"Well, ifSindoes not mind, I think I shall stick with calling himSinclair" Margot retorted as she linked arms with Sophie.
"You can call me anything you wish, beloved of my oldest friend. We will become fast friends yet." Sin winked at Margot and she failed to stop her blush at the charming but roguish gesture. Frustrated at the winking Sin and the guffawing Daniel, Margot hit the latter with her reticule.
"Lord help us to deal with men that are boys and fools," she proclaimed as she tugged Sophie away and gestured for Cecily to follow.
Sophie was still too stunned by her encounter with Sin to speak. She could not stop herself from casting a backward glance and saw his eyes were still on her. The distance made her braver and she gave him what she hoped was a coy smile. Her inner critic told her to stay away from Sin, but her inner heroine was telling her to indulge in one of the seven cardinal vices – and sin.
Sophie sipped at her ratafia as Margot raged to Cecily and some of the other women about the follies of rakes in the ton and how they should be made to live abroad during the season.
"But Margot, was your husband not once a rake himself?" asked a tall brunette, whose name Sophie could not recall. The question held no sign of malice, just curiosity, but Margot's mouth dropped open in horror.
"Never! My Daniel may have had a few dalliances, but never did he do so with a lady, and he courted me with all the respect and chivalry one could want in a beau." Her chin jutted down at a stubborn angle. Sophie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. A fiery Margot was always entertaining and would admit to her hot temper once cooler heads prevailed, but something about Sin really riled her up. Sophie also had the privilege, as Margot's best friend, of knowing about the roguishly stolen kisses and caresses she had shared with Daniel before they wed. They had giggled about them for hours on end with Sophie asking her to repeat every detail. She was two years older than Margot but had always taken the role of the younger sister in their friendship. Margot was always her staunch supporter.
Now, a change in topic was clearly needed, so Sophie asked Margot about the first opera they were planning to see. This proved a worthy distraction, as the women began to gossip all at once about who was playing what role and who had which seats. Satisfied that the group’s attention was now completely focused on a topic that would go from strength to strength as far as gossip was concerned, she leaned over to Cecily.
"Cecily, I know you have an event planned for viewing it, but would it be an imposition for me to see the Botticelli? I hope you do not think me too forward for asking," she said in a soft whisper so no one else would hear.
Margot had confided this titbit in her, and Sophie had asked if it would be too forward to ask for a glance tonight. Sophie loved art, and knowing there was a famed artwork in the vicinity was too much to bear.
Cecily, endearing as always, smiled and nodded as she brought a finger to her lips and stood up. Giddy with excitement, Sophie stood with her, and splashed a little bit of ratafia on her dress.
"Oh, good idea, a guise!" Cecily applauded her quietly before turning loudly to the group.
"Sophie has soiled her dress. We must go and clean it up," Cecily announced.
Not my intention to highlight my clumsiness, but a small price to pay in the bigger scheme of things, Sophie thought as the women glanced sideways at her before turning back to their conversation. She knew James wanted to keep the painting veiled for a special event, but she would not be able to sleep tonight if she didn't get a chance to see it. She followed Cecily down a long hallway and into a library. In the middle of the room stood an easel, its contents draped. A servant had followed them in, and Cecily requested they light all the candles in the room.
"I will leave you to your admiration, Sophie. I have seen it so many times now it has quite lost its lustre. Come back the way we came and find me, and I will send for the candles to be snuffed." Sophie was astounded by Cecily's simple and pleasant attitude towards such a marvellous wonder. She stopped trying to understand the other woman and rushed to the easel. Gently, she pulled the sheet down inch by inch as she took a deep breath to contain her excitement. As the plain covering fell away,The Birth of Venuserupted in front of her eyes in a dizzying array of vibrant colours and textured strokes of creativity. Despite there being four figures in the painting, her eyes were automatically drawn to Venus herself. She held her fingertips as close as possible to the artwork without actually touching it and marvelled at her captured expression. Venus, in her mind, seemed unperturbed by what surrounded her as she rose from the clam shell in her nude glory. She looked resigned but beautiful, regal but without haughtiness. Sophie's eyes took in the ginger waves and soft white curves so like her own. She knew she boasted a more voluptuous figure, like those found in ancient stone carvings. They always filled her with confidence when she admired their beauty.
"Beauty. Such a work of beauty," she murmured as her eyes roved over the rest of the painting and noted the intricate details captured in this mythic event.
"A work of beauty indeed," said a husky voice from behind her.
Chapter Six
Sin had spied Sophie walking off with Cecily and muttered, "Wonder where they are off to."
Daniel readily answered, “Sophie must have asked to see the Botticelli that James is keeping quiet for the time being.”
A Botticelli? James must have paid a dear price to have this painting on loan for the season. Sin himself was an admirer of Botticelli’s captured beauty and grace that was both playful and sensual. He also did not want Sophie out of his sight. He was still seething at the lascivious looks slyly made in her direction. It occurred to him something was different about her in comparison to the other women. And then it hit him—her dress! It did not hang from her bust but instead gathered at her waist, accentuating her luscious curves.
"Which piece?" he asked curiously. "I must see it."
"Well James has a plan for its showing, but it appears that you, like Sophie, cannot be made to wait. I believe he hasThe Birth of Venusin his library, if you remember your way around here. And I will let him know. He will be irked by your impetuousness but unsurprised," Daniel said with a laugh and a shake of his head.
"I owe you one," Sin said and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Another one, you mean?" Daniel called out after him.
If only Daniel's wife was as eager as Daniel to help him get close to Sophie.If there is one thing I am good at, it is bringing a woman around to my way of thinking,he thought, though he doubted that would work on Margot. Interesting. I have never gone out of my way to befriend a woman. It makes sense that Daniel would marry a spirited one that would be at complete odds with me. She was well matched to Daniel's even-tempered disposition.
Sin took the twists and turns to the library and avoided bumping into any guests. The door was open, so he stepped into the room without making a noise and stood for a few moments watching Sophie. He could only see her from the back but he could tell she was engrossed in her exploration of the famed painting. Her body language was tense in concentration, and he could see her hands hovering over the art, as if she wanted to touch it but knew she shouldn't. The self-restraint she demonstrated was more then he would be able to muster if those hands were his and she was the painting.
“Beauty. Such a work of beauty," she murmured, her tone filled with awe, and the genuine emotion he heard warmed him. It was not lost on him that his Goddess now stood in front of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, in all her splendid glory. Their gingered hair was a perfect match, and he imagined the same smooth alabaster curves underneath her dress as he felt himself grow hard. This Goddess was wreaking havoc on all his senses, and he needed to regain some control.
When Sin spoke, he was gratified by her startled jump as he watched a myriad of expressions cross her flushed face.
Annoyed? Because he interrupted her musings? He liked her spirit.
