Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) by Constance O'Banyon Page A
Authors: Constance O'Banyon
Tags: Fiction, adventure, Romance, Historical, Adult, Action, Western, Protest, Murder, Teenager, 19th century, horse, New Orleans, multicultural, seduction, masquerade, kidnapped, escape, Enemy, Notorious, sister, tied up, Brazen Pirate, Wrong Sister, Fondled, Writhed, MOONTIED EMBRACE
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"Papa had it engraved with my name."
Bandera's eyes gleamed with jealousy. "What does it say?" she demanded to know.
"Here," Liberty said, removing the bracelet and hand ing it to her sister. "Read it for yourself."
Bandera's face reddened and her eyes gleamed spitefully. "To my daughter, Liberty, on her fifteenth birthday," she read aloud, then tossed the bracelet back to Liberty. "Who would want that old thing anyway."
"I do," Liberty said, once more slipping the gift onto her arm. Her eyes moved to her sister's finger where the ring Zippora had given her gleamed in the candlelight. Liberty wanted the ring back, but she decided it would be unwise to make an issue out of it. Better to let the whole matter drop, she decided.
No one saw the old woman's face pressed against the window as she watched the proceedings. No one could hear Zippora's softly muttered words. "What goes around, comes around. A hurt inflicted will come back tenfold."
As the small party gathered in the dining room, candle light glistened on the surface of the mahogany table, hiding the shabbiness of the room. Since it was her birthday, Liberty was accorded the honor of sitting to her father's right. She saw her mother watching her, and she knew Ursula was feeling guilty because she had forgotten her birthday. Liberty wished she could assure her mother that it was unimportant. She did not want regret to drive another wedge between the two of them.
Bandera was caught up in trying to impress Sebastian, and for the moment she was ignoring her family. As the desert was served, Louis leaned back in his chair to survey his family. For too long he had ignored the treatment Liberty had been receiving from her mother and stepsis ter. He intended to see that the child was never neglected again. His eyes were cold as they rested on his wife.
Feeling the tension in the air, Liberty tried to lighten the atmosphere. "What news from Paris, Papa?" she asked, since news from France was always welcome dinner conversation.
Louis smiled at his young daughter. "It is not easy to gain information from Paris these days, with the hostili ties between the United States and France." He was thoughtful for a moment. "Let me see now ... I did hear one interesting bit of news. It is said that Napoleon despairs at the flimsy gowns women are wearing, and he has had the fireplaces at Tuileries bricked up so that women will be forced to dress more warmly."
Liberty giggled behind her hand. "I doubt that even that will work. Women seem to be beyond good judgment when it comes to fashion, Papa."
"Little you would know about fashion," Bandera snarled. "You are certainly not an authority on how a woman should dress."
Louis leaned toward his wife and whispered in her ear. "Put an end to your daughter's insults, Madame. I will not tolerate her cruelty any longer." Ursula merely low ered her head, saying nothing, for fear Sebastian would realize something was amiss.
Bandera saw that she had displeased Louis, so she smiled prettily at him. "Of course, I could teach Liberty style if she were to show an interest in learning."
"Tell us more news from France, Papa," Liberty urged, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.
"I was told a funny story that came out of England," he said thoughtfully. "Again this has to do with women's fashions. It seems that a Russian army officer was visiting London. On a cold day he strolled down Bond Street and spied a fashionably dressed lady walking by. He was accustomed to judging a woman's circumstances by the warmth of her clothing, rather than the stylishness of mode. Seeing the woman's flimsy gown, he presumed she was a pauper, and out of sympathy, offered her money to buy a proper coat. The woman was a duke's daughter, and incensed to say the least."
Delighted laughter bubbled from Liberty's lips, and Sebastian joined in. By the time dinner was over they all moved to the salon, where a lighter mood ensued.
"I have a bit of unexpected
Bandera's eyes gleamed with jealousy. "What does it say?" she demanded to know.
"Here," Liberty said, removing the bracelet and hand ing it to her sister. "Read it for yourself."
Bandera's face reddened and her eyes gleamed spitefully. "To my daughter, Liberty, on her fifteenth birthday," she read aloud, then tossed the bracelet back to Liberty. "Who would want that old thing anyway."
"I do," Liberty said, once more slipping the gift onto her arm. Her eyes moved to her sister's finger where the ring Zippora had given her gleamed in the candlelight. Liberty wanted the ring back, but she decided it would be unwise to make an issue out of it. Better to let the whole matter drop, she decided.
No one saw the old woman's face pressed against the window as she watched the proceedings. No one could hear Zippora's softly muttered words. "What goes around, comes around. A hurt inflicted will come back tenfold."
As the small party gathered in the dining room, candle light glistened on the surface of the mahogany table, hiding the shabbiness of the room. Since it was her birthday, Liberty was accorded the honor of sitting to her father's right. She saw her mother watching her, and she knew Ursula was feeling guilty because she had forgotten her birthday. Liberty wished she could assure her mother that it was unimportant. She did not want regret to drive another wedge between the two of them.
Bandera was caught up in trying to impress Sebastian, and for the moment she was ignoring her family. As the desert was served, Louis leaned back in his chair to survey his family. For too long he had ignored the treatment Liberty had been receiving from her mother and stepsis ter. He intended to see that the child was never neglected again. His eyes were cold as they rested on his wife.
Feeling the tension in the air, Liberty tried to lighten the atmosphere. "What news from Paris, Papa?" she asked, since news from France was always welcome dinner conversation.
Louis smiled at his young daughter. "It is not easy to gain information from Paris these days, with the hostili ties between the United States and France." He was thoughtful for a moment. "Let me see now ... I did hear one interesting bit of news. It is said that Napoleon despairs at the flimsy gowns women are wearing, and he has had the fireplaces at Tuileries bricked up so that women will be forced to dress more warmly."
Liberty giggled behind her hand. "I doubt that even that will work. Women seem to be beyond good judgment when it comes to fashion, Papa."
"Little you would know about fashion," Bandera snarled. "You are certainly not an authority on how a woman should dress."
Louis leaned toward his wife and whispered in her ear. "Put an end to your daughter's insults, Madame. I will not tolerate her cruelty any longer." Ursula merely low ered her head, saying nothing, for fear Sebastian would realize something was amiss.
Bandera saw that she had displeased Louis, so she smiled prettily at him. "Of course, I could teach Liberty style if she were to show an interest in learning."
"Tell us more news from France, Papa," Liberty urged, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.
"I was told a funny story that came out of England," he said thoughtfully. "Again this has to do with women's fashions. It seems that a Russian army officer was visiting London. On a cold day he strolled down Bond Street and spied a fashionably dressed lady walking by. He was accustomed to judging a woman's circumstances by the warmth of her clothing, rather than the stylishness of mode. Seeing the woman's flimsy gown, he presumed she was a pauper, and out of sympathy, offered her money to buy a proper coat. The woman was a duke's daughter, and incensed to say the least."
Delighted laughter bubbled from Liberty's lips, and Sebastian joined in. By the time dinner was over they all moved to the salon, where a lighter mood ensued.
"I have a bit of unexpected
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