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Authors: Pamela Britton
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She shook her head. "No, for it has flecks of red. ‘ Tis the iron deposits. That makes it a bloodstone."
He was quiet for a second, his gaze in the darkness hard to gauge.
"Where did you get it?" she repeated.
But not by word or deed did he give himself away. "I can't remember, truth be told."
Her hand tightened around the glass, knowing she must ask her next question, yet suddenly afraid to. "Did you know 'tis also called a heliotrope?"
He drew back a bit, and even in the darkness she could see the expression of surprise cross his face. Well, and why wouldn't he look surprised? a voice of logic asked. Most women could barely read the Bible, and yet she could recite facts about gems.
"No. I did not."
"An interesting name, do you not think?" she asked nonchalantly, watching him closely. "It derives from the Greek Helios, god of the sun."
She didn't want to believe he could be a spy. It would mean things she didn't want to face. But she couldn't mistake the way his hand twitched at the name. Couldn't mistake the way he drew back a tiny bit. Had she not been watching for such signs, she might have missed them, but not now.
"And how do you know all this?"
"I studied much in the country. The names of various stones and their rumored powers was one of many subjects I entertained myself with."
Whatever he would have said to that was cut off by Phoebe's voice saying, "There you are, Ariel. Gracious, I feared I would never find you."
And Ariel was glad, so very glad to hear her familiar trill.
"You should not be outside," Phoebe chastised her. "' Tis far too chilly."
It wasn't that cold, but as an excuse to leave Mr. Trevain , the weather would work perfectly. Suddenly she wanted to leave. Desperately. "Yes, it is a bit cold." She turned to Nathan, not meeting his gaze for fear he would see the accusation in her eyes. "If you will excuse us, Mr. Trevain , I should do as my cousin advises." She handed the glass back to him, trying not to stare at that ring. "Thank you for the refreshment."
"My lady," he called as she turned away. Reluctantly she faced him again. He stared down at her with a look of concern. "Will you allow me to escort you in?"
"I hardly think that would be appropriate, sir," Phoebe answered for her, her cousin's chin tilted in a disapproving way. "It is bad enough that you were alone for a short amount of time. If you return together, 'twill look even more incriminating. I thought your goal was to help restore Ariel's reputation, not harm it."
And to that Nathan could say little, Ariel supposed. She held her breath as she waited for his response. But he must have realized that to anger Phoebe would not be in his best interest. "I see your point, Lady Sarrington . However, I will insist upon a dance later."
"Perhaps," Phoebe said. "In the interim, if you will wait a moment to follow us inside."
Nathan nodded, then met Ariel's gaze, but Ariel remained silent. As her chaperone—as ludicrous as it seemed, given Phoebe's age—her cousin was well within her rights to dictate her dancing schedule. Mr. Trevain knew it, though he obviously didn't like it. Nor did he like that Ariel didn't contradict her cousin's dictum.
"I will see you inside," he said, looking directly into her eyes.
Ariel only nodded, shifting her gaze away. She couldn't look at him. Not now. Not with all she suspected.
"Come, Ariel."
She followed her cousin in without a backward glance, feeling Nathan's gaze upon her. She knew he was displeased. But she didn't care. Truth be told, she didn't care about anything but escaping.
"You should not be alone in a garden with the man," Phoebe chastized her.
"I know," Ariel admitted distractedly.
"Then why did you agree to meet with him privately?"
When Ariel looked at her cousin, Phoebe's blue eyes stared into hers earnestly, her cousin's expression more concerned than chastising. "I didn't, Phoebe. He followed me."
She looked surprised, then displeased. "You should stay
She shook her head. "No, for it has flecks of red. ‘ Tis the iron deposits. That makes it a bloodstone."
He was quiet for a second, his gaze in the darkness hard to gauge.
"Where did you get it?" she repeated.
But not by word or deed did he give himself away. "I can't remember, truth be told."
Her hand tightened around the glass, knowing she must ask her next question, yet suddenly afraid to. "Did you know 'tis also called a heliotrope?"
He drew back a bit, and even in the darkness she could see the expression of surprise cross his face. Well, and why wouldn't he look surprised? a voice of logic asked. Most women could barely read the Bible, and yet she could recite facts about gems.
"No. I did not."
"An interesting name, do you not think?" she asked nonchalantly, watching him closely. "It derives from the Greek Helios, god of the sun."
She didn't want to believe he could be a spy. It would mean things she didn't want to face. But she couldn't mistake the way his hand twitched at the name. Couldn't mistake the way he drew back a tiny bit. Had she not been watching for such signs, she might have missed them, but not now.
"And how do you know all this?"
"I studied much in the country. The names of various stones and their rumored powers was one of many subjects I entertained myself with."
Whatever he would have said to that was cut off by Phoebe's voice saying, "There you are, Ariel. Gracious, I feared I would never find you."
And Ariel was glad, so very glad to hear her familiar trill.
"You should not be outside," Phoebe chastised her. "' Tis far too chilly."
It wasn't that cold, but as an excuse to leave Mr. Trevain , the weather would work perfectly. Suddenly she wanted to leave. Desperately. "Yes, it is a bit cold." She turned to Nathan, not meeting his gaze for fear he would see the accusation in her eyes. "If you will excuse us, Mr. Trevain , I should do as my cousin advises." She handed the glass back to him, trying not to stare at that ring. "Thank you for the refreshment."
"My lady," he called as she turned away. Reluctantly she faced him again. He stared down at her with a look of concern. "Will you allow me to escort you in?"
"I hardly think that would be appropriate, sir," Phoebe answered for her, her cousin's chin tilted in a disapproving way. "It is bad enough that you were alone for a short amount of time. If you return together, 'twill look even more incriminating. I thought your goal was to help restore Ariel's reputation, not harm it."
And to that Nathan could say little, Ariel supposed. She held her breath as she waited for his response. But he must have realized that to anger Phoebe would not be in his best interest. "I see your point, Lady Sarrington . However, I will insist upon a dance later."
"Perhaps," Phoebe said. "In the interim, if you will wait a moment to follow us inside."
Nathan nodded, then met Ariel's gaze, but Ariel remained silent. As her chaperone—as ludicrous as it seemed, given Phoebe's age—her cousin was well within her rights to dictate her dancing schedule. Mr. Trevain knew it, though he obviously didn't like it. Nor did he like that Ariel didn't contradict her cousin's dictum.
"I will see you inside," he said, looking directly into her eyes.
Ariel only nodded, shifting her gaze away. She couldn't look at him. Not now. Not with all she suspected.
"Come, Ariel."
She followed her cousin in without a backward glance, feeling Nathan's gaze upon her. She knew he was displeased. But she didn't care. Truth be told, she didn't care about anything but escaping.
"You should not be alone in a garden with the man," Phoebe chastized her.
"I know," Ariel admitted distractedly.
"Then why did you agree to meet with him privately?"
When Ariel looked at her cousin, Phoebe's blue eyes stared into hers earnestly, her cousin's expression more concerned than chastising. "I didn't, Phoebe. He followed me."
She looked surprised, then displeased. "You should stay
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