“Are they alive?”
He hesitated a moment, the pen scratching to a halt. “Go see if you need anything else for tonight. I’ll contact Clarisse, if so.”
“Do you ever get tired of ordering everyone around?”
“No.”
She sighed and trooped upstairs.
She fit the last feather in place on her mask and slipped it on. Then pivoting slowly in front of the mirror, she analyzed her appearance from all angles. She didn’t look like herself. She had transformed into some exotic flower or bird from the head up and a loose woman from the neck down. She wasn’t sure both styles went together, but it was the best she could do. And the effect was quite interesting all the same. It would allow her to be two different women if she so desired.
She walked to the kitchen. She found it amusing that Noble chose to work here instead of in the study off the drawing room, spare though it was—just like everything else in the house. The kitchen table was large though and he liked to spread things in every direction.
He looked up at her entrance and his eyes ran down her figure. “Adequate. Are you ready to leave?”
She tapped her hand irritably against her leg. “Yes. Thank you for the brilliant compliment.”
His eyes met hers and his mouth opened, then closed, a peculiar look in his eyes. He pulled himself out of the chair and walked over to her. “Something’s missing.”
Her hands found their way to her hips. “And what is that?”
“A knowledge in your eyes.” His were narrow as they searched hers. “You can wear the clothes, but you have no idea how to carry off the effect.”
She tried to keep her anger tapped. “I see.”
“Have you ever been kissed, Marietta?”
The anger fled, replaced with confusion and nervousness. “I don’t see how that is any of your concern.”
“You do realize that we will be carrying off a role in the taverns especially.”
“No.” She wet her lips, anxiety pulsing through her.
He raised a brow. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to know what taverns are like, but you will after tonight.”
She couldn’t bring herself to ask what he meant. He didn’t seem to need the cue.
He leaned down. “Have you ever seen two people kiss, Marietta?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think?”
His eyes were a darker green, warmer than usual, not with a warmth spawned from fondness, but from the excited heat of a predator.
“It looked…perfunctory.”
“Ah. No, I meant have you ever seen two peoplereallykiss?”
She had seen a maid and footman kiss at a house party once, when they thought no one else around. The maid had been wrapped around the footman, and he had pressed her against the wall. She thought that was most likely what Noble meant byrealkissing. It had looked rather real.
“Yes.”
He slowly smiled. “Good. We’ll start with the basics.”
Her mind went blank. “Basics?”
“Of kissing. Most people aren’t good at kissing right from the start.” He looked her over. “Unless you are a natural.”
