The queen opened her mouth and then closed it quickly. A slow-forming smile rested on her lips.
“You have an interest in Lady Marion, Argyll?” the king asked.
Did he? Having followed her into the palace and now seeking information from the king, it would appear he did in fact have an interest in one Lady Marion. This realization was likely more surprising to himself than anyone else.
“I believe all you need to do, my lord, is turn around. She is standing right behind you, speaking with her parents.”
Alexander turned around and caught the full sight of her. Time seemed to slow as she turned, and their gazes locked. His hair prickled at his nape and his heart thudded hard in his chest. She wore a dark-green tightly-fit brocade bodice that narrowed at her waist and then bloomed into a full skirt made from fabric that shimmered in the light. Her white mask covered most of her face, but he could still clearly see her striking green eyes and plump pink lips that he now wanted to taste.
The king’s voice beside him jarred him back to the present moment.
“I see you have met the fair Lady Marion, Argyll,” the king said.
“He has, Your Majesty,” she said. Her silky voice drew him in again. “May I introduce my parents, Lord and Lady Baird. Father, Mother, this is Lord Campbell, Earl of Argyll.”
“The pleasure is ours,” her father said.
“I am pleased to meet you all and wonder if I might be permittedto ask your daughter to join me for a dance.”
He said this while keeping his gaze decidedly on her and wanting to place his hands on her waist and draw her closer.
“Aye, my lord,” her father said. “You may dance with her.”
Alexander noted her father’s eagerness. Maybe he was not wrong about the parents, but she was a different story.
“Lady Marion, will you dance with me?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Aye, my lord, I will dance with you.”
He reached for her hand and led her away from her parents and the royal couple. Warmth spread through him, and he placed his hand on her hip and held her hand in his. Her tiny hand burned where she touched his shoulder.
Alexander had felt plenty of attraction before and knew lust well enough, but whether it was the music and the atmosphere or maybe something in the ale, he was bewitched by this lass.
As they moved in time with the music, his mind raced with images of what he would like to do to her, how he would like to pleasure her and how often. But she was not a common lass. She was a lady and would be available only through marriage. The thought sobered him again. He was not ready for that kind of commitment with someone he had just met. His mind warred between his growing desire and his logic.
“I see trouble behind your eyes, my lord. Are you worried about the other dancers, or is the crowd becoming overwhelming again?”
So, in addition to enticing him to want to bed her, she possessed the uncanny ability to read his mind. He had better take a care, for otherwise, this wee lassie might very well have him tethered to her before the dance was over.
“I am not troubled, Lady Marion.” He was such a liar. “I am enjoying the dance with you very much.
He must have sounded convincing, for a moment later she smiled, and he was lost in a sea of fantasies about her all over again.
Chapter Four
The combination ofmusic, food, and mead were enough to fill Marion’s senses to the brim. But they were nothing compared to the man who confidently swayed her body to the delightful string and pipe music surrounding them.
His eyes were the deepest shade of blue, the like of which she had never seen before. Having left the great hall what seemed like mere moments ago, Marion was startled by the deep voice that called to her in the garden. Her startle turned to something else once she spied the blue eyes behind the mask. Head to foot in black, she recognized the black rider almost immediately, though she did not know his name until he introduced himself. Her black rider and the queen’s recommendation were one and the same, Alexander Campbell, Earl of Argyll. Not that the title mattered to her.
Truth be told, she wasn’t sure much mattered to her while in his arms. She could feel thick muscle beneath his shirt as he moved them around the floor. His chest curved beneath his tunic, and she had to confess to herself she’d never taken such notice in a man before. But this man had caught her attention fully and completely. Her body hummed from his proximity, and though they were in a hall full of people, she could only see him, those eyes of his that seemed to look into her very soul. She was more alert now, she was certain, than at any other time in her life. He, all of him, captivated her and held herbreathless for more of his piercing stare, his sensuous mouth, and his oh so delicious scent that was doing all sorts of new things to her insides.
“Now it is you who looks deep in thought, my lady.”
Was she losing her wits or was there a slight emphasis on “my”? “I am well, my lord. I am enjoying the music and this dance.”
“As am I,” he said and leaned down a little closer to her. “I do hope you intend to stay for the remainder of the masque.”
“I should hope to stay, aye, but that will be up to my parents to decide at what time we shall depart.”
