The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

to her feet and stepped downstage into the blaze of candles surrounding the apron.
    The effect on the audience was immediate and remarkable.   The stamping stopped; the catcalls withered into uncertainty; and the laughter turned into a medley of appreciative whistles before fading into something very close to silence.   Ashley took a good, long look … and understood why.
    Seen properly for the first time in the full glare of the lights, the girl was mind-blowingly beautiful.   A dainty, lissom creature with a hand-span waist, a torrent of glowing, copper curls and an exquisite heart-shaped face set with huge dark eyes; a fantasy made flesh … and guaranteed to stop any man’s breath for a moment.   The only thing wrong, decided Ashley clinically, was that she clearly knew it and was enjoying the effect.
    As swiftly as the thought had come, he realised it was wrong.   Although he couldn’t read her eyes from where he stood, he could see indecision in the line of her shoulders and the way her hands were gripping her apron.   A smile curled his mouth.   At a guess, she had a few lines – probably pitifully few – and, since she didn’t want to waste them on an audience that wouldn’t shut up, she’d stormed downstage.   Only now the audience had shut up, she’d realised that she was out of position.   Ashley’s smile grew as he waited to see what she’d do about it.  
    What she did was to draw a very deep breath. The effect this had on her body had Ashley and most of the men around him drawing one with her.   The audience was absolutely silent now, waiting for her to speak.   She lifted her chin, smiling a little.   Then, seizing a candle from the nearest sconce, she embarked smoothly on her opening speech and swirled back to the couch to twitch an ostrich feather from Marie d’Amboise’s head-dress, singe it and wave it under that lady’s nose.
    Madame d’Amboise coughed and regained consciousness with remarkable, if unconvincing rapidity.   Ashley was startled into a choke of amusement, the gallants in the pit hooted with laughter and the acrid smell of burned feathers drifted into the front boxes.   Avoiding the leading lady’s furious glare, the girl played the rest of her brief scene without apparent deviation and exited to an unexpected storm of applause.
    Ashley Peverell watched her go and wondered if, under the paint, she looked as good close to as she did from a distance.   Then, reminding himself that he hadn’t come here to watch the play, he turned his attention back to the business in hand.
    By dint of a good deal of unmannerly shoving, he eventually reached his goal and immediately found himself impaled on Sir William’s one and only eye.
    ‘Well, I’m damned,’ drawled that gentleman lazily.   ‘A face I never thought to see again … back from the dead and come to haunt me.   How are you, Colonel?’
    ‘Bruised,’ replied Ashley.   And with an audacious smile at the pretty brunette, ‘I don’t suppose you’d care to invite me into your private haven?’
    She smiled coquettishly.
    ‘By all means, sir.   Come and be welcome.’
    Needing no further telling, Ashley hoisted himself over the parapet and bowed over the lady’s hand.   ‘Madame, you are a pearl amongst women and may count me your most willing slave.’
    She gave a trill of laughter.
    ‘William – your friend is charming.   Aren’t you going to introduce him?’
    ‘He’s a rogue and a mountebank,’ remarked Sir William calmly.   Then, with a wave of his handkerchief, ‘However, mes amis … allow me to present Colonel Peverell, formerly of His Majesty’s Horse and latterly of God alone knows where.   Ashley … meet Mistress … er …’
    ‘Verney,’ supplied the brunette firmly and with something resembling defiance.   ‘ Lady Verney.’
    ‘Of course,’ murmured Will, watching Ashley kiss the lady’s hand.   ‘Also Sir Hugo Verney … and Jean-Claude Minervois, Vicomte de