Page 42 of Enticing the Devil

Unable to resist her curiosity, Anne rose from the stool and stepped around to view his painting.

And her breath caught sharply in her throat.

He clearly had no training. His brushstrokes were unlike any she’d ever seen before in a watercolor. He didn’t bother with any blending at all and seemed to have simply thrown color on the page with no thought to composition.

Yet somehow it worked.

He’d painted her as she’d sat on the stool, her body partly turned away as she looked over her shoulder at him. In minimal sweeps of his brush, he’d managed to capture the hint of sunlight on her hair, the faint pink coloring her cheeks, and the strange blue-green of her eyes. It was undeniably her, even as it felt nothing like her.

It was too bold. Her gaze was too direct and confident. Her lips too sensual and her manner far too regal.

“Incredible.” She hadn’t meant to utter the word aloud and peeked quickly in his direction, hoping he might not have heard her.

But he gave her a sideways glance as he shrugged into his coat. “I’m no painter,” he grumbled.

“It’s beautiful,” she muttered quickly, not wanting him to think she was criticizing in any way.

“I just tried to recreate what I see.”

“This is how you see me?”

His black eyes met hers. For a long, breathless moment, Anne felt seen in a way she’d never experienced before. And then he looked away. “I can’t stay,” he muttered gruffly. “Excuse me.”

Anne could only stare in stunned confusion as the man abruptly walked away.

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BEYNON BLINDLY TURNED the corner around a tall garden hedge and nearly plowed right through a man coming from the other direction. As they both righted themselves, he forced himself to hold back a snarl of annoyance.

Running into his oldest brother at any time contained potential for a certain degree of discomfort. But to encounter him now, as his entire being seethed with frustrations barely kept in check, could only result in unintentional disaster.

“Beynon.” After nearly two years, the ever-proper Earl of Wright had only just started calling him by his given name.

Of course, Beynon had not exactly given the man much cause to assume the familiarity sooner. His first trip to London had lasted barely a couple weeks. This visit was certainly longer and he might have grown accustomed to the idea of having three half brothers and a young half sister since first learning of it, but there was still a small part of him that resented their father’s heir and only legitimate child.

It was an irrational resentment and Colin had proven himself many times over. But Beynon had a horrible tendency to hold a grudge and his oldest brother had unfortunately taken on some of Beynon’s residual resentment toward their father.

Still reeling from his experience with Lady Anne, Beynon didn’t manage to return the greeting before Colin’s attention shifted to something behind him.

By the subtle twitch of his brother’s brow, Beynon suspected Colin had spotted Lady Anne making her way back to the house.

“Is everything all right?” the earl asked, his tone even.

“Wonderful.”

The faintest frown touched Colin’s features before he smoothed it away. “How are you getting on with Lady Anne?”

Beynon clenched his teeth. Was he really going to have this conversation? Now? “Fine.”

Holding his gaze, Colin continued, “I don’t know the lady well, but she seems a gentle sort—rather shy and reserved. I hope you keep that in mind in your interactions with her.”

Beynon narrowed his eyes as irrational fury started to replace the desire he’d finally contained. “Are you afraid I’ll break her?”

“Not at all,” the earl replied, clearly taken aback by the vehemence in Beynon’s tone. “I just understand how it might be difficult for someone like her and someone like you to find common ground.”

“Someone like me?” Frustration curled Beynon’s hands into tight fists. “The Welsh Devil, you mean?”

Colin’s expression flashed with something akin to anger before he had the emotion swiftly concealed. Then he sighed. “No, Beynon. I mean someone with feelings and thoughts that run so strong and deep.” He lifted one eyebrow in a sardonic expression that was a near replica of one his wife often displayed. “You do realize you come off as rather antagonistic at times.”

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