Free 'Twas the Night Before Mischief by Nina Rowan Page B

said, gesturing to the principal street where shop windows displayed their various wares.
    Penelope felt as if she were back in civilization after weeks in the wilds. Inverness was a lovely town with graveled roads bordering the River Ness and tidy, gray stone shops displaying clothing, toys, and wooden boxes painted in tartan. She purchased two dresses and a night rail, and Darius bought a new shirt and trousers before they returned to the hotel.
    Darius registered them as a married couple but procured two rooms. Somehow, he also managed to ensure that there was a fire burning in the hearth and a hot bath waiting in Penelope’s room.
    Once he’d gone to his own room, she indulged in a very long bath, soaping the grime from her skin and washing her hair twice. She put on one of the new dresses and met Darius down in the dining room.
    Her heart gave that now-familiar jolt when she saw him standing at the door, his tall, handsome figure made all the more imposing by his air of control. His dark hair was damp and combed back from his forehead. He’d also shaved, and the lack of stubble revealed the sharp angles and planes of his face, offset by his wide, sensual mouth and thick-lashed eyes.
    Beautiful. The word came to Penelope’s mind without thought. She wouldn’t have considered the adjective could be applied to a man, but with Darius Hall, there was no doubt.
    He was full of beauty. She tried to think of how Darius would define such a word. Excelling in qualities which delight the eye and bring forth admiration. Beautiful.
    A thousand other words appeared in her mind, like lily pads scattered over the surface of a pond. Intelligent. Kind. Determined. Thoughtful. Tender.
    Because one word was not enough to define Darius Hall. Penelope was beginning to think all the dictionaries of the world would not be enough.
    â€œYou look lovely.” His gaze was warm with appreciation. “And I was given to understand there is a delicious specialty of herring soup on tonight’s menu.”
    â€œThen I hope you enjoy it,” she replied.
    Darius laughed. He had a marvelous laugh, deep and rich. Exactly the way she’d imagined it would sound.
    Tingling with sheer pleasure, she sat in the chair he held out for her. Several other people were also taking their supper, but Penelope felt as if she and Darius were the only two people in the room.
    â€œWould you tell me about your family?” she asked, as their meals were served. She’d known the Halls for years, but had never really known Darius’s brothers and sister. She’d never really known him until now.
    Though she half expected him to decline, instead he told her with forthright affection about his three brothers and younger sister. Despite the scandal that had cracked the family’s reputation, the Hall children remained close and fiercely loyal.
    â€œAnd your twin?” Penelope asked, remembering Nicholas Hall as a high-spirited, reckless boy not unlike her own younger brothers. And the opposite of Darius.
    â€œLast I heard, he was in Canada,” Darius said. A faint shadow crossed his features as he sliced a potato in half. “Travels a great deal. I haven’t seen him in some time.”
    A palpable tension radiated from him, one that inexplicably made Penelope’s heart constrict.
    â€œAnd your brothers?” Darius asked. “Rambunctious lot, aren’t they?”
    She nodded. At ages six, five, and two, her three half brothers kept both her stepmother and the nursemaid busy all hours of the day.
    She felt Darius’s gaze on her face.
    â€œHas it been as difficult as you expected?” he asked gently.
    Unexpected tears stung her eyes. Penelope shook her head.
    â€œNo. You were right. Esther is a gracious, kind woman. My brothers are healthy little rascals. My father is happy. He and Esther have a good marriage. I suppose we should all hope for the same.”
    Penelope wished she could be