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So exquisite was the work, she was not even eures were corateful Tavener had found a way to prevent Mrs Randall fro them

The final work held her once again transfixed The statue of the young wo with arhtly forward, a column capital balanced on her head

“She is one of six maidens,” Tavener said at her shoulder, “who supported the porch of the Erechthion, one of the sh she seeht of the world, unlike the other figures, she was lucky enough to keep her head”

“I cannot ie and perfectly forra marveled

“There were originally soer statues in the temple’s pediments, most of which were lost in an explosion when the teazine, was attacked by the Venetians The largest statue, a thirty-three-foot-tall iold, masterwork of the sculptor Pheidias, stood at the center of the temple”

“Was that also destroyed in the explosion?”

“Perhaps In any event, no trace of it remains”

Fascinated, for a long ti the variety of figures carved onto the frieze panels, which Tavener explained represented a festival procession to the teures, Allegra tried to guess their occupations and envision what their lives ht have been like

Certainly musicians ell represented Would her father’s status—and her own—have been higher in this ancient culture?

After studying the panels one last time, she took Tavener’s arm and let him lead her out of the shed

“You enjoyed the carvings?” he asked as they walked back to the curricle

“They are incredible!” she exclaimed

His fierce blue gaze, free this tiht and held hers “I knew you would love them,” he said simply

Allegra could neither explain nor put a naazes locked Though all the suggestive reical measure could Tavener be considered “safe,” still she couldn’t shake the strong sense that in his company she was protected, valued…at peace, as she had not been since the loss of her family

Then his eyes darkened with a heat she did understand, sounding a warning in her brain that allowed her to break free of his spell Pulling her gaze fro me”

“It was my pleasure” They had reached his curricle, the sense of connection still hu between them When she relinquished his hand after he’d assisted her into the vehicle, she felt somehow…bereft

To distract herself fro reaction, as he set the curricle in eable about the artifacts How did you learn about them?”

“My classics professor was acquainted with Reverend Hunt, Elgin’s chaplain whootiate with the Athenian authorities about the acquisition of the antiquities Hunt described to him how it came about”

“You are quite the scholar,” she said, intrigued to discover a ue

“Shockingly unfashionable, but I once thought there could be nothingoneself in the texts of the ancient Greeks and Roedies of Ho worth reading ritten by the twist of the lip, “race the Carlisle blood by beco, as he put it, a common clerk”

Though the words were pronounced casually, Allegra sensed an undercurrent of bitterness and regret Sympathy filled her, but before she could express it, he continued, “Luckily, I soon discovered the superior delights to be found in…tasting the company of a beautiful woman”

Taking his attention froaze on her mouth