And it made the knowledge that she was going to betray them all cause her to feel even worse. The sun had set, and she had heard her family tell Poppy that they would not attend the ball that evening, and that it was because her dear sister had taken ill. Poppy did not protest, and Margaret wondered if that was because she was yet to consider anything further.
“Is it bad?” she simply asked.
“It could be worse,” her mother explained, “but we do not want to take any risks. Not only that, but it could be catching, and we would hate for you or Emily to have it too. It is best that you leave her be for the evening, and see how she is in the morning.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Good.”
The matter was settled as soon as it began, and though Margaret was grateful that she would not be caught, she wished that it were not so easy to fool her family. It was for precisely that reason that they needed her home, rather than in a convent, but that was not her decision to make.
Still, the gown shimmered, and Margaret could not stop looking at it.
And so, when she heard her family retire to their bedchambers, she leaped from her bed and wrestled with her dress until it fell to the floor, and in its place she swept the golden one onto her body. She had been dressing herself for over a year, and so she did it with ease. Then, she pinned her hair into place and applied her rouge, then covered her face with a gold mask.
She was going to give up her life for her sisters, but that did not mean that she could not have one last dance.
CHAPTER 3
If there was one thing in the world that Nathaniel Ashcroft was, it was proper.
As the Duke of Ravensmere, precision and order were among his greatest qualities. It was his discipline that would determine the future of his family, and his high standards that had kept him lonely. Regardless, that had been his choice, and he preferred it that way. People had a tendency to disappoint him, and so it was for the best that he did not allow them the chance.
But the ballroom was nice enough. Through his black mask threaded with gold, his steel gray eyes had to admit that it was decorated beautifully. There were enough candles to pose a hazard, and enough people that had followed the theme to make for a mysterious night. Even if he knew the people in attendance, he would have struggled. He noticed his reflection in a particularly shiny tray, and fixed his dark hair.
“Enjoying yourself, Your Grace?”
That had to be the host.
“Yes, Lord Johnston. I must admit, I am rarely impressed by such spectacles, but this one is rather inviting.”
“That pleases me greatly. I know that you are a man with impeccable taste, and my wife shall be most pleased to see that you are happy with her efforts.”
The conversation did not go further. It did not need to. The Johnstons had earned the favor of a duke, and that was all that they cared for. Nathaniel sighed, turning back to his reflection.
Then, he saw her.
She was a tall lady, dressed in gold, but that was not what caught his eye. Nor was it the fact that she did not seem to be accompanied by a chaperone, or that her mask did not quite fit her. It was, in truth, that she was slipping confections into her reticule.
“Should I be impressed, My Lady?” he asked, having approached her without thinking. “Or, perhaps, should I alert the host?”
She froze, looking up at him with large green eyes.
“I– well, I– it is not what it looks like.”
“No? Because it looks to me that you are stealing refreshments from our hosts. If you were seen, you would be escorted out.”
“Very well,” she sighed, “have me sent away, then.”
“Any other night, I might have been tempted to. However, I will not pretend that I am not in good spirits tonight. I believe your transgressions can be forgiven, on one condition.”
“Yes?”
“You tell me why you were doing it.”
She startled before him, and he was unsure if that was because his words threatened her or his presence did. She was a tall lady with soft curves, but he towered over her all the same. He was broad, and he knew he was commanding, but he never would have called himself threatening. Then again, he considered, she could not see his face.
“I cannot,” she replied. “It is for good reason, but it would ruin me.”
