New Years Eve Central Drawing Room- Xmas 1677

[Blackguard]

The Central Drawing Room hosted a great round table, around sat many young courtiers trying to blow a ball of wool off the table away from themselves. A group of onlookers cheered and jeered at the facial expressions as courtiers used the last of their breath to keep the ball from falling off the table in front of them. In the other corner a spinning wheel was set, numbered from one to ten. Each visitor was given a brass token in which they could wager on a number. If it came up correctly, they would win a 1678 gold medal with the images of King Charles and Queen Karoline.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Leaving the Music Room, Sophia traipsed through the corridors, a cheerful smile upon her face. She had spent a pleasant interlude playing Magic Music, a game that appealed to her artistic inclinations. Because of her musical prowess, she was able to alternate between being the musician and the seeker. She had started out playing the piano, but one of the participants had requested that she sing while she was giving out the clues. Instead of singing loudly and softly, she had sung high notes when the seeker came close to the goal, and low notes when they moved away from it.

 

She had been better at giving clues than following them, partly due to her lack of a sense of direction. Like the other ladies, she had an advantage over the gentlemen when it came to running into things. Her full skirts often brushed against a chair or table, indicating that there was an object in her path before she collided with it. Therefore, she had escaped the accumulation of bumps and bruises from crashing into things.

 

While she was playing, she knew that Karl was standing in the hallway with the other courtiers' servants, but Anna had been sent to check whether or not Esteban had arrived. In reality, she had gone to the carriage to retrieve a cloak that she had hidden there earlier in the day. Sophia had instructed her to hang it in the main ballroom among all of the others in case she needed to use it to sneak away from Karl. She wasn't planning any mischief, but it would be there if she needed it.

 

Hiding her gown any other way would be impossible. It was a glittering confection of pale rose-gold silk, heavily embroidered with gold and pastel beads and glass jewels. Silver Venetian lace beaded with gold trimmed the low-cut neckline and formed ruffles for her sleeves, which were two-toned in color. The short puffs were rose-gold and ended in ruffles around her upper arm. The lower sleeves were form fitting and made of the palest silver blue silk. Lace also adorned the bottom of her pointed bodice, which was decorated with an elaborate stomacher brooch made of gold and silver beads and pastel glass jewels.

 

The split skirt was held back by beaded pastel roses to reveal an underskirt of the same silver blue as her lower sleeves, also beaded in an elaborate pattern. She wore a wreath of beaded pastel flowers atop her platinum curls. Her jewelry matched her outfit perfectly and sparkled with every move she made.

 

Hearing sounds of merriment coming from the Central Drawing room, she veered that way and entered it, immediately noticing the large table and the courtiers blowing a ball of wool across it. Now there was a game she would be good at, considering that, thanks to her opera training, she had an unusually strong set of lungs and knew many ways to control her breathing.

 

Stepping up to the table, she asked: “May I play?”

[Blackguard]

Esteban had arrived but seemed less interested in the drawing rooms, being more inclined to visit the main Banqueting House to observe the spectacle. True to form, Karl was out in the hallway observing the rush of courtiers and servants.

 

A young gentleman stood as Sophia approached the vacant chair. "Good evening. I am Benjamin Tobin, son of Nathaniel Tobin of Tobin ironworks. We supply the King," he prattled. He was average looking but well dressed. On the other side of the vacant chair was a young lady dressed modestly that looked about as happy as a visit from a surgeon to see Sophia arrive. She ignored the foreign lady hoping she would leave. It was the last thing she needed to distract others from herself.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia didn't know the first thing about iron, except that it came from mines. Did this gentleman's father own iron mines or did he make things out of it? Maybe he did both. “It is a pleasure to meet you” she said, smiling warmly, “I am Lady Toledo, the wife of the Spanish Ambassador.” Had he heard of her, she wondered, or would he think it odd that the Spanish Ambassador's wife was fair and blonde and spoke with a German accent? So far, no one to whom she had introduced herself had commented on her obvious lack of Spanish attributes.

 

She ignored the lady who was ignoring her. The petite singer had seen the same disparaging look on the faces of many women during her sixteen years, and such disdain bothered her not at all. In fact, she had come to expect it in Venice when she had upstaged older and experienced singers with her phenomenal vocal talent. This lady's disapproval was not going to drive her away. If anything, it made her even more determined to stick around at least long enough to blow them all away … quite literally … by winning their game.

 

“So how does this game work?” she asked, sitting down in the empty chair, her gaze traveling to the ball of wool on the table.

[Blackguard]

"You don't look Spanish," the man uttered as his eyes squinted a bit. "Ambassador's wife?" he seemed both disappointed and intrigued at the same time. "Do I have to call you your Excellency or some such title?"

 

"Well, the rules are easy," ben replied. The woman next to Sophia rolled her eyes, judging her stupid for not acknowledging the obvious. "You blow as hard as you can so that the ball of wool does not fall off the table in front of you. You try to blow it off the other side. The loser must leave the table or suffer a forfeit."

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Had he been hoping she was unmarried? Sophia was by no means arrogant but even had she been single, she would have never considered a union with the lowly son of an iron merchant. Nor would Lord Kingston have allowed it. “I am German by birth, and most people just call me Lady Toledo.” She had occasionally been called 'Your Excellency,' and had liked the sense of importance it gave her, but that form of address pertained much more to her husband than to her.

 

She saw the lady roll her eyes but refused to acknowledge her insolence. Obviously, she had not been raised well or she would have known that respectable young ladies did not roll their eyes in public. If Sophia wasn't so interested in the game, she would have asked her if she had been born in a barn.

 

The rules seemed simple enough. “So who starts? And do we have to remain seated or can we stand up when the ball hurtles our way?”

[Blackguard]

When it became clear that Sophia planned to join the table, the rude woman took to her feet, disgusted with the scene. This opened a place at the table.

 

"Here you go, you can take this seat," Ben insisted, happy to find Sophia seated beside him. He pulled out the chair for her and then took the seat beside her. He called out to the others to get ready as he reached fr the ball of wool and dropped it in the middle of the table.

 

"Blow!" he urged with a shout. The man opposite Ben was a large fellow, who tried to take advantage of the fact that the young man was standing. As such, the ball of wool started rolling right towards Ben as he attempted to sit quickly and begin blowing.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Good riddance, Sophia thought when the insolent woman huffed away. Perhaps she would find someone to pander to her vanity elsewhere. She had probably been a hindrance anyway. The blonde Baroness couldn’t imagine her taking part in such a vigorous game where someone might actually jeer at her. Most likely, she had just been sitting there trying to look pretty.

 

Sophia grinned disarmingly when Ben pulled out the chair for her. “Thank you, good sir.” Sitting down, she smoothed her sparkling skirts and folded her hands in her lap, planning to keep them there. It would be unfortunate if the ball became snared on the beads on her sleeve ruffles. It could get stuck on her stomacher brooch as well, but she didn't intend to let it get that far.

 

Slowly, she filled her diaphragm as Ben lifted the ball and dropped it on the table. It immediately began hurtling toward the iron merchant's son. The big man on the opposite side of table had a lot of force, but she had both force and control. With an enigmatic smile on her face, she exhaled, sending a strong and steady stream of air directly toward the ball of wool. Her expression remained serene, as if she was expending no effort at all.

[Blackguard]

Sophia's breath helped deflect the ball from falling in the iron merchant's lap. Instead, along with the gust of wind that he added, the ball rolled off the table on the lap of the person next to him, who did not have enough force to stop it.

 

"Ballocks," the young man blurted, obviously under the influence of alcohol. He stood and staggered away, only to be replaced by none other than Henry Howard himself. Others had tried to take the seat but stopped when they encountered Arundel. His identity was known to many there.

 

He introduced himself to the iron miner's son on his right and heavyset woman to his left, sparing a smile and a nod at Sophia. "Let's play," he announced and the ball was dropped. Arundel thought to blow it in the direction of Sophia.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“Yes!” Sophia exclaimed when the ball fell in another gentleman's lap. She had not been certain if she was expending the right amount of breath, and she was unable to curb her enthusiasm at her success. Ben had helped push the ball away, so perhaps if she found it hurtling toward her, she should use more force, but not enough to blow it clear across the room. The other players might think she was trying to show off.

 

She felt a pang of guilt when the gentleman who had lost cursed and staggered off, but when she saw Lord Arundel heading toward the vacant chair, excitement eclipsed her remorse. The courtiers who wanted a place at the table deferred to him, and Sophia admired his handsome form as he sat down. Her heart fluttered wildly and desire flared to life within her as she remembered that pleasurable interlude in his cottage.

 

Did he still care for her, even after she had canceled their tryst and he had found her in the grotto with another man? Had he decided to join the game because of her? Her feelings for him had not changed. If anything, they had intensified. Sophia returned his smile, her gaze lingering for a brief moment upon his lips and then moving to the ball of wool as it was once more dropped upon the table.

 

Filling her diaphragm again, she wondered whether she should let the ball hit her if it came toward her. Lord Arundel would surely volunteer to help remove it if it became caught on the beads of her gown. She was not going to blow it into his lap. He didn't seem like the kind of person who liked to lose. Perhaps together, they could propel it across the table and it would fall in front of someone else. She imagined that the two of them would work well with each other … in anything they decided to do.

 

Sophia leaned over slightly, unintentionally enhancing the view of her ample cleavage, and prepared to exhale.

[Blackguard]

The ball was heading straight for Sophia as Henry's plan was obvious. He had a forfeit in mind, but the iron man did not know of it and rose to the occasion to blow the ball in another direction. So it moved towards the center where it stayed amid a tumult of wind from all directions.

 

If Henry had dismissed ideas of a liaison with Sophia, he certainly acted in a way that suggested otherwise. It was clear he had been drinking, and likely heavily, but he seemed to be playing more than one game at the moment with Sophia.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Lord Arundel blew the ball of wool toward her, and Sophia decided to let it hit her. However, Ben had other ideas and propelled it to the center. Was the iron merchant's son just competitive or was he being protective? She didn't need nor want protecting from the handsome Earl. Her body hummed pleasurably and she wanted to be alone with Henry, pressed so close against him that there was no space between them at all.

 

But only after he had sobered a bit. She could see that he was rather tipsy. Maybe the game would have that affect on him.

 

Nothing was going to happen if the ball continued to hover in the middle of the table. With a mischievous smile at Henry, she sent a powerful burst of air straight ahead of her, hoping to blow the ball off the opposite end of the table, away from both of them. Again, she appeared tranquil, as if her breath had consumed no energy.

[Blackguard]

The battle of the wool ball waged onward. Sophia joined in the contest by trying to blow the ball opposite her, while trying to be covert about it. Despite her excellent lungs, other players around the table would note that she was blowing in a certain direction.

 

The round ended when a lady opposite Sophia began to giggle as she observed several fellows turning purple from exertion. Her giggling meant she was not blowing to defend herself and so the ball of wool dropped in her lap. "Oh pooh," she exclaimed. She was young and dainty and not well-suited for the force necessary to overcome. The young man sitting next to her, also trying to protect her, announced her forfeit should be to have her kiss all the gentlemen at the table. It was clear what he wanted. She just kept giggling and the other men at the table agreed with the forfeit. As such, the young woman moved around the table kissing lightly each man in turn, saving the young man beside her until last. When she kissed Arundel, he gave Sophia an inviting glance.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Some of the expressions on the faces of the participants were rather hilarious, and Sophia might have laughed as well if she had not been so well-disciplined when it came to controlling her breath. Her opera training was coming in useful tonight, even though she wasn't singing.

 

The ball fell in the lap of a giggling lady who was then given the task of kissing all of the gentleman at the table. She hadn't known that there were consequences … however pleasant ... for losing. Had Lord Arundel had a specific penalty in mind when he had blown the ball toward her? She was curious as to what he would have asked her to do and wished that the man beside her had not pushed it away.

 

Henry didn't seem elated when the young lady kissed him The look he gave Sophia made her think that he would prefer that she kiss him instead. She returned his glance with a saucy smile and rose from her chair. “I think I need a drink before I continue,” she announced.

 

Relinquishing her place at the table, she strolled nonchalantly toward a servant who was holding a tray of drinks, hoping that Henry would take her hint and follow her. They had to be discreet and pretend that they barely knew each other in public. The petite blonde knew firsthand that gossip spread like wildfire around court.

[Blackguard]

Who knew what forfeit he had in mind when he sought to blow the ball in her direction? Ben seemed rather unhappy to see Sophia stand. He stood when she did. "I can get you a drink," he offered, quite ready to dote on her drinking needs this evening; but, that is not what Sophia wanted. She wanted to separate herself from him and the table, which she did successfully.

 

Henry watched her even though his eyes seemed to follow the girl charged with kissing all the young men at the table. As Sophia moved away, he took his to his feet and staggered a bit, bracing himself on the back of the chair. It appeared that he needed a moment to steady himself. A young man approached Arundel to introduce himself, and Henry pretended that he gave a whit about it. He quickly introduced the intruder to another lad seated next to him and then made good his escape while the two bantered a bit.

 

Walking over to the servant, Henry pretended to ignore Sophia as he scolded the choice of wine, sending the tray bearer off to find a different vintage.

 

"Do you know how to get to the roof via the nearest staircase to the right?" the Earl muttered, a bit too loud to overcome the growing din of conversation in the roof. He was looking away from her, as if talking to himself. It was likely that Sophia knew where the staircases were but might not have taken them all the way to the top. Not all staircases went to a tower at roof level. Those that did were not well traveled.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia surreptitiously watched Henry out of the corner of her eye as she walked toward the servant, and she saw him stagger as he rose to his feet. If he wanted to kiss her … or more … he was going to have to sober up a bit. She wasn't interested in a one-off drunken fling that he might not even remember later. Any lady at the ball could give him instant gratification if that was all he was after. The petite blonde hoped she meant more to him than that.

 

She paused, pretending to watch the other game taking place in the room and let Henry pass her. When he sent the servant away, she feigned annoyance with him, as though she had really been looking forward to a drink. “I don't know which staircase goes to the roof,” she confessed, projecting a well-trained whisper toward him without looking in his direction. There were a lot of staircases in the palace and they all looked the same to her. “Are there rooms up there? It is too cold to go outside.”

 

She tapped her foot as if she was impatient for the servant to return with more drinks. “My bodyguard is waiting in the corridor. Can we reach the staircase from this room?" Sophia knew that there were hidden passageways behind the walls, for she had seen a door to one opened before. Maybe there was such a door in the drawing room. So much was going on that they might be able to leave unseen.

[Blackguard]

Henry Howard was not a happy man. At war with his father and the brood of bastards that attempted to displace the legitimate heirs of Norfolk, he was to be betrothed to a woman he did not trust. She was far too scheming but he needed her father's money and she was an heiress. Life as a Catholic in England was unbearable but he had nowhere to go. His friends where fleeting as were his female acquaintances. Of late he sought solace in a bottle, much as many other dispirited souls. Too proud to seek help, he preferred to feast on the sorrow that threatened to consume him at times, challenging himself to live as if nothing was amiss and that he was at the top of his game. He was a man searching for meaning in a meaningless existence. So it was no wonder that he was tipsy. He found the world seemed brighter when augmented by strong drink.

 

News that Sophia had a guard sobered him for a moment. This complicated his plan. "What is his name? If you point him out to me I can have him distracted." Thoughts of sending the bodyguard a distracting note seemed workable. "There is privacy at the top of the stairs." They did not need to go outside, though they might. Perhaps it would sober him. "I could lead the way and you follow one minute later." He paused to see if Sophia was a willing conspirator.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia was unaware of the Earl's troubles or his bleak outlook on life, but perhaps she could be his light in the darkness and give him something to live for. Maybe she could intoxicate him to the point that he no longer needed liquor and his world would be brightened by her affection.

 

“His name is Karl and he's Austrian. He is probably the tallest servant in the corridor.” She went on to describe her bodyguard's appearance and attire so that Henry would be able to recognize him. “He takes his job seriously and may think that I might try to escape him. As you will recall, I did it before when I met you last Sunday. How do you plan to distract him?” In his inebriated state, Sophia wasn't sure if he would be able to convince Karl to leave the hallway.

 

“I will also need the cloak that I left in the ballroom. It is plain and dark and has a hood. Perhaps one of your servants can fetch it?” It was thick and lined with fur, and it would keep her warm if it was drafty close to the roof. Her regular cloak was hanging in this room close to the doorway and Karl would not expect her to leave without it. If he could see it, he would hopefully think she was still here.

 

Sophia nodded when Henry asked if she would follow him. “I hope there are not too many stairs. My ankle still bothers me a bit.”

[Blackguard]

Henry paused to consider there circumstances. "I was thinking of sending him a note, but perhaps he could be sent for your cloak?" he offered hopefully. "We would be gone when he returns." Alternate plans were forming.

 

When she reminded him of her ankle, he swore silently. "How many steps can you manage?"

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“He does not know about the cloak I left in the ballroom. My maidservant brought it from the carriage when he was waiting outside the Music Room for me. My other cloak is in this room and I've had him carry it for me this evening on the off chance I wish to go outside. It is now hanging by the door where he can see it. As long as it is there, he will believe I am still here. So he cannot be sent for the other cloak or he will think I am up to something.”

 

Sophia glanced around the room. There were enough people milling about that one petite lady could easily be overlooked. “Do you know of the passageways behind the palace walls? Earlier tonight, I traveled through them. We could use them if there is a door in this room. Yet I will still need that other cloak. The servants use the hidden corridors and I don't want them to be able to describe me. Karl may hear about it.”

 

As for her injured ankle: “I can probably manage two or three flights of stairs, but the going might be a bit slow.”

 

She was willing to try more, though, for the chance to be alone with him.

[Blackguard]

It was then that the idea occurred to him. "Wait here and savor a drink. I shall fetch my man. You shall feign to twist your ankle and he will escort you into the servant's passage there." he nodded his head to the open door where servants passed in and out. "I shall go in search of a pantry that can be secured for you to sit and rest your ankle. My man shall guard the door and I shall come to check on you, just to make sure you are well," he offered with a sly smile. "The servants will recall only that some nameless servant helped you somewhere private where you might sit and rest. Your man Karl will be none the wiser."

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Still acting as if she was ignoring him, Sophia considered his suggestion, a thoughtful expression on her exquisite face. “Very well. If I do not cry out, nobody is likely to notice. They are quite involved in their games.”

 

She grinned mischievously, hoping that Henry would see even though she was partially turned away from him. “Do you think you can find a room with a bed? My foot might ache so dreadfully that I may need to lie down. If it is in a place where servants cannot travel freely, we won't have to worry that my bodyguard will come looking for me if he does find out that I'm gone."

 

She beckoned to a servant and asked him to bring her a glass of sherry, a drink she had grown fond of in Madrid. As he moved away, she whispered: “Just tell me when you are ready and I will stumble and pretend to re-injure my ankle.”

[Blackguard]

"I shall set my plan in motion then," he mentioned in a low voice. "A bedroom? On the busiest of evenings? Hardly. We shall be lucky to find a linen closet or storage room. I shall be back in a few minutes," he pledged as he moved away without any acknowledgement in her direction.

 

Off he went, ignoring the game that was resuming with the ball of thread. His manservant was not far away. Whenever plotting, Henry kept his servant nearby. They were useful creatures in such situations. Then, he would need to find a storage room that was not already in use. This was likely to take a few minutes.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia wasn't sure how she felt about a quick assignation in a storage room, if that was what it turned out to be, but she didn't want to miss this opportunity to be alone with him. Her heart fluttered in anticipation and tantalizing sensations hummed through her young body. She was starved for both physical and emotional affection and she found Lord Arundel utterly irresistible.

 

She was cautious, though. Perhaps all they would do was kiss, unless Henry assured her that he wanted more than just a one-night stand. He had claimed that he loved her that afternoon in his cabin and she had believed him. Did he still feel that way now or was he only interested in instant gratification? Had that been all he had wanted then as well?

 

She would have to play it by ear, to ascertain that he truly cared for her before she did something that she would regret if he took advantage of her. “I suppose whatever you can come up with will have to do,” she whispered. “Make sure that you or your servant can find a chair for me to sit in. It has to look as if all I intend to do is rest my ankle." Maybe searching for rooms and chairs would lessen the effects of the alcohol he had consumed. Even now, he did not seem as inebriated as he had been when he had first joined the game.

 

Sophia didn't look at him when he left. For a few moments she watched the courtiers at the table blow the ball of wool back and forth and then began meandering slowly around the room, sipping her sherry and waiting for the handsome Earl's return. She tried her best not to think of Juan, but memories of their time together in Madrid kept drifting to the forefront of her mind. Could she really cheat on her royal lover?

 

He probably hasn't been faithful to me, she thought, attempting to rationalize her potential infidelity. There must be beautiful ladies with golden voices throwing themselves at him all the time.

 

Guilt tormented her no matter what she told herself and she tried her best to push it away. He broke his promise to me. He said he would be here by the end of the year and he's not. Does he truly expect me to wait for him forever? A few months seemed like an eternity to a sixteen-year-old girl with raging hormones and unfulfilled desires.

[Raconteur]

Finding no immediate satisfaction he's taken his leave from those that called themsleves The Merry Gang with somewhat of a sense of failure. He felt let down by them in some way for he had expected something other than the picture presented. Why they were nothing but drunkards and self-seeking attention getters!

 

So now here he was in what was surely the total opposite of that other room! Mere young things playing at silly games better suited for a nursery or schoolroom with one exception.

 

She was magnificent!

 

His eyes followered her every movemnt as he watched from a place aganist one wood panneled wall a crystal glass holding something amber in color. She was far the most beautiful creature he'd encountered in many years and by the look of it ripe for the plucking as she teased her way thru a game. Her blonde hair and fair skin, her body showed to perfection by her gown yet far too flashy he thinks and he mentally dresses her in a color that would become her better and then removes it to see what lied beneath ....

 

He drained his glass then set it aside as he watched next a small interplay between the younger woman and a Gentleman which most would see as innocent yet he was too experienced at the same game not to notice. Her disguise of childhood innocence was just that he surmised and guessed that the two planned a meeting.

 

He smiled then and straightened to his full height of just over six feet his sea-green eyes danced in amusement at the idea that was forming. The two seperated and then she slowly began her navigation about the room no doubt giving time for her lover to do what ever he needed to do. It was then that he too began to move.

 

His attire of deep cranberry velvet with black lace and jet trim set off his balck hair his own movements were easy and slow yet there could be no doubt that beneath his clothing a body that was solid and well built lurked. His eyes never left her and at some point he would make the decision - to follow them both or make himself known before she could leave.

 

The question was which would give him the most pleasure?

[Blackguard]

Arundel was off at a steady pace, with no recognition of anything Sophia said. Instead he moved to locate his manservant in the hallway.

 

There were whispers and a small purse of coins handed him. "You have five minutes," the lord insisted before walking further away from the room, deciding to visit the Scarlet Drawing Room for a few minutes while his man arranged the room. The manservant looked about for the most senior servant he could find.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia was usually quite perceptive and could tell when she was being watched, but she was lost in her thoughts, turning over and over in her mind the pros and cons of engaging in an affair with the intriguing Lord Arundel. She knew what he would expect when he joined her in whatever space he was able to secure for them. If she refused him this time, she would probably lose him forever. The blonde Baroness genuinely cared for him and believed what he had said to her in the cottage. She was in a loveless marriage and he would be wed to a woman who was interested in his title and not the man behind it. Together, they could find happiness in each other's arms.

 

But what about Juan? She still loved him with all her heart and believed that they were meant to be together. Would indulging her passions for another count as being unfaithful when he couldn't even keep one simple promise? Maybe he had forgotten about her now and some other pretty songbird had taken his fancy, another lady he would marry off to one of his supporters so that he could be close to her. He might not even return to England at all or agree to see her if she and Esteban visited Madrid again.

 

Yet it was possible that he did still love her and that he would be crushed by her infidelity. Just thinking of his beloved face contorted in anguish caused tears to well behind her eyes. Sophia could not bear to hurt him, but Lord Arundel was so handsome, so tempting, and her nubile young body longed to feel the joy of carnal pleasure again. It had been so long …

 

Sighing, she sat down in one of several chairs grouped close to the wall. It was then that she felt eyes upon her. Glancing around the room, her gaze fell upon a gentleman whom she had never seen before … tall, dark, and handsome and dressed finely in cranberry velvet trimmed in black. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled shyly in his direction. Several errant ringlets cascaded over her shoulder, resting against her abundant lace-framed cleavage. Perhaps a distraction from her current conundrum would help her make a decision tonight that she would not rue tomorrow.

[Raconteur]

It would not do to look too interested after all and so he pretended an interest in one or two exchanging smiles and nods and whispered conversations all the while aware that she was watching.

 

She had sat herself and atfully arranged her hair to enhance rather than conceal her gifts and he smiled inwardly sure now that his initial guess had been correct - she was no innocent maid but a woman full aware of what she wanted.

 

That there was another man in the picture was not a bother. Either he too was a lover or perhaps even her husband all that mattered was he had left the field open. That he might return to take her away was possible but his gut said otherwise. There was a plan afoot construed between them and for now he would simply tease until he knew how she would respond.

 

If she were typical he would not have to work at all. A bit of resistance was expected for a quick surrender held no Sport and he would be generous on this first of meetings towards her.

 

HIs movement was neither slow or fast but a gait more in like with some forest creature that hunted with a sureness of power and agility. A face that was Classical in design and a nose of aquiline proportion with a mouth that was full and sensual and his smile, when he employed it, devasting. His black hair was cut short and neatly trimmed and he wore no beard for that would hide his strong jawline.

 

He reached where she sat and looking down at her simply stood for a few moments before he spoke

 

"Why have you been abandoned I wonder? Left to repose here in such a solitary state is hardly kind. I should do something about it."

 

He smiled at her then and gave a bow stating his name in more of a whispered-voice meant for her ear along

 

"Lord Deverill if it pleases you My Lady."

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Maybe she had just thought he was staring at her. His gaze moved from one courtier to another and Sophia looked away and continued sipping her sherry. He was probably newly arrived in London for she would have remembered such an attractive gentlemen even if she had only seen him across a crowded room. The delightful sensations blossoming through her body intensified, but that was only to be expected when she was anticipating a secret tryst with Lord Arundel. She didn't think that her heightened arousal had anything to do with the intriguing stranger.

 

A movement from his direction caught her eye, and she saw that he was now headed toward her, confidence apparent in his elegant form. So he had been watching her and now it appeared that he was going to engage her in conversation … unless he moved beyond her. Why did that possibility dismay her? Sophia wanted him to speak to her, even though she was waiting for a potential lover to arrange an assignation.

 

When he stopped in front of her and gazed down at her, she raised her eyes to his. A delicious wave of heat assailed her and a hint of rose fluttered across her porcelain cheeks. His eyes were such a beautiful color and he seemed to radiate sensuality.

 

“I have not been abandoned, my lord.” She winced as she stretched out her foot. “I am just resting my ankle for a bit. I injured it a few days ago and it seemed to cramp up when I was playing one of the games, so I thought walking might help. But it just started hurting more, and I decided to sit down.” Since she was planning to fake twisting it in a few moments, he had to believe that it was already aching, even though it wasn't.

 

Then he smiled at her, and she was so dazzled that her breath caught in her throat. His whisper of introduction caused her to tremble delectably. Sophia wanted to tell him that he did indeed please her, but she didn't want to lead him on. It was best not to flirt with one gentlemen while planning to meet with another.

 

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Deverill,” she said politely. “I am Lady Toledo, the wife of the Spanish Ambassador. I hope you have been enjoying the holidays.”

[Raconteur]

He nearness had, as he had predicted, made itself felt in the tell-tale light flush that marked her fair skin as he continued to gaze down at her. The mention of an injury shifted his eyes to watch as she extended that apendage to his gaze. An added enticement offered so easily.

 

"No? Say it can not be True? How is it possible for Spain to capture such - there must have been much disappointment Lady Toledo when you wed - why I myself am saddened and I have but met you."

 

One hand rested over his heart as if in illustration of his words.

 

"But I can not agree that you are not abandonded for here you sit in solitary state clearly in some distress with no sign of Lord Toledo - or was that the Gentleman that was with you before? I apologize but so many faces are unknown to me still and I am but recently returned."

 

"Holidays hold no pleasure for me alas.I am the only son who has lost his Parent so I too am alone it can be said. Parliament will meet after the New Year and I come to claim my seat or rather the Late Earl's. But let me not waste words in that direction."

 

"Might I play Knight and come to your rescue? But only if you allow it, naturally."

 

Damn. A husband he could deal with but an Ambassador would be tricky so he made a swift calculated change in the plan. He wanted her and she wanted him too but until she made clear her desire he would play the Courtier.

 

She was young no more than seventeen eighteen at the most and by all appearance a 'wife' left too often alone.