Forever My Love (Berkeley-Faulkner #2)(29)

She thought she could see Alec, whose black hair shone like jet under the lights. Was he sitting next to beautiful women, smiling at their sophisticated jests, and pondering over which ones he would dance with after supper?

She had not seen hint since yesterday afternoon, when he had brought her back to the manor on Requiem. She had dismounted before they reached the manor, walking the last part of the way by herself in order to keep from being seen with him. Falkner had given her a teasing grin before riding away, as if he had known that for a moment she had been breathless from wondering if he was going to kiss her good-bye. But no kiss, no caress, nothing but that annoyingly superior smile! Mira had tried to pretend to herself that she was relieved at not having to endure a kiss from him… vastly relieved.

He was annoyingly inconsistent. How could he drop such sly comments about wanting her one minute and then ignore her the next? How could he hold her and whisper sinfully intimate, sweet words into her ear, and then pull away to make a snide remark about her relationship with Sackville? From now on Mira decided that she would not let him throw her into such a dither. She would be cool and terribly composed, alittle bit frosty… but she would give him a small, indifferent glance every now and then to show him how little he disturbed her. At these thoughts, Mira was already beginning to feel better. She stared at the crowd across the court-»yard and grinned; nearby crouched little Mary and

Kitty Daniel, the twins, who had already managed to get into a good deal of trouble since their arrival at the manor last evening. The little girls were hiding in the arched opening of a sirring room (hat bordered the courtyard, their faces pressed between the spokes of a tailed balustrade that framed the small balcony. They had been missing since the supper began, but Mrs. Daniel had been too busy to look for her grandchildren.

“Pauvres filles” Mira murmured, leaving the window and walking down the hallway to the sitting room. “They are curious about the party and the music… just like me!” Quietly she went through the sitting room and out to the balcony, kneeling behind the children and sliding an arm around each small set of shoulders. “Your grandm&re has been wondering where you were,” she whispered, and the two round faces turned to her with engaging smiles.

“Miss Mira!” Mary whispered back. “We just wanted to watch them. The ladies are so pretty…”

“Yes, they are,” Mira agreed, wrinkling her nose in a friendly way at the child.

“May we stay until the fireworks are over and the dancing begins?” Kitty asked timidly.

Mira shrugged lightly.

“Pourquoi pas?”

“What does that mean?” Mary asked.

“It means ‘Why not?’ You may stay for a while. I don’t think it is too late in the evening yet. And I would like to join you.”

The three settled together on the balcony as the music drifted out to them. Mira experienced an unfamiliar peace as the twins settled on the hem of heroutspread skirt. She did not mind if the velvet material was crushed, since no one would see her tonight. Was this how it might feel to have children of her own, to have the small bodies cuddled against hers, to smell their sweet, clean hair and let her hands rest against their plump, sturdy arms? Quietly they all sat together, staring through the railings.

After the sweet wines were served and the meal concluded, the enormous assemblage moved out into the courtyard, the gentlemen gallantly accompanying the ladies to view the fireworks. The show was unquestionably magnificent. Huge bursts of color lit the sky, showers of gold, red, silver, and green blossoming like unearthly flowers. Cheers and choruses greeted each new explosion, so that the voices and the rockets blended together in a strange symphony of rhythm. Unnoticed by the gathering, Mira and the twins stayed on the balcony, their faces lifted to the shimmering sky.

“Look at all those little falling stars…” Mira murmured, conscious of the children’s excitement, forgetting for a moment to look for Falkner. “Both of you, make a wish on them.”

“My star disappeared!” Mary exclaimed.

Mira smiled. “You’re allowed another wish, then.”

“What are you wishing for?”

“I am not wishing for a ‘what,’ ” Mira said, chuckling. “I am wishing for a ‘who.’ ”

“It sounds like thunder,” Kitty said, torn between pleasure and uneasiness at the spectacular noise and vivid colors, inching closer to Mira until she was sitting in her lap.

“Kitty,” Mary said, “don’t be such a baby.”

“I’m not a baby, you’re a baby—”

“Look over there,” Mira interrupted, pointing to a multicolored cloud of sparkles in an effort to distract them, and the twins subsided as they craned their necks.Alec regarded the fireworks with a blank expression. He had the appearance of a man whose thoughts were a different world away. Lady Alice Hartley, married young, recently widowed, and making up for lost time, was accustomed to receiving far more attention than this from men, and she frowned prettily at him. Her voluptuous figure, golden ringlets, and wide blue eyes were formidable artillery, guaranteed to attract anyone she cared to set her sights on. Why, then, was Falkner evincing so little interest in her?

“Oh! My word, that was so close!” she squeaked as a rocket flew overhead. Clutching his tautly muscled forearm, she feigned a semblance of feminine helplessness, appearing to be overcome by the loud fireworks.