Page 5 of His Regency Goddess (Curves & Cravats)
Chapter Five
Sin indeed , Sophie gasped inwardly as she tried to refrain from fanning herself. The ‘clair’ had dropped off as soon as she met his gaze. This man could easily personify one of the seven deadly sins as lust erupted in her body. She had told the universe she wanted passion and now providence was tempting her with a simple kiss on the hand. Margot's derisive snort brought her out of her cascading thoughts and she quickly let go of Sin's hand. The twinkle of mirth in his dark eyes and his lazy smile told her he had not missed a second of her reaction.
"Ah, ladylike as always, dear wife," Daniel told Margot jovially with a kiss to her forehead.
"Well, if Sin does not mind, I think I shall stick with calling him Sinclair " Margot retorted as she linked arms with Sophie.
"You can call me anything you wish, beloved of my oldest friend. We will become fast friends yet." Sin winked at Margot and she failed to stop her blush at the charming but roguish gesture. Frustrated at the winking Sin and the guffawing Daniel, Margot hit the latter with her reticule.
"Lord help us to deal with men that are boys and fools," she proclaimed as she tugged Sophie away and gestured for Cecily to follow.
Sophie was still too stunned by her encounter with Sin to speak. She could not stop herself from casting a backward glance and saw his eyes were still on her. The distance made her braver and she gave him what she hoped was a coy smile. Her inner critic told her to stay away from Sin, but her inner heroine was telling her to indulge in one of the seven cardinal vices – and sin.
Sophie sipped at her ratafia as Margot raged to Cecily and some of the other women about the follies of rakes in the ton and how they should be made to live abroad during the season.
"But Margot, was your husband not once a rake himself?" asked a tall brunette, whose name Sophie could not recall. The question held no sign of malice, just curiosity, but Margot's mouth dropped open in horror.
"Never! My Daniel may have had a few dalliances, but never did he do so with a lady, and he courted me with all the respect and chivalry one could want in a beau." Her chin jutted down at a stubborn angle. Sophie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. A fiery Margot was always entertaining and would admit to her hot temper once cooler heads prevailed, but something about Sin really riled her up. Sophie also had the privilege, as Margot's best friend, of knowing about the roguishly stolen kisses and caresses she had shared with Daniel before they wed. They had giggled about them for hours on end with Sophie asking her to repeat every detail. She was two years older than Margot but had always taken the role of the younger sister in their friendship. Margot was always her staunch supporter.
Now, a change in topic was clearly needed, so Sophie asked Margot about the first opera they were planning to see. This proved a worthy distraction, as the women began to gossip all at once about who was playing what role and who had which seats. Satisfied that the group’s attention was now completely focused on a topic that would go from strength to strength as far as gossip was concerned, she leaned over to Cecily.
"Cecily, I know you have an event planned for viewing it, but would it be an imposition for me to see the Botticelli? I hope you do not think me too forward for asking," she said in a soft whisper so no one else would hear.
Margot had confided this titbit in her, and Sophie had asked if it would be too forward to ask for a glance tonight. Sophie loved art, and knowing there was a famed artwork in the vicinity was too much to bear.
Cecily, endearing as always, smiled and nodded as she brought a finger to her lips and stood up. Giddy with excitement, Sophie stood with her, and splashed a little bit of ratafia on her dress.
"Oh, good idea, a guise!" Cecily applauded her quietly before turning loudly to the group.
"Sophie has soiled her dress. We must go and clean it up," Cecily announced.
Not my intention to highlight my clumsiness, but a small price to pay in the bigger scheme of things , Sophie thought as the women glanced sideways at her before turning back to their conversation. She knew James wanted to keep the painting veiled for a special event, but she would not be able to sleep tonight if she didn't get a chance to see it. She followed Cecily down a long hallway and into a library. In the middle of the room stood an easel, its contents draped. A servant had followed them in, and Cecily requested they light all the candles in the room.
"I will leave you to your admiration, Sophie. I have seen it so many times now it has quite lost its lustre. Come back the way we came and find me, and I will send for the candles to be snuffed." Sophie was astounded by Cecily's simple and pleasant attitude towards such a marvellous wonder. She stopped trying to understand the other woman and rushed to the easel. Gently, she pulled the sheet down inch by inch as she took a deep breath to contain her excitement. As the plain covering fell away, The Birth of Venus erupted in front of her eyes in a dizzying array of vibrant colours and textured strokes of creativity. Despite there being four figures in the painting, her eyes were automatically drawn to Venus herself. She held her fingertips as close as possible to the artwork without actually touching it and marvelled at her captured expression. Venus, in her mind, seemed unperturbed by what surrounded her as she rose from the clam shell in her nude glory. She looked resigned but beautiful, regal but without haughtiness. Sophie's eyes took in the ginger waves and soft white curves so like her own. She knew she boasted a more voluptuous figure, like those found in ancient stone carvings. They always filled her with confidence when she admired their beauty.
"Beauty. Such a work of beauty," she murmured as her eyes roved over the rest of the painting and noted the intricate details captured in this mythic event.
"A work of beauty indeed," said a husky voice from behind her.