Strike at Midnight(71)

“I know,” Melody said, “but we’ll just tell her tomorrow that it was as boring as hell and that she had a lucky escape.”

“She will think we’re lying,” I said, but I smiled anyway at the suggestion of it.

“Yeah,” Melody replied, “but it will still make her feel better.”

“It’s time to go,” Mia said as she moved to exit the room. “Our dear Rella needs to go and find her true love.”

“It isn’t true love with the prince,” I said, following her and Melody to the door.

“Then what would you say it is?”

“Delusion,” I replied, “and the realization that I need to get laid. And soon.”

“Hear, hear,” Melody said as she linked her arm with mine. Then we made our way to the ball.





*



A few heads turned when the three of us entered the ballroom, and Mia and Melody lapped up the attention.

We approached the prince and his father, who were conversing with a group of elderly gentlemen, and I couldn’t help but be happy when I saw the prince’s jaw drop. We all stopped in our tracks—because apparently you weren’t allowed to pass by royalty without bobbing up and down—and we curtsied to them.

As I raised myself up to full height, I caught the prince’s eye and felt an instant response to him as our eyes locked. He smiled at me, but it was the words he wasn’t saying that really had me frozen in place. With no conversation, it felt like he was already making love to me, and it was only a subtle nudge from Melody that broke me out of my trance.

“Your Highnesses,” I said, and then we all three moved away into the crowd forming in the ballroom.

Damn. He had looked great tonight, and I hated myself for thinking that. The egg-blue silk of his overcoat had complemented the color of my own gown beautifully, and my hands itched to remove the ruffles from his throat so I could get better access to his neck.

My head shook slightly as I acknowledged that I shouldn’t be thinking like this. This wasn’t why I was here, to turn into jelly just from one look he had given me. I was supposed to be conveying that I had no feelings for him, that he needed to move on and forget about me. But I had failed. I had completely and utterly failed.

Sir Raymond came and greeted us in his usual way, saving me from my own wicked thoughts. I took hold of his arm like a lifeline and the other two followed behind us.

“I’m going to mingle,” Mia said from behind me, and then she was gone.

“Would you like to take my other arm, dear?” Sir Raymond said to Melody since Mia had abandoned her side.

“Thank you, Sir Raymond,” she said, and I think he found it hard to drag his eyes away from her. She did look a vision compared to the rest of the women in here.

Melody had opted for a gown of emerald green that complemented the deep red tones of her hair, and she had pulled the strands back off her face with clips in the form of shells. Her low neckline had matching shells embroidered around the hem, and the colors shimmered beneath the light beaming down from the chandelier.

Men were stopping to stare as we passed, and many of those were with women who were firing daggers at us. Not literal ones, of course.

“I am a lucky man this evening,” Sir Raymond said with a chuckle. “You two are truly a vision.”

“You’re a sweet talker, Sir Raymond,” I said and nudged him a little. “But we wouldn’t be able to keep up with you.”

He smiled. “I think that’s the other way round,” he said as his eyes sparkled. “But if I were twenty years younger, well…”

Melody laughed, and even I had to smile at his teasing, but we needed to get down to business.

“Can you introduce us to the Camemberts?” I uttered quietly into his ear. “We need to find out if Lord Camembert is also an imposter.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” he asked.

“Just introduce me and follow my lead.”

“Your wish is my command.”

Before I knew it, we were whisked in front of an older couple who looked…could I say constipated?

The man was looking longingly at the woman, but his posture was as straight as a pole with a white wig balancing precariously on his head. The woman had a look of permanent disdain on her face, and if she held her chin any higher she would be giving the ceiling a full frontal. She waved her fan in front of her as if it were her sword and shield, and Sir Raymond pulled us to a stop in front of them.

“Lord and Lady Camembert,” he said, bowing to them both. “May I please introduce you to Lady Rosewood and Lady Andersen?”

It sounded strange hearing us being addressed as ladies, but we curtsied anyway.

“Good evening,” Lord Camembert said. “What an honor to meet you.”

His wife glared at him before looking around the ballroom. Or should I say looking anywhere apart from directly at us?

“Sir Raymond,” she said in crisp tones. “How are things with you?”

“Very well, my lady. Aside from this horrid business with the duke.”

Well played, Sir Raymond. I guessed we wouldn’t be following my lead after all.

“It is such a disgrace,” she said as if she had been put out by such an act. “To have been kidnapped and another take his place? Well. It’s preposterous!”