Burning for Love (Kindred Tales)

Rissa could have screamed in frustration. All night long she’d been telling herself that this was the last dance she would ever have to endure with the disgusting Duke. And now he had gone and inveigled another! She only wanted to be back in her rooms with James, letting the big Kindred bathe her and stroke her body until she came for him again and again, but now her pleasure must be put off in order to suffer through one more stupid dance with Duke Grabbington.

“Come my dear—it is our very last dance—you cannot deny me,” Grabbington said. Taking her gloved hand in his, he led her into a quadrille with another couple and they began dancing around the ballroom, though Rissa thought there was nothing she would rather do less.

At least the dance was a lively one, she thought to herself. It was a group dance with lots of ducking under the other couples’ arms and twirling and whirling without touching your partner at all. That was much better than a waltz, which Duke Grabbington always used as an excuse to hold her much too tightly while he said unspeakable things in her ear.

There was a break in the music just as they reached the far end of the Grand Ballroom, which signaled the ladies to run and hide. Rissa shot a glance towards James and saw that he was at the opposite end of the large room. It was a pity, since she would have liked to go and “hide” behind the big Kindred. That way, even if the Duke caught her, he wouldn’t be able to do anything but kiss her gloved hand. James certainly wouldn’t allow anything else.

But the big Kindred was too far away and she knew she would never make it in time. Instead, Rissa ducked behind one of the many vast, black marble pillars that lined the far end of the Grand Ballroom. These were as big around as a man was tall and stretched upwards to the three-story ceiling with the awesome majesty of ancient trees. Rissa had heard it said that trysts were sometimes carried out behind their massive round curves, something which was only possible when the music was loud enough to drown out all other sounds.

Now she ran and hid behind the farthest black pillar. The gentlemen were still dancing in place to the sound of a single flute, their eyes solemnly shut as the ladies scurried to hide, muffling their giggles behind their fans.

Rissa, however, stayed perfectly silent. She had no wish for the Duke to find her. In fact, she was hoping to skip the last part of the dance entirely and simply make her way back to the other end of the ballroom where James was doubtless waiting for her.

She waited a long breathless time, hearing the shouts of, “Ah-ha! I have found you!” and, “Do you not know that you cannot hide your beauty from me, my lovely?” from various gentlemen as they “caught” their ladies and demanded a kiss. The ladies complied with nervous giggles, holding out their hands or offering their cheeks, depending, Rissa supposed, on how much they liked their dance partner. She watched all this from behind the vast curving side of the pillar she had chosen as her hiding place, just waiting for the dance to be over.

Since she detested the Duke, she was very glad when it seemed that he could not find her. The music had started up again and she was breathing a sigh of relief when someone seized her by the arm and spun her around.

“So, you think you’ll be rid of me!” Duke Grabbington snarled. His eyes were blazing and his mustaches were twitching in agitation.

“Unhand me, Sir!” Rissa gasped, tugging at his grip. “How dare you touch me in this manner?”

“Oh, I’ll do more than touch you, Princess,” he snapped. “You’re not getting away from me as easily as all that!”

And then he pressed her up against the cold marble pillar and kissed her full on the mouth.

Rissa gasped and spluttered, trying to get away from him. But his grip on her was like iron and before she knew it, his slick, slimy tongue had found its way between her lips and deep into her mouth. The taste of stale Port and wet cigarillos invaded her mouth, turning her stomach with sudden, fierce nausea.

She gagged and was nearly sick, but the Duke withdrew just in time, though he didn’t release his hold on her wrist—not yet.

“There you are, Princess.” He was leering at her triumphantly. “Just try and throw me over now! You’ve been compromised—you gave me a kiss full on the mouth and so you must choose me as your Consort!”

“What? No!” Rissa gasped, horrified. “I would never—you are the one who kissed me! In fact, you forced yourself on me!”