Free [Samuel Barbara] Lucien's Fall(Book4You) by Unknown

gauzy and light. Madeline crossed it over her chest demurely and began to tuck the ends into her bodice.

    "Oh, not like that! It will ruin the effect completely!" Summarily, she took it from Madeline’s hands and rolled it into an elegant twist that she tucked into the edges of the bodice. Madeline’s nerves screamed, but she forced herself to be still until Juliette was done.

    When her stepmother was finished, Madeline moved before she snapped at Juliette. Taking up an exquisitely simple diamond pin, she tucked it into her dark hair and admired the subtle wink of it. "Yes"

    Juliette kissed her. "Wonderful, ma cherie."

    They walked down to the salon together. A quartet of musicians played in the corner, viols and clavichord, a sweet background note. Lightning flashed against the long French windows, illuminating the gray-green fronds of the trees tossing in a powerful wind. "It’s going to be quite a storm," Madeline commented.

    The marquess joined them, bowing deeply over Madeline’s hand. His wig was rather more solid tonight and didn’t slip forward the way it often did. He’d left it unpowdered. The sable color gave life to his complexion, a brightness to his eyes. "You look especially well this evening, Charles," Madeline said.

    "Thank you." His mouth was dry on her hand. "I might say the same for you, but it would be blasphemous to compare my humble health to your blazing beauty."

    Madeline chuckled. "Quite poetic, my lord."

    "Ah, there’s Lord Esher," Juliette exclaimed. "I have an important matter to discuss with him. Excuse me."

    With a pang, Madeline glanced up. Lucien—for she’d come to think of him as Lucien, not Lord Esher, which sounded stuffy and elderly—paused at the door, as if deciding whether the company were to his taste. He cast his gaze toward the quartet, and Madeline saw him wince before he turned toward the rest of the room. His expression darkened when his gaze fell upon a new member of their party, Anna Stiles, the countess of Heath, an old friend of Juliette’s who liked to escape her elderly husband whenever possible. Lucien, staring at her, looked quite as thundering as the sky, but the countess only smiled.

    "Looks like we’ll have a quite a storm," Charles said conversationally.

    Madeline returned her attention to the man alongside her. "Yes," she said.
    "You’re almost certainly correct this time." From the corner of her eye, she watched Juliette in her plum gown sail through the room.

    From a corner, Jonathan suddenly appeared and waylaid her with a hand to her arm. He bent close to whisper something in her ear. Juliette tried to pull away, but Jonathan held her steadily, and in moments, Juliette appeared to sway toward him.

    Then, abruptly, Juliette yanked away. With a sharp, quiet word that Madeline could only guess at, Juliette stormed through the little knots of people toward Lucien.
    Madeline looked back at Jonathan, and quickly away, for there was on the young man’s face an expression of naked yearning of such vastness it pierced her clear through.

    "Poor chap," Charles said. "He’s quite besotted, isn’t he?"

    "I’m afraid so." Madeline watched Juliette approach Lucien, who stood lazily at one end of the room, gazing at the party with an air of aloof amusement. Juliette, tiny and perfect, her bosom as creamy and white as rose petals, smiled up at him. ’Whatever she said caused Lucien to laugh.

    A tiny wave of something unpleasant washed through Madeline. With effort she said dryly, "It looks as if my stepmother has marked other prey."

    "Indeed." He offered his arm. "Shall we walk?"

    Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, she said, "Perhaps we ought to wander over there and chat with Jonathan. He looks quite devastated."

    "Yes, let’s do."

    But before they could move, Jonathan spun on his heel and left the room. Into the air rang Juliette’s high, clear laughter. Madeline narrowed her eyes. "I’ve despised her cruelty since I was a