Julianna was quite convinced that total ruination would
cause Sir Francis to withdraw his offer, thought she had
no idea how she would survive if her parents disowned her
for ruining herself. Sniffling again, she bent her head,
closed her eyes tightly, and decided to resort to prayers.
She asked her grandmother to help her find a way to ruin
herself. Deciding that it might be wise to appeal to an
even higher authority, Julianna took her problem directly
to God. It occurred to her, however, that God might not
approve of such a request, let alone consider granting it,
unless He was fully apprised of her dire plight. She
sniffled again, closed her eyes even tighter, and began
explaining to God the reasons she wished to be ruined. She
was just to the part about having to marry Sir Francis
Belhaven, and crying in heartbroken little gulps, when A
Voice spoke to her out of the darkness – a deep, rich,
male voice filled with quiet authority and tinged with
sympathy: ‘May I be of assistance?’
Shock sent Julianna surging to her feet, her heart
thundering, then leaping into her throat as her widened
eyes riveted on a shadowy cloaked figure that materialized
from the inky darkness and began moving forward.
The apparition stopped beyond reach of a pale moonbeam,
his face in shadow, his features indistinguishable. He
raised his arm slowly, and something white seemed to float
and flutter from his fingertips even though there was no
breeze.
Her senses reeling from shock and brandy, Julianna
realized he was holding the white billowing thing out
toward her. She stepped forward hesitantly and reached for
his extended arm. The object that came away in her hand
turned out to be an earthly, though still very soft and
fine, handkerchief. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered reverently,
giving him a teary smile as she dabbed at her eyes and
nose.
Not certain what she was now expected to do with it,
she held it out to him.
‘You may keep it.’
Julianna snatched it back, clutching it safely to her
heart. ‘Thank you.’
‘Is there anything I can do before I leave you?’
‘Don’t leave! Please! Yes, there is something I need,
but I should like to explain.’ Julianna opened her mouth
to finish explaining to God why she was praying to be
ruined when two things struck her as a little odd. First,
this celestial being who had evidently appeared in answer
to her prayers seemed to have a slight accent – a French
one. Second, now that here eyes had adjusted to the pool
of darkness that concealed him, she noticd a small details
that struck her as more sinister that heavenly. Since she
had been praying to be ruined, it seemed not only prudent
but imperative to make certain the wrong sort of mystical
being hadn’t decided to pay her a visit in answer to that
prayer.
Fighting against the dulling effects of the brandy,
Julianna fixed him with a cautious stare. ‘Please do not
think I am questioning you…your authenticity…or your taste
in fashions,’ she began, carefully injecting as much
respect into her voice as she possibly could, but
shouldn’t you be wearing white rather than black?’
His eyes, visible through the slits of his half mask,
narrowed at such an impertinent suggestion, and Julianna
braced herself to be struck down by a bolt of lightning,
but his tome was mild. ‘Black is customary for a man. Were
I to appear here in white, I would draw too much attention
to myself. People would begin trying to guess my identity.
They would note my height first, then my other features,
and begin trying to guess my identity. If they did, I
would forfeit my anonymity and then my freedom to do the
sort of things one expects to do on nights like tonight.’
She drew in a deep breath, pulling his thoughts back to
the matter at hand, and he quirked a brow at here in
silent inquiry.
‘Would you mind,’ she said, very, very politely,
‘taking off your mask and letting me see your face?’
‘Was that the favor you wanted to ask of me?’ he asked,
wondering if she were addled.
‘No, but I cannot ask it until I see your face.” When
he showed no inclination to move, Julianna implored in a
shaky, desperate voice, ‘It’s terribly important!’
Nicki hesitated, and then sheer curiosity made him
decide to comply. He pulled off the mask and even walked
out of the shadows to giver her a good look at his face,
and he waited for a reaction.
He got one.
She clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes as round
as saucers. Nicki stepped forward, thinking she was going
to swoon, but her sudden shriek of laughter checked him in
midstride. That was followed by great gales of mirth as
she sank onto the stone bench and covered her face with
her hands, her entire body shaking with hilarity. Twice
she peeked out at him from between his fingers, as if to
ascertain that she had seen correctly, and both times the
sight of his face made her laugh even harder.
With a supreme effort, Julianna finally managed to
compose herself. She lifted her face to his, her eyes
still sparkling with mirth as she stared in disbelief at
the one face in all England that had made her heart pound.
And now, as her shock subsided, that face was beginning to
have the same effect on her that it had on her last
spring. Only this time there was a difference. This itme
there was a slight smile touching that chiseled mouth, and
his eyes weren’t cold and hard, they were
merely…speculative. All in all, his expression was
noncommittal but definitely interested.
That was flattering and encouraging enough to raise her
spirits, bolster her confidence, and make her certain that
she had made the right decision a few minutes before. She
had prayed to be totally ruined, and it was going to
happen at the hands of the most sought-after bachelor in
Europe, Nicholas DuVille himself! That made it so much
better – it gave it a certain flair, a style. In return
for sacrifing herself to total ruin to avoid Sir Francis,
she was going to have sweet memories to treasure. ‘I’m not
demented, though it must look like it,’ she bagan, ‘ and I
do have a favor to ask you.’
Nicki knew he ought to walk away, but he was strangely
captivated by her infectious laugher, her entrancing face,
and her astonishing reactions as he was completely bored
with the prospect of returning to the ball. ‘Exactly what
is this favor you’re hoping I’ll grant you?’
‘It’s a little difficult to discuss,’ she said, he
watched her reach for whatever it was she’d been drinking.
She took a sip of it as if she needed it for courage, and
then she raised those large candid eyes to his. ‘Actually
it’s quite difficult,’ she amended, wrinkling her pert
nose.
‘As you can see,’ Nicki responded, suppressing a smile
and giving her a galland little bow, ‘I am completely at
your service.’
‘I hope you still feel that way, after you hear what I
would ask of you,’ she murmured uneasily.
‘What may I do?’
‘I would like you to ruin me.’
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SPOTLIGHT
