Fates for Apate Read Online Free

rolled the stone of diplomacy up a hill, and every day it fell back down to the bottom. He had nearly given up on finding anything useful or even interesting in the constant stream of missives. Periodically he would find some mention of Silesia, but it was never enough to give any clue as to the expected disposition of the land at the conclusion of the Congress. More mention was made of Poland, but the term meant so many different things to so many different people that it was hard to establish which version of Poland to which they referred. His homeland had been sliced up like a pig at a feast so many times that it was difficult for anyone to know what the real boundaries were. But part of that was because the boundaries weren't something to be found on a a map. What defined his homeland were the people. The ones who knew in their heart they were Polish. Regardless of geography, regardless of names, regardless of what ruler dictated their future.
    But something else was eating at his peace of mind, as well. Typically he didn't look forward to the balls, but this time he would see  her  again. Mrs. Applegate seemed a poor moniker for her. He found his mind turning to her the last few days more often than he would like, but there was something about her that intrigued him. He knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew what it was.
     
    * * *
     
    George positioned herself in the midst of ladies chatting near the door. A dreamy gasp followed by the fluttering of fans around her made her glance to the entrance. Yes, her Prussian gentleman had arrived, but the reaction of the ladies around her was even more dramatic than she would have expected. Then she watched him saunter towards the group with a pleased smile on his face that managed to make him attractive rather than arrogant. His coat was the color of a ripe plum, the velvet flashing a deep purple where it caught the candlelight. Having approached their bevy he began to greet them individually, in each lady's native language. George was cynically impressed with his ability to flirt with ten women at once. Then it was her turn to be greeted. Her rational mind cataloged the aspects of how he engendered a response. He stood a bit too closely, yet without crowding. His grip on her hand was firm without being tight as he raised it to his lips to kiss. His touch was warm, even through her gloves. His eyes never left hers as he murmured a greeting, his voice low enough to infer that he only wanted her to hear it, perhaps even lean closer to hear it.
    "Good evening, Mrs. Appleton."
    Oh yes, he was good. Even while her mind analyzed his movements, she felt a shiver of awareness go through her. Being wise to his machinations did not, apparently, make her immune. She wasn't sure if he had studied seduction or was just a natural at it. But thus far he was her only potential entry to the Prussian delegation so she would play his game. She dipped her chin like a shy ingénue while shifting slightly to draw attention to what chest she did have. Looking up through her lashes she whispered, "Good evening, sir."
    She saw some emotion flicker through his eyes that looked suspiciously like disappointment. Then he moved on to greet the next lady in the group. 
    George felt a keen disappointment that he had let her go. A mild frown tugged at her lips. Although she had yet to have carnal relations with a man, her training had certainly included a number of encounters similar to this one. All of the men at Madame Blythe's were attractive and practiced, but none of them had caused this flicker of desire with so brief a contact. And she knew that her body language had clearly communicated desire, how could he find that disappointing?
    He chose one of the other ladies to dance with and her frown became even more pronounced. As he led the lady to the floor he glanced back and met her gaze, and upon seeing her expression he gave her a devilish smile. Now she was confused as well as irritated.