It was at the gentlemen that she looked closely and consideringly. There were many of them, all ages and sizes and conditions. A few of them looked back at her despite her disguise, which must be singularly unappealing. She saw none she particularly fancied. Not that she had to /fancy/ the man who was going to put money into her empty coffers.

Her attention caught and held upon two particular gentlemen, not just because they were both young and handsome, though they /were/, but because there was such a startling contrast between them that she felt she was looking at the devil and an angel.

The devil was the older of the two. She would put him in his middle thirties if she had to guess. He was very dark of both hair and complexion, with a handsome, rather harsh face and eyes that looked black. It seemed to her that he might be a dangerous man, and she shivered slightly despite the terrible heat in which she was enclosed.

The angel was younger – probably younger than she. He was golden blond and classically handsome, with regular features and an open, good-humored face. His mouth and eyes – she was sure they were blue – looked as though they smiled frequently.

Her eyes lingered on him. He looked tall and graceful in the saddle, well-muscled legs showing to advantage in tight buff riding breeches and black leather boots as they hugged the sides of his mount. He looked slender but well formed in his dark green close-fitting riding coat. It molded itself to his frame, and she knew that it must have taken all of his valet's strength to get him into it.

Angel and devil had both noticed her and were looking – the devil boldly and appreciatively, the angel with what looked like sympathy for her widowhood.

But then they were distracted by the sight of someone they knew – two people actually, a very fashionable lady on horseback and her companion, a man who was mockingly handsome.