Free Enchanted by Your Kisses by Pamela Britton

letter.
    He studied the paper more closely. Obviously the author knew who he was. Equally obvious was that he didn't wish it to be revealed to the eyes of probing servants. Unfortunately, the note gave no indication as to whether this person was friend or foe.
    But it must be a friend, he decided a moment later, for a foe would have simply had him arrested.
    "Do you know who delivered it?" he asked the still waiting servant.
    "No, sir," the man responded, staring somewhere above his head, the servant's green livery spotless despite the lateness of the hour.
    "And it was delivered when?"
    "Sometime this evening, sir. We're not sure when."
    Nathan glanced at the clock on the mantel. For the first time since realizing Ariel had left the ballroom, he felt a modicum of calm. Perhaps this night would not be a loss after all.
    "Have the carriage brought around again."
    If the servant thought it an odd request, he concealed it well. Of course, his uncle paid them to conceal their emotions well.
    It took time to harness the vehicle, then more time to reach his destination. By the time he reached the Black Swan, it was a few minutes before midnight.
    Surprisingly enough, the inn was not at all in a bad part of town, an indication that his benefactor must not be of the lower orders. In his experience, like socialized with like. The structure was large, with paned windows that spilled light onto the street. The sign that hung above the door was shaped like a swan, the words "The Black Swan" carved into the surface painted in white. And though it was late, voices still rose and fell inside.
    Could one of those voices belong to the person who would help him find his brother? His hands clenched in anticipation. Pray God it did.
    The door was heavy, the iron handle cold. A blast of warm air hit him in the face. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light. The voices dipped in volume as they assessed the newcomer, then swelled again. Not a lot of occupants, he realized, his nerves stretched taut as he waited to be recognized.
    No one came forward.
    He moved into the room. Waiting. Took a seat at a table with a well-polished sheen to its surface. Another indication of the establishment's ability to cater to the wealthy. A glance around the room confirmed his supposition. The men inside were well dressed, their appearance neat. Nathan met the eye of every one of them, yet no one nodded, no one stood up, no one spared him a second glance.
    His frustration mounted. Damn. What nonsense was this? Had the man decided not to show?
    But Ariel D'Archer had shown. She stared through Phoebe's carriage window to her left, her eyes still burning with the image of Nathan descending from the ducal carriage, anger, humiliation and unexpected hurt making it difficult to breathe.
    Fiend. Miscreant. Cad.
    Tears clouded her vision as she leaned against the black carriage squabs. "Drive on," she ordered the coachman. She'd seen all she needed to see.
    Nathan Trevain , her "friend," was none other than Helios, master spy from the colonies.
    And on the heels of that thought came the realization that her father would have her hide.
    Used. Again. By another man.
    She wiped her eyes, forcing the tears away. She would not cry when it was her own stupidity that had landed her in such a situation. But she hadn't been ignorant, she reassured herself. Her internal warnings had gone off enough times to know something was odd about Mr. Trevain's sudden offer of help. But what made it so awful, what made it nearly unbearable to take, was that she'd started to like him. Truly, truly like him. That he wasn't the man he wanted her to think he was made Ariel's hands clench in the dark gray cloak she wore. A sickness crept into her throat. The urge to vomit on Phoebe's carriage floor was nearly overwhelming.
    Buck up, my girl. At least you've found out now.
    Found out what? she asked herself. That a man you've actually liked has turned out to be just like Archie, only worse?
    She