Page 76 of When the Duke Met His Match

Reaching a staircase, Odette hurried up them and found herself on the second floor. The steps continued into another set to form a stack of corridors that overlooked the floor below like a terrace.

A handful of guests were scattered about, sipping from their glasses or chatting with others. They scarcely gave her a second glance.

Resting her hands against the polished banister, she forced out a breath to calm her heart. Looking down at the dancers below, she watched as they moved in a fluid formation, unable to find the man.

While she wished she could vigorously wash her hands after their dance, Odette realized her position offered her an uninterrupted perspective over the group of dancers. From here, she could see them all.

Scanning them, she began to reconsider what she was even looking for, to begin with. The masks were confusing and worked incredibly well to conceal everyone’s identities. She could not determine if anyone she knew was in the crowd.

“You don’t look like a familiar face.”

A different man, who was slightly taller than her, appeared at her side, striding over to overlook the people below.

While he, too, wore an ornate mask in the shape of a cat’s face, hair preened back, his clothing was more luxurious and didn’t seem to conform to the dress of a thief.

His mask only covered the upper portion of his face, allowing her to see a small smirk on his face.

Not knowing what to say to him, Odette struggled to even form a response. She had been too worked up by removing herself from the other man’s sights and was afraid of being discovered by the one who stood before her.

“Standing here boasts a generous view,” he murmured, returning his eyes to the dancers. “I watched you flee from that other man. His name is Reginald Humphries, by the way. He’s a spoiled son from a family of slave traders and has never lifted a finger in his life. He peruses these events to delight himself.”

Somewhat surprised to be told such details, she returned nervously, “He was certainly persistent.”

A sincere chuckle came from him, to which she was able to relax more in his presence. “Fortunately, he didn’t chase you away from the ball entirely. Would you care to dance?”

She nodded and was much more willing to pass the time with someone who felt easier to speak with. “Certainly.”

Putting a hand out for her, Odette allowed him to guide her down the stairs and back to the floor. They began as seamlessly as the others around them did, and she wondered if he could be one of the rebels.

He seemed fairly charming yet well-informed regarding the other individuals in attendance. Playing along with the dance, she followed his movements as closely as she could.

She hoped Theophilus was having luck with his end of the plan.

“It seems the appeal of this ball is trying to figure out who the other truly is behind their mask,” the man began, keeping his hands with hers per the dance. He pulled an interested smile. “But we both know it is fruitless. Nobody asks the right questions.”

Lifting a brow despite it being hidden, she found herself growing curious. “What questions do you deem proper for this circumstance?”

“Ones that reach the deepest places—the dark secrets nobody would otherwise share. They are what makes someone unique, not their visual appearance.”

“It is bold to assume everyone has dark secrets.”

The man chuckled. “Everyone has at least one thing they would never share with another soul. You cannot tell me you have none.”

I have several, and none that you need to know.

“I can’t reveal them so easily to you either. That’s the whole point of the charade, is it not?”

Amused by the statement, he grinned at her and nodded, graceful with his steps. “I didn’t imagine you’d make it simple anyway. Do enlighten me. Your dress looks expensive enough to feed an army. I assume that means you come from wealth.”

Not saying anything, Odette’s silence allowed him to continue.

“Although, there’s something about you that reads trouble,” he murmured, evaluating her in one sweep of his eyes. “You can play the part of a dutiful daughter, yet you take more risks than either of your parents can even begin to imagine. Am I close?”

Swallowing back her slight shock, she tried not to show it. “You could say that.”

His lips curled into a smirk, and he lifted her hand above her head to spin her. “There is no shame in that. A woman who takes risks is far more intriguing than those who are docile and compliant.”

“You seem to have this all thought out,” she returned, keeping her voice as level as possible.