need any warning. She was going to stay far away from him. Whatever interest he initially had for her would disappear soon enough, because if he was looking for a cruise fling, he’d have to look elsewhere.
Noreen adjusted her gaze and focused on his new companion. It seemed that he’d already found her replacement—no surprise there. He appeared to be a man who worked fast.
The woman was dressed as a princess and lookedthe part to perfection. She was tall, slender and elegant, her dusky skin matching his slightly darker shade. She laughed prettily at something he said. And as Noreen watched her, she envied her. Not the man or her looks, but the costume. The masquerade ball was a preregistered event Arlene had signed up for. Early that morning, the ship had stopped on the island for the ball and had provided each guest with a coupon and instructions to go to several local shops to get costumes. Unfortunately, none of the costumes Noreen had initially wanted fit. Even more annoying, the clerk kept trying to encourage her to wear a cheerleader outfit, which she refused. Yes, Arlene would have worn it but Noreen wanted to be something completely different. So instead of becoming the princess she’d wanted to be, she’d ended up wearing a witch’s costume.
Noreen watched the couple stop at the buffet table then turned away. She’d given them—especially him—more attention than she wanted to. It was the writer in her, she thought, eager to explain her fascination with him. He was definitely character material. But men weren’t her priority now. She was on the cruise to relax and enjoy herself.
Unfortunately, she’d discovered that was going to be harder than she’d expected. Her sister had lied, perhaps not on purpose, but that didn’t matter. She hadn’t gotten a grand stateroom, but instead a guest room the size of a pantry with a porthole that provided a button-eye view of the sea. The decor was ordinary but at least the flowers on her dressing table had been fresh and her attendant very friendly. Thankfully, the island they’dvisited had been enjoyable and back on the ship the individuals assigned to her dining table were affable and amusing—two of the men kept trying to get her cabin number—but although she was surrounded by merriment she still felt numb.
In three days she’d make the drop and then head home. Noreen knew she probably wouldn’t get a free cruise like this anytime soon so she was determined to squeeze out as much fun as she could before returning home to her failing story.
She needed inspiration. She needed to feel alive again, but the current environment wasn’t helping. Noreen glanced around and suddenly the ballroom seemed too loud and too crowded. She escaped out into the hallway then walked out a side door to wander a small, secluded path that wound its way around the mansion’s expansive grounds. It was a botanist’s paradise, lined with a wide variety of tropical flowers, plants and trees providing a dizzying array of color and sensuous smells.
Although it was early evening, she could still see much of the splendid foliage, which included a baby woodrose vine—a lavender-flowered vine with soft, wooly leaves. And there was the Red Flash, a bush grown as an ornamental for its attractive red powder-puff appearance. But there was one smell in particular that attracted her. It reminded her of the Lady of the Night, a unique plant with small flowers that become aromatic only at night. The aroma, which emerges seconds after sundown, stays all night long then disappears exactly at sunrise.
Her father had introduced her to the plant afterbringing it home from one of his many trips to the West Indies, and she had fallen for its sweet, powerful scent. He had presented it and said, “Somehow this reminded me of you.” Noreen stood awhile and inhaled the crisp Caribbean air, as a cool breeze gently lifted up the hem of her gown and threatened to blow off the black, feathered mask