Sarah paused to collect herself before continuing in a stronger voice. “No, Miss Fitzhenry, I know my sister was murdered,” she stated emphatically, “and Ashfield killed her.”

As the exhausted Fitzhenrys made their way home from the ball, they rode in relative silence.

Suddenly Kitty barked out a laugh. “For a murderer, that Ashfield is a charming fellow.” Her own joke sent her into a gale of laughter, George following close behind.

“No one knows if Nicholas is guilty,” Mira protested softly, turning her head to stare into the darkness beyond the coach’s window.

But as she watched the fog of her own breath dissipate on the glass, Mira realized her words were not true. One person did know for certain if Nicholas was guilty: Nicholas himself.

Guilty or innocent, perhaps he would betray his true nature when she ventured out alone with him the following day.

Chapter Three

“Good afternoon, Mira. You are looking fit. That shade of pink becomes you.”

Mira knew very well that pink of any shade did not become her in the least. She tallied another point in Nicholas’s favor.

Nicholas ushered her out to his phaeton, an elegant vehicle drawn by four exquisite horses—all the same shade of pale gray as Nicholas’s eyes. After handing her into the carriage, he climbed up to take his place beside her, his movements surprisingly graceful given his bad leg.

There was no way to avoid touching one another on the phaeton’s single seat. When they had danced the night before, his hand had touched the curve of her waist, but this was more intimate. More than the touch itself, she felt the radiating heat of his body. The scent of sandalwood, warmed by his skin, mingled with the faint aroma of Mira’s rosewater to create a lush new perfume.

“So. Well.” She could not think of anything clever to say, and the silence begged to be filled. Her gaze sweeping the sky with its oppressive yellowish haze, she remarked, “It is a lovely day, isn’t it?” What a noddy.

As Nicholas urged the horses forward, Mira caught him casting a sidelong glance in her direction. “Mira,” he said, “do I make you uncomfortable?”

A nervous bark of laughter escaped her lips before she could clamp them tightly together. “Well, my lord, you certainly do not prevaricate, do you?”

Nicholas merely smiled.

“Indeed, if you must know, you do make me a bit uncomfortable. Please take no offense.” She could not bring herself to look at him, so she concentrated on a snag in the fabric of the bright pink pelerine she wore over her rather plain gray morning dress. The pelerine belonged to Bella, who would be livid if it came to harm.

When it appeared that Nicholas did not intend to comment, Mira rushed on. “It is really not surprising that you should make me nervous. After all, we have only just met, and yet we are affianced. I cannot imagine one could ever adequately prepare for such a situation. So, you see, it is not you per se who makes me nervous, it is the circumstance in which we find ourselves.” She coughed lightly and turned to view the passing scenery.

“I do not. Take offense, that is. But I do not think the circumstances are entirely to blame. I think, perhaps, you are nervous because you have heard the rumors, and you wonder if they are true.”

Mira snapped her head around, stunned.

Nicholas, himself, appeared utterly indifferent, his expression no more animated or expressive than if he had just commented on his preference in tea. He did not appear to expect a response, and Mira had no notion of what to say.

Certainly she was concerned that the stories might be true. She did harbor some concern, even, for her own safety. But she could hardly admit that to him. Yet, at the same time, she could not deny her fears. She was simply not that accomplished a liar.

After a beat of silence, Nicholas turned the subject quite suddenly. “Mira, do you believe in magic?”

Mira laughed. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged. “Curiosity. I would think that magic would suit you.”

“I’m afraid I do not. Magic is for children. Adults must rely on reason and logic, no matter how unpleasant.”

He tsked softly. “Poor Mira. The world is full of magic. You have only to look for it.”




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