The Unlikely Lady(28)

“Garrett, there you are!” came Lucy’s bright voice. He pulled his hand from the wall and turned to face his cousin.

“You must meet my friend Miss … Blue.” Lucy turned in a wide circle, obviously looking for her friend. “Now where did she get off to? I swear she was just here.”

Garrett grinned at his cousin. “Are you certain she exists? She’s not like Miss Bunbury, is she? Or Mrs. Bunbury?”

Lucy plunked her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Of course she exists. I’ll just go find her and be back. I’m greatly looking forward to you meeting her.”

Lucy had a smile on her face that indicated she was up to something, but at the moment, Garrett’s dizzy head was more pressing than whatever scheme Lucy had concocted. No doubt this was her inelegant attempt at matchmaking. “Fine. Go and fetch her. I’ll just be … over here.”

A large potted palm rested near the wall across the room, a tufted chair situated behind it. Garrett had spied the space earlier. He intended to seek it out and relax for a moment.

Lucy quickly blended into the crowd while Garrett headed for the palm. When he reached it, he realized, to his chagrin, it was already occupied by a woman. A woman wearing a stunning shade of light blue with a domino mask to match.

“Good evening,” he said, bowing to her.

“Good evening,” came the woman’s steady reply.

For a moment he wondered if she was Miss Blue. In his head, she was. Garrett bowed to Miss Blue again. Frankly, she’d looked like a blue blur to him at first. But when he lifted his head and took her hand, he was immediately intrigued. Miss Blue had dark-brown eyes, soft dark hair that framed her face, a pretty face from what he could see of it behind her mask, and was—ahem—well endowed. Quite well endowed. He forced himself to look away from her décolletage. But really, what red-blooded male could keep from looking at that?

“Do I know you, sir?” she asked.

There was something familiar about her voice, but with the ringing in his head, he couldn’t quite place her. “No, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. This is a masquerade, is it not? As it should be.” Where all that nonsense had come from he had no idea. He was being charming. On purpose. Quite a shock, especially to him.

“Then I suppose it’s nice to meet you, whoever you are,” she said with a musical laugh. It sparked a memory he couldn’t quite place in his hazy brain.

“The pleasure is entirely mine, my lady,” he replied with the most roguish grin he could muster, the one that made him popular with the ladies in London.

Miss Blue opened her mouth to speak. “Oh, I’m not a lady, I’m—”

“Shh,” he said in a husky voice, daring to put his finger to her lips. They were warm and soft and— He shook himself. Best not to think about that. “You’re a lady tonight. You’re Lady Blue.”

Her laughter followed again. “Very well, and you are? Lord Green?”

“I like that name. I like it very much.” He executed a sweeping bow, though how he managed to right himself afterward was anyone’s guess. “Would you care to dance?” Dancing probably wasn’t the best idea, but how could Garrett resist a pairing with a charming, lovely, well-endowed young woman?

He offered his arm and Lady Blue merely nodded and took it without saying a word. Garrett pulled her into his arms just as a waltz began to play. Thank God for his many drunken nights of revelry in London. He had experience dancing and appearing to be sober when he was anything but, though mostly in his much younger days.

Lady Blue, it turned out, was a young lady of few words. Pity that. Weren’t the loveliest ladies the ones who rarely spoke? The most annoying ladies, such as Miss Lowndes, were the ones who wouldn’t stop speaking. He shook his head. Why was he thinking about Miss Lowndes at a time like this? Where was that woman at any rate? No doubt she’d begged off, claiming a headache, and was ensconced in the library with a book. He searched the ballroom. At least Isabella was still far across the room.

This was exactly what he needed, a harmless flirtation with a lady. His guilt over Isabella and his annoyance with Miss Lowndes had him feeling out of sorts. He was usually charming with ladies. Charming and friendly, certainly welcomed. Miss Lowndes was the only woman who seemed to dislike his company and Isabella was the only beautiful woman he could remember whose company he rebuffed.

For all that Lady Blue didn’t speak, she was a proficient dancer, but the waltzing was making his dizziness worse. He needed to stop before he spun this divine young woman straight into the refreshment table. Bad form, that. “Would you care to go for a walk?”