Page 13 of The Viscount's Daring Cinderella
Beryl took a long, deep breath. “Flora, are you quite certain we will be admitted?” It would be a shame if all their preparation were in vain.
Flora squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I am sure of it. You will soon see because we are almost there.”
The carriage came to a stop and they exited. Beryl lost half of her courage when they stood at the entrance of the town house,but it was too late to turn back now. Flora led the way, and they were ushered into a large drawing room.
Beryl gasped. What an impressive sight. She was assailed by the flamboyance and the richly decorated costumes. There were Spaniards, Turks, chimney sweepers, watchmen, conjurers, maids, shepherdesses, gypsies, and sultans. Her eyes flickered from mask to costume, and the attendees were indeed anonymous, for she did not recognize anyone. Beryl thought she had seen it all until a wizard and the devil, complete with a pitchfork, walked toward her and Flora.
Good heavens!
It would be an understatement to say the ball defied the social norm for genteel young ladies. This was a gathering where a lady could be anyone she wanted to be. The thrill of attending an illicit gathering ran through her.
Beryl turned to Flora, whose eyes danced with merriment. She was equally enthralled. “I thought sustaining a character for an entire evening would be impossible. What do you think? It must be difficult to have a ready repartee, in keeping with the character.”
“Well, one only needs to be masked until midnight, and then it can be removed,” Flora announced.
“But we cannot. We must leave before it turns midnight. It is far too risky,” Beryl whispered.
“Fear not, Beryl. We shall. I aim to have some fun, not face ruin,” Flora said.
The guests milled around and mingled until the symphony played a lively interlude. The Grecian goddess walked over and claimed Flora’s hand for a dance, and Beryl was left alone. Beryl recalled another one of Miss Marsh’s rules. No two ladies should dance together without the permission of the host. It hardly mattered because no one could tell Flora was a lady. At thispoint, Beryl did not think that anyone would care. The usual rules did not apply here.
Beryl wandered out of the drawing room, intending to find the refreshment room. She walked down the hallway, where the music faded and grew quieter. She entered a room on the right with many coats and cloaks, some neatly hanging while a few were carelessly draped over the chairs. She needed to exit and continued down the hall. It would probably be the next room. Beryl was just about to turn around when she heard whispers from an adjoining room. The door was slightly ajar, and she had not noticed it. The voices drifted toward Beryl.
“I have removed my mask,” the lady said with a flirtatious voice.
“Hmm, I can see that,” the gentleman replied.
The flirtatious tone convinced Beryl that she had come across a private moment. She should leave and give the couple their privacy, but she was far too curious. Who was the lady who had unmasked herself? There would be no harm in finding out, provided she remained concealed. Beryl quietly moved toward the door and peered through the crack. She could see the gentleman and lady standing close to each other. Quite close. They were intimate. She saw their side profile, and in the dimly lit room, she did not recognize the lady.
“Did I tell you how ravishing you look in that dress,” the gentleman smiled as he threw his arm around her waist, lowered his head, and kissed her.
Beryl’s heart skipped. She had never come across a couple doing anything untoward before. The lady appeared to enjoy being kissed because she sighed, and he groaned. Beryl’s heart beat faster as she remembered how much she enjoyed her first kiss with the viscount. She did not want to be caught eavesdropping, yet her inquisitiveness outweighed her better judgement. She stood rooted in the spot.
The lady broke the kiss and pulled away. “We must stop before someone wanders in.”
“Is it not all the more exciting this way? The thrill?” he asked as he leaned down and nibbled her ear.
The lady gasped.
Beryl thought the gentleman was intoxicated. He reminded her of her father when he had one too many whiskeys. The gentleman must be foxed to think that a lady would want to be caught in a compromising position. He moved from kissing her ear to her cheek.
“You are such an angel,” he whispered as he planted little kisses all over her face and bosom with a strange kind of eagerness.
The lady struggled to get away from him. “Not here, darling,” she pleaded.
The gentleman sighed in frustration. “If that is what you want,” he petulantly replied.
“It is,” she said as she replaced her mask.
Oh dear. The couple were about to leave, so Beryl spun around and hurriedly exited the room. Her heart thudded in her chest. She went directly to the drawing room where the dance had just ended, and the symphony played an interlude. It was only when she arrived that she remembered her refreshment. She had not found the room, and she was rather thirsty. She decided to wait until Flora reappeared, and they could go together. Beryl felt hot and flustered under her mask, but she dared not remove it. Perhaps later, she could take a turn in the garden.
The symphony played on, and rather suddenly, Beryl became aware of another presence beside her. She turned and came face to face with the wizard. It was the very same wizard who was walking with the devil earlier. He was not the typical older man with a long beard; rather, he was tall and imposing, and thewizard’s hat made him appear even more so. He was wearing a black half-mask, and her eyes dropped to his mouth. It must be because it was exposed. When she lifted her gaze, he was staring at her intently. She flushed and felt the warmth on her cheeks.
“May I have the next set, my lady?” The wizard’s smooth voice flowed to her ears. He held out his arm to her.
Beryl sucked in her breath. There was something familiar about him, but she could not put her finger on it. The corners of his lips lifted in a wicked smile, and his head tilted to the side expectantly. Slowly she exhaled.
“We have not been introduced, but the rules are always altered here. We can remain anonymous,” he drawled, his eyes twinkling with humor.
