But that peace was utterly and completely Остаться в живых on Don Rafael’s beautiful young daughter, Elena. At the moment, she was riding her horse at breakneck speed toward the hacienda, trying desperately to reach Главная before complete darkness set in. Though it had been only early evening when she began her daily ride, nighttime was now fast approaching and she feared her father’s wrath should she fail to arrive before the sun set.
She inwardly cursed herself for her foolishness.
In complete defiance of her father’s command to the contrary, she had spent the first half-hour of her outing galloping through the grounds at recklessly exhilarating speeds. Over streams, around trees, and through fields without abandon she rode, delighting in the feeling of the wind in her long, unbound hair and the warmth of the slowly setting sun on her flushed and glowing face. But after a time she had grown tired and dismounted at a grove of oak trees near the center of the grounds.
She dropped down upon the dense carpet of трава at the base of a particularly ancient дерево with complete disregard for her lacy white gown. Leaning up against the trunk, she had paused, an almost trancelike expression on her face, to revel in the majesty and grandeur of the picturesque California sunset. As the radiant sun slowly descended behind the hills, it painted the sky with vibrant shades of rose, flame, deep purple, and gold, resulting in an absolutely breathtaking display of natural beauty.
Unfortunately, though, the beauty of her scenic surroundings gradually dulled her senses and she had eventually succumbed to the lure of sweet, peaceful slumber. When she awoke with a start, the sun, which had been well over the hills before she drifted off, had almost completely vanished behind the landscape.
Now, as she raced off toward her destination, many anxieties and frantic worries flooded her mind, rendering it in a hopeless state of panic. Would she be able to reach Главная before dark? Would her father notice her prolonged absence? Would he be angry with her?
She smiled with cynical amusement in spite of her mental unease. He most likely wouldn’t even notice she was missing. But, on the other hand, her father did have an infuriating knack for noticing only the negative aspects of her behavior and would probably be pacing at the door, ready with yet another lecture on the many facets of a proper young woman and how unpunctuality most certainly was not one of them, in addition to defying authority, или lingering outdoors after dark unprotected and alone.
She grimaced in wry anticipation.
Elena continued on at her rapid pace, her thoughts devoted entirely to the completion of her goal, but as she neared the hacienda, a startling revelation occurred to her and she slowed to an abrupt halt.
It would not do for her father to see her arriving flushed and disheveled; her appearance would only add to his wrath and further increase the likelihood of her being prohibited from riding anytime in the near future. So, she paused, smoothed her rumpled and somewhat grass-stained dress, pulled her windblown hair back from her face using the clip she had removed earlier, and continued on at a slow, leisurely pace.
She was just approaching several Лошади tethered to a water trough in front of the chapel, when she thought she heard a voice, followed by a splash. Alerted as well as еще than a trifle curious, she stopped immediately and scanned the dim, shadowy Космос in front of her, searching for the unknown disruption of the quiet, peaceful summer evening.
Then, although she could see nothing, she heard the unmistakable trod of a footstep. Elena’s сердце fluttered in her breast at the sound and she tightened her grip on the reins apprehensively. She listened carefully for a moment, but heard nothing more, so, beginning to feel increasingly еще uneasy, she cautiously resumed riding.
Just your imagination, she told herself as she continued on. Probably your ears playing tricks on you, besides, Ты were asleep not еще than a few минуты ago, you’re most likely still a bit drowsy. With this rather unconvincing and slightly less than comforting assurance, Elena quickened her pace slightly and looked straight ahead. After all, she was never one to be afraid of anything---especially something she wasn’t entirely sure was even there---but, nevertheless; she preferred to vacate that area as quickly as possible, just in case something---r someone---was lurking in the shadows.
She took a shaky breath and swallowed nervously, sending a desperate plea heavenward for safety and angelic protection.
The danger seemed to have passed when, without warning, a man suddenly stepped out from among the Лошади and stood directly in front of her, blocking her path.
Elena suppressed a shriek and instead gasped, at first from fear, then from astonishment and wonder.
The intruder was tall, lean, and powerfully built, with glowing bronze skin and strong, corded muscles. His dark hair fell in loose curls to his broad shoulders, and the setting sun shone on his unruly locks, bathing them in its golden light. His jaw was firm and square and he had a small mustache with a hint of a goatee below his curved lower lip, which, Elena thought made him look rather handsome---in a rugged sort of way.
He wore a black mask over the вверх half of his face and Elena thought she could discern a certain flowery pattern on the fabric; probably a careless lady’s handkerchief he had found discarded in the streets at the marketplace. He wore tall leather boots and a red scarf tied around his waist. His tanned face, though partly concealed by shadow and half-covered by his mask, was still noted by Elena to be of exceptional attractiveness. A cape was tied around his neck with a frayed cord, and his loose white рубашка was haphazardly tucked into his dirty black pants and was gaping open at the front, revealing his upper chest and the thick, tightly curled black hair upon it.
This realization made Elena feel oddly pleased.
As her intent gaze lingered on that particular area of his impressive form, she noticed that a round, silver, somewhat tarnished, medallion hung around his neck by a chain. A strange circular Дизайн was etched in the metal, a pattern of small, yet gradually increasing, circles and larger ones surrounding them. Elena’s curiosity was instantly aroused, but that fascination was soon forgotten as it was superseded by another, far еще compelling, arousal.
She saw the expression in his deep brown eyes change from fear, to shock, to mischievous delight at the sight of her, and to her surprise, she found herself straightening up and actually smiling a little at his obvious and poorly concealed pleasure.
He examined her figure meticulously. Her hair. Her eyes. Mouth. Throat. Shoulder. His gaze lingered an excessively long amount of time on the rather low neckline of her dress, and a look of appreciation filled his eyes as he drank in every inch of her impeccable form. From the expression on his handsome face she supposed he had found her satisfactory---more than satisfactory, really. He returned her smile slightly and she suddenly realized she wanted him to look.
Now, this was a rather unusual occurrence; she was usually annoyed by the attentions and stares of men, and considered them bothersome and exasperating, but now she found herself not only encouraging, but returning them.
He took a quick glance behind him, and then, laying a calming hand on her horse’s nose, took a step toward her.
At his unexpected movement a feverish warmth suddenly engulfed her entire body, and her mind raced with thoughts, feelings, and imagined scenarios that she had never before experienced, the shocking indecency of these reflections caused her face to flush and her сердце to quicken.
Her skin was damp and her hands clammy; her corseted платье, бальное платье felt suddenly as if it clung to her form with unnecessary rigidity, compressing her breasts and impairing her breathing.
She was trembling, though not from fear---she knew she should be---after all, men like him were certainly not commonly portrayed as honorable, and in the present situation he could do precisely what he pleased with her.
But despite her obvious vulnerability, she felt no fear, only an intense…desire, but for what she did not know.
He brought one finger to his lips. “Be careful, señorita, there are dangerous men about.” A hint of a smile crept up the side of his perfect mouth and lingered there.
The sound of his low, husky voice set off a flurry of emotions inside of her. Her head swam and she reeled with the power of her raging senses. She tried to take a breath and seemed to feel her throat constrict. Her сердце was racing wildly and she felt as if she could not speak, but to her own astonishment and immense relief, she heard herself, sounding quite intelligent and articulate, say, “Well, if Ты see any, be sure to point them out.” A small smile played on her ruby mouth and her face fairly glowed.
His eyes widened, then filled with surprise and admiration, but then, to her dismay, he nodded, and slowly turned away.
No!
She wanted to call out to him, to implore him not to leave, and she was sure she would have if she had found her voice, but it seemed to have momentarily deserted her.
He ran up the steps leading to the roof of a surrounding building and paused at the top, the setting sun shining at his back, silhouetting him against it.
Elena thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
She gazed up at him, an expression of intense longing on her face, but with a last look back and a swish of his cape he disappeared behind a tower and was gone.
Elena continued to look up for a few precious moments, she dared not break the beautiful spell cast on her by the mysterious man in the black mask. But then the thrilling heat of desire for him evaporated from her body and was replaced by the hot flush of shame, as the embarrassing realization set in that she desperately needed to pay a visit to the village priest.
