Lord Harry's Folly, Catherine Coulter [paper ebook reader .TXT] 📗

no, why should I? He was just a man like any other man. I’m glad I didn’t have to hurt him.”

“Could you tell me exactly how you would have hurt him? I have never before met a young lady so confident in herself. It is refreshing. Actually, I’m pleased you weren’t a real damsel in distress. It might have become tedious.”

“Ah, I’m pleased I didn’t bore you.”

“Oh, not at all. As a matter of fact, I think you begin to fascinate me. Tell me, what would you have done to our poor drunken Louis?”

There was something vaguely familiar in the black domino’s voice, in his tone, and teasing deep laughter that stirred just out of reach in her memory. Suddenly, she wasn’t quite certain that her rescuer was any less dangerous than the Louis XIV. She sensed that he was pushing her to be outrageous. Behind the anonymity of her mask and domino, she willingly obliged him. Why not? She would never see him again, indeed, she would never see him at all. She was quite safe to do and say anything she wanted to. “Why, sir, I dare say I would have kicked him below his yellow waistcoat. If he’d been too drunk to feel that, then I wouldn’t have been in any trouble at all, would I? Now, sir, that you have amused yourself at my expense, I believe I shall go search out some amusement for myself.”

She saw his dark eyes flash suddenly, but his deep voice still held laughter as he said, “What an unusual young lady you are. Do you wish to leave my company because I interfered with your fun, or is it because you fear that my intentions may be as low as those of our departed Louis XIV?”

“Your intentions can scrape the floor for all I care, sir. I really don’t care. And I’m not afraid of you.”

“That’s excellent. A wilting lady would be too much to bear. I dearly love to waltz. Surely you would not refuse to dance with the poor mortal who mistakenly thought to be chivalrous?”

“You’re unscrupulous. You’re also using wit rather than brawn. I shall reward you. Lead on.”

Hetty placed her hand in the crook of the black domino’s arm and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

He slipped his hand lightly down about her waist and drew her into the circle of his arms. She responded readily to his lead and soon found herself being whirled in large, sweeping circles about the room. He quickened their pace suddenly, and she laughed aloud in excitement, tightening her hold on the black domino’s shoulder.

He lowered his head slightly and whispered in her ear, “Ah, a sign of affection? Or is it that you fear I shall drop you?”

“Please don’t flirt with me,” she said, leaning back to look up at his face, still maddeningly hidden by the black mask. “This is such fun. Don’t bother me with all that nonsense. Now, sir, please mind your steps, you very nearly stepped on my toes.”

He threw back his head and laughed aloud. His teeth were strong and white, his throat tanned. She very much liked that laugh of his. Who the devil was he?

She gave him a guileless smile. “There, you see? Making love is a bore, particularly when you’re dancing and having such fun.”

“So you don’t think lovemaking is fun?”

“I haven’t the foggiest notion,” she said and he tightened his hand ever so slightly about her waist.

Hetty chose to ignore it. He was a man. Men, in her short but pungent experience, were strange creatures. Sex seemed to be the primary thing on their minds. And the secondary thing, too. When the music came to a halt, she was disappointed. “Oh dear,” she said. “The dance is over already? You’re quite good, but I’m sure all the ladies tell you that.”

She saw him raise his hand in some sort of signal to the musicians. In but an instant, another waltz was struck up.

She laughed. “Well done, sir, well done.” Without any thought as to the complexities of propriety, she laid her hand on his shoulder.

It was several breathless moments before the black domino slowed their pace. He looked down into the upturned smiling face and said in a thoughtful voice, “Your Louis XIV was a stupid fellow indeed to believe you experienced in dalliance. Rather, I would say that you are a young lady enjoying her first ball.”

He was right, damn him, but had she been so obvious? Surely not. She wouldn’t let him fluster her. “I know why you said that. You think I’m inexperienced just because I don’t want you flirting with me. That’s it, isn’t it? Just a male’s conceit.” She grinned up at him shamelessly.

“I wonder,” he said, “if you would goad me so much if we were to remove your mask?”

“Touch my mask and I’ll make you very sorry.”

“As sorry as you would have made Louis XIV?”

“You don’t deserve that. Something milder.” She stepped on his toes.

He winced, but said nothing more. He whirled her about in a wide circle. When he came to a halt, he landed adroitly upon her foot.

“Ouch!” She jumped, crying out more in surprise than in pain.

“Men are sometimes clumsy. I do apologize. Perhaps if your feet weren’t quite so big, I wouldn’t have succumbed to the temptation.”

She wanted to hit him and she wanted, oddly, to laugh, just to have him join in with her. His laugh was lovely.

“Shall I return you to your brother?”

All her fun dissolved in that instant. “You know my brother?”

“Certainly I do, Miss Rolland.”

At that moment, Hetty wanted to murder Jack. What was he doing anyway telling all his friends that his sister was in the scarlet domino and mask, and in need of partners? She backed away from him, turned abruptly, and slipped into a throng of guests before he could stop her.

She heard the black domino calling her name. She ignored him, wanting now to find Jack and hit