No Marriage Of Convenience - No Marriage Of Convenience Part 37
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No Marriage Of Convenience Part 37

Damn her silken hide! All her contrite acceptance about being banished to Sanborn Abbey had been nothing but an act.

Her best performance to date.

"How shocking," Miss Pindar said. "I don't see how they were allowed in."

At the same time Mason stood there wondering how he could get them out without causing a further scene.

The girl's fan fluttered with nervous tidings. "Have you ever seen a lady so...so...dare I say it?Uncovered?""Dahlia!" her mother said, equally shocked at her daughter's loose comment.

"Well, she is! Oh, I wonder who they are?" she whispered, repeating the question on everyone's tongue.

Her mother raised her nose in the air. "Company we won't be keeping. Shameless jades, the entire lot ofthem. Don't you agree, Lord Ashlin?"Mason could only nod. This was perfect. If Riley's and the girls' identities were discovered, and surely they would be at the unmasking, not even the chance of having her daughter become a countess would

keep Mrs. Pindar placated, given her current state of moral indignation.

The lady sniffed. "The only consolation is that when those harlots are found out, they will no longer be received or invited to any respectable functions. It's beyond me why His Grace hasn't cast them out."

Cast out! Mason could only hope to be that lucky. Then he'd personally see to it the foursome never sawanother social function again-for he planned on having them transported to the furthest reach of theEmpire.

"What are they supposed to be?" Miss Pindar asked. "Some type of pagans?"

"Goddesses," Mason corrected. "The one with the bow and arrow is Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

The one next to her is Athena, the goddess of wisdom."

"How can you be sure?" Dahlia asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"The lady is holding an olive branch, the symbol of Athena, while the one at the end must be Persephone,

the queen of the underworld, for she carries a black scepter."

"Harumph," Mrs. Pindar sniffed. "Sounds suspiciously like some unreadable French novel."

"Look at the way they are parading about," Dahlia was saying. "Lord Ashlin, I can assure you that I

would never behave in such an unseemly manner."

Of that Mason was positive. Dahlia would never do anything that turned heads or enlivened a rather dull evening, nor was there any hope in his heart that she ever would.

Glancing once more at the foursome as they continued their parade into the Everton ballroom, it struck

him that now that Riley had arrived, the evening was no longer a dead bore.

Cousin Felicity had described to Riley in great detail how the masquerade would proceed-and Riley had plotted accordingly to make the most of each moment.

Like Cinderella, they would be nearly the last guests to arrive, and then before the unmasking at midnight, they would flee-before anyone found out who they were.

Cousin Felicity had secured their invitations by intercepting Mason's refusal and changing it to an acceptance, so each of the girls had the necessary card required for entrance into this exclusive ball.

Though to be honest, Riley hadn't anticipated that their entrance would bring the entire room to astandstill. As she passed the girls and took the lead, she glanced over her shoulder and reminded them,"Remember, no talking, and don't remove your masks for anyone. And avoid your uncle at all costs."

The girls nodded solemnly, their eyes wide behind their elaborate masks at the rush moving toward them.

Taking a deep breath, Riley started their descent into the vast and packed room.

"A dance, miss," a young man called out to Bea. "I claim your first dance."

His friend, dressed as a savage from the Colonies, surged forward, falling to his knees on the marble steps before Louisa. "I worship at your feet, my fair Persephone. Promise me your heart and I will save you from the depths of Hades and bestow upon you all my worldly possessions."

"What? Your vowels at White's?" one of his friends joked.

The bold young man remained nonplussed. He folded his hands in prayer and proclaimed, "Honey, mead, nectar-whatever a goddess demands would be yours."

Louisa took his outrageous display in stride, as if it were her due. Regally inclining her head, she plucked a rosebud from her headdress and dropped it at his knees.

A murmur of approval ran through the ranks circling them.

"If I could have your name, dear goddess," the grateful young man said, holding up his prize as if it were gold, "I would continue my devotions tomorrow."

With a skill that even Mrs. Siddons would envy, Louisa's gracious smile turned bittersweet, and she shook her head.

After she rejoined her sisters, they continued their descent into the room, now with a train of devoted followers. Given the pointed stares, Riley suspected the attention they were garnering was unprecedented even in the capricious vagaries of the ton.

Cousin Felicity had assured Riley that in the guaranteed crush at the Everton masquerade, it was doubtful they'd run into Mason. That was why she'd agreed so readily to his demand they go to Sanborn Abbey while he stayed behind to uncover her enemy.

She'd had no intention of going out of town the day of the Everton ball. Her stalker wouldn't be able to find her here, nor was she about to let the girls down. They'd all worked together, with Jane Gunn's help, to sew these costumes from fabric they'd pilfered from Caro's closets.

Besides, it had taken every bit of her persuasive power, pleading and finally an hour in the carriage with five crying and wailing women to convince Hashim to countermand Mason's orders.

That, and a double dose of Cousin Felicity's sleeping draught Riley had slipped into his tea, finally took effect, leaving the giant man snoring for the rest of the day and unable to stop the ladies's plans.

Now all they had to do was avoid Mason for the evening. Given the press of people, Riley realized that might not be as hard as she'd first assumed. Besides, he'd be occupied with Dahlia and her mother, and certainly not anticipate finding them here.

Yet as crowded as it was, with each step, Riley expected to see a pair of angry blue eyes glaring out at her from behind the plain black domino she knew he wore.

"You have sown a triumph to be envied," she heard Cousin Felicity whisper into her ear. She turned around and found her co-conspirator all aflutter.

"So far," she whispered back, too superstitious to give in to celebration just yet. Even when the first act went over brilliantly on opening night, Riley never celebrated until the final curtain fell and the theatre shook with enthusiastic applause and cheers. "Now remember, we are silent. You don't know who we are. But if you find an eligible gentleman, the type Mason would approve of, then point him out and let me determine if we should allow him a bit of information on how he might seek out his lady love tomorrow."

Cousin Felicity laughed. "Like the proverbial glass slipper."

The musicians, who had been tuning their instruments for the last few moments, paused to announce the first dance.

This Riley knew would be the true test. As scandalous as their costumes were, would anyone be willing to risk the ire of society and dance with the girls?

Just then, their host, the Duke of Everton, crossed the room and stopped right before her.

She held her breath and waited. Was he about to toss them out? She'd heard that suggestion bandied about by more than one spiteful mother since their arrival.

She dropped to a low curtsey, her mind racing with countless possibilities as to why the Duke had singled her out.

She never considered the obvious one.

"Madame," he said quietly, "you have caused quite a stir and it is not even ten o'clock."

So much for her plan to remain silent. One could hardly ignore a Duke, let alone the host.

"My apologies, Your Grace," she said, using the accented voice she'd affected when she'd played Helene, a French emigre, in The Forgotten Daughter. She could only hope it disguised her identity from the astute gentleman.

"No apologies necessary, Madame Aphrodite. You've made my masquerade an immediate success. I can spend the rest of the evening resting on my laurels." He bowed over her hand. "If you will honor me with the first dance, I think we will set tongues wagging for a better part of the Season."

Riley could only nod mutely at being singled out for such an honor and followed the man to the dance floor.

With their guardian gone, the sisters were instantly deluged with offers.

Very quickly, Bea and Maggie were on the dance floor with their ecstatic partners, while Louisa remained behind. She had her own reasons for holding out. Smiling patiently at the men who continued to seek her favor, shaking her head at the offers to dance, offers for punch, offers of marriage. She held her solitary position until a man all in black, a Hades to her Persephone, approached her.

He didn't even need to ask her-he just extended his hand and she followed, much to the chagrin of her

ardent admirers.

Anyone who saw the exchange could tell the pair were deeply in love, for despite her mask, the lady's smile and eyes glowed for all to see.

"Roderick," she whispered. "You shouldn't have come."He pulled her closer. "And neither should you-dressed like that." Jealousy glowed in his stormy gaze.She blushed furiously, only too pleased at his response. How could she explain it? All the hours practicing with him, holding his hand, the chaste kiss that was part of Act Three, had led to this...this

dizzying, unbelievable feeling.She'd fallen in love. She was in love with Roderick Northard. It was glorious and unthinkable.He swung her about, his hand on hers possessive in its grasp. She was his, as it should be.Still, that didn't stop Louisa from worrying. She leaned closer to him. "What if you are caught? You weren't invited.""I don't need an invitation to be with you. You are my heart, my love, my life."She sighed. He may not be a Viscount, or even a gentleman, but he did know how to make her head spin. Still..."Riley might recognize you.""And what if she does?" Roderick smiled. "I don't care. Let her find out."Louisa wasn't so convinced. If Riley did find out, then her uncle would know...and then there would be, as Beatrice would so eloquently put it, hell to pay.

Roderick would be banished from Ashlin Square and she would never see him again. That is, unless they...

She tried to shake off that scandalous thought. She'd be ruined, would never be received if she ran off

with an actor. The life she'd dreamt of for herself-as a regal lady-about-town-would be lost.

What she needed to do was stop this affair right now, before she became too entangled to think straight.Even as she struggled to find the resolve she needed, she stole a glance at the man who'd won her heart.His grin sent her pulse racing.'Twas a feeling, she knew, that was worth altering one's dreams.

Riley spent most of the evening watching the proceedings from the side of the dance floor, politely and firmly refusing all offers to dance. When several of her would-be suitors became too insistent, she decided to retreat to one of the alcoves set aside for the matrons and chaperones.