Devil's Angel
by hikaru_miyazawa04
Chapter 2
Serenity Winter stared up at the glowering giant before her. She could not blame the earl of Vayle for being furious at the Crowe's plot; but she was having difficulty comprehending what he was saying. In his anger, he had reverted to a language, full of odd-sounding words, that she had never before.
She wondered whether it could be Dutch.
After all, Lord Vayle had lived in Holland. That was one reason why he was reputed to be close to England's new king, William of Orange, and Queen Mary.
Although Serenity prided herself on not being a faintheart, Lord Vayle was an intimidating figure, scowling as though she were his enemy instead of trying to help him and Raye.
He looked more savage than civilized. His face was strong and sharply etched with an aristocratic nose, a hard jaw, and a mouth that had a cynical curve to it. Light, piercing eyes, the color of hammered silver, contrasted sharply with his bronzed skin. His hair, which he wore in a queue, was thick and black. So were the flaring brows that gave a roguish cast to his face.
He looked more like a devil than an earl.
No wonder they called him Lord Lucifer behind his back.
No other man had ever raised the strange, fluttering unease in Serenity that he did. Particularly when he touched her.
She had initially felt this odd response when he had grabbed her as she had dropped from the rope and she had seen his hard, silver eyes.
Then, when he had first kissed her, she had been positively shaken by the sensation curling within her. She ran her tongue over her lips, unconsciously savoring the lingering taste of him.
Serenity had told him she did not think that she liked his kiss, but she had not been entirely truthful. She had liked it very much until, for some unfathomable reason, she seemed to have angered him, and his mouth had turned punishing.
Was it because she did not know the proper way to kiss?
Aye, she decided, that must have been it.
He finished his indecipherable tirade, and she inquired curiously, "Is that Dutch you are speaking?"
He looked at her as if she were the one who was speaking a foreign language. "What?" he asked blankly.
"I did not recognize the words you were using. I thought that they must be Dutch."
To her surprise, a dull flush spread across his cheeks. He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally said, "Aye, I frequently resort to—er, Dutch when I am angry."
He sounded very grave, but his lips were twitching as though he were amused by something.
"Now, tell me, young Mistress Crowe, how---"
"My name is Winter, not Crowe!" Serenity interrupted vehemently. "That dreadful Sir Diamond is my stepfather, not my father."
"Ah-ha, I was right!" He smiled at her in a way that made the fluttering sensation return stronger than ever, even though he was not even touching her.
Serenity was disconcerted to discover how sinfully handsome he looked when the hard, angry lines of his face relaxed in humor. "Right about what?"
"That Crowe could not have fathered you, Miss Winter."
Actually, she was Lady Serenity Winter, but before she could correct him, he said with a grin that was so engaging her heart skipped, "I offer you my sincere condolences on your mother's unfortunate choice of a husband."
She laughed aloud at that. Suddenly she found herself liking him very much.
"You have a lovely laugh."
Normally serenity paid no heed to compliments, but for some reason his made her blush with pleasure. She sensed that he was not a man who often paid them.
"Whatever possessed your mama to marry Crowe?"
"I do not know." Serenity could not conceive how any woman could desert a man as fine and good as her father and later marry a scoundrel like Sir Diamond. But then Serenity had not seen her mother since she had run off with one of her lovers when her daughter was four.
"How do the Crowes plan to stop me from wedding Raye?"
"Unfortunately, my lord, I do not know that. I only overheard part of their conversation. It is some sort of trap that Sapphire says will make the marriage impossible. They plan to spring it on you during this celebration of your betrothal. You must be on your guard."
"Can you tell me no more than that?" He was scowling at her again. He sounded so disappointed that Serenity felt as though she had failed him.
"No, that is all I know. I am sorry."
The high-pitched trill of a goldcrest came from a nearby tree, and Serenity turned toward the sound. She quickly located the bird's distinctive bright yellow crest bordered in black. The shadows were deepening, reminding her that it was growing late.
by hikaru_miyazawa04
Chapter 2
Serenity Winter stared up at the glowering giant before her. She could not blame the earl of Vayle for being furious at the Crowe's plot; but she was having difficulty comprehending what he was saying. In his anger, he had reverted to a language, full of odd-sounding words, that she had never before.
She wondered whether it could be Dutch.
After all, Lord Vayle had lived in Holland. That was one reason why he was reputed to be close to England's new king, William of Orange, and Queen Mary.
Although Serenity prided herself on not being a faintheart, Lord Vayle was an intimidating figure, scowling as though she were his enemy instead of trying to help him and Raye.
He looked more savage than civilized. His face was strong and sharply etched with an aristocratic nose, a hard jaw, and a mouth that had a cynical curve to it. Light, piercing eyes, the color of hammered silver, contrasted sharply with his bronzed skin. His hair, which he wore in a queue, was thick and black. So were the flaring brows that gave a roguish cast to his face.
He looked more like a devil than an earl.
No wonder they called him Lord Lucifer behind his back.
No other man had ever raised the strange, fluttering unease in Serenity that he did. Particularly when he touched her.
She had initially felt this odd response when he had grabbed her as she had dropped from the rope and she had seen his hard, silver eyes.
Then, when he had first kissed her, she had been positively shaken by the sensation curling within her. She ran her tongue over her lips, unconsciously savoring the lingering taste of him.
Serenity had told him she did not think that she liked his kiss, but she had not been entirely truthful. She had liked it very much until, for some unfathomable reason, she seemed to have angered him, and his mouth had turned punishing.
Was it because she did not know the proper way to kiss?
Aye, she decided, that must have been it.
He finished his indecipherable tirade, and she inquired curiously, "Is that Dutch you are speaking?"
He looked at her as if she were the one who was speaking a foreign language. "What?" he asked blankly.
"I did not recognize the words you were using. I thought that they must be Dutch."
To her surprise, a dull flush spread across his cheeks. He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally said, "Aye, I frequently resort to—er, Dutch when I am angry."
He sounded very grave, but his lips were twitching as though he were amused by something.
"Now, tell me, young Mistress Crowe, how---"
"My name is Winter, not Crowe!" Serenity interrupted vehemently. "That dreadful Sir Diamond is my stepfather, not my father."
"Ah-ha, I was right!" He smiled at her in a way that made the fluttering sensation return stronger than ever, even though he was not even touching her.
Serenity was disconcerted to discover how sinfully handsome he looked when the hard, angry lines of his face relaxed in humor. "Right about what?"
"That Crowe could not have fathered you, Miss Winter."
Actually, she was Lady Serenity Winter, but before she could correct him, he said with a grin that was so engaging her heart skipped, "I offer you my sincere condolences on your mother's unfortunate choice of a husband."
She laughed aloud at that. Suddenly she found herself liking him very much.
"You have a lovely laugh."
Normally serenity paid no heed to compliments, but for some reason his made her blush with pleasure. She sensed that he was not a man who often paid them.
"Whatever possessed your mama to marry Crowe?"
"I do not know." Serenity could not conceive how any woman could desert a man as fine and good as her father and later marry a scoundrel like Sir Diamond. But then Serenity had not seen her mother since she had run off with one of her lovers when her daughter was four.
"How do the Crowes plan to stop me from wedding Raye?"
"Unfortunately, my lord, I do not know that. I only overheard part of their conversation. It is some sort of trap that Sapphire says will make the marriage impossible. They plan to spring it on you during this celebration of your betrothal. You must be on your guard."
"Can you tell me no more than that?" He was scowling at her again. He sounded so disappointed that Serenity felt as though she had failed him.
"No, that is all I know. I am sorry."
The high-pitched trill of a goldcrest came from a nearby tree, and Serenity turned toward the sound. She quickly located the bird's distinctive bright yellow crest bordered in black. The shadows were deepening, reminding her that it was growing late.