Stranger in My Arms(55)

and that thought didn’t frighten her nearly as much as it should have.

Hunter seemed to have difficulty breathing. He reached out and fumbled for her hand, prying her fingers loose from their grip on the tub’s edge.. “Here.

This is for you.”

She felt him press a small object into her palm. Her fingers curled around it. “You could have waited until after my bath.”

“And risk not seeing you like this?” He laughed unsteadily and backed away from the tub as if he no longer trusted himself.

Lara’s wet fingers unfurled, and she looked down at the gold circlet in her hand, a heavy gold shank that supported a huge rose-cut diamond.

The simple setting enhanced the fiery beauty of the water white diamond. “Oh,” she said softly, staring at the stunning piece, unable to trust her own eyes.

“You never had a betrothal ring, as I recall,” Hunter remarked casually.

Lara continued to stare at the sparkling gem in her hand.”But… is it wise to make such a purchase in our circumstances?”

“We can afford it,” he said abruptly, sounding annoyed. “You leave those worries to me. If you don’t like the thing, we’ll have it exchanged for something you prefer.”

“No, I… no. It’s beautiful.” Hesitantly Lara slid the stone, which weighed at least four carats, onto her finger. The ring fit snugly on the fourth finger of her left hand, looking unreal in its magnificence.

It felt odd to wear a ring after leaving her hand bare for so long.

Finally she dared to look at Hunter. He was expressionless, but his posture betrayed his tension. At the sight of her small smile, he seemed to relax.

“You’ve never given me anything like this before,” Lara said. “I hardly know what to say.”

“You can thank me later,” Hunter replied, regaining his usual cockiness. “I believe you know how.”

He left the room with an arrogant male laugh, while Lara’s shy pleasure turned into annoyance. She should have expected him to ruin the tender moment with a reminder of the hideous bargain they had made.

Settling back in the tub, she lifted her hand and regarded the ring closely. The jewel was suitable for a queen. Why had he given her such a priceless gift?

She suspected that the ring had been intended as a declaration of ownership… or perhaps he wanted to convince their peers that they were by no means financially destitute. Or was it possible he had merely wanted to soften her heart toward him? Shaking her head in wonder, Lara regarded the closed door and spoke her thoughts aloud. “I don’t understand you, my lord. I never have… and apparently never will.”

Possibility Smith’s labors on Hawksworth Hall were far from over, but he had more than earned his sizable fee on the ballroom alone. Gone were the marble blackamoors dressed in pink togas, and the heavy, ugly giltwork. The room was now light and fresh, the walls covered in cream paint and crowned in delicate plasterwork, the row of long windows bordered by amber marble colonnades. Four huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, strings of glittering crystal drops shedding light on the parquet floor below.

At Lara’s instruction, the gardener, Mr. Moody, had made up massive arrangements of roses, lilies, and exotic blooms that had been placed around the ballroom The heady fragrance spread through the air as a cool spring breeze blew through the open windows.

The night of the ball had come quickly… far too quickly for Lara.

She desperately wanted the evening to be a success. From the enthusiastic responses the invitations had garnered, it was sure to be heavily attended. She planned to use every means at her disposal to collect enough pledges for the orphanage to make certain that there would be no more children forced to live in an English prison.

Hopefully Hunter would do his part by entertaining the guests with the tale of his miraculous return from India.

“Promise you’ll try to be charming,” Lara had pleaded with him earlier in the day. “And promise you won’t mock anyone when they ask silly questions-” “I know what to do,” Hunter had interrupted grimly, his mouth curling with impatience with the entire affair. “I’ll play my part to everyone’s satisfaction.

Just so long as you fulfill your obligations.”

Knowing what he meant, Lara had bit the inside of her cheeks and flashed him a quick glare. It had been the first time in nearly a month that he’d had the bad taste to remind her of their bargain. She comforted herself with the knowledge that come one o’clock, Hunter would be far too busy with another woman to give her a thought.

With Naomi’s help, Lara bathed leisurely in hot lavender-scented water and smoothed perfumed cream over her shoulders, arms, and throat. A faint dusting of pearl powder gave a translucent gleam to her face, while an application of rose-tinted salve made her lips dewy and pink.

Naomi pulled Lara’s hair into a braided coil atop her head, giving the effect of a sable crown, and adorned it with individual pearls sewn onto pins.

Lara’s gown was simple yet beautiful, a delicate sheath of white overlaid with silvery gauze. The neckline swooped dramatically low, while the sleeves were nothing more than transparent bands of silver lace. It was an elegant gown, but a little too daring.

Of course, it had been far more circumspect before she had mistakenly told the dressmaker to lower the neckline.

Lara stared at the mirror critically. “Thank heaven there is time for me to change.”