Her eyes widened slightly, but then she laughed. "No mask? I'm disappointed we aren't going to play that guessing game again."
His smile was brilliant. "No, you aren't."
"No, I'm not. I've missed you!"
"I thought I might be coming to my execution here. I couldn't think of any other reason your mother would send me the invitation."
"And yet you came anyway?"
"Yes."
"She didn't send it, Judy did."
"No, I actually got two invitations; one was from your mother."
Jack's brows went up. "Really? Then maybe you were right about an execution. Shall we find out? Quickly, before my father joins her!"
"Dragging me to my death wasn't what I had in mind for tonight," he said as Jack pulled him to the two women standing with Anthony Malory.
"Don't be silly," Jack said. "Mother wouldn't carry her pistols to a ball."
When they walked up to the trio, Anthony immediately started to reach for Damon, but Georgina actually put out an arm to stay him, which gave Jack time to say, "Mother, I would like you to meet Damon-"
Georgina cut in, "No, I don't think so," and gave Damon a resounding slap.
There was actually some applause in the room. Well, a lot of Malorys were present, and they were well aware of Jacqueline's second trip to the Caribbean.
But Jacqueline stared at her mother and asked, "Just once, yes?"
"For tonight."
"Is it my turn now, George?" Anthony asked.
"No, it's my turn," Jacqueline told her uncle, and pulled Damon away again.
Back in the center of the dance floor, where they would be temporarily shielded by other couples, she didn't even pretend to want to dance. She did put her arms around Damon and leaned up to kiss his red cheek, whispering, "Better her than him."
"Funny you should mention that," he said cryptically. "I do understand, you know. You're their only daughter. I twice caused them anguish, which I heartily regret."
"I suppose it will take time to smooth those edges."
"I would expect so."
"But they will relent when they see how happy you make me."
He drew in his breath. "Do I?"
"Well, that depends on why you're here."
"I'm here to ask you again to marry me. I wasn't teasing before." He had started to lead them in the dance, but stopped as he waited breathlessly for her answer.
"I wasn't ready to hear it then, but now I am. Shall we sneak out now?"
He began to laugh. "Shouldn't I ask your-"
"Good God, no. You can't ask him or we'll never get out of here."
"I was going to say your mother. One parent's approval would be nice."
Jack rolled her eyes at him. "She just slapped you. She's not ready to approve, either."
///
"But I'm heir to two titles now. Will that make a difference to your father?"
She laughed. "No, but-two? How did that happen?"
He told her briefly about finding his mother, and the lie that had been told to her to keep them apart. "I can't even be angry at Cyril for lying to her-well, I can, I am, it cost me so much. And yet if it hadn't played out as it did, I never would have met you."
"I beg to differ. You and I were destined. We would have met somehow."
He smiled. "You think so?"
"It's what every woman in my family would say."
"But not you?"
"Don't be silly. Who am I to dispute a consensus that big?"
"You did, as I recall. You would have made your destiny wait a full year."
"Not anymore."
His turquoise eyes perused hers, and he looked a little too serious when he said, "Are you sure? Because I haven't actually heard you say yes."
She grinned. "Yes." She kissed his cheek. "Yes." She licked his ear. "Definitely yes." And slid her lips across his face to say against his mouth, "D'you need more convincing that I'll marry you?"
He crushed her to him for a moment before he said, "The first yes did it, but by all means, continue."
She shook her head. "If we're going to slip out, we probably need to do it now, before my uncle tells my father that you're here."
"He already knows. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't ordered the doors locked and the crowd to part."
"He wouldn't want to feed the gossip mills. He doesn't care about creating scandal about himself, but wouldn't want even a whiff of it to spread to me, so he won't make a scene. It's mostly my extended family here tonight, but there are still other members of the ton in the room." A quick glance around her and she had to amend, "Actually, a lot more than were invited. But that would be why he hasn't ripped you out of my arms yet. He probably does know exactly where we are and is just waiting until the music ends."