Desire (Notorious 3)

“Yes.”

“I see. And what is yer question, my lady?”

“I hoped you might tell me if… Is there anything I might do to end the curse?”

“Ye fear for yer lover,” the old woman surmised.

“Yes,” Brynn replied. “My husband.”

Picking up a coin, Esmerelda bit down on it with her few remaining teeth, testing. “‘Twill not be easy. The curse on Flaming Nell was wondrously powerful.”

“But can it be broken?”

For a long moment, the Gypsy scrutinized her. Finally she nodded. “Do ye love ‘im, yer ’usband?”

“I… I am not certain,” Brynn replied quietly, not wanting to face that question. “If I allowed that to happen, I would be endangering his life. I cannot bear the thought of causing his death.”

“But are ye ready to die for ‘im? That is what ye must ask yerself.”

“Die for him?”

“Aye, m’lady. Ye must love ‘im enough to sacrifice yerself. ”Tis the secret of true love. Are ye ready to give yer life for ’is? Only ye can know yer own ‘art.“

Brynn stared at the wizened Gypsy, her thoughts spinning. Could she love Lucian that much?

Finally she shook herself. “You are saying I must die for him?”

Esmerelda gave her a sympathetic look that held a touch of sadness. “Perhaps ‘twill not come to that.”

“But you cannot tell me what I must do to save him?”

“No, I cannot tell ye that, my lady. Only what I ken for certain. A love that is true can battle the most evil spell.”

It seemed a contradiction, Brynn thought with growing frustration. If she loved Lucian, he would die-yet she must love him deeply enough or he would die.

“Take ‘art, my lady,” Esmerelda said, reaching across the table to grip Brynn’s hand. “All is not lost.”

“Thank you, Mother,” she murmured, offering a distracted smile.

Rising slowly, Brynn left the tent, feeling somewhat numb. She had been given an answer of sorts: she must be willing to sacrifice her own life to save Lucian’s. And yet…

Could she actually credit Esmerelda’s enigmatic counsel? And if so, how could she initiate such a sacrifice, even if it was the key to breaking the curse?

Surprisingly, Lucian was at home when Brynn arrived. She found him descending the grand staircase as she entered with her maid.

As Meg scurried past him toward the rear of the house, Lucian bent to kiss Brynn’s cheek. “There you are. I wondered where you had gone. I trust you had a pleasant morning?”

Brynn hesitated. She didn’t want Lucian to know she had visited the Gypsy fortune-teller; she couldn’t have him asking disturbing questions about her reasons. If he probed too deeply, she would have to acknowledge her growing feelings for him, which alone might be disastrous.

“Yes,” she said finally. “I went with Raven to the lending library.”

She saw his eyes narrow a fraction. “Odd. I encountered Raven just now on my way home from Whitehall. She was bemoaning the fact that her aunt had required her attendance all morning.”

Brynn found it hard to contain her flush. “How scatterbrained of me. I meant, my friend Meredith. I visited the library with Meredith.”

Lucian glanced down at her empty hands. “You must not have found any books to your liking.”

“No, nothing,” Brynn replied, trying to appear undismayed as he searched her face. She gave him her most brilliant smile. “If you will excuse me, I must change for luncheon.”