To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt Page A

him close to murmur something; then he glanced around the room and, inevitably, met her eyes. He’d lost his smile somewhere as he’d crossed the room, and now his face was quite expressionless. Deliberately, he turned his back to her, drawing the other man with him. Just then, the young man in the white wig looked over his shoulder, and Melisande inhaled, finally remembering where she’d seen him before.

    He was the man she’d seen weeping six years before.

Chapter Three

    After the last crumb of meat pie was eaten, the old man stood, and a very strange thing happened. His tattered clothes fell away, and suddenly there stood before Jack a young, handsome man in shining white garments.

    “You have been kind to me,” the angel said—for who else could he be but an angel of God? “And so I shall reward you.”

    The angel drew forth a little tin box and pressed it into Jack’s palm. “Look inside for what you need, and it shall be there.”

    He turned and was gone.

    Jack blinked for a moment before peering inside the box. And then he laughed, for there was nothing inside but a few leaves of snuff. Tucking the little tin snuffbox into his pack, he set off along the road again. . . .

    —from LAUGHING JACK

    Three weeks later, Melisande hid her trembling hands in the full skirts of her wedding dress. Behind her, Sally Suchlike, her new lady’s maid, was doing some last- minute fussing with the skirts.
    “Don’t you just look a treat, miss,” Suchlike said as she worked.

    They stood in the enclosed church porch, just off the nave. The organ had already started inside, and soon Melisande would have to walk into the crowded church. She shivered with nerves. Even on such short notice, nearly all the pews were full.

    “I thought gray was a bit dull when you picked it out,” Suchlike chattered, “but now it almost shines like silver.”

    “It’s not too much, is it?” Melisande looked down worriedly. The dress was more ornamented than she’d originally wished, with pale yellow ribbons tied in small r, „bows all along the low round neckline. Her overskirt was pulled back to reveal the heavily embroidered underskirt of gray, red, and yellow.

    “Oh, no. It’s very sophisticated,” the lady’s maid replied. She came around to face Melisande and frowned, inspecting her rather like a cook examining a haunch of beef. Then she smiled. “Lord Vale will be that taken with you, I’m sure. After all, it’s been ages since he last saw you.”

    Well, that wasn’t quite true, Melisande reflected, but it had been several weeks since she’d seen the viscount. Lord Vale had left the day after Lady Eddings’s musicale and had not returned to London until yesterday. She’d even begun to wonder if he was staying away to avoid her. He’d been rather distracted at the musicale after talking to his friend, and he’d never introduced her to the man. Indeed, his friend had disappeared after talking to Lord Vale. But none of that mattered, she chided herself. After all, Lord Vale stood right now at the front of the church waiting for her appearance.

    “Ready?” called Gertrude, who hurried in from the nave door and reached out to twitch at Melisande’s skirts. “I never thought I’d see this day, my dear, never! Married, and to a viscount. The Renshaws are a very nice family—no hint of bad blood at all. Oh, Melisande!”

    To her amazement, Melisande saw that phlegmatic Gertrude had tears in her eyes.

    “I’m so happy for you.” Gertrude gave her a stiff hug, pressing her cheek briefly to Melisande’s. “Are you ready?”

    Melisande straightened her back and drew in a steadying breath before answering. Even her trembling nerves couldn’t keep the quiet joy from her voice. “Yes, I am.”

    JASPER LOOKED DOWN at the slice of roasted duck on his plate and thought how very odd the tradition of the wedding breakfast was. Here was a group of friends and family gathered to celebrate love when in reality