alone.
    And then, somehow, she was outside. Without
her cloak and in the chill of a very frigid March night. Grace
welcomed the cold, as effective as a slap in the face for her
turbulent emotions. Moving away from the entrance, she found an
empty alcove and stepped into it, pressing her hands against her
flushed cheeks and her back against the cold stone wall.
    How? Oh how could she have not recognized
him?
    Although truthfully, they had not met
frequently, no more than twice, and his face had become a blur in
the trauma that had followed their