Breathless by Anne Stuart Read Free Book Online

was much prettier than Signor Tebaldi’s most measured cadences. He fell away from her, collapsing on the stone terrace as he made agonized, whistling noises, curling in on himself like a baby.
    If she’d been alone she would have kicked him for good measure. Instead, she looked up at the man who’d appeared from the shadows, and by the light of the clear March moon had her first good look at the Scorpion.
    She didn’t blink. He was a tall man, and lean, almost gaunt. The scars across his face were old but nonetheless vicious, and she couldn’t quite identify their origins. Something had raked across his face, leaving furrows, and there were other deeper, neater lines from something else even more cutting. He was dressed in the first degree of elegance, all in funeral black, and he leaned on a gold-headed cane.
    â€œLook your fill, Lady Miranda,” he said softly in that well-remembered voice. “I owe you at least that much for failing to protect you from an oaf like Panelle. Would you care to see me walk? You don’t get the full effect of my monstrousness until you see me move.” He turned around slowly, leaning heavily on the cane, and she could see that one leg was bent slightly, twisted, as if broken and never set properly.
    He had long dark hair, but he’d tied it back from his face rather than use it to shield himself, and when he faced her she looked more closely, past the scars. He had a narrow, clever face with high cheekbones, and his eyes looked faintly exotic, tilted. She couldn’t see their color in the moon-washed landscape, but they were very pale, unusually so. His nose was thin, strong, with a slight twist to it. Oddly enough, his mouth had scarcely been touched by whatever horror had befallen the rest of him. His upper lip was narrow, thoughtful. His lower one full and sensuous. What did it feel like to kiss that mouth? she thought with distant, shocking curiosity.
    â€œAs you see, I’m quite appalling,” he said in that gentle, seductive voice. “I thought it better if you were warned. Doubtless any number of people told you not to come tonight, not to allow my friendship.”
    â€œNo,” she said calmly. “No one said anything at all.”
    For a moment he looked surprised. “Dear me… All that effort in building a terrifying reputation and it fails me completely.”
    â€œWell, to be sure, I don’t go out much in society, so there wasn’t much of a chance for anyone to head me off,” she said in a placating voice. “I’m sure if any of my friends or family knew I’d made the acquaintance of such a hardened villain they would have warned me away, but they’re all out of town.”
    For a moment an odd expression crossed his face. “Then I can only be glad for your absence of company,” he said in that soft, drawling voice. “This way we can get to know each other without helpful relatives interfering.” His expression was just on the very edge of a smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve bespoke dinner for the two of us in my study. I would hope you’d agree to join me.”
    â€œBut what about your guests?”
    â€œSignor Tebaldi will doubtless sing until at least half the guests are asleep or drunk, and then Mr. Kean will attempt to wake them up with some stunning orations, and no one will notice whether I am there or not. In fact, I quite often fail to attend my own parties. It’s part of my delightful eccentricity.”
    â€œOh, I would like to be delightfully eccentric,” she said, unguarded. “It seems that only men can get away with it.”
    â€œI will give you lessons, child. Join me for supper and we won’t even have to think about those people.”
    In for a penny, in for a pound. She glanced down at Mr. Panelle, who was still making whistling noises between his teeth. “What shall we do about