Page 64 of Leap of Faith
“I see. So it may not be safe to go tonight.”
“My friends and I remain vigilant, but it does seem an excellent time to force his hand. I want you to remain with me or one of us at all times. Understood?”
She nodded, though felt a great deal of misgiving.
“All of us are wearing identical dominoes, so Sir Julian will not know who we are. We will all arrive separately and take hacks to minimize the likelihood of being recognized.” He held out his domino for them to see. It was black with a silver stripe around the hood.
“You seem to have thought of everything.”
“That is impossible, but I do wish to minimize the risks. I think we should have a word so you know it is me.”
“Like a signal?”
“Precisely. A secret word between the two of us you can ask if you are unsure.”
She thought about that, and the word that was so obvious to her might not be to him. Laughter threatened, and she struggled to keep her face impassive.
“What is it, minx? Don’t hold your tongue on my account!”
“Well, ogre seems to be the most obvious choice that no one else would think of.”
“I see I’ve made no progress in your esteem at all, but very well,” he bantered.
“That is not what I meant, my lord.”
“No, no, do not withdraw now!” He flicked her on the cheek. “I will meet you there.”
Faith rubbed her cheek in wonderment after Lord Westwood had left. Sometimes he seemed pompous and self-centred, then his actions would say otherwise. It would be foolish, however, to put any store by his little flirtations. She had seen him do such with some of the beautiful widows about—but never with any marriageable young ladies. Perhaps their frequent proximity lowered his normal guard and his flirtatious habits that were second nature surfaced with her. It would be dangerous to think he meant anything by them, so she warned herself to guard her heart as she put the mask of her costume firmly in place.
They arrived to find the ballroom dimly lit and decorated as a grotto. It was not as elaborate as Lady Westwood’s ball had been, but it was enchanting nevertheless. There were some very elaborate costumes, but many people had opted for simple dominos.
Despite the costumes and masks, it would have been silly to think anyone would not know who the four Whitford ladies were, even though they wore different colours than they had at their ball to intentionally confuse people.
Each of the sisters’ costumes consisted of a domino over their gowns, but each was designed to look like an animal or being.
Faith was a butterfly, Hope had chosen a swan. Patience was a colourful bird, and Grace a fairy.
They were besieged with requests for dances as soon as they arrived. Faith and her sisters had decided to give away only one dance at a time that evening since they did not know who anyone was.
There was some excitement in trying to discover who their partners were. There was a much more flirtatious undercurrent than was usual when people showed their faces. Yet there was never the ability to completely relax, knowing that Sir Julian was likely to be hiding in plain sight.
Most of the gentlemen were in plain black dominoes, which was what Lord Westwood and his friends would wear. How then was she supposed to tell them from the others?
As soon as her first partner in a green domino had led her onto the dance floor and had begun to speak, it was easy to determine it was Mr. Dankworth. He was a persistent suitor, though he was young and liked to write bad poetry.
Her second partner was much more mysterious. He donned the black domino she looked for, hoping it was one of their friends. It even bore the silver stripe around the hood. Yet there was something about him that put her ill at ease.
Were Lord Westwood or Rotham or Carew or Mr. Cunningham or Major Stuart or Captain Fielding even there? She had become so accustomed to these gentlemen’s protection! How she had taken it for granted!
“Are we to speak at all, sir? Or am I to remain in ignorance?”
“Is that not the allure of a masquerade?” he answered in a low voice.
“I assume you have the advantage of me.”
He inclined his head. “I knew I could dance with you no other way, but I will take what I can get, even if it is by desperate means.”
Had she knowingly walked right into Sir Julian’s arms? If this black domino was indeed he, then he spoke with a disguised voice.
