Sweeter Than Sin Read Online Free

more potent balm than time to heal her wounds but she did not have the heart to say so aloud.
    Brushing a few of the fallen petals from his breeches, the duke stood and gave a wry smile. "I am afraid I have destroyed the subject of your study."
    "No matter. I shall fetch a fresh rose and a blank sheet of paper and start over." Would that it was so easy to correct life's mishaps.
    Kyra waiting until her father's steps faded away before allowing a stifled sob. Tears pearled on her lashes." I wish I had died instead of Lexy," she whispered. "Everyone would happier for it."

Chapter 3

    " Deciduo ." Gazing up at the skies, Rafael added an oath in Spanish. " Diablo ! What is the English word—dessi... dessa... desser...?" he demanded of the hawk circling overhead.
    The bird's effortless flight seemed a mocking reflection of his struggles with language. With a lazy flap of its wings, it soared higher, then disappeared in the mist of the distant moors.
    On the morrow, he must remember to bring a dictionary. As well as another notebook and extra pencils. Glancing at the unruly piles of paper spread over the stone slab, he heaved a sigh. The task was proving even more daunting than he had first imagined. Though his English was usually flawless, he was out of practice. So he was having a devil of a time translating of Dona Maria's notes on the different varieties of her beloved beans.
    " Cacao theobroma, Theobroma sterculiaceae ," he muttered, looking down at the note in his lap. "What do you call such bloody trees?"
    "Deciduous." The reply seemed to come out of nowhere.
    His head jerked up. "What?"
    Straight ahead, the marble columns stood silent. Rafael looked to the lake and saw only a ripple of wind stirring the placid waters. Ghosts. In both word and pictures, he was surrounded by vivid reminders of the past. Was it any wonder that his imagination was playing tricks on him? Chiding himself for such flights of fancy, he forced his attention back to the spidery script.
    And yet, the scuff of steps sounded very real. He whipped around to catch sight of a dark flutter between the trees.
    "How do you spell that?" he demanded, giving silent thanks to the heavens there was no one around to see him shouting at shadows.
    Hearing naught but the rustle of branches in reply, Rafael shook his head. His father had often told tales of Devonshire's mystical roots. Such childhood memories were provoking odd—
    "D-E-C-"
    He shot up from his seat, spilling the pencil and papers from his lap. "Who is there?" he called, taking a tentative step toward the forest. "A druid? A fairie?"
    As if by magic, a figure materialized from among the tree trunks. "A very ordinary passer-by."
    Rafael stared in openmouthed surprise. The hooded cloak and muslin gown were indeed unremarkable. But the young lady herself was a vision of ethereal beauty. Slim as a shaft of sunlight, with a delicate face pale as the morning mists. He blinked, half expecting the apparition to disappear in a puff of smoke.
    She was still there, however, and eyeing him askance. "Shall I go on? Or have you decided you do not wish to write it down?"
    He quickly retrieved his pencil and notebook.
    Her voice still soft as the lakeside breeze, she spelled out the rest of the letters.
    "Thank you." He looked up from the page, still unsure whether he was awake or dreaming. "As you have witnessed, my English leaves much to be desired."
    "As does my Latin," she replied slowly. " Theobroma cacao ? It sounds familiar and yet... "
    "You know it as chocolate."
    "Chocolate." Her expression was inscrutable, though he thought he saw a small spark of interest light in her eyes. They were, he noted, a deep leafy green, with flecks of gold that mirrored the cluster of curls framing her face. "That explains why I did not recognize it right away. I know most of the local flora by heart."
    "Are you interested in plants?"
    The young lady shrugged. She slanted a glance at the notes spread across the stone stab, but