Masquerade Secrets(8)

The word convenient felt like a dagger twisting into her heart. Was that all her life would be?

"Good evening, Your Grace," she finally choked out.

"Good evening, Lady Aubrey." He smiled in politeness but quickly scanned the crowd again.

Was he still looking for her? "Are you waiting for someone?"

His attention jerked back to her. "No, indeed. I was only wondering if one of my friends was in attendance this evening."

"I have been here for some time. Who are you looking for? I might have seen him."

His brow wrinkled slightly, clearly trying to think of a name. "Viscount Gloucher."

"I don't believe I have seen him this evening." She scanned the crowd as  well to make sure. In truth, she hadn't noticed anyone's arrival unless  they had been directly involved with Bradford. "I hope there was  nothing of importance you hoped to speak with him about."

He shook his head, quickly dismissing her concern. "Not at all. I just haven't seen him in some time."

"I see."

Hearing voices on the other side of him, Aubrey leaned forward slightly  and was annoyed to find Lady Victoria and her brother sitting in the  remaining chairs. At least Viscount Lawrence was sitting directly next  to Bradford and not his sister. If she had, any conversation with the  duke would be impossible.

Turning her attention back to Bradford, she determined not to give Lady  Victoria any notice. "Are you fond of Lady Elinor? I heard she had a  private concert for the Queen not long ago."

"Yes. Although I must admit I'm not usually a connoisseur of opera. As a soprano, I've never heard better."

"Nor I."

"So you enjoy the opera or only Lady Elinor?" he asked with a smile. His  full attention was on her and she felt her stomach twist into a knot.  Before last night, he had never been this attentive.

"Lady Elinor is without equal. However, I do enjoy the opera on  occasion. I can't say I would wish to spend more than a night or two a  month there, as my ears ring for days afterward."

He laughed in pure amusement. It was a full-bodied laugh, one that  seemed to start from his toes and echo through his body. It was hard to  remember when he had ever laughed so freely. "I confess, my ears also  ring after such performances. It is enough to make me want to hide my  head under a pillow for days."

A chuckle escaped from her lips before she even thought to stifle it.  His body froze next to her, he quickly took in a breath. She paused,  clearly realizing that she had misstepped. Was it possible that he  remembered the sound of her laughter from last night?

His eyes jerked to hers, looking at her as if he had never seen her  before. Did he know? Could he possibly suspect that she was the masked  woman?         

     



 

She swallowed heavily, bracing herself to act as if she didn't know what  was going through his mind. "Is something the matter, Your Grace?"

His eyes narrowed a bit, analyzing her before turning away. "Nothing.  You just reminded me of someone. It was startling. I apologize if I've  made you uncomfortable."

"Not at all." She paused. "I've often been told that I remind people of someone. Who did I remind you of, if I may ask?"

He shook his head as if it weren't important. "Just someone I happened  to meet at the masquerade last night. Were you in attendance?"

Tread lightly. "Yes. I was accompanied by my family. Rather lavish wasn't it?"

He smiled ruefully. "The stare of fashion."

"You thought it too much then?"

"I understand the need for decoration at such events, but why people  think dressing up as someone else will make them anonymous is beyond  me."

Her eyebrow arched. "So you are confident that you knew everyone's  identity last evening? No one eluded you?" She couldn't help but poke at  him.

A hitch formed between his brows. "Yes. All except one."

She laughed softly. She had expected him to deny it, and was pleasantly  surprised that he admitted it. "That must have been frustrating."

"Yes." He looked at her and seemed to want to say something more, but  Lady Elinor had taken the stage. Silence enclosed the room, signaling  the beginning of the concert.

Aubrey took care to lean back into her chair, trying to look relaxed. Inside, she was anything but.

For a moment she had thought he had recognized her. It wasn't possible  to change her laughter. However, after that brief moment, he seemed to  discount that she could be the woman from last night. Her heart fell in  her chest. Perhaps he would never see her as that woman.

The masquerade woman didn't exist. She would do well to remember that.



As Lady Elinor took her stance in front of the audience, Bradford  focused his attention on her. The shock of hearing Lady Aubrey's laugh,  sounding so much like his mysterious lady, had almost brought him to his  knees. But after looking at her, he knew that Aubrey would never be  outgoing enough to be the masquerade woman. They were too different.  Aubrey was reserved, shy, the complete opposite from the passionate  woman he had held in his arms last night.

He wanted to curse the woman, whoever she was. Curse her for running  away from him without telling him her name. He had never felt such a  powerful connection with another person. A connection that promised that  she was his other half. Nothing else mattered to him. Why couldn't he  have conveyed that to her? Why hadn't he been able to stifle her doubts?

Lady Victoria. The viper that sat a few chairs away from him had been  the main reason. Her timing in finding him the previous night had been  detrimental. He could have sworn that the woman was about to reveal her  identity, about to tell him who she was. But that interruption had cost  him everything.

That was the second time Lady Victoria had come between himself and the  person that he wanted. Although, for the scandal she had caused Lady  Sera, he silently thanked her. If she hadn't, he would have never met  the woman from the previous night. But in regards to her interruption,  he couldn't be grateful.

"Excuse me," Viscount Lawrence whispered before quietly exiting the room with a waiting servant.

Lady Victoria scooted into the vacant seat next to his and he wanted to  cringe. "I'm sorry about that. My brother tends to get secret messages  at all hours of the day that take him from his duties." She blinked her  lashes slowly.

He looked at her dispassionately. Outwardly, Lady Victoria was  beautiful, but inside she was twisted and black. If she thought for even  a moment that he would make an offer for her, she was out of her mind.

"Yes. I am quite aware that your brother is a busy man. With all of his  business ventures, I don't doubt that he is called away at inconvenient  times." He had tried to force his distaste for her out of his voice, but  a bit still seeped in.

"Yes, well, it won't deter us from enjoying the performance." She sidled closer to him.

What nerve. Unconsciously, he moved away from her, bumping into Lady Aubrey.

"I beg your pardon," he whispered into her ear before looking into her  startled eyes. Beautiful eyes. Why had he never noticed before? Unable  to help himself, he dared a glance down her body. Her lush breasts were  teasingly covered by a scrap of lace that matched the trim of her  bodice. The feminine frill moved over her curves, tapering down to her  narrow waist. How had he missed that?         

     



 

Her breath sped up at his perusal. "It is not a problem, Your Grace. It is quite crowded in here."

He couldn't stop staring at her ruby lips as she spoke. They called to  him to taste her, to see if they were as tart as a red apple.

What was the matter with him? He tore his gaze from her and focused his  attention on the melodic voice that vibrated through the room. He was  here looking for the woman from last night, the woman he had given a vow  to. But here he was, ogling a lady he had known for many years and had  never had any interest in romantically. The mystery of last night must  be driving him mad. It must be making him see things in Lady Aubrey that  he would have never noticed before.

He sensed Lady Aubrey's unease throughout the rest of the performance  and wanted to curse when she quickly dismissed herself after the final  applause. That same curse formed on his lips when his body tightened at  the sight of her swaying hips.

He needed to push Lady Aubrey out of his mind and focus on what he had come here to do.

"My brother should be back momentarily. I hope it isn't too much of an  imposition to keep me company for a few more moments," Lady Victoria  said silkily.

It was the last thing he wanted to do, but manners dictated that he was  stuck for a few more minutes. Precious minutes that he could have used  to discover the masked woman.

"It would be my pleasure," he finally said, though it was the complete opposite from what he felt.

"Thank you. I hope you enjoyed the performance. You seemed rather  entranced by it." It wasn't difficult to catch the edge in her voice.  Had she sensed his attraction to Lady Aubrey?