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.Alec smiled slightly,hesitating before fram-ing her small face with his hands and brushing his lip-lightlyagainst hers.As he felt the warmth and the yielding of her mouth, he kissed herlonger than he had intended, taking advantage of her parted lips with more hungerthan was proper to demonstrate in public.He heard a few gasps from outragedbiddies who would later whisper among themselves disapprovingly about hisdemonstration, and there were also a few chuckles from others in the congregation.Their lips parted slowly, similarly moist from the kiss, and Alec thought of theendless day ahead of them with a flare of exasperated impatience.Mira smiled at himas if she knew what he was thinking, her eyes gleaming with private amusement as hereluctantly let go of her.Chapter Fourteen« ^ »Mira's bridal anxieties were increased greatly by the sight of the Falkner estate.The thick, clustering forest that surrounded it contained kinds of trees and plants thatshe had never seen before, brought from faraway places.The private road took awide, gentle turn, and then Mira was presented with a vision that took her breathaway, a castle that rose majestically from a broad hill.Pale gray towers threatened tobreak through the clouds that wafted lazily overhead.A pair of ornamental lakesframed the east and west sides of the castle, their glassy surfaces reflecting thevaulted arches and mullioned windows that formed a pattern of granite-block on thewalls.Mira was convinced that hundreds of people could live there comfortably, andsuddenly she wanted to beg Alec to take her to some small, unassuming cottage andstay there with her forever.What was going to be expected of her? How was shegoing to adapt to this kind of life?Since it would take days to explore the castle thoroughly, Mira was given only acursory tour by Juliana, while several other Falkners followed and observed herreactions.Alec's wife was an object of fascination for them all, since they haddebated hotly for the past few years about what kind of woman he would eventuallychoose to wed.There was no sign in their blank, curious faces as to whether she hadfulfilled or contradicted their expectations.Although Mira managed to take note of the mostimpressive features of her newhome, more of her attention was focused on the members of the Falkner family.They were as dark as the Berkeleys were blond, most of them black-haired andgreen-eyed.Mira found them to be an intriguing lot, for although they appeared to beas well-mannered, refined, and haughty as the Berkeleys, a striking air of robustnesssurrounded them.Though she had hardly been exposed to them long enough tomake any judgments, they seemed to be volatile and quick-tempered.After meetingthis brood, Mira suddenly understood how her husband had developed his icy,inflexible stare, his manner of authority, and his ability to sense other people'sweaknesses and strengths.In order to manage the Falkners and the vast complex ofresponsibilities that being the head of the family entailed, it was necessary for Alec tobully, persuade, and cajole by turns.It was a source of interest and amusement to Mira to watch Alec deal with thedifferent people who approached him, and she discovered over the next few daysthat he had the makings of an excellent politician.To the caretaker, the servants, andthe various professional people who came to the estate to speak with him, Alec wasquiet and businesslike.With Juliana, his uncle Hugh, and his assorted cousins, hewas courteous and unyielding.With Juliana's two gray-haired spinster sisters, Letitiaand Jessamine Penrhyn, Alec was gentle.He treated his eighteen-year-old brother,Douglas, who was shy and rather bookish, with an almost fatherly protectiveness.And with his cousin Carr, Alec was sarcastic, frank, and devilishly amusing.Hesensed all of their needs, and he managed them with a velvet-clad touch, guidingfirmly and yet allowing more than enough freedom when it was needed.Mira was theonly one whom he could not manipulate and did not even attempt to.She was not aresponsibility but a necessity.She was his essential luxury.And in the privacy of thekeep, a suite ofseveral rooms in the castle that were theirs alone to frequent, Alecindulged in her, loved her, and cherished her.On their wedding night, Alec allowed her private time to prepare for bed, and helingered downstairs while she dressed slowly in a lacy white gown.The bedroomwas resplendent with the same dignity as the rest of the castle, with an intricateplaster-molded ceiling, Louis XIV furniture, a French tapestry, and an Aubussoncarpet.Mary, a maid who had left the Berkeleys' employ in order to attend her,arranged Mira's hair in long, perfect curls and brought her a crystal flask filled withperfume.The scent was a fresh, clean distillation of sandalwood and roses, and Mirasniffed it approvingly before applying it sparingly to her throat and wrists."Would you like me to stay wi' you until " Mary began kindly, noticing thetrembling of the flask that Mira held."No, thank you." Mira smiled at her faintly."I think I would like to be alone for alittle while, Mary."The maid curtsied and left quietly.Sprawling on the bed and propping her chin inher hands, Mira stared into the crackling fire that lit the fireplace.It was not a coldnight, but she was glad of the small, cheerful blaze.It lent a companionable warmthto the room, casting its light on the walls and softening what could have been a harshsilence with the sound of its burning.In a few minutes she heard the steps of bootedfeet outside the door.There was a brief hesitation before a few light taps descendedon the wood paneling."Come in," Mira said, surprised at the thin sound of her own voice.She jumpedup, folding her arms protectively across her chest as Alec entered the room.His eyes drank in the sight of her, and a smile shaped his mouth as he closed thedoor."I couldn't wait any longer," he said softly [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]