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Chapter 1
Lady Jane Guthrie stared out her bedchae as it rattled down the dark and silent street A great lu, its inhabitants unknown, its destination unknown, yet she wished she were aboard it, sheltered within its depths
The evening wind tossed the curtains at the carriagein a taunting farewell She splayed her hand over the glass, cool and lifeless against her pale turned the square and disappeared fro clatter of hooves echoed dully in the night
Gradually, she exerted h the glass and transport herself away, outside—far frohted in heaping abuse upon her
A shaky laugh spilled fro the silence Unreasonable expectations A year well past lorified servant in the hoed
The door opened behind her with a soft creak She jerked back frohts had conjured forth dee Her pulse beat furiously at her throat and her hand flew to her neck as if shebeat
Anna stepped inside the rooed face wreathed in a broad s breath, the thud of her heart quieting in her ears
“Mr Billings has left for his club and Mrs Billings retired to her roo with excited breath “It’s time”
Jane nodded, her heart loosening inside her chest with the knowledge that Desone, that the sa into hi his lecherous, insolent stare
Nothing would stop her Nothing barred her froht of freedom
Tonight belonged to her Even if the rest of her life did not
Jane pressed a hand to her stomach to still the dance of butterflies there “Heavens,” she breathed, “you would think I’ve never attended a ball before”
“Well It has been an age,” Anna rejoined with a ist to her lips
Jane turned to the cheval mirror to inspect her appearance one final tiown had been buried in the back of her wardrobe behind all thesave dismal black crepe and paramatta
“It’s good to see you in color again” Anna stroked her chin thoughtfully “But so”
Jane lifted an eyebrow in question
Anna opened a s table Few items filled it
Her husband had not been one to lavish her with jewelry At least not for her
She possessed only one item of value This, Anna pulled froh lit froht within “Here you are”
Jane brushed her fingers over the necklace, sranders caressed the lustrous stones If possible, they seehter than she recalled The canary dialided seductively against her palirl, she had believed any wo it could only look beautiful
“Very well” Turning, she lifted her hair, the tendrils silky smooth Anna had pulled back the heavy ed it to trail down her back Usually coarse as a horse’s htly into a knot, her hair felt like it belonged to another woman
“There now” Her maid stepped back to survey her handiwork “You don’t look the crow anymore”
Jane eyed herself in theheavily at her throat Her fingers moved fro the satin between her fingers
“For one night at least”
“You’ll wear color again,” Anna vowed in a voice hard with resolve, her dark eyes glinting beneath thick gray brows
Jane forced herself to nod Des face flashed across her mind and her stomach dipped If her brother-in-law had his way, she would never wear color again, nor would she rejoin Society
A deep sigh welled up from her chest One year, four months, and ten days had passed since Marcus’s death, but Desmond remained as determined as ever to sequester her fro needs of his daughters… and staring her hat she had come to consider the look
_The look _ reical exhibition The beast had swayed behind its bars, his eyes liquid pools of yearning, eager to break loose and devour her
Anna interrupted her , and you’ve an evening of dancing ahead”
Dancing Jane wondered if she remembered how She had not beenresigned to each other’s co each other’s company to that of the husbands they suffered at home
Shaking off the cheerless realization that her state of hood had not greatly altered her social patterns, she moved to the door, determined to thwart her insufferable relations if only in this s or leisure entertainht was an exercise in rebellion To prove, if only to herself, that she was no one’s prisoner, that she alone controlled her life
“Do try and enjoy yourself Forget about those little monsters down the hall” Anna settled Jane’s cloak about her, giving her shoulder an encouraging squeeze “You deserve some happiness”
Happiness Jane let the word roll around in her head, testing it She had ceased hoping for soht, freedom would satisfy her
The house was silent as she followed Anna down the servants’ stairs Her feetsteps
“I’ll see that the door reet this” Anna thrust a black domino into her hand as they reached the back door
On impulse, Jane embraced her old nurse in the shadows “Thank you,” shewhat she would have done without at least one friend within these walls Anna had kept her sane during those e first crumbled Nineteen, new to Town, new to her role as Lady Guthrie, she had been unprepared for the life her husband introduced her to—a world of glittering hypocrisy that slapped down anyone failing to sparkle