Revolutionary Hearts Read Online Free PDF

mirrors on the upper half of each wall. Gentlemen in suits escorted women with finger wave hairstyles from the sidelines to the center of the ballroom. All the ladies were either plump wives of British generals or their innocent daughters. The same fair hair, fairer skin, and delicate steps as dainty as they were demure.
    Several of the women met his gaze, fluttering their lashes in what Warren suspected was a half-hearted attempt to capture his attention. His eyes shifted to each one, searching for the Anglo-Indian beauty with fiery responses and unabashed opinions. He expected a swish of bright sari to come sweeping through the crowd at any moment, pushing aside the sea of pearls and silk tulle dresses with the beat of her bangles.
    Yet she was nowhere to be seen. Not in the mass of starched tuxedos and lace evening dresses, anyway. Where was Parineeta?
    He walked into the long hallway, past the party guests and beyond the violinists and even further than the swirling dresses and shining brass buttons of the dancing couples. His footsteps quickened as worry settled in his gut. Maybe she’d decided not to show up.
    He’d given specific instructions to the maid to have her ready hours ago. There was no chance she would still be waiting next to the…
    “Parineeta?”
    The slender figure rested one delicate hand over the polished staircase railing. She’d placed one foot onto the first marble step of the winding staircase. Her back was facing him, and her position was frozen in place. Yet her torso remained twisted to the side, as if he’d caught her in a sudden movement to run away from the crowd.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I cannot go out there.” She lowered her foot and placed the slipper back onto the ground. The draped silk fabric of her black evening gown brushed against the floor as she stepped down, contrasting against the white marble tile.
    He could hear her voice tremble. How strange that a girl who seemed so spirited and full of passion for independence could feel so insecure before facing the men she proposed to fight. Surely it wasn’t about her appearance. She was prettier than all of the other women in the room.
    “And why is that?”
    “They will recognize me.” Her voice sounded tight. “They will know I am half-caste. I am not one of them.”
    The music from the other end of the hall drifted along the corridors and played softly around the stairwell, the once lively rhythm settling into a mellower tune. He straightened the front of his shirt. “What is the matter with that?”
    Parineeta’s voice gained strength. Irritation crept into her tone. She turned to the side, half of her face exposed to the light. “You would not understand.”
    “Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t. That does not mean you shouldn’t come out here.” Warren started forward.
    All he could see with her back turned to him was her black dress. The gown covered her shoulders, and long, lace gloves fitted over her hands and wrists. There was even a beaded cloche hat placed on the top of her head.
    “I am sure you look fine.” He struggled to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He stepped closer again and drummed his fingers against the wooden railing next to him. “I told the maids to spare no expense on buying you clothes for tonight.”
    He watched her shoulders rise and fall with a sudden intake of breath. “You should not have done that.”
    Warren smirked. “Most women would say thank you.”
    “I am not most women.”
    “Clearly.”
    She sighed. “I look nothing like myself.”
    “Let me see.”
    She turned slowly at first, with a hesitating step, and then with a swish of her gown she stood directly in front of him.
    Warren’s jaw dropped.
    Good lord…
    Her natural beauty hadn’t been altered by her attire. It was still there, the golden perfection of her skin and the intense gaze of her eyes. But the woman in front of him looked nothing like the bangle-wearing, veil-covered girl his gardener had