Page 20 (1/2)

That aspect did cut down on the nuhted froe, Victoria adjusted herher small reticule over the other wrist She’d purposely elected to use a plain carriage and arrive alone so that her identity would re as possible Despite her e James Lacy as her escort, Victoria had slipped fir her mother not to reveal the nature of her costume to the new marquess--or even that she planned to attend She didn’t want anyone to know she would be there, particularly George Starcasset and Sara Regalado

"If you do, I promise you, Mother, that I’ll never accept another dance or invitation froet anyone to believe we’ve developed an attachment?"

Apparently, Lady Melly believed her--and the fallacy that there was a chance for the two to form an attachment-- for she clamped her lips and nodded "But you must promise to dance with him at least twice, and most definitely once after the ue reply, helped in her attempt to prevaricate by the industrious Verbena, who’d been working on her hair in a most enthusiastic manner

Now, as she took measured paces up the steps to Landross House, the residence of Lord and Lady Philander, Victoria felt a little knit of excite the Carnivale in Rome where the streets were packed with costumed revelers, this would be a bitbeaks or ungainly papier-arb would be gowns or dress clothing fashioned to represent the personage portrayed

Because it was a masquerade ball, and the attendees’ identities were to reht, when the masks were removed, the butler did not announce Victoria by nahly crowded Since the fascinating new Marquess of Rockley was due to attend, Victoria knew the room would soon be a complete crush

Fortunately, Landross House not only boasted a high-ceilinged anteroom next to the ballroo with soenerous terrace that ran along the entire length of the residence The doors froht air, and s, le secure behind her large cream-and-silver mask, which covered her from hairline to over the top of her nose, and curved down over the sides of her face like a h the roo coil, then wound in a large, intricate knot at the back of her crown, but a thick wave had been left to hang freely over her shoulder and down over one side of her torso

The dancing had not yet started, and Victoria held her dance card and its little dangling pencil as she exae Starcasset and Sara Regalado to be in attendance, and her nized by them so that she could observe

In keeping with the the was scarce and often obscured by false rocks inside the ballrooh the silver and blue strips of silk that hung froht as if it were under the ocean The footirls all wore livery decorated with glittering green, blue, and silver sequins, as though they were fish swilass of so from one of thear and grapefruit peel-- rather unusual and delicious, if a bit warm for her taste

As she sipped, she turned in a slow arc froe point across from the patio From here, she could see the dance floor to her left, the orchestra positioned behind a thrush of papier-littering fish, and beyond, in the anterooed on a h to just brush the back of his neck

Romeo, if his doublet and slashed pantaloons were any indication His cleft chin and the familiar movement of his shoulders betrayed his identity As she watched George without appearing to do so, Victoria wondered if, so Juliet

As she considered whether to approach hie turned and looked in her direction Victoria held her breath and forced her attention to nize hiht of his attention skim over her and, out of the corner of her eye, watched it settle on one of the Fates, who happened to be holding a pair of shears

The glint of her blonde hair and the puffy pink lips beneath Atropos’swith her diminutive stature, identified her as Gwen Starcasset Victoria hadn’t realized that Gas going to be in attendance tonight, and she eased back behind a nearby cluster of potted plants disguised as seaweed in an effort to keep out of her friend’s view Watching as George approached his sister, she strained to see if she could hear anything Even fronized the pure delight in Gwen’s sreeted her And the surprise evident in his physical reaction, which gave Victoria so to think about

"AhDiana the Huntress," murmured a silky voice frohtly to the side, angling half toward Sebastian while keeping her attention focused on George Her left shoulder brushed against the right side of his chest She sown and Roman-styled hair depicted Diana But perhaps the siven hiathered over one shoulder with a wide silver clasp, leaving the other bare Her skirt, made of the same material, fell in many deep folds to the floor, but wrapped around in such a manner that it split to well above her knee, just below a vee-shaped girdle of silver studded with cabochons The slit gave her ease of ed the opening when she was standing, as now And Verbena, in a moment of brilliance, had created two separate skirts with the frothy fabric The overskirt could be removed easily--for it was tucked into the belt--to reveal a shorter, less voluminous skirt in the event that Victoria needed more freedom of movement, which happened e of me I can’t place your costume Cupid perhaps? Odysseus?"