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“You won't get throughself-assurance “Give it everything you've got, Stephen—or I'll cast someone ill”
Stephen's htened It was clear that Scott's barb had found its ed, evidently hoping to catch Scott off-guard
Responding with a short laugh, Scott parried expertly, and the foils scissored and clashed as the two e “More, Stephen,” Scott said, his breath quickening from exertion “Haven't you ever lost a woman before? Wanted to kill someone for it?”
The other actor's temper seemed to flare, as Scott clearly intended “Yes, damn you!”
“Then show me”
Stephen exploded in a flurry of movement, his face intent beneath a veil of sweat Scott praised his efforts with a few terse words, retreating andforith his own volley of feints and thrusts Madeline wouldn't have expected a large ht of Scott literally took her breath away He was powerful, coly self-controlled Fascinated by the intense battle, Madeline drew closer for a better view
With a shock of dismay, she felt her foot catch on the valise she had set on the floor, and she fell against a small table piled with props A candelabra, a few pieces of china, and an extra foil dropped to the floor, shattering and clanging noisily The actors' concentration splintered, and Logan Scott's head whipped around toward the right wing At the saed forith his foil, unable to halt his momentum
Scott gave a e hand clasped to the opposite shoulder The ensuing silence was disturbed only by the actors' rapid breathing
“What the hell…,” Stephen , where Madeline struggled to her feet He glanced back at Scott, ore a strange expression
“Stephen?” Scott said, his voice slightly raspy, “it appears that the tip came off your foil” As he spoke, a rush of scarlet spread between his fingers and over his shirt
“My God!” Stephen exclai with horror “I didn't know…I didn't mean to—”
“It's all right,” Scott replied “It was an accident Your performance was exactly what I wanted Do it that way every time”
Stephen stared at hi torn between despair and laughter, “how can you sit there directingall over the floor? At tiaze fro bloodstain on Scott's white shirt “Don't et someone to help…send for a doctor…”
“There's no need for a damned sawbones,” Scott called tersely, but Stephen had already fled the stage Muttering beneath his breath, Scott tried to lurch to his feet and fell heavily again onto the floor, his face whitening
Madeline threw off her cloak and snatched at her woolen scarf “Here,” she said, rushing out of the wing and dropping to her knees beside hiainst his shoulder “This will help stop the bleeding”
Scott inhaled sharply at the painful pressure
Their faces were very close, and Madeline found herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen, shadoith thick dark lashes The irises were lined with sapphire and seemed to contain every shade of blue, from the darkest depths of the ocean to the palest midwinter sky
Madeline discovered that she was oddly short of breath “I'lance over her shoulder at the pile of broken stage props, “…all that It was an accident I' the rehearsal fro, and I tripped—”
“Who are you?” he interrupted coldly
“Madeline Ridley,” she replied, using her grandmother's maiden name
“What are you doing here, aside fro my rehearsal?”
“I'ain, and all of a sudden there seemed to be no choice except to declare her intentions in a bold, straightforward et his attention somehow, to separate herself from the numbers of women who must throw themselves at him all the time “I want to be your next lover”
Clearly caught off-guard, Scott stared at her as if she had spoken in a foreign language He took his tiirls like you”
“Is it e?”
There was a flare of laughter in his eyes…not friendly, but s”
“I'm older than I look,” she said swiftly
“Miss Ridley” He shook his head in apparent disbelief “You have a unique way of introducing yourself to a man I'm flattered by your interest However, I wouldn't touch you if my life depended on it Now if you'll excuse me—”
“Perhaps you need more time to think about my proposal,” Madeline said “In theme a job I have many skills that could be useful in the theater”
“I'm certain you do,” he said dryly “But none that I require”
“I'm educated in literature and history I also speak fluent French, and I can sketch and paint quite well I would be willing to sweep,that needs to be done”
“I'ht-headed, Miss Ridley I'm not certain if it's from loss of blood or sheer a” Scott got to his feet, the color having returned to his face “I'll have someone recompense you for the loss of your scarf”
“But I—” she began to argue
A se as various members of the theater co,” Scott said, see annoyed by their worried excla with reenroom, surrounded by carpenters, musicians, painters, dancers, and actors, all of them determined to help him
Madeline stared after him What a reh ood looks and htless than extraordinary: a once-in-a-lifetime experience