Dream Castle by Andrea Kane

Author:Andrea Kane [Kane, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, General, England, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671735852
Google: US8CAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0671735853
Publisher: Pocket
Published: 1992-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

"Are you sure the bodice isn't too low?"

Kassie turned anxious eyes to Margaret, who shook her head firmly from side to side.

"The gown is perfect on you, Your Grace! Why, it is the very height of fashion! Stop fretting so. The duke will be speechless with admiration!" Her eyes twinkled.

Kassie raised a skeptical brow. "I doubt that, Margaret. I have yet to see Braden speechless." She cast another anxious glance at her reflection in the huge oval mirror. "Do you really think I will do?"

Margaret beamed. The rich sapphire gown swirled in delicate folds of silk about Kassie's ankles. The deeply cut bodice and long, tapered sleeves were trimmed with velvet, and the hemline was embellished with fine layers of lace. Kassie's cheeks were flushed with excitement, the brilliant color of her eyes more vivid due to the gown's vibrant blue shade. Her carefully arranged ebony curls provided a startling contrast to the creamy expanse of skin revealed above her bodice. Around her neck sparkled Braden's latest gift, a magnificent strand of emeralds and sapphires identical to the ones that shimmered on Kassie's wedding band.

"Will you do?" Margaret repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why, not another woman in the room will compare to you in beauty or grace!"

Kassie chewed her lower lip, still plagued by insecurity. "They are all accomplished noblewomen," she reminded her maid.

"You are a duchess," Margaret countered.

"A duchess in name alone," Kassie replied sadly. "No amount of finery in the world can make me what I am not."

"Nobility of the blood pales beside nobility of the heart" was the wise reply.

Kassie gave Margaret a tender look. "'Tis a shame it is not my heart that will be on display tonight."

"But it is your heart that has captured His Grace's."

Kassie's face lit up with hope. Margaret had given voice to Kassie's most fervent wish, one that seemed more plausible with each passing day and night. Could Braden be falling in love with her?

Suddenly all her doubts seemed foolish, her reservations inane. She might be going into the lion's den, but she was going on her husband's arm. And that made all the difference in the world.

With a determined nod at her reflection Kassie made note of the time and headed toward the door. She had agreed to meet Braden at the foot of the stairway in five minutes, and she had no intention of being late.

"Thank you again, Margaret," she said with a smile. "And wish me good luck—I shall need it!"

She made her way down the stairs leading to the ballroom Braden had designated for tonight's festivities. Already the musicians were playing, the sound of soft music drifting out into the hallway mingled with laughter and conversation. In the ballroom's open doorway Kassie could see Braden chatting with a group of gentlemen and patiently waiting for her to appear. The sight was both reassuring and oddly touching. Obviously her husband had not forgotten his promise to stand by her side and ease her way through the numerous introductions that would accompany her debut.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.