Love Became Theirs Read Online Free PDF

Her mind was in a turmoil of misery.
    She was not in love with Lord Robert, and for that she must be thankful. She pitied the unfortunate Doreen, betrayed by a selfish man who put money above the love that might have been his.
    But although she did not have a broken heart, her feelings were bitter and wretched. Only a few hours ago the world had been a delightful place, where there was music and beautiful clothes, and endless pleasure.
    Now it had suddenly become monstrous, a place of treachery, greed and lies.
    "How could he?" she exclaimed angrily. "How could he treat that poor girl like that, when she loves him, and he says he loves her?"
    "But he told her why," said Harlequin. "He needs your money."
    "Oh yes! You should have heard what he said to me earlier tonight – pretending to love me, saying he wanted to marry me. And all the time he was being selfish and deceitful."
    "But at least you know the truth now."
    "About him, yes, but what about the others? How true are their hearts? All the men who want to dance with me at balls, and flirt with me. I always knew that Papa's fortune was a lure, but only in the back of my mind. But this is what it really means. Lies and treachery and greed. Now I think all men must be the same."
    "No," Harlequin said quickly. "Men are not all the same. Some are honest and faithful. You must trust to heaven that one day you will meet the man you spoke about – the one who will love you more than anything else in the world. He's out there, somewhere in the world, looking for you."
    "No, no," she said, beginning to weep. "I don't believe it."
    "You must believe it."
    "Do you know what tortures me?" she choked. "That I didn't stop him kissing me."
    "I don't suppose he gave you any choice," Harlequin said gently. "Nobody could blame you."
    "But I hate the memory. I never want to kiss another man, ever, in my life."
    Harlequin touched her shoulder, but she pulled away and began to run from him. In the heavy dress and high heels she could not run fast, and he soon caught up with her.
    "Wait, please – "
    "Let me go," she wept. "I just want to hide away and never see anyone again."
    "But you can't do that," he said, holding her firmly but gently. "You can't run away from the world, although you have enough courage to try. You must go on bravely, and find the man you truly love."
    She could not speak, but she shook her head in despair. Harlequin put his fingers beneath her chin and lifted it so that he could look into her face.
    "You are beautiful," he said. "I can see only your mouth, but it is lovely and I know the rest of you is the same. It's a mouth made to be kissed, and you must accept that, and not go through life remembering only that one man's kiss."
    "Nothing can prevent that now," she said.
    "Oh yes. I'm going to prevent it."
    Before she could realise what he meant to do, Harlequin had lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. After the first gasp of shock, Rona realised that this was very different from Lord Robert's kiss.
    There was a gentleness about this man that was irresistible. His arms were strong, holding her against him as he moved his lips over hers with such beguiling tenderness that her very heart seemed to melt within her.
    To think she might never have known this, might have wandered through the world forever, not knowing that this feeling could exist between a man and a woman, thinking that all men were like Lord Robert.
    She was only half aware of her own hands moving to clasp him in return, to draw him closer, seeking a new beauty that she did not understand. Suddenly her arms were around his neck, and her spirit was soaring as she responded to his ardour.
    It was mad, it was scandalous and unladylike. But it was also right. Everything in her was telling her that.
    At last he released her. She looked up, wishing with all her heart that she could see his face now. She desperately needed to see it, to know if his feelings had been the same as hers. Her heart