them close together, at times circling like birds in a mating ritual. Mating ritual. What an odd thought.
Gracious, but she had a lot of odd thoughts about him. Was it his wickedly handsome looks? Or was it the way he seemed only to have eyes for her? Though they were occasionally separated, his gaze never left her own. She told herself to concentrate, told herself that appearing moonstruck with the man did her reputation no good. Then again, what harm in letting society think theirs was a love match?
A love match?
She stiffened. What a silly notion. As if they acted in love. She forced herself to look away, just to prove to herself that she could, forced herself to think of something to say, something mundane.
"Did you have a pleasant ride over?" She nearly cursed. What a ninny. There was mundane, and there was mundane.
He appeared amused by her question. "Indeed I did, thank you for asking."
What was it her governess had often said? When conversing with a man, one should stick to his health and the weather. Well, he looked perfectly healthy. She shivered: too much so. And the weather seemed like a silly topic.
"Your ring is a bloodstone," she blurted, at a loss as to what else to say.
His gaze suddenly intensified. Ariel felt sweat bead upon her lip.
"Is it?" he asked, black brows raised.
"Indeed."
"And how do you know that?"
She had to wait for them to come together again, the time that it took for him to return to her side only reinforcing Ariel's nervousness. "I've studied such things."
"Have you?" he asked. "While in the country?"
She nodded, feeling rather proud of her education, and suddenly anxious to show it off. "Yes. A bloodstone is a chalcedony, also known by another name, though what that name is escapes me at the moment. It is said that the stone has the power to turn the sun blood-red, to cause thunder, lightning and rain to hail down. Is that not amusing?"
He didn't look amused. He looked rather perturbed. They moved apart again, Ariel wondering if he was the sort of man who didn't like women to be educated. Well, fie on him if he didn't. Women were every bit as smart as men, although men much preferred to think the opposite, but that only showed their ignorance.
When they came back together, she expected him to say something derogatory. Instead he merely smiled down at her. "Your knowledge amazes me," he surprised her by saying. "Tell me, what other things have you learned?"
She shrugged, unaccountably wanting to impress him. "Human anatomy. Greek mythology. Principals of general carriage mechanics. Things of that nature." Not to mention following the war closely, but she didn't think it wise to mention the recent hostilities between their two countries.
"Human anatomy?" he queried with an amused smile.
Something nagged at the back of her mind, something about what she'd just said. She put the thought away for later. "Indeed. A most interesting subject, human anatomy." Especially the part about human reproduction. Her father's library was most complete.
"And what sorts of things did you learn?" He moved closer to her, far closer than the steps of the dance dictated. Ariel wanted to move away, knew she should for the sake of her reputation, but in an instant the steps sent them apart. She almost sagged to the ground in relief, the dancers around them a blur as she waited for them to come together again.
"Well?" he prompted, when next they met. He took her hand, stepped close to her, his silver gaze intense.
She swallowed. Gracious heavens, what this man could do to her with only a look. She forced herself to concentrate, to remember their conversation. "I learned about the parts of the body. Liver. Kidney. Heart."
Hearts that can be broken, Ariel told herself. But her heart didn't want to listen. She felt her legs begin to tremble, felt herself stumble.
He caught her. "Careful, my lady. It wouldn't do for you to come to any harm."
She pulled back, mortified to realize the dance had
Gracious, but she had a lot of odd thoughts about him. Was it his wickedly handsome looks? Or was it the way he seemed only to have eyes for her? Though they were occasionally separated, his gaze never left her own. She told herself to concentrate, told herself that appearing moonstruck with the man did her reputation no good. Then again, what harm in letting society think theirs was a love match?
A love match?
She stiffened. What a silly notion. As if they acted in love. She forced herself to look away, just to prove to herself that she could, forced herself to think of something to say, something mundane.
"Did you have a pleasant ride over?" She nearly cursed. What a ninny. There was mundane, and there was mundane.
He appeared amused by her question. "Indeed I did, thank you for asking."
What was it her governess had often said? When conversing with a man, one should stick to his health and the weather. Well, he looked perfectly healthy. She shivered: too much so. And the weather seemed like a silly topic.
"Your ring is a bloodstone," she blurted, at a loss as to what else to say.
His gaze suddenly intensified. Ariel felt sweat bead upon her lip.
"Is it?" he asked, black brows raised.
"Indeed."
"And how do you know that?"
She had to wait for them to come together again, the time that it took for him to return to her side only reinforcing Ariel's nervousness. "I've studied such things."
"Have you?" he asked. "While in the country?"
She nodded, feeling rather proud of her education, and suddenly anxious to show it off. "Yes. A bloodstone is a chalcedony, also known by another name, though what that name is escapes me at the moment. It is said that the stone has the power to turn the sun blood-red, to cause thunder, lightning and rain to hail down. Is that not amusing?"
He didn't look amused. He looked rather perturbed. They moved apart again, Ariel wondering if he was the sort of man who didn't like women to be educated. Well, fie on him if he didn't. Women were every bit as smart as men, although men much preferred to think the opposite, but that only showed their ignorance.
When they came back together, she expected him to say something derogatory. Instead he merely smiled down at her. "Your knowledge amazes me," he surprised her by saying. "Tell me, what other things have you learned?"
She shrugged, unaccountably wanting to impress him. "Human anatomy. Greek mythology. Principals of general carriage mechanics. Things of that nature." Not to mention following the war closely, but she didn't think it wise to mention the recent hostilities between their two countries.
"Human anatomy?" he queried with an amused smile.
Something nagged at the back of her mind, something about what she'd just said. She put the thought away for later. "Indeed. A most interesting subject, human anatomy." Especially the part about human reproduction. Her father's library was most complete.
"And what sorts of things did you learn?" He moved closer to her, far closer than the steps of the dance dictated. Ariel wanted to move away, knew she should for the sake of her reputation, but in an instant the steps sent them apart. She almost sagged to the ground in relief, the dancers around them a blur as she waited for them to come together again.
"Well?" he prompted, when next they met. He took her hand, stepped close to her, his silver gaze intense.
She swallowed. Gracious heavens, what this man could do to her with only a look. She forced herself to concentrate, to remember their conversation. "I learned about the parts of the body. Liver. Kidney. Heart."
Hearts that can be broken, Ariel told herself. But her heart didn't want to listen. She felt her legs begin to tremble, felt herself stumble.
He caught her. "Careful, my lady. It wouldn't do for you to come to any harm."
She pulled back, mortified to realize the dance had
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