Page 81 of Taken by the Rake (The Scarlet Chronicle 3)

He waved his free hand. “Later. I will sketch her. Right now I am committing her to memory. She looks pale and thin.”

“Does she? She does not look as though she is being mistreated.”

“No, but neither is she the picture of health. She used to have roses in her cheeks.” He squeezed Honoria lightly. “Like you.”

Honoria lowered her face to hide her flaming cheeks, but he was not looking at her. His gaze was out the window on the young girl. “She will be the picture of health again once we take her from the prison,” Honoria said.

“God willing.”

They stood immobile for several more moments, Honoria’s gaze on Laurent and his eyes following Marie-Thérèse. He was the sort of man she would never have looked at twice before. The cut of his jaw was too severe, the angles of his cheeks too sharp. His nose was straight as a blade. Every feature he possessed spoke of his noble lineage.

Except his eyes.

His eyes were not sharp or proud but soft and deep. He could narrow them into haughty emerald slits, but now when he looked at her, they were full of warmth.

With a start, she realized he was looking at her. How long had he been watching her watch him?

Now their gazes had met, and she felt the heat of his stare all the way to her toes. “Has she gone inside?” Honoria whispered.

“Who?” he murmured, his voice a husky rumble.

“The princess.”

“I don’t know. I became...distracted.”

“You should watch. We need to record how long she walks, how often, if the same guard takes her out...” She trailed off as his hand came up and caressed her cheek.

“Yes, we should do that.” His hand made a path of fire from her cheek to her lips. “We should take up our quills and write all of this down.” His thumb rubbed over her lips again and again until the friction had all but driven her mad.

“But we could do that later,” she suggested, curling a hand around his neck.

“Yes, later.” He leaned down until his lips brushed hers. “Much, much later.”

Eighteen

Laurent had not wantedto move, too afraid he would break the spell. He’d been so relieved to see Madame Royale alive that for several minutes he had stood transfixed, watching her. He’d wished he could hug her, wrap her up and take her away from the prison and the guard watching her. He wished he could take her back to Versailles and turn back time to the way it had been just three years ago.

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