pressed against the wall so hard she would have melted into it if possible. “Pelham is difficult to maneuver,” the woman said. Her voice sounded rather husky more than regal now. “I was lucky to make our rendezvous at all.”
The man dressed exclusively in black climbed over the balustrade. The balcony was low, and Juliette realized he must have been waiting under it for some time. Had he seen her?
He glanced up when he was firmly on the balcony, and the lights from the ballroom illuminated his face.
Juliette stifled a scream.
It was Lucifer.
For an instant, she thought he saw her, but then his gaze flicked to Pelham’s fiancée, and he took her in his arms, bending her back and kissing her fiercely. Juliette could only stare in shock at the entwined couple. She definitely wanted to escape now. Why had she ever thought fresh air would invigorate her? She was scared senseless!
She did not even want to imagine why the Duke of Pelham’s fiancée was kissing Lucifer, and she most certainly did not want to be present when the duke returned to find the two.
Thankfully, the kiss ended. “I don’t want to go home with him,” the woman said. “I’d rather go with you.”
“Yes, we have much to discuss,” Lucifer answered.
“I hadn’t been thinking of actually talking,” Pelham’s fiancée said. Juliette recognized the sultry tone of her voice and had to cover her mouth to keep from exclaiming.
Pelham’s fiancée was cuckolding the duke with Lucifer? This was information Juliette did not want. She closed her eyes and wished she could make herself invisible.
“I wasn’t thinking of talking, either. The time for that is over.” Lucifer’s voice had an undertone Juliette didn’t like. She opened her eyes. Pelham’s fiancée must have been worried, as well, because she took a step back, but Lucifer didn’t release her.
“What do you mean?” The duke’s fiancée tried to sound unruffled, but even Juliette heard the tremor in her voice.
“You lied to me, Eliza. You lied about the courtesan.”
Eliza shook her head frantically. “No. No, I would never—”
“I need those diamonds. I’ve already sold them.” He put his hands around her neck. “Tell me where you’ve put them.”
“I don’t have them. What use would I have for—?”
“Tell me. I warn you I intend to have the truth one way or another.”
“Wait!” Eliza clawed at Lucifer’s hands with her own. “Wait! I’ll tell you the truth this time. The duke—” Her words were cut off as Lucifer hurled her to the ground.
“Do not dare lie to me again!”
“I’m not. I swear it.”
Juliette shook, her whole body trembling with fear. She mouthed a silent prayer, swearing if she escaped this balcony alive she would read her Bible every day and give up brandy and help stray dogs and…
She stifled a scream when Lucifer lifted Eliza off the ground and threw her against the balustrade. Eliza stumbled back, tripped on her gown, and fell against the hard stone. Juliette cringed at the sickening crack. Lucifer stood perfectly still, watching Eliza’s body. Blood trickled down her forehead and dripped on the stone beneath. The balcony was silent but for the sounds of a quadrille being played inside. Juliette held her breath as Lucifer approached the woman.
Please let her be alive . Please.
Lucifer knelt, blocking Juliette’s view. But she heard his mutter clearly enough. “Bloody whore. Now what am I supposed to do with you?”
He crouched and lifted her body. Juliette was all but curled into a ball behind the French doors. Don’t turn. Don’t turn.
He didn’t. In one move, he dumped the body over the edge of the low balcony. Juliette heard the soft thud as it landed in the grass. She stiffened, certain he would turn and see her now. Instead, he made a smooth leap over the balustrade and was gone.
Juliette did not dare move. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the horrible images she’d seen. She had to find
The man dressed exclusively in black climbed over the balustrade. The balcony was low, and Juliette realized he must have been waiting under it for some time. Had he seen her?
He glanced up when he was firmly on the balcony, and the lights from the ballroom illuminated his face.
Juliette stifled a scream.
It was Lucifer.
For an instant, she thought he saw her, but then his gaze flicked to Pelham’s fiancée, and he took her in his arms, bending her back and kissing her fiercely. Juliette could only stare in shock at the entwined couple. She definitely wanted to escape now. Why had she ever thought fresh air would invigorate her? She was scared senseless!
She did not even want to imagine why the Duke of Pelham’s fiancée was kissing Lucifer, and she most certainly did not want to be present when the duke returned to find the two.
Thankfully, the kiss ended. “I don’t want to go home with him,” the woman said. “I’d rather go with you.”
“Yes, we have much to discuss,” Lucifer answered.
“I hadn’t been thinking of actually talking,” Pelham’s fiancée said. Juliette recognized the sultry tone of her voice and had to cover her mouth to keep from exclaiming.
Pelham’s fiancée was cuckolding the duke with Lucifer? This was information Juliette did not want. She closed her eyes and wished she could make herself invisible.
“I wasn’t thinking of talking, either. The time for that is over.” Lucifer’s voice had an undertone Juliette didn’t like. She opened her eyes. Pelham’s fiancée must have been worried, as well, because she took a step back, but Lucifer didn’t release her.
“What do you mean?” The duke’s fiancée tried to sound unruffled, but even Juliette heard the tremor in her voice.
“You lied to me, Eliza. You lied about the courtesan.”
Eliza shook her head frantically. “No. No, I would never—”
“I need those diamonds. I’ve already sold them.” He put his hands around her neck. “Tell me where you’ve put them.”
“I don’t have them. What use would I have for—?”
“Tell me. I warn you I intend to have the truth one way or another.”
“Wait!” Eliza clawed at Lucifer’s hands with her own. “Wait! I’ll tell you the truth this time. The duke—” Her words were cut off as Lucifer hurled her to the ground.
“Do not dare lie to me again!”
“I’m not. I swear it.”
Juliette shook, her whole body trembling with fear. She mouthed a silent prayer, swearing if she escaped this balcony alive she would read her Bible every day and give up brandy and help stray dogs and…
She stifled a scream when Lucifer lifted Eliza off the ground and threw her against the balustrade. Eliza stumbled back, tripped on her gown, and fell against the hard stone. Juliette cringed at the sickening crack. Lucifer stood perfectly still, watching Eliza’s body. Blood trickled down her forehead and dripped on the stone beneath. The balcony was silent but for the sounds of a quadrille being played inside. Juliette held her breath as Lucifer approached the woman.
Please let her be alive . Please.
Lucifer knelt, blocking Juliette’s view. But she heard his mutter clearly enough. “Bloody whore. Now what am I supposed to do with you?”
He crouched and lifted her body. Juliette was all but curled into a ball behind the French doors. Don’t turn. Don’t turn.
He didn’t. In one move, he dumped the body over the edge of the low balcony. Juliette heard the soft thud as it landed in the grass. She stiffened, certain he would turn and see her now. Instead, he made a smooth leap over the balustrade and was gone.
Juliette did not dare move. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the horrible images she’d seen. She had to find
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