Chapter 15
‘Perry darling, you have not yet complimented me on my new polonaise? Lord William says the silver thread embroidery sets off my eyes magnificently while wicked Sir Samuel declares he shall compose an ode to my creamy shoulders.’ Xenia’s coy look only highlighted the s****l animal cunning that had always been such a successful ploy in drawing him to her.
Tonight it left Peregrine more than simply cold. Beneath the chandelier of a hundred beeswax candles Xenia looked an exquisite figure, cast in gold and ivory. Nestled amongst the curls of her pomaded hair, styled a foot high, was the ubiquitous galleon, symbol of her father’s wealth and the source of her own extravagant lifestyle.
That she would remain a beauty as she grew old was not in doubt. Her mother’s aristocratic legac
