Jaxsen accepted a flute of champagne from a footman and sipped on the golden bubbling liquid, feeling the effervescent delight against her tongue as she pondered. Her gaze narrowed, taking in a lady’s mask a few yards to the left. “Wait.” She nodded in the direction of the mysterious female.
The mask wasn’t the same shape and dipped slightly lower over the cheekbones than the rest. It wasn’t obvious, but if one was looking for something specific, rather, a specific type of mask, it would be apparent enough.
“I see,” Emerson replied. She saw his head nod from her peripheral vision as she studied the lady further.
“The dress,” Jaxson stated with whispered intensity. “It’s a Madame Mersallie.I’m sure of it.”
“Two. Let’s go for three connections.”
“I thought you liked even numbers.”
“I’m living dangerously tonight.” He winked at her from behind his mask.
“Lucky me.”
“And here I was thinking I was the lucky one.” He grinned at her then sobered and turned his attention back to the lady in question. “Are there more of that specific mask type?”
Jaxsen scanned the crowd. “Let’s split up. I’ll meet you at the refreshment table in a half hour.”
“Done.”
Jaxsen moved her hand from resting on his forearm, but his other hand grasped hers before she could fully disengage. With an intensity in his gaze that caused her breath to catch, he lifted her hand and kissed her gloved fingers, before wordlessly, releasing her.
Crazy how a look, a searing glance, could communicate more than a dictionary of words. But she felt those silent words, felt them down to her slippered toes that curled into tight little balls of need and anticipation as he slowly backed away and then disappeared into the crowd.
“Focus,” she reminded herself. Honestly, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this distracted, and it was certainly not a good time to be inattentive, not in the enemy’s house when trying to solve a mystery of national importance.
Which was why she didn’t get involved with men. But this was different; she was different, and this wasn’t something casual.
No.
This was uncharted territory, and she felt a little amiss as to what to do next. And she never questioned subsequent moves.
Until Emerson.
But something told her, in the back of her mind, or maybe it was the whisperings of her long silent heart, that it was someone else’s turn to take the lead.
Maybe not in national security or with the War Office.
But with her heart.
She shook her head once and turned back to the lady they had noticed earlier.
The place where she had been standing was vacant, and Jaxsen quickly scanned the room for her. When her search came up empty, she started a circuit around the room, her gaze intently sorting out the people, while also looking for similar masks.
None.
And the woman had vanished.
Did she suspect they had noticed her?
If so, that was number three — three points of interest to recommend a suspect. When her search turned up fruitless, Jaxsen then considered the exit areas. She paused in a central location from where the lady could have escaped.
One door was open, leading to a wide and well-lit hall exiting from the ballroom.
Two alcoves were behind heavy burgundy curtains with gold tassels.
And three windows lined the far wall.
