Kiss of the Dragon (38 page)

“Have you never seen a man kiss a woman before, Cynric?”

“Yea, but never quite like that.”

“Then you have never seen a man kiss the woman whom he
loves.”

* * * * *

When Heloise saw her shorn locks for the first time, she was
furious. Her eyes narrowed to slits of blue fire and her face turned an
alarming shade of red. For several moments, Bianca feared for her stepmother’s
health.

“What were you thinking, you little fool? Or perhaps you
were not. I suppose you imagine this new style will somehow catch on and be all
the rage in society.” Before Bianca could defend her new look, Heloise raged on
with her criticism leaving Bianca with little option but to stand there and
listen. “This, this…” Heloise could not seem to find the appropriate words to
describe her feelings about the matter. “This…” Her finger jabbed at the new
curling mane of her stepdaughter as she tried to think of how to express her
horror at the unfashionable style. “This makes you look like an eccentric old
maid who cares nothing for securing a husband. You did this on purpose did you
not? You think to punish me for trying to help you and your father find you a
man willing to marry you, but in truth you are only hurting yourself.”

“I did not do this on a whim, stepmother. It was a matter of
need. I was very fond of my hair and that it is now gone saddens me more than I
care to admit. It was not vanity that forced my hand to do the task but
necessity. Lord Draco’s brother was in great peril.” The tale of Cynric’s
misadventure must, by now, have spread through the castle. Bianca wondered why
her stepmother had not heard it. Or perhaps she had and refused to let Bianca’s
sacrifice sway her to compassion over the loss of her mane of hair. “It matters
naught now. And my hair will grow back.”

“Hah, perhaps, but not soon enough. It will take years and
you do not have that much time. No man will want you with your hair so
scandalously short. It makes you look so…common.” Heloise was actually wringing
her hands in her agitation.

“I can think of one or two who would not care.” The dry
retort slipped out before she could stop it and her eyes flew to her stepmother’s
face and by the look in Heloise’s eyes, her quip was not taken lightly.

“It belittles you to joke about such a serious matter,
Bianca. As it happens, your hair was your only redeeming feature. With that
gone, a man might find little else to recommend you as an acceptable wife or
companion.” The meaning of her stepmother’s last words were not lost on Bianca,
and though she refused to rise to the bait, the seeds of doubt where planted
firmly in her mind as Heloise intended.

Where men really so shallow as to be enamored by only her
hair? Surely not. Bianca refused to believe it of Draco or any of the other
suitors who had come seeking her hand in marriage. It was her money they
wanted. Most of the young lords who came to court her would not have cared if
she were cross-eyed and going bald. It was her inheritance that attracted them,
not her hair.

As she picked up her brush and began to pull it through the
shortened locks, she glanced in the mirror at her stepmother who continued to
hover at her shoulder. Heloise watched her with a strange expression on her
face, which she hid the moment she realized that Bianca was looking at her.

“We must do something about this travesty. Fortunately, I
came to your chambers when I did. Now I can assist you with your toiletry. That
little maid of yours…what’s her name?”

“Leia. Her name is Leia.”

“Yea, that one,” Heloise responded as if it gave her a bad
taste in her mouth. “I have to tell you, I do not consider Leia as a fitting
lady’s maid for you.”

“But she is very good to me, stepmother. She knows exactly
what to do for me. I have trained her well.” Leia had been her personal maid
since she was a small child and Leia only a few years older. She would be lost
without her.

“Still, I think I will have another more experienced maid
assigned to you.”

“No, you cannot! I mean, that is not necessary.”

“My dear Bianca, it is your well-being for which I am most
concerned.”

Bianca fought to keep the disbelief from showing on her face
at the outrageous statement. Her stepmother had never cared a whit for her.
Heloise de Neige had never been concerned about her stepdaughter’s well-being
or been the least bit amicable to her in all the time she had been married to
Bianca’s father and living here at Castle Neige. Before that, there was a time
she feigned a fondness for the motherless child of the man she wanted to wed.
Bianca had thought then she might come to like Lady Heloise. Become a friend to
her. But that notion changed the day Heloise had become part of the Neige
family. It had not taken long for Bianca to realize Heloise wanted only the
Duke de Neige, not his offspring, in her life. It had been a bitter truth to
learn, but she had swallowed her tears and learned to keep out of the woman’s
way as much as possible. Now, however, Heloise had come to offer her assistance
and Bianca could not help but be suspicious of her motives. Even as she sat
still letting Heloise comb and twist and plait her hair, pinning it in place,
talking convivially all the while, Bianca tried to discern her purpose.

“I would have you know that I regret that I have not been a
better stepmother, but I am here for you now. This is an important time in your
life and you need an experienced woman to help you through it. To have so many
young men come to pay you suit can be very confusing. If you have any
questions, feel free to ask. A lady of your station deserves the very best and
I intend to help you get exactly what you deserve.”

As Heloise dressed her hair, Bianca sat quietly listening to
her friendly overture. She was not sure how to react to this peace offering.
She turned to face her stepmother not quite certain whether to thank her for
her offer or to be wary of Trojans bearing gifts. For a moment, she simply
looked at Heloise and finally decided for her father’s sake that she would
accept her offer.

“Thank you.”

“It is nothing really.” Heloise smiled as she reached out
with her plump fingers and put a few finishing touches to Bianca’s hairstyle.
She then turned Bianca to face the mirror. “It is magnificent. I swear, your
flaw will not even be noticed at tonight’s revelry.” Heloise patted her
shoulder before she moved to pour them each a cup of the cider she had brought
with her.

Bianca studied her appearance in the mirror. She had to
admit that her stepmother managed to hide the fact that she no longer had her
beautiful long hair. Unfortunately, with her new coiffeur she had an
astonishing resemblance to Heloise, a younger version in fact.

“Here you are, my dear. Drink some of this delicious cider.
It will give you the energy you need for the evening to come. Then we will pick
out something suitable for you to wear tonight. This will be a special evening
for you and for your father and me. There will be entertainment and I am
assured a proposal or two will be forthcoming.”

“Oh I would not be so sure, Heloise. I cannot take any
proposals too seriously. So far, there have been few suitors with whom I would
even consider speaking.”

“You are being too hard on the young hopefuls. I know of at
least one young lord who went so far as to come to me, asking what he could do
to gain a quiet moment with you. I fear I had to disillusion him as to that
improper assignation, but it is encouraging to know that there is always such
as he who would not care how short his bride’s hair was. It might be to your
advantage to at least speak to the man.” As Heloise spoke, she had been going
through a pile of gowns that her maid had brought in. The maid had laid them
across the bed and departed discreetly at a signal from her mistress.

“Take my advice, Bianca, stay away from the kind of man who
takes what he wants from a woman without a promise of marriage to come. We may
not always have seen eye to eye, but as an older woman, I know the ways of men
much better than you do.” She paused to drink from her cup as she waited for
Bianca to do the same before smiling and continuing.

“Choose a man whose intentions are above reproach and forget
the one who would use you and then leave you with nothing but empty promises to
move on to the next woman when he tires of you.”

“I will consider your advice, Heloise. Thank you.”

“Of course, what is a stepmother for if not to help her
stepdaughter through these confusing times? I consider it my duty to see to
your future.”

With an ambiguous smile, Heloise turned her attention back
to choosing a gown for Bianca to wear. Something to complement her new coiffure
while Bianca sat finishing her drink. The little twit had no notion of what the
evening held for her.

* * * * *

Spirited away from her Knight by a stranger.

Destiny unknown but fraught with imminent danger,

Was the only sure thing that the Maid could foresee.

Her Knight retained by his duty to the monarchy

Left her alone to shed her silent tears,

Of the loneliness, year after year.

But the brave Knight did not let the Maid go that simply,

For she made his heart soar with love never-ending.

The Great Hall was ablaze with lights and filled to nearly
overflowing with people representing every station in society. From the highest
of noblemen to the lowliest of servants, who were there to make sure the duke’s
guests were all taken care of. An air of excitement filled the room as the
guests found their places at the trestle tables and began to partake of the
bounty provided for them by their host.

Only a small thought of sympathy went to the absent nobleman
who provided this feast and the entertainment to follow. The Duke de Neige was
reported to be bedridden with a case of indigestion and would be unable to
attend the evening’s festivities. It was unfortunate to say the least as the
entertainment tonight was to be the final performance of the gypsy troupe
before they moved on to another estate. By morning, they would be gone, as was
their nomadic way.

“Are you feeling well this evening, my lady?” Galen asked
Bianca when she went past him as she made her way down the corridor.

“Yea, I am. Thank you for asking,” she answered politely
before moving on. It irritated her that, since she left her chambers, everyone
she knew as friend asked her the same question. Modesta had even gone so far as
to place her hand on Bianca’s forehead to see if she had a fever. Leia, whom
she had met on the stairs, had stared hard at her, taking in every aspect of
her appearance from head to toe and then shook her head and continued on her
way. It was evident that Heloise had not done her a favor in helping her to
dress for this evening. Bianca realized that she had been a fool to believe
that her stepmother had changed in her feelings for her stepdaughter. Obviously
not, if the looks she kept getting from everyone she knew were anything to go
by.

By the time Bianca made it into the hall, the tables were
already filling. As soon as everyone was seated, the servants would begin to
bring in the first course. Across the room, standing before the head table she
saw Draco. He was in deep conversation with Lord Charles. He looked so serious
that she hesitated to rush to his side.

“Good evening, my lady. How are you?”

Bianca turned to find herself looking up into the concerned
faces of her two favorite knights, Sir Dominic and Sir Gregory. Apparently,
they had been awaiting her arrival. Sir Gregory’s voice was loud enough to draw
the attention of the guests closest to the doorway. Bianca felt every eye turn
to her as she stepped beneath the archway and in that moment she experienced
something that she never expected.

Self-consciousness.

In her entire life Bianca had taken for granted the
attention she gleaned as her due as a member of the aristocracy, as was her
right. But at that moment, she no longer wanted that attention. At the moment,
she wanted complete anonymity as she stood before this sea of inquisitive
stares.

“I believe they are looking at me.” The warm, deep voice
reverberated through her, quickly soothing her already frazzled nerves. Bianca
turned to confront the gallant who dared to speak to her without a formal
introduction, only to find herself smiling up at a very handsome man with the
nicest eyes.

“You are presumptuous, my lord. And I appreciate your chivalry.
I would hate to think there was something about the way I look that would have
an entire crowd stopping in their tracks to stare.” She offered her hand and he
carried it to his lips to kiss it slowly as his eyes moved over her face.
Bianca saw before her an overconfident, sleekly attired golden giant whose
warm, piercing gray eyes both soothed her and disturbed her inner peace. His
knowing smile told her plainly enough that he knew what he did to her and a
gasp escaped her lovely lips as she snatched back her hand.

“I do not believe we have been properly introduced,
beautiful lady.” His voice did the same silky dance around her, his accent
truly mysterious and mesmerizing.

Bianca racked her brain, trying to remember if she had met
this man before, but was certain she had not. “I am Lady Bianca de Neige.” She
started to offer her hand again out of habit, but then thought better of it.
She did not want to encourage this man. A new suitor was not what she needed or
wanted at the moment. He grinned as she put her hands behind her back in a
defensive gesture.

“Ah, the rich little heiress everyone seeks to wed.”

“But not you?”

He smiled a bit sardonically. “I must confess, that was my
intent for being here.”

Bianca could not help but smile. She truly liked this huge
man. He seemed too honest to be a phony like so many of the others who had come
before him.

“Well, now you can go back home with the knowledge that,
although I find you most attractive and somewhat honest, I have already chosen
the man of my dreams, therefore I am not free to be courted.”

“The man of your dreams, Cherie, but not of your reality.
From what I have discerned from the usual gossip, the Black Dragon is not the
choice your stepmother had in mind. I should warn you, the duchess has her own
plans for your future.”

“Do not worry on my account, my lord. My future is mine to
decide, trust me.”

“I believe you. But now that we have managed to ensnare the
attention of every personage around us, let us stir up a bit of gossip. Allow
me to escort you to dinner.”

“Thank you…” Bianca realized then he had not yet introduced
himself.

“Prince Anatolli Mikailov of Galicia.” He bowed stiffly over
her hand.

“Russia? We have already had the pleasure of entertaining
royalty from your country.” Her voice chilled at the remembrance of the man
whose intentions were unscrupulous at the best.

“From the tone of your voice, it would seem that I must
apologize for something that this personage has done, something very offensive
by the look on your face. I am sorry that you have had to deal with a nobleman
of such little character. But I assure you that I and, indeed most of my fellow
countrymen are honorable men.”

“Yes, I am certain they are. You are,” she added graciously
and then placed her hand on the arm he offered. They moved through the crowd
toward the dais where Draco watched them like a hawk who had spotted its prey
and was ready to swoop.

Many curious eyes perused the beautiful couple as they moved
forward toward the head table. The multitude of guests parted, letting them
pass by.

The Russian prince paused beside a distraught maiden who had
gotten her heel caught in the hem of her gown and could not move out of the
way. He glanced at Bianca, shrugged his shoulders and let her move on before
turning to help the young woman.

Bianca was relieved to have his attention turned elsewhere.
She did not want to be the buffer between Draco and Prince Anatolli and, from
the look on Draco’s face, the great man was a hair’s breadth away from
physically separating her from the handsome Russian. She smiled at her great
knight.

“Who was that?” Draco asked as soon as Bianca arrived at his
side.

“He is just one more Russian prince.”

“I hope he proves to be less enthusiastic in his pursuit of
your hand in marriage than his counterpart.” Draco thoughts went to the other
Russian prince he had cornered in Bianca’s chambers. He had not noticed that
particular one present among the other guests this evening and it was just as
well.

Draco had not gotten much satisfaction in just dropping the
man to the ground in an abrupt manner. The rogue deserved a thrashing at the
very least. It would give him great pleasure to run the man through with his
great sword. The only reason Draco had let the scoundrel go was because he
wanted no scandal finding its way to Bianca’s door.

“I do not think he is anything like Prince Evgenii.”

He glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to
hear the conversation. “Good. I do not relish the thought of having to throw
another overzealous suitor out of your bedchamber.” Bianca took a step closer,
brushing his arm with her hand. It was an intimate gesture, one that would be
obvious to anyone who happened to be paying close attention.

“Then you do plan to return?” she whispered breathlessly,
not believing her own audacity at bringing up such an intimate subject in the
crowded hall.

His dark gaze nearly set her afire and affirmed her hope
that he would indeed be paying her a visit, soon. Draco took her hand and
lifted it to his lips.

“Yea,” he breathed against her skin as he gazed deeply into
her eyes. His mouth descended to cover the tender flesh of her inner wrist and
his tongue flicked out and swirled over her sensitive flesh. Chills of
anticipation covered her body.

When Draco lifted his head, it was to gaze at something over
her shoulder and his complete demeanor changed abruptly. Bianca, puzzled about
what could have brought about the change, turned just as a shout of welcome
swept through the crowd. Her gaze flew to the entryway to find that the evening’s
entertainment had arrived, effectively dousing their mild flirtation. The
arrival of the jubilant dancers and performers from the gypsy camp brought them
back to the reality of where they were.

Draco found that he could not concentrate on the meal as his
thoughts were distracted by the events of the last few days. He ate without
tasting the food set before him. He answered automatically at the appropriate
times, giving appropriate answers but not really listening to the conversation
around him. But his mind was elsewhere.

Tonight he hoped to receive the communication, which
Jabulani promised to deliver to him. As soon as he had what he needed, he would
put an end to the threat that hung over Bianca like an ominous black cloud.
When Draco was completely convinced that everything had been settled to his
satisfaction, then and only then would he ask her to become his wife. It
stunned him momentarily that he had come to that decision so quickly after his
vow to himself to never marry. But after spending so many hours in the company
of this beautiful young woman, he could not turn and run. It would be
impossible to do so, now.

Earlier that day, as Draco stood on the top of the bluff
overlooking the river, it had hit him that he would give his all just to possess
such a woman as his beautiful Bianca. And she was his for the taking. She had
been trying to tell him that in so many ways these past few days and he had
been blind to it all. Until he had stood there watching this small maiden give
her all for a stranger who happened to be related to him. He had seen her love
then, shining so bright that he could no longer ignore it. Even if his birth
were not legitimate, he would make up for that divergence somehow. After all,
he had already worked long and hard to make a name for himself. He was accepted
at court and had the king’s blessing to pick a bride of his own choosing. His
reputation, along with the lands and titles he had earned, were hers for the
taking. And above all else, he would give her his promise to love and protect
her for the rest of his life.

Bianca became aware of Draco’s restlessness, watching him
closely as his eyes strayed constantly around the room as if looking for
something or someone. It was obvious he paid no attention to the conversation going
on around him. She felt momentarily stung by his remissness because she had
been looking forward to seeing him again after his declaration this afternoon.

She glanced up at him surreptitiously as she reached for the
wine cup they shared. Her fingers brushed the back of his hand to get his
attention and in response he turned his hand over and clasped her hand in his
and lifted it to his firm warm lips placing a quick kiss in the middle of her
palm. It was a sweet, tender moment and she blushed under his dark, knowing
look. Then he shocked her when, instead of returning her hand, he lowered their
joined hands to his lap. There he pressed her open palm over that part of him
that bulged at the junction of his thighs. Bianca’s eyes widened and she gasped
and blushed red.

“Did you think I was unaware of you, my love?” he murmured
against her ear as he leaned into her, reaching beyond her plate to retrieve a
jug of wine. The movement was a caress of his body against hers and the scent
of him surrounded her, warmed her. A heated blush crept up her cheeks as her
gaze dropped down to hide her excitement. The blush deepened as Draco pressed
her hand over his arousal.

“I do not know to what you are referring, my lord.” Her
breathless denial brought a quiver to his lips and she concentrated on her
plate even as her hand began to move with boldness over his crotch. It was a
brazen thing to do. She quickly glanced around to see if anyone noticed what
the two lovers did in such a public place. It was not something that Bianca
would have thought she would ever have dared but since Draco had started the
little game, she would give him his due. She was just thankful that the cloth
covering the table hid them well. Her boldness was rewarded by a harsh hiss,
which escaped his lips as she cupped the whole of him, caressing him.

“I think that you do, minx. But I think that maybe it would
be prudent to save this conversation for a later time.” He deftly removed her
hand to her lap and straightened in his chair, putting some distance between
them.

“Temptation of that kind is hard to resist, my love.” His
gaze dropped to her breasts. The cut of the gown she wore this night left
little to the imagination. “Do not wear that gown again, Bianca. I do not like
sharing your obvious charms with the rest of the male guests.”

Feeling as if she had been slapped, Bianca murmured an
excuse and left the table. It took effort to hold back the tears but she
managed to until she made it to the shadows of the corridor leading to the
kitchen. There she stopped in a shadowy alcove and let the tears flow freely.