In a billowy pink dress, Lady Cecile of Remcourt, the daughter of a cousin of King Mervyn, floated by as she danced. She was one of the youngest royals, in her first season herself. Jade wasn’t surprised to find her flushed and giggling on the arm of some nobleman as he whirled her around the dancefloor.
Across the way, Jade spotted Simon, Cecile’s brother, chatting with one of their cousins, Juliette of Carsill. Getting warmer, but still not who she needed to find. A flash of black feathers caught her attention, and Jade studied the woman behind the black swan mask. In a white dress that completed the look, Lady Marguerite of Evenshold, Lord Grannam’s older daughter and the guest of honor for the birthday celebration, danced with a nobleman. Now Jade was getting somewhere. Marguerite was a good stepping stone to her father. She was absolutely someone Jade needed to bump into. Jade memorized everything about Marguerite’s attire for the night so she could find her again after she left the dance floor and continued her perusal of the room.
Jade lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip, her eyes gliding meticulously over the room. She remembered the gown Arabella had supposedly chosen for the masquerade that day Jade was spying on her from Alanna’s dressing room: a deep maroon taffeta. Jade hadn’t seen the mask she would wear, but she recalled the royal deciding on something black.
A male voice surprisingly close to Jade met her ears and sent a tingle creeping up her spine.
“Looking for someone?”
Ten
A man stood a fewpaces away from her—a guest, watching her closely, with half his mouth turned up in an amused grin.
Jade tipped up her chin and smiled sweetly at the stranger, her eyes round with innocence. “No. Just taking everything in.”
He angled his head at her, a large gold mask covering everything from his hairline to below his cheekbones. Three points lined the top edge of the mask, but other than that, the mask had no ornamentation. Dark brown eyes glinted from behind the mask, and the man stepped closer to her.
From what little of his face she saw, she didn’t recognize him, but that only meant he wasn’t part of the royal family or a prominent aristocrat. It also meant he most likely had nothing to do with the Conflict of Succession, which made him a less-than-ideal companion for the night.
“And what do you see?”
Jade pressed her lips into a flirtatious grin, her doe eyes flitting back over the crowd in another attempt to spot Arabella before returning to the man. She would have to acknowledge him, but she couldn’t allow him to steal her for long. The primary reason unmarried aristocrats and nobles attended such functions was to find a suitable spouse. It might be suspicious if Jade, as Elena, didn’t relish the attentions of an eligible nobleman, at least for a little while.
“I see a fun night,” she replied with a lift of her shoulders, the smile still plastered on her face.
“I do as well.” He took one more step to stand at the edge of her personal space. “Shall we enjoy the fun night together?”
No.The last thing she needed was someone she couldn’t get away from. She didn’t mind sharing a few dances with the young men at the ball—it would be strange if she didn’t—but she couldn’t afford to attach herself to someone all night long. Besides, no debutante in her right mind would limit herself in her first season.
“Perhaps,” Jade finally said with a playful shrug. “I’m very generous, though. I like to share with others.”
The man forcefully pulled his crooked smile straight in what seemed like an attempt to be serious, but the hint of a grin still lingered. “Pity. I’d hoped to have you all to myself.”
“I’m afraid not.” Jade kept her tone light as she studied the man, but his features were so obscured that she couldn’t make out many details about him. Only a sliver of his tan face was visible: his strong, clean-shaven jawline and shapely mouth with glimmering white teeth. His brown eyes were rimmed in dark lashes, and she couldn’t determine in the ballroom lighting if his hair was dark brown or black. She didn’t believe him to be any of the royal young men. None had the same dark features.
If he wasn’t a royal or in some way close to Grannam or Arabella, then any time she spent with him would likely be wasted. Jade needed to get into royal circles to learn whatever she could about their next moves and if anyof them had hired an assassin. Not to mention, according to her informant, Grannam had planned to make some kind of “move” at this ball, which meant Jade needed to make her way around the room.
“And just who might you be, my lady?” the man asked, extending his hand in a gesture of greeting. “I don’t believe we have met before.”
Jade offered her hand to the man, and he took her fingers delicately in his own. His grasp was warm and firm, and something about his touch grabbed her attention, putting her on high alert. Despite her quickly rising heart rate, she kept her face pleasant and neutral.
“No, we haven’t met. I am Lady Elena Tavigne.”
He released her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Elena. Are you from here in Tourrine?”
“Actually, no,” she answered, itching to turn away, to end the conversation, to look anywhere else but at him. At the same time, something kept her eyes fixed on him, aside from maintaining her ruse. “I’m from Ellyris.”
“You don’t say.” The expression that came over his face—what she could see of it—was one of pleasant surprise. “I’m from Ellyris as well. Funny that we’ve never crossed paths before.”
For a split second, Jade didn’t know what to say. Keeping her lips pulled in an easy smile, she swallowed, hoping the movement wasn’t terribly noticeable.
The odds that another Ellyrisan had been invited to this ball were low, which was why she had chosen Ellyris for the region whence her alter ego hailed. Not to mention, he didn’t sound Ellyrisan. He had the right appearance, from what she could see behind his garb, but that didn’t mean much. He could just as easily have been from another part of Tourrine.
“It’s not that surprising,” she continued without missing a beat, batting her eyelashes a few times. “I’ve just come out into society. This is my first party.”
The man’s mouth crooked into another grin. “Is that so?” He tilted his head toward her, his dark eyes sparkling. “What do you think of the party so far?”
Jade took in a deep breath, turning her face to the dancers to pretend to marvel at the sights before her. “It’s absolutely magical.”
