Page 2 of Darcy By Day, Demon By Night

The afternoon tea was being held at the Huntington Gardens. I was able to portal us there so neither of us had to sit in uncomfortable LA traffic. We walked around a cluster of trees to a crowd of people who could've easily stepped right off the set of Bridgerton. I thought Yuri was going overboard with our costumes, but he got them perfect. We blended right in.

“You head that way,” he said, pointing to a large gathering of people near some long tables. “I’m going this way. We can meet back up in an hour to compare notes.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

To my disappointment, the cluster of people Yuri sent me to weren’t next to the food table. They were standing a little distance in front of it holding drinks they never sipped. I decided I couldn’t possibly be charming on an empty stomach and went around them to all the delicious looking food that wasn’t being touched.

I joyfully discovered that there were no tasteless sandwiches. There were tiny quiches, macaroons in various flavors, and all kinds of bite-sized delights.

I was so busy grazing that I didn’t notice her until she reached for the same sweet on the top layer of a three-tiered tray. Our fingers met over a petit four.

Yes I know what a petit four is. I was alive when they first became popular in Paris.

I looked up from the tray to lay my eyes on the most gorgeous bosom I’d ever seen. The outfit the woman was wearing was at least a size too small and her generous breasts were trying hard to pop out. It probably wasn’t comfortable, but damn it was enticing!

My eyes traveled up, noting her creamy skin, just a hint of a tattoo the dress didn’t quite cover on her shoulder, and finally her pretty round face with sparkling hazel eyes and a spattering of freckles across the bridge of a pert nose. Her chestnut hair was piled high on her head, showing off ears with multiple silver earrings dangling and chiming every time she moved.

Her hair was probably supposed to be an elegant coiffure, but whatever had been used to secure it wasn’t holding up well against her riot of curls. The curls were escaping in droves and framing her sweet face perfectly.

Then my gaze focused on her plump, kissable lips.

Plump kissable lips that were currently frowning at me.

I needed those lips to smile at me this instant.

“I believe this is yours, Juliet,” I said, picking up the entire three-tiered tray and holding it out to her. She took it without moving her gaze from mine.

“My name isn’t Juliet.”

I pretended to be confused. “It isn’t? I could’ve sworn you were Juliet because you are the sun, risen to nearly blind me with your radiant beauty."

Her mouth dropped open for a second, then she laughed.

“‘But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun,’” she said, quoting Romeo and Juliet flawlessly. “You’re good.”

“You’re better,” I answered with genuine admiration. “I didn’t think you’d get the reference. I expected to extend our conversation by getting to explain all the ways you were like Juliet before I revealed the play.”

She tilted her head, still smiling. “Does that work?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “You’ll have to tell me.”

I pulled off the top hat Yuri had shoved on my head and squished between my horns. I was sad she couldn’t see the real me, only the natural glamor that made me look human. I’ve been told my silver horns are dazzling in the sunlight.

I bowed low. “I know we haven’t formally been introduced, but I most humbly beg you to do away with those rituals for this meeting. My name is Vanth.”

“Please don’t do the fancy stuff,” she begged as I straightened up.

“No?” Now it was my turn to be a little confused.

“No.” She set the tray down and tugged a little at the overly tight bodice of her dress. “I’m not here because I want to be. My friend is obsessed with all things Jane Austin, so I agreed to come. I didn't know I’d be wearing a costume though.”

“Then we were destined to meet,” I said. “Because I got bamboozled into coming here by a friend too. He’s the one over there in the green coat.”

She looked over then nodded her head. “He’s talking to my friend. She’s the one wearing the peach.”

Yuri and the friend made a nice-looking couple. The way Yuri was angling his body and nodding rapidly at whatever the woman was saying told me he was interested.

My concern for my soft-hearted friend took precedence over the lovely, chestnut-haired beauty standing next to me.