“How do I look?”he asked Kip.
“Like a highwayman,” the boy replied.
James allowed a soft smirk, then snatched up the cake box and climbed the remaining steps to the third floor.The safeguards put in place by those who’d organized this event, intended to protect the participants’ identities, would work in his favor.He could be anyone he chose to be.The question was whether or not he would manage to pull it off convincingly.
He had to.A lady’s life hung in the balance.Failure wasn’t an option.
A deep inhale helped ease his concerns.Hell, he’d faced worse than this in the past.As long as he held his head high and spoke with an appropriate amount of aloofness, the plan ought to work.
He stepped into the hallway and glanced along the length of it, toward a door that appeared to be guarded by a man dressed entirely in black.Drawing on every ounce of confidence he possessed, James started toward him while affecting Mr.Croft’s powerful stride.
The man spotted him and straightened.He angled his head, his gaze assessing while he took stock of James’s appearance.“Yes?”
“I represent a peer of the realm, whose title I am prohibited from disclosing,” James informed him, his voice low but firm.He dipped his chin toward the cake he carried, then waved a hand in Kip’s general direction.“Compliments for this evening’s event, with regrets that his lordship could not attend in person.”
The man frowned.“Only one lord is mentioned on the guest list, and he has already arrived.In fact, all the guests have.”
Damn.
James fought the sudden panic that urged him to beat this man into a state of unconsciousness, hide his body in the room next door, and allow himself access to the event.Another deep breath reminded him that this should be the last option since causing a ruckus could ruin everything.
He therefore aimed at producing a snort of disdain instead, which sounded appropriately demeaning to his own ears.“Imbecile.There’s obviously been a mistake.”
When the man didn’t immediately agree that this was possible, James asked, “Do you truly wish to stand in the way of a peer’s bid for a duke’s sister?”Noting the flare of uncertainty in the other man’s eyes, James leaned in.“My master is not only powerful, but ruthless, or I would not be here.If I were you, I’d think twice before denying me entry, but the choice is yours, of course.”
James added a smirk, shook his head as though finding the man’s ability to gain employment hard to fathom, and started turning away.
“A moment, if you please,” said the man.“Do you have the invitation?”
“No.I believe his lordship thought my showing up would be sufficient, given the fact that this evening’s proceedings are not common knowledge.”He paused to let that sink in, then added, “How would I know about them unless my master was personally made aware?”
“I, um…”
“How would I know that Lady Edwina is the star attraction?”James whispered, so low his words were but breaths of air floating around them.
“You couldn’t possibly,” the man murmured.He sent a swift look toward Kip, then back to James.“Forgive me for questioning you, but given the privacy I’ve been tasked with protecting, I had to be sure of your authorization to attend.”
“Of course,” James said, choosing to sound sufficiently put out by the slight delay.“I’ll be sure not to mention this little inconvenience to anyone.”
“Much appreciated, sir.”The man opened the door and ushered James into the room.
It was of a decent size and looked as though it served as the sitting room to a larger suite with a door to the right most likely leading toward the bedchamber.The sofas that belonged to the room had been moved to the sides, allowing more space in the middle.Here, chairs had been placed, each one occupied by a man dressed in evening black and wearing a mask.
On the opposite side of the room from James, in front of a curtain, stood another masked man.And on the red velvet divan behind him lay the woman James had come to rescue.
Lady Edwina.
16
Edwina’s nerve endings sharpened in response to the new arrival.He was tall, broad-shouldered, without a hint of softness about him.Dangerous was the first word that came to mind.Even his eyes, as they stared toward her, looked like a pair of portals to hell.
She swallowed, attempting as best she could to suppress her rising panic.
If he bid on her and won…
He would not be as easy for her to escape as one of the others, whom she suspected might underestimate her.This man, however, did not look like he’d be fooled by her plan to pretend she remained incapacitated.Rather, he looked like the sort who’d make sure she received an extra dose of smoke before spiriting her away.
When she woke next, it would likely be in a terrifying dungeon beneath his estate.A place where no one would think to look.Somewhere Sebastian would never find her.
