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“Huh.” The grunt held an element of surprise and I glanced up at him.
“What?”
“Nothing, Mayhem.” He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the gloved knuckles. “How much longer before we can escape?”
The race of my heart had finally begun to settle. We’d also arrived near the top of the stairs again. The gala itself was in full swing. The hum of conversation occasionally featuring the tinkling of glassware as toasts were offered and received. Cutlery against plates offered another lower sound to mingle with the music that dominated the hall.
The acoustics allowed for the music to carry and it appeared Harper and Mother spared no expense this year. There was a live orchestra, including a harp, which I normally would find beautiful. However, this just appeared ostentatious. They were showing off.
Or maybe Mother was.
I sighed as I scanned the room.
“Mayhem?” Milo had moved closer and there was no mistaking the worry coating his voice.
“Unfortunately, we need another hour or so.” I’d already located Andrea. “I need to see who else is here.”
Some masks had been removed by people at tables who were eating and cared less about being noticed. Others were still hidden behind their bejeweled—and in some cases—bedeviled faces.
“Do you mind?” It was only fair to ask. After everything with Ezra and my sudden disappearance, I’d rather not presume.
“Don’t mind at all.” He offered his arm, and I threaded mine with his before we descended the stairs. A man at the base watched. His black mask with silver filaments around the edges betrayed nothing of his face at all. The lights overhead caught on his eyes, though, making them seem to glow.
I inclined my head politely, and he mimed a bow that was almost as mocking as it was gentle. A smart-ass dressed in a suit. Nice.
Still, Milo and I drifted through the crowd. When a waiter passed with fresh glasses of wine—no, it was champagne, he acquired two for us and I let the sounds wash over me. I listened to snippets of conversation, searching for voices I recognized. Making out individuals in the general cacophony was difficult but moving behind people allowed me to pick up bits and pieces.
“… darling, I am so glad you could come,” Mother said, the hint of warbling a sign she’d been drinking. “Truly glad.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, Melissa.” The man’s voice struck a chord. I knew it. “I was rather surprised by the invitation.”
“We both were,” the woman with him said and her voice wasn’t as familiar. “I know how difficult things have been for the two of you.”
“Children are supposed to leave the nest,” Mother said with a too-bright laugh. “No one ever said parents had to approve.”
The pair chuckled with her. “True,” the man said, and all at once his voice registered. Markham. Senator Markham. He pocketed a lot of Grandfather’s campaign money. “That is the burden of being parents, we want only the best for our children. You know how it is.”
“Of course, I do.” Mother laughed again and I managed to not roll my eyes. She knew how to send us to boarding school. She was very good at that.
Still, I let Milo guide us onward. I located Harper chatting with some other businessmen, none of whom I recognized. His brother was another group over. Hamilton. I hadn’t heard Jason yet. I kind of wished Fletcher was here. The one time he’d attended when I’d been here, we sat at a table and made up stories about all the other people in attendance.
He came up with the craziest tales.
I sipped the champagne and nodded when Milo gestured to the other side of the ballroom. We’d discussed part of why I wanted to be here. I did love the costumes and the festivities, but Andrea was a more significant part of my planning. Business, however, had to come first.
Anonymity allowed some people to mingle who may want to keep their association with the Reeds quiet. There was always a deal to be had and there were times when the masks revealed more about people than they realized.
A familiar voice tickled my ears and Milo stiffened next to me. Julius King was here and telling some joke that made those around him laugh. I scanned the masks and the outfits. Nothing stood out, except King seemed to be holding court on the opposite side of the ballroom from Harper and Mother.
Purposeful choice?
I was still turning that over when a man in a red and gold Casanova mask and equally lush and flamboyant dress and cloak stepped into our path. I scanned the face, then the eyes. A sigh escaped me.
With a faint smile, I gave him the barest of nods in acknowledgement before moving around him. When he would have stepped into our path again, Milo shoulder-checked him and then spun us.
“I want to talk to her…” Ezra said and I closed my eyes. The demand was right there, and any hope I had of avoiding a conflict vanished.
“I’m sorry, Mayhem,” Pretty Boy murmured and I didn’t have to ask for what. He was already turning, as his fist collided with Ezra’s jaw and sent him sprawling. The crash of him hitting others and drinks falling echoed through the room.
