Revolutionary Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page B

presented to him a few days ago. This woman had her naturally wavy hair brushed into an up-do, a string of pearls around her neck, and shining jeweled earrings placed on her lobes. The light of the chandelier above them illuminated the light brown highlights in her otherwise black tresses, while the silver accents of the sides of her black dress sparkled against her creamy skin. She looked beautiful.
    “I look bad.”
    Warren blinked. “What?” He blinked several more times, trying to register the sight in front of him. “What did you say?”
    “I look terrible.”
    “No, no, you look…” He searched for the right words. His entire vocabulary suddenly fled his memory at that moment, leaving him at a loss. All he could do was shake his head like a dumb mule. “You look…”
    “Ridiculous and out of place, I am aware.” She pulled at her left earlobe, fiddling with the diamond-encrusted earring. “These clothes are not very comfortable.”
    “You look amazing.”
    The thin lining of kohl framing Parineeta’s eyes made her bright expression appear even braver. She arched one full brow at him. “Is that so, sir?”
    “Call me Warren tonight.” He lifted the cuffed white sleeve of his coat, offering his arm to her. “You are my research assistant, and I am your employer. That is all we are for tonight.”
    She slipped her glove-covered arm around his. A loose tendril of wavy black hair grazed the top of her right cheekbone as she regarded him with suspicion. “Why are you doing all this for me?”
    “I have my reasons.” Warren guided her into the bustling ballroom full of British generals and their wives. “Just as you have yours.” He felt her arm stiffen around his at the last sentence.
    Now was not the time to be distracted, especially by another spy, no matter what beauty she may have been hiding. His shallow breath filled the quiet corridor.
    He pressed his hand into the small of her back. She arched at the movement, the soft black fabric beneath his hands slipping out of reach at the sudden contact. There was a certain elegance to her movements, a lightness of step he had at first attributed to the sway of her sari. But even in the evening dress she retained the same poise, her slim shoulders pressed back as the curve of her hips shifted from side to side.
    The chandelier threw light against the walls, reflecting across the several gold-leafed mirrors and directly along the center of the floor as the pair entered the room. As he and Parineeta slowed to a halt, a hush descended over the crowd. All eyes turned to Parineeta as his hand fell from her back. Her arm gripped his tighter, and he winced.
    “There’s no need to worry,” he whispered.
    Or so he hoped.
    The elder women at the party had already started fanning themselves, disguising their scowls of Old World disapproval beneath their white ostrich feather fans. The younger ladies took more brazen approaches to the sight, some openly gawking with their jaws wide open while others pointed.
    Among these spectators, he spotted Shelly’s mop of blond curls out of the corner of his eye. If her whispers to Lloyd were supposed to be private, she wasn’t doing a tremendous job of keeping quiet. “Who’s that girl?”
    In truth, he could barely answer the question himself.
    “General Carton!” A young colonel strolled up to Warren. His breath smelled of whiskey, but his smile remained harmless. “How are you and your lady?”
    A weight lifted off Warren’s chest. He’d always liked Colonel Williams. The man refused to use punishment on his Indian servants, and he was known for paying his employees more than other British masters in the area. He was also, thankfully, much less judgmental than the other generals. “Fine, just fine. May I introduce my research assistant, Parineeta Singh?”
    “A research assistant? Whatever for?”
    The voice sounded cold and clipped. Definitely not from the colonel. Warren turned to the source and resisted the