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CHAPTER ONE

MADISON noticed him the moment he walked into the room

Despite the fact that the hospital’s charity ball was heaving with people, all wearing Venetian masks—and he was dressed the same as all the other men in a dinner jacket, dark trousers, white shirt and bow-tie, plus a plain gold eyeabout the tall, dark-haired y that drew her eye

Not that she was going to do anything about it Not tonight

As the chair of the coory had work to do Such aslike clockwork behind the scenes Being there to troubleshoot any last- any little niggles without a fuss

But so far any proble had been planned down to the last detail There had been a few ested a jazz trio—a band she’d heard several tiuns In her view, a rock band really didn’t suit ahad beco quartet playing waltzes would have felt too forht upbeat nu ballads that people knew and could dance to—was perfect for a ball

Now she could even see couplesthe words of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ to each other, s fun on the dance floor Relief flooded through her She’d got it right This was going to work

With this lovely, war to be parted from their money They’d buy loads of tickets for the tombola prizes she and the rest of the co—balloon rides, spa treatments and a chocolate hamper that her cousin and best friend Katrina desperately wanted to win and had bought soat the ball that Madison had decided, if Katrina didn’t win it, she’d buy her the very same hamper as consolation

And maybe, just maybe, the fund for the new scanner would reach the halfway point as a result

Eve, one of the senior nurses froency depart around since an hour before everything started Why don’t you take a break?’

A little voice in Madison’s head added, And go and find out who the old eye mask is She brushed it aside and smiled at Eve ‘It’s OK I’m fine’

‘You paid for a ticket, too,’ Eve reminded her ‘Which means you’re entitled to dance and have so committee, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself’