“You have blown this so far out of proportion, Gabby. He’s not going to kill me for just looking at her.”
“His dire warning was that you couldn’t get anywhere near her, and while you might easily ignore a promise like that from any other man, you can’t from him. And how did you even find out about this ball?”
“You should have told me about it.”
Her scowl darkened over that accusation. “No, I shouldn’t have, which is why I didn’t. How?”
He sighed over her obstinacy. “That hotel you dropped us off at—by the by, thank you for that, it’s one of the best in town—keeps several coaches on hand for guests. I made use of one yesterday, even gave the driver the day off after he parked the vehicle across from Georgina’s residence. I sat there merely hoping for the briefest glimpse of her if she happened to leave the house, but she never did.”
“She has guests, so of course she wouldn’t leave, but that still doesn’t explain how you found out about this ball and where it was being held.”
“I’d been hiding there most of the day when two ladies from the area strolled past me, and I suppose because the Malory house was right there across the street, the subject of this ball came up. I nearly fell out of the coach trying to catch the end of what they were saying.”
Gabrielle sighed now. “You usually have perfectly good sense—until it comes to her, then you don’t have any at all. And how did you get in here without an invitation?”
He grinned suddenly. That had actually brought back memories of the hellion he’d been when he’d been trying anything and everything to get his father to disown him, none of which had worked.
He told Gabrielle, “The same way the two young lords I found out front discussing access did. I followed them around to the back of the house and watched them climb over the garden wall. Deuced small garden compared to Malory’s, and crowded, too, but mostly with others who’d got in the same way. Those who noticed our irregular entrance merely laughed.”
She tsked. “Ohr agreed to this madness? He was supposed to keep an eye on you. Aren’t you sharing a room with him so he can do that?”
“We were, but I made him angry enough to find somewhere else to cool off before we came to blows.”
“You didn’t!” she gasped.
“It wasn’t easy. You know how imperturbable he is.”
“You deliberately riled him up?” His guilty wince had her scold, “You owe him an apology.”
“I know.”
“Now would be a good time to apologize. Get out of here, Richard, while you still can.”
He weighed his options and decided that arguing with her any further would get him nowhere, so he nodded at Gabrielle and headed to the garden. At least he’d seen Georgina. Gad, she was as beautiful as he remembered, and he still wanted her so much! Time wasn’t making that go away. He hoped Gabrielle would believe he’d got what he’d come for and trust that he was leaving. But it wasn’t enough, this one sight of his love, not as long as he was in England and so close to her.
Apparently, Gabby didn’t trust him completely when she considered so much was at stake. She actually followed him to the terrace doors that opened to the garden, which forced him to leap over the wall and out of her sight. He went no farther, but he did wait at least ten minutes before he peered over the wall to make sure she’d gone back to join Drew in the main room.
It was a simple matter to make sure she didn’t discover him again. A wonderful thing, full face masks—at least tonight they were. They covered the entire face, except for the eyes, which of course was why they weren’t comfortable to wear. He’d already noticed another fellow in a full mask quite different from his standing alone below the terrace in the garden.
Richard vaulted back over the wall and quickly approached the man. He kept one eye on the terrace to make sure Gabby didn’t reappear. It took him a moment to realize the chap in the full mask was also eyeing the terrace.
“Care to swap masks, old chap?” Richard asked.
“No.”
The man didn’t even look at him! His glance went from both exits to the terrace, then to the pocket watch he held in his hand. He was obviously waiting impatiently for someone to join him. But it was like fate that this man’s mask was different from Richard’s, since a few he’d seen inside had been identical to his, so he tried again.
“Ten pounds?”
The fellow glanced at him now, even laughed. “Aren’t you the desperate one. I’d actually take you up on that if my mistress didn’t buy this mask for me specifically so she’d have an easy time finding me in the crowd. But I left word for her to meet me in the garden instead. Had a feeling this place would be a bloody crush.”
“Then there should be no problem. You’ll recognize her, won’t you?”
“Can’t say for sure, and I’m not about to miss her tonight for any reason.”
Since the man’s mistress was already late and would probably arrive at any moment, Richard suggested, “After she shows up?”
The fellow still shook his head. “Can’t do it. She bought it. You do realize what happens if you give away something your ladylove buys you?”
With no one else outside the ballroom wearing such a perfect disguise, Richard’s sigh was poignant. He should just leave. This was probably fate prompting him.
But the young lord must have heard his sigh. “You can’t have mine, but I came with a friend. Perhaps he’ll accommodate you.”
Being a good sport after all, the young lord even went to fetch his friend and the swap was soon made. Unfortunately, the new mask wasn’t at all to Richard’s taste; a devil’s face replete with ceramic horns, it was not even a full mask. The half mask left his mouth exposed, but what the hell, mouths weren’t all that distinctive. And he had no other options. At least Gabrielle wouldn’t recognize him so easily, though she might accost the fellow wearing his old clown mask. But she’d just end up a little embarrassed and give up looking for him, assured that he’d left.
Armored once more to his satisfaction—he even stuffed his long hair beneath his coat this time—Richard was prepared to risk all again for a few more hours of just gazing at Georgina from afar. In the back of his mind was the distinct worry that he might be tempted to do more than that, but he ignored it. He had to ignore it. He didn’t really want to die for love of another’s man wife.
Chapter Seven
THE BALEFUL EXPRESSION IN James Malory’s eyes wasn’t fleeting. It persisted, and because it did, Julia’s curiosity got the better of her. But she couldn’t see who or what had drawn his furious attention. Whoever it was, was on the same side of the room as she, but dozens of people in the way blocked her view. So when Carol tried to steer her back to her husband, Harry, to introduce her to the friend Harry was conversing with, Julia excused herself for a few minutes and wove her way quickly through the crowd. She had to peek over people’s shoulders and rise up on her toes every now and then to catch glimpses of James to see if she was lining up with his sight.
After a few minutes she got a clear view of him, but she was quite disappointed to find that she was too late. James had turned his attention back to his wife as he leaned down to tell her something. He even kissed her cheek, which caused an immediate oh-ah-isn’t-that-sweet collective sigh in the room, then quite a few embarrassed chuckles over it.
Georgina laughed, hearing the crowd’s reaction. James looked up at the ceiling in exasperation, no doubt, because he couldn’t help but hear that sigh, too. But then Georgina was distracted by one of her many relatives who had come up to talk to her, and James’s gaze went right back to where it had been before.
Like Carol, Julia couldn’t help the shudder that passed over her when he seemed to pin that feral gaze right on her! She realized that he must be staring at one of the four people who were standing in front of her on the edge of the crowd facing the dance floor. The music stopped briefly, so the few couples who had been dancing left the floor, which gave her a clearer view of James. Whi
le his stone-faced expression still gave away nothing, his green eyes had turned lethal. Amazing how he could have murder on his mind and you simply wouldn’t know it unless you caught that gaze.
Then it occurred to her that the man really did usually keep his feelings to himself, so he must be exhibiting them deliberately now. Was he sending someone a message? She tried to figure out who had James’s undivided attention.
Of the four people standing with their backs to her, a woman and three men, the woman and one of the men were obviously together. The second man was a short, stocky fellow easy to see over. The third man was tall enough to easily stand out in the crowd.
The couple were so engrossed in conversation that they hadn’t noticed anything amiss, and as soon as the music started again, they moved onto the dance floor. James’s gaze didn’t follow them, which left the two men. The short one suddenly turned and hurried off behind Julia, and she couldn’t mistake his shudder as he passed her. He disappeared beyond the open doors to the terrace, and James’s gaze didn’t follow his departure, either. That pretty much left the tall fellow.
She didn’t know many men outside of Malory’s family who were this tall, and James wasn’t likely to be this furious with a relative—actually, that had to be it! Georgina’s brothers, of course! How could she have forgotten James made no bones about his animosity toward them? He could barely tolerate them.
This tall, broad-shouldered man could be any one of Georgina’s five brothers. Julia hadn’t met all of them, though those she knew didn’t have black hair like this man. And come to think of it, James might not like the Anderson brothers, but he wouldn’t give any of them killing looks either.
She began to realize how silly her quest was. Unless she recognized this man, which was doubtful with everyone wearing masks tonight, what did she think she would discover? She couldn’t point out to him that he was about to die and ask him why. No, she wasn’t going to find out a single thing.
As she turned around to look for Carol, a rather loud sigh stopped her and made her glance at that wide, masculine back again. Had the man finally noticed James’s dire attention? If so, she expected to see the man run past her and out of the room, but he didn’t. Actually, that sigh had sounded rather pitiful—almost heartbreaking. That certainly wouldn’t have anything to do with James Malory, so this fellow probably still didn’t know he was in danger.
Should she warn him? While the titled ladies present might be constrained by the rule of not speaking to a man they hadn’t been introduced to, that rule didn’t apply to her. In the world of business, she had to speak to strangers all the time. But this really wasn’t any of her concern, and besides, her curiosity was prompting her to make assumptions that might not be accurate.
She turned to leave again, but then, appalled, found herself tapping the man’s shoulder instead. It was that pathetic sigh! How could she ignore something that forlorn?
“Are you all right?” Julia asked.
He swung around, and she was startled for a moment by the devil’s mask he was wearing. It was only a half mask though, with beneath it the shadow of a mustache, a pair of sensual lips, and a firm chin. But he barely spared her a glance before looking back over his shoulder where he’d been gazing.
With another sigh he said, “Look at her, she’s magnificent, isn’t she?”
He had a slight accent, though Julia couldn’t quite place it, but she wondered if he’d even heard her question. “You sound smitten,” she said, noting the obvious.
“More than smitten. I’ve been in love with her since I first clapped eyes on her last year.”
“Who?”
“Lady Malory.”
Julia managed to choke back a laugh because that had to be the last thing she’d expected to hear. But that certainly explained James’s animosity. Her curiosity had been satisfied after all.
The Malorys were extremely family-oriented. No matter which of their women this man was talking about, those present tonight were all married, so James would take exception. “Trespass against one and you’ve trespassed against them all” might as well be their family motto. Unless … no, this fellow wasn’t one of the Malory husbands merely admiring his wife from a distance. They were all present and accounted for elsewhere in the room, easy to recognize in their dominos.
“Which Lady Malory would that be?” she asked. “There are at least five of them here tonight and they’re all—”
“Georgina.”
“—married women!” she finished with a gasp. If he had to be hopelessly in love with one of them, he couldn’t have picked a worse one than James Malory’s wife.
“I am excruciatingly aware of that appalling fact,” he replied.
“But are you aware that her husband has been looking daggers at you for at least fifteen minutes?”
That got his eyes off of Georgina immediately and back to Julia. “But he can’t know it’s me! I wasn’t invited. He’d have no clue!”
She shrugged. “Whether he knows who you are or not, it’s rather apparent that he objects to how long you’ve been staring at his wife.”
He groaned. “I’m dead.”
Her thought exactly, but she was compelled to scold, “You didn’t even notice he’s been watching you?”
“When I couldn’t take my eyes off of her?”
Blinded by love? She was still feeling a smidgen of pity for him, though it was definitely tempered now because she knew the couple involved and how happily married they were. And they were her friends. This fellow wasn’t.
So she said, “You should leave.”
“It won’t help. He’ll hunt me down—unless he thinks he’s made a mistake. You could help to make him think that. Would you be willing to save my life?”
“You want him to think you’re with me?”
“Exactly.”
“We could dance, I suppose.”
“Thank you, but that won’t be enough. He must think you are the only woman in my life, perhaps even married to me. And married couples kiss—”
“Now just a minute,” she objected sternly. “I’m not willing to go that far when I don’t even—”
“Please, chérie,” he cut in again in such an appealing tone.
The sudden French startled her. He’d been speaking such clear English, she would never have guessed he was a Frenchman. His accent became more pronounced as he continued, “If I just leave without this demonstration that my affections are with another, he will hunt me down. He has promised to do that very thing if I ever went near his wife again.”
“Then you shouldn’t have come here!”
“I know.” He sighed that abject sigh again. “But I couldn’t resist when I’ve longed so much for just the sight of her. Have you never been in love to know what it’s like?”
He was making her feel sorry for him again. Of course she had no idea what it was like when she’d been stuck with her god-awful fiancé all her life, which had kept all the men of her acquaintance at arm’s length. In fact, she’d never even been kissed before. Who would have dared when she was already spoken for? Yet with his introducing the subject of kissing, she was having a hard time getting her eyes off his lips …
“Oh, very well, just be quick about it,” she said, and hoped she wouldn’t regret it. “I don’t want anyone other than James noticing.”
Chapter Eight
IF IT WEREN’T GOING to be her first kiss, Julia would never have agreed. But having gone twenty-one years without ever experiencing any kiss of a romantic nature was a compelling incentive. This wasn’t fleeting curiosity, it was a powerful desire to know, which had been with her since she was fourteen. Which was about the time her friends were getting kissed and telling her how exciting it was.
More fury to add to the fire of discontent that her engagement had caused her. So many things she’d missed out on while growing up because of it. The excitement of a first Season; good God, for an entire year her friends had talked and giggled over nothing else. The
titillation of harmless flirtation, they were all experiencing it even prior to that first Season, but Julia couldn’t. And each time she’d realized just how much she was missing because of him, it added one more reason why she’d shoot him if he ever came back.
But not to be kissed, at least once, just to know what it was like, was probably the thing she’d regretted the most, that she’d had no way to experience it. It could have been the easiest thing to find out, too, since she did have a fiancé, after all. But the last time they’d seen each other, when she was ten and he was fifteen, they had agreed to kill each other if they ever got close enough again to do so. They hadn’t just made empty threats either. They despised each other so much that every one of their meetings had ended in violent discord of one sort or another. So they had avoided any more visits after that, and then he’d thankfully disappeared two years later so she hadn’t had to clap eyes on him again.
But it would have been nice if she’d had at least one other kiss to compare this one to. Then she might not have been so completely swept away by it.
The kiss began the moment she agreed to it. He didn’t remove his half mask because nothing was preventing his sensual mouth from reaching hers. She felt a moment’s disappointment that she wasn’t going to see the rest of his face. Green eyes were all she saw before she closed her own eyes to more fully enjoy the novelty of having her lips pressed to another’s.
It was more exciting than she could possibly have imagined. That he was a stranger might have added to that. That she didn’t even know what he looked like probably did, too. She could imagine him to be anyone she wanted, the most handsome man she could think of—well, he would have to be a duplicate of Jeremy Malory then, since he was probably the most handsome man she’d ever seen, but he was already taken … or his uncle Anthony … or wait, there was his cousin Derek, too, oh, darn, never mind, they were all married. Besides, it didn’t really matter what he looked like, not in that sublime moment of discovery of something she’d waited this long for.