A Dangerous Love

He groaned, but then he smiled. “I should have known! So it has been the Mongols…until now? Well, look at the bright side. You have a kumpa’nia right at Rose Hill. You can do research in the field.” He pulled her close and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. “You, my dear, shall be well swindled before this day is done.” He laughed and walked out.

Ariella felt her knees buckle. She moved to the closest chair and sat.

“What did he mean?” Dianna asked.

Ariella could barely believe her turn of good luck. Her family would now think her interest in Emilian no different from her recent passion for Genghis Khan.

“He meant, dear, that your older sister is very naive, too much so her for age and intelligence, and she is about to be hustled.” Margery smiled. “Unless, of course, we can dissuade her from her newest obsession.”

“That will never happen,” Dianna said, smiling, as well. “Ariella is not dissuadable, not when she is smitten with a new subject.”

“I, for one, think their wagons are works of art. Do you want to take a stroll down to their camp? We can admire their craftsmanship and decoration firsthand.” Margery’s eyes twinkled.

Ariella shot to her feet. “That is a wonderful idea.”

“I thought you might like it.” Margery winked at Dianna. “Maybe we can save her from a dangerous Gypsy.”

CHAPTER FIVE

WHILE MARGERY AND DIANNA paused to exclaim over a wagon painted fantastically red, green and blue and decorated with a carved horse head in a wreatelh, Arila stood on tiptoe and searched the entire camp for Emilian.