Forever My Love (Berkeley-Faulkner #2)(33)

“Come on,” he said, enveloping her hand in his and pulling her through the sitting room into the hallway. “We’re leaving for good, now, before you change your mind.” Mira followed him blindly, her heart beating wildly. Somehow she knew that it was right for her to go with him. No matter what part chance had played in causing their paths to cross, the conclusion of their meeting was undeniable: they needed each other, they were good together, they were good for each other. Her hand tightened on his, and he paused to murmur some muffled endearment to her. But just as they stepped out into the hallway, disaster struck.

William Sackville was standing there.

“Falkner,” he began, his face wreathed in a pleasant smile. “I was just coming to find you : . .” His voice trailed off into silence as he noticed the smaller figure standing a half-step behind Alec, his eyes becoming round and startled. “Mira,” he said, his voice immediately strained. “I thought by now you would have been in your room.““I… I was out on the balcony to watch the fireworks,” she said, her hand slipping from Alec’s loosened grasp. Sackville’s ruddy complexion turned slightly gray as he noticed the tiny movement and realized that their hands had been joined. He turned his face to Alec, whose expression was unreadable.

“I was told that you were ill, Falkner. Something about a headache—”

“It’s better now,” Alec said dryly, meeting his gaze squarely.

All three of them fell silent. Mira felt her face turning a multitude of different colors as the air became thick with tension. She had to say something to break the silence or she would go mad.

“We happened to meet here… and went out to watch…” she stammered, and then words failed her. Alec, damn him, was deadly quiet in that provocative, challenging way of his, while Sackville looked so… so hurt and desperate. Sackville reached out a hand to Mira in a deceptively casual manner.

“Come here, Mira.”

Mira felt Alec stiffen beside her.

Oh, please don’t let this be happening, she thought wildly, caught between her desire for one man and her vows of loyalty to the other. She cared desperately about what Alec thought of her… but she had made a promise to Sackville, a promise based on her word of honor not to betray him, a promise that she had given to him because he had saved her life. She risked a glance at Alec, who did not return her look, his face turned away as he waited for her to make the next move. You must know this isn’t a choice of one of you over the other! she wanted to cry out to him. Don’t make it an issue, it isn’t significant unless you make it so! Stiffly she took Sackville’s hand, letting him draw her away from Alec to his side. Sackville curved his arm around her shoulders possessively, removing his eves from Alec’s face to look down at Mira.”Well, I certainly hope you had an enjoyable chat,” he said mildly.

Alec’s jaw hardened. So this was the way Sackville intended to handle things, pretending ignorance of the situation, ignoring the obvious attraction between his friend and his woman.

“Yes,” Mira murmured, not daring to look at Alec’s face.

“It’s time you went up to your room,” Sackville continued, squeezing her affectionately. “And wait up for me—I’ll be up there to see you later.”

Shocked at his unusual bluntness and the blatant implication of his words, Mira looked up at him in surprise. She started as he lowered his silvery-russet head and kissed her soundly, displaying his possession of her for Alec to take good note of. As his cool, wet mouth covered hers, Mira automatically made a movement to push him away. Then her hands stopped and fell to her sides as she endured his kiss unprotestingly. I owe this to him, she thought grimly, and, by God, I will stand here without a sound if only for the sake of my own honor!

Alec watched them stone-faced, his eyes glittering like ice, something inside him dying and something else burning in deep-felt outrage.

Finally Sackville lifted his head and smiled down at her. Mira tried to force her lips into a quivering imitation of a smile, her cheeks burning as she resisted the impulse to draw the back of her hand across her mouth. Sackville’s kiss was so far removed from Alec’s as ice was from fire.

“Mira,” Sackville said in a satisfied tone, “I’ll be upstairs later, my pet.”

She nodded her head in a nervous bob, then turned to look at Alec.

“Lord Falkner,” she murmured deferentially.

He did not answer, one side of his mouth lifting in one of the nastiest and most cynical smiles she hadever seen. Inwardly anguished, Mira walked away from the two men toward the stairs in the front entrance-way. It took every bit of willpower she had to keep from running.

“A most uncommon woman,” Sackville commented.

“Fine for you,” Alec replied smoothly. “A little tame for me.” Was Sackville deceived by the disdainful words? Probably not. Alec suppressed a grimace as sanity began to infiltrate his bemused senses. He must have gone a little mad a few minutes ago. A mere woman was not worth the sacrifice of a good friendship. How could he have seriously thought about taking her away from a man who had been loyal to him, to whom he had been loyal for so many years? He would have to find a way to avoid her, and all thoughts of her, from now on.

“Yes, you always like them a little wild, don’t you?” Sackville said, forcing a hearty chuckle. The two men pretended that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, yet neither was content with the charade they had chosen to play. Perhaps outwardly things would go on as before, but inside they both knew better. Something about the character of their relationship had been changed for good.