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She nodded sharply and left the room. With shaking hands, she retied her mask and readied herself to enter the ball again. Yet, when she reached the small ballroom of her brother’s house, she wasn’t ready to reenter the party. All the well-wishers and festivities could wait just a few minutes while she tried to compose herself. She turned and walked to the back terrace, hoping for some peace.
The cool wind made her shiver as she left the terrace for the dark garden. Hopefully, the chill in the air would keep the guests inside. Peering around, she noticed no one out here.
Thank God.
After taking a seat in the shadowy corner by a rose bush, she spread out her white satin gown and sighed. Unable to sit back due to the lace wings tied on her back, she leaned forward and placed her chin in her hands.
Sophie had to be wrong. He would never seek her out. He had promised John he would protect her name but there was no reason for him to speak with her.
She shook her head and inhaled the musty smell of dead leaves rotting on the ground. Even if he did approach her publicly, she could always give him the cut. No one would reproach her for that, they would commend her.
“Are you a fairy or an angel?” a low raspy voice sounded behind her.
Jennette sat up straight and looked around frantically. She’d been sure there had been no one out here. Her heart pounded in her chest erratically. This was ridiculous. She was at her brother’s house in the middle of a party for ton. Only those invited could be here.
“Who’s there?”
“Well, if you’re an angel, I guess that makes me the devil. Can you resist the devil, Jennette?” the voice whispered.
Jennette stood and turned toward the voice. A man dressed like a highwayman from the last century rose from his seat behind the dying rose bushes. His clothes appeared dirty and worn, and she wondered for a moment if perhaps he wasn’t in costume. A black mask covered enough of his face to make her pause.
But as he stepped forward into the torch light, she could make out his eyes—icy gray as the morning frost. She would never forget those eyes. The way he had stared at her that morning from his seat, unable to move because of what she’d done.
He could not be here. Not at her brother’s home. Not at her birthday ball.
He’d promised to leave her alone.
“Don’t move,” he commanded. “You are the reason I came to this party. I need to speak with you.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
She lifted her skirts and ran toward the safety of the terrace and her family. The gravel crunched loudly under her feet. Couldn’t someone hear her footsteps? As she reached the first step of the terrace and within shouting distance of the party, he pulled her against his chest. His large, gloved hand covered her mouth, silencing her.
Jennette attempted to twist out his strong grip as he dragged her back into the shadows of the garden. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, when all her plans were almost complete. She had less than four weeks before her ship sailed, allowing her to leave him and this mess behind forever. He shoved her back against the pillar of the pergola and trapped her there with his arms. Fear shot through her like lightning.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
His smile turned feral. Through the mask, she could just make out his eyes. She shivered from the cold stare he leveled at her.
“What have I always wanted from you?” his low voice rasped.
“Take off your mask,” she whispered.
“Why? You know who I am.”
“You’re frightening me.”
He leaned in closer and smiled. He drew a gloved finger along her cheek, making her tremble even more. “Good. You should be afraid of me, Jennette. You know what I could do to you and your family.”
She closed her eyes and tried her best to breathe in deeply. “Please,” she begged.
“Very well.” He untied the mask and shoved it into his vest pocket. “Better?”
God, no, she thought. Seeing his face again after five years was not better. It was far worse. Chestnut hair, too long to be fashionable, lined his square face. His high cheekbones and stubborn jaw accented his rugged features. He’d always been a handsome man but the last few years had only made him more intriguing.
Her errant gaze moved to his lips. If she closed her eyes, she could remember the sensation of his mouth on hers. And that was what had caused all the problems.
