A Foreign Affair Read Online Free Page A

woman is nothing without a man to appreciate her,” she murmured throatily.
    “My feelings precisely. I am glad we are in such agreement, Princess. But the beautiful woman in this case is always surrounded by crowds of admirers—too much distraction for the true connoisseur. A true connoisseur of feminine charm and beauty needs peace and quiet to appreciate it properly, something like a carriage ride in the Prater tomorrow afternoon, perhaps, where there is nothing to keep him from concentrating entirely on the object of his admiration.”
    “Oh.” One white hand flew to her throat. The man was not only divinely handsome, he was masterful as well, enough to make any woman’s pulses beat faster, even a woman who had been the constant object of masculine attention and admiration from the moment of her come-out. “Oh yes. I shall look forward to it.”
    “And so shall I.” A bow, the quick pressure of warm lips on the back or her hand, and he was gone, leaving her to look forward to the next day with breathless anticipation. Seated in a barouche next to the handsomest man in Vienna, who, being a cavalry officer was undoubtedly an excellent whip, she would be the envy of every female who saw her. It would serve to secure her reputation as one of the leading beauties of the Congress. No woman could have asked for anything more. The princess smiled happily to herself as she considered the delights that tomorrow offered.
     

Chapter Three
     
    The princess rose earlier than usual the next morning and remained closeted with her maid for an inordinate amount of time, even for her. Orders were given that no one, not even her daughter, was allowed to interrupt her toilette as she prepared for the promised drive m the Prater.
    Thus excused from her customary late morning chat with her mother, Helena hurriedly disposed of her habit after her ride and hastened to the library to take advantage of the extra free time. However, as she entered the cozy, book-lined room, a room she had come to look upon as her own private sanctuary, she was astounded  to discover that it was already occupied. A tall dark-haired gentleman in a scarlet coat was there before her, perusing the shelves with a good deal of interest. His back was to her, and he was so intent upon examining the collection, her carefully chosen collection lovingly wrapped and carefully transported from the Schloss von Hohenbachern to Vienna, that he remained entirely oblivious of her presence as she entered the room.
    It was not until she quickly exited and reentered, coughing politely, that he turned around. It was a simple enough movement, but executed with an athletic grace that struck a responsive chord in her memory—a memory of a horse and a rider who had moved as one, a certain morning in the Prater. A cavalry officer, her mother’s cavalry officer, was the superb horseman who had caught her attention that morning and enraptured her with his prowess.
    “Oh!” Helena dropped the copy of Wiener Zeitung she was clutching.
    The officer bent quickly to retrieve it and handed it back to her, all in one fluid movement accompanied by a devastatingly attractive smile. “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” Bright blue eyes swept over her, taking in every detail from head to toe with a look so intense that she was left feeling as though he had learned all there was to know about her in a single glance. “Ou se trouve ta maitresse? J’attends la Princesse van Hohenbachern.”
    Ta maitressel Helena looked down at her plain lavender-striped morning dress, which was utterly devoid of ornamentation except for the simple flounce around the hem. He was entirely correct; she did look like a fashionable lady’s maid, she supposed. She glanced back at the major, who was looking at her expectantly. Her mother’s description was all too accurate. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, his French, the little that she had heard of it, was exquisitely pronounced. “But of course, sir, I shall