special.'
The maid nodded and left the room.
'Who is dining with us tonight?' Belle inquired.
'That John Blackwood fellow you met a few days ago. Alex invited him yesterday. Don't you remember? I think we discussed it at tea.'
Belle felt her heart sink down to her stomach. She'd forgotten all about their dinner plans. 'It slipped my mind, I guess,' she said, wishing that she already had her tea so that she could hide her face with the cup. Her cheeks were growing unpleasantly warm.
If Emma noticed Belle's blush, however, she made no mention of it. Belle immediately began discussing the latest fashions from Paris, and the two ladies stayed on that topic until long after the tea arrived.
Belle dressed with particular care that evening, knowing full well that John was the reason for her assiduousness. She chose a simply cut gown of ice blue silk which set off her eyes and wore her hair piled loosely atop her head, allowing soft wispy curls to frame her face. A strand of pearls and matching earrings completed the look, and, satisfied with her appearance, she headed downstairs.
Emma and Alex were already in the parlor waiting for John to arrive. Belle barely had time to sit down when the butler entered the room.
'Lord Blackwood.'
Belle looked up as Norwood finished intoning John's name. Alex rose and strode to the doorway to greet his friend. 'Blackwood, good to see you again.'
John nodded and smiled. Belle was irritated by the fact that he looked extremely handsome in his evening attire.
'Allow me to introduce you to my wife.' Alex led John over to the sofa where Emma was seated.
'How do you do, your grace,' John murmured politely, placing a swift kiss on the back of her hand.
'Oh, please, I cannot bear so much etiquette in my own home. Please do call me Emma. Alex has assured me that you are a special friend of his, so I don't think we need to be formal.'
John smiled at Emma, deciding that Alex had been his usual lucky self when it came to claiming a bride. 'Then you must call me John.'
'And of course you already know Belle,' Alex continued.
John turned to Belle and took her hand in his. A fierce heat traveled up her arm, but she forced herself not to jerk her hand back. He didn't need to know how he affected her. But when he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her softly, she wasn't able to control the blush that stole across her cheeks.
'It is indeed a pleasure to see you again, Lady Arabella,' he said, still holding her hand in his.
'Pl-please call me Belle,' she stammered, hating herself for her loss of composure.
John finally released her hand and smiled. 'I brought you a gift.' He held out a box tied with a ribbon.
'Why, thank you.' Curious, Belle untied the bow and lifted the lid. Inside she found her slightly muddied boot. She stifled a laugh as she lifted it out of the box. 'I had a blister,' she explained, turning to Alex and Emma. 'It was really quite painful, and I took off my boot…' Her voice trailed off.
John turned to Emma. 'I would have brought one for you, too, but you don't seem to have left any shoes on my property recently.'
Emma grinned and reached down toward her feet. 'I shall rectify that matter immediately.'
John found himself liking Alex's duchess immensely. It was easy and painless to like her, he supposed. Unlike her cousin, she didn't cause his heart to race and his breathing to stop every time he saw her.
'Perhaps I could simply give you one of my slippers now,' Emma added, 'and then you could give it back to me next time you dine with us.'
'Is that an invitation?'
'Of course, Blackwood,' Alex put in. 'You are always welcome here.'
The foursome exchanged pleasantries for a quarter of an hour, awaiting the call to dinner. Belle sat quietly, surreptitiously studying John, pondering why he would do something as sweet as wrapping her boot up as a present after he acted so rudely that afternoon. How was she supposed to react? Did he want to be her friend again? She kept a weak smile pasted to her face, silently cursing him for setting her into such confusion.
John's thoughts were similarly occupied, wondering how on earth Belle would react to him that evening. She couldn't possibly understand all of the reasons he needed to keep his distance, and Lord knew he couldn't explain it to her. Rape, was not, after all, an acceptable topic for polite conversation.
When dinner was ready, Emma whispered something into Alex's ear and then he rose and took her arm. 'You'll excuse me if I defy convention and take my wife in to dinner,' he said, smiling rakishly. 'Belle, we'll be in the less formal dining room. Emma thought it would be more comfortable.'
John stood and offered his hand to Belle as the other couple swept out of the room. 'They seem to have left us quite alone.'
'I imagine they did that on purpose.'
'Do you think so?'
Belle took John's hand and rose. 'You should take it as a compliment. It means Emma likes you.'
'And do you like me, Belle?'
There was a long pause, followed by a decisive, 'No.'
'I suppose that I deserve no better.' He allowed her hand to drop back to her side.
She whirled around. 'No, you don't. I cannot believe you even had the nerve to come over here to dine tonight.'
'I was invited, if you recall.'
'You should have declined. You should have sent word that you were ill, or that your mother was ill, or your dog or your horse or anything to avoid accepting the invitation.'
He had nothing to say other than, 'You are, of course, correct.'
'You just don't-You don't kiss someone and then speak to her the way you did to me. It isn't polite. It isn't nice, and-'
'And you are always nice?'
His voice wasn't the least bit mocking, which confused her. 'I try to be. Lord knows I tried to be nice to you.'
He inclined his head. 'You certainly did.'
'I-' She broke off and looked up at him. 'Aren't you even going to argue with me?'
He lifted his shoulder in a tired gesture. 'What would be the point? You are obviously in the right, and I, as usual, am in the wrong.'
Belle stared at him incomprehensibly, her lips parted in amazement. 'I don't understand you.'
'It is most likely for the best that you don't even try. I apologize, of course, for my behavior this morning. It was unpardonable.'
'The kiss or your horrid words afterward?' The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.
'Both.'
'I accept your apology for your insults.'
'And the kiss?'
Belle kept her eyes fixed on the crescent moon which shone through the window. 'There is no need to apologize for the kiss.'
John's heart slammed into his chest. 'I am not sure I understand your meaning, my lady,' he said cautiously.
'I only have one question.' Belle tore her gaze away from the moon and forced herself to look at him. 'Did I do something wrong? Something to offend you?'
John let out a harsh laugh, unable to believe his ears. 'Oh God, Belle, if you only knew.' He raked his fingers through his hair and then planted his hands on his hips. 'You couldn't offend me if you tried.'
A hundred conflicting emotions raced through Belle's heart and mind in the space of one second. Against her better judgment, she touched his arm. 'Then what happened? I need to know.'
