Chapter 5: Page 2
She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. "But
you need not filch any of those, Sir Robin. They are
yours to have when you will."
"Perhaps, but there are other prizes of even rarer
value." He nodded toward the terrace and began to walk
in that direction. "A dance, for instance?"
"You would steal a dance?"
He glanced toward her with a smile of such tender
reverence that it set her heart aflutter. "Ah, there's
the rub. Like so many of life's most precious riches, it
would lose all its worth unless given freely."
There was something different in his manner that touched
her. Could she be feeling the stirrings of true love, at
last?
She clutched his arm a little tighter. "If you set such
great store by it, then I would be honored to grant what
you ask."
They took their places among the other dancers, waiting
for the orchestra to strike up the next tune. "Take
care, my dear. There are treasures you possess that you
must not surrender simply because someone else desires
them."
The air filled with music, and a spritely country dance
swept them up before Selphie could ask what he meant. But
each time his hand closed over hers, each time their
bodies brushed in the most innocent contact, each time
she glanced up to find his gaze caressing her, a quiver
of delicious elation beyond anything poets had tried to
capture with words ran through her.
After several dances, Selphie and her partner revived
themselves with champagne and assorted delicacies from
the buffet. Then they danced again. By turns
flirtatious, gallant and tender, Robin Hood seemed
intent upon stealing her heart.
Only when she recalled the haunted look in Lord
Kinneas's eyes did Selphie feel a pang of remorse. But
wait? Did she glimpse something sweetly familiar, yet
deliciously novel, in the masked eyes of her dancing
partner?
Could it be there was more to Robin Hood — and Lord
Kinneas — than met the eye?
Had someone sprinkled stardust over him and Selphie and
this whole enchanted night? For the first time since his
earliest childhood, Lord Kinneas felt ready to believe
in magic.
His mask and costume gave him a safe bastion from behind
which to mount his romantic conquest. A counterfeit
persona liberated him to speak the words he had hoarded
in his heart for so long. Selphie's ardent responses
emboldened him to risk everything on this desperate
gamble to win her.
The way she held his arm, the way she smiled, the subtle
caress in her voice when she spoke to him, all convinced
Irvine she could love him. All she'd needed was a chance
to see him with fresh eyes.
"Another dance?" he nodded toward the terrace.
She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. "But
you need not filch any of those, Sir Robin. They are
yours to have when you will."
"Perhaps, but there are other prizes of even rarer
value." He nodded toward the terrace and began to walk
in that direction. "A dance, for instance?"
"You would steal a dance?"
He glanced toward her with a smile of such tender
reverence that it set her heart aflutter. "Ah, there's
the rub. Like so many of life's most precious riches, it
would lose all its worth unless given freely."
There was something different in his manner that touched
her. Could she be feeling the stirrings of true love, at
last?
She clutched his arm a little tighter. "If you set such
great store by it, then I would be honored to grant what
you ask."
They took their places among the other dancers, waiting
for the orchestra to strike up the next tune. "Take
care, my dear. There are treasures you possess that you
must not surrender simply because someone else desires
them."
The air filled with music, and a spritely country dance
swept them up before Selphie could ask what he meant. But
each time his hand closed over hers, each time their
bodies brushed in the most innocent contact, each time
she glanced up to find his gaze caressing her, a quiver
of delicious elation beyond anything poets had tried to
capture with words ran through her.
After several dances, Selphie and her partner revived
themselves with champagne and assorted delicacies from
the buffet. Then they danced again. By turns
flirtatious, gallant and tender, Robin Hood seemed
intent upon stealing her heart.
Only when she recalled the haunted look in Lord
Kinneas's eyes did Selphie feel a pang of remorse. But
wait? Did she glimpse something sweetly familiar, yet
deliciously novel, in the masked eyes of her dancing
partner?
Could it be there was more to Robin Hood — and Lord
Kinneas — than met the eye?
Had someone sprinkled stardust over him and Selphie and
this whole enchanted night? For the first time since his
earliest childhood, Lord Kinneas felt ready to believe
in magic.
His mask and costume gave him a safe bastion from behind
which to mount his romantic conquest. A counterfeit
persona liberated him to speak the words he had hoarded
in his heart for so long. Selphie's ardent responses
emboldened him to risk everything on this desperate
gamble to win her.
The way she held his arm, the way she smiled, the subtle
caress in her voice when she spoke to him, all convinced
Irvine she could love him. All she'd needed was a chance
to see him with fresh eyes.
"Another dance?" he nodded toward the terrace.
