Page 23 of A Masked Lady for Mr. Kenworthy
Thomas nodded, guarding his tongue carefully. He was still upset with Rupert for ever having suggested that Lady Faye endanger herself by going along with his crazy plan. But he knew it would do little good to say as much now, especially since they were so close to executing the mission.
When Thomas continued to remain silent, Rupert sighed.
“I do not say this merely for the sake of the job, whatever you may think,” he said, unsurprisingly reading Thomas’s thoughts. “I do care about Lady Faye’s wellbeing, and I regret having to put her in harm’s way. But that is precisely why I say to you that you must not think of any other involvement with her than this for the time being at least. To do so would not only further endanger her but for yourself, as well. Things would get more complicated than they already are should you allow yourself to begin having feelings for Lady Faye. Please, my friend. Heed my advice. When this is over, then you can revisit the way you feel for her. But for now, you must concentrate on the mission.”
Thomas sank back in his seat, exhaling heavily.I already have feelings for Lady Faye,he thought, surprised at the truth of the words. He did not say as much to Rupert, however. He wished to be spared the next lecture that would surely result if he did.
“Of course, you are right,” he said, hoping to placate his partner. “The mission must be my primary focus.”But it is too late for it to be my sole focus,he added silently.
Rupert nodded, but Thomas got a distinct feeling that his partner did not believe him. Fortunately, the carriage had, at last, reached Salisdene Manor, which meant it was time to, as Rupert himself had said, focus on nothing but the mission. With one final suspicious glance, Rupert prepared to do exactly that. As the coach came to a stop, he ran through the steps of the plan aloud with Thomas one final time. Thomas agreed his understanding once more, then followed Rupert out of the coach.
The two men walked up to the entrance of Salisdene Manor with cool nonchalance. The exterior of the manor was rather bland and unassuming, but Thomas knew, from his attendance at other parties hosted by the countess, that the inside was lavishly and richly decorated. The countess changed the color schemes of her manor at least three times a year, and she always saved her brightest color choices for each London season. And, as he and Rupert entered the large manor, Thomas saw he was correct.
The walls shone with brilliant silver, gold, and yellow. Even the wall portraits had been adorned with garlands made from white and yellow flowers and strung together with silver and gold thread. The countess had had bells hung from the chandeliers, and gold rugs lined the floor of the entryway. Thomas never ceased to be amazed at the grandeur of Lady Salisdene’s parties.
“Thomas, darling,” said the countess’s disembodied voice.
Both Rupert and Thomas turned, searching for her in the thick sea of people slowly making their way into the ballroom.
Thomas spotted her first. She wore a gown to match the gold décor she had chosen for the event. She rushed up to him and took his hands in hers, inviting him to kiss them gently.
He bowed, gently giving the gloved backs of her hands a small peck. Rupert took his turn to do the same, greeting the countess just as warmly as Thomas. Then, Thomas smiled at her.
“Good evening,” he said. “You have once again outdone yourself. This is, indeed, a lovely party.”
The countess laughed.
“Well, darling, you have only just arrived,” she said. “And it is about time, I might add. It has been ages since I have seen you.”
Thomas smiled meekly. The countess had been good friends with his mother and had served as a sort of aunt figure in his life. As such, despite his lack of a title as the second son of a viscount, he still received invitations to each one of her parties and balls. And she was right; it has been a very long time since he had accepted any of her invitations.
“Do forgive me, Lady Salisdene,” he said, observing the formal use of her name, despite their close relationship, for the sake of public propriety. “I have been quite busy of late, and I have been unable to attend many social events.”
The countess held up her hand.
“I understand you refer to your work,” she said with a sigh. “Darling, it is about time you forget about work for a little while. I understand the importance of your job, and your allegiance to your duty is most admirable. But you really must find time to find yourself a wife. A man like yourself should not spend the remainder of his life alone.”
Thomas kept his smile, but his stomach twisted. He was already a mess of nerves, and the last thing he wanted was to discuss searching for a potential bride with his mother’s friend. Or with anyone, for that matter.
Luckily, Rupert stepped in, seeming to sense his discomfort. “Thomas has vowed to remain a bachelor,” he said with a chuckle.
Thomas looked at his partner with wide, angry eyes, careful to turn his face away from the countess as he did so. He should have known that Rupert would say something to embarrass him in front of the countess covertly. He made a mental note to make his friend pay for the remark.
As Thomas feared, the countess narrowed her gaze and fixed it directly on him once more. She frowned, shaking her head from side to side with great emphasis.
“I shall not stand for such nonsense,” she said bluntly and rather too loudly for Thomas’s liking. “You do not deserve to live the rest of your life alone.”
Thomas squirmed under her gaze. He knew she meant well and was truly concerned about him. She had supported him after Ruth had died when she had been a godsend. But now, it seemed that even she felt it was time for him to move on and remarry. Yet, deep down, Thomas did not believe he would ever be able to do such a thing.
“I will take your words under advisement,” he said, trying to give her a convincing grin.
He knew instantly she did not believe him. But before she could say anything more, he quickly excused himself, pushing his way into the large group of people and quickly losing himself. He moved quickly, glancing around at his surroundings as he walked. There were almost as many guests there as at Lord Turlington’s masquerade ball, and Thomas hoped it would not work against them.
Fortunately, a short time later, Thomas found himself emerging in front of the refreshment table. He took a flute of champagne and began sipping it, casually scanning the clusters of guests filling the ballroom. When a cerulean-blue flash caught his attention, Thomas had to catch his breath.
Lady Faye looked like a member of the royal family as she entered the ballroom. The blue of her dress made her eyes completely visible from halfway across the grand room. His heart thudded in his chest as her eyes met his, and she gave him an almost imperceptible smile. He could not take his eyes off her, and it took him several moments to realize they had once again been staring at one another for far too long. With a smile of his own, he turned back to the refreshment table to collect his thoughts. Then, he began once more looking around the room, this time for Rupert, to let him know that Lady Faye had arrived.
Chapter Seventeen
