Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Ophelia, you look magnificent!” Amelia praised.
Ophelia did her best to smile behind the blue and gold cat-eye mask she had made and painted herself.
It matched the very last gown Tristan had given her, the one she’d chosen to wear for Amelia’s costume party.
The gown- as well as Ophelia’s complexion- went better with silver, but with the heavy gold necklace locked around her throat, she chose to lean into the more audacious metal.
By her side stood Abraham. She’d hoped that he had not caught rumor of Amelia’s party and she would be able to attend alone, but when he showed up earlier at her house wearing an a gold mask and matching suit, those hopes had been dashed.
He’d held her hand tightly- far too tightly- during the carriage ride over.
Her fingers, red from his grip, were presently pressed tightly between his arm and his side.
“Thank you, darling,” Ophelia replied, taking in Amelia’s black and deep purples silk dress; matching gloves, and glittering dark purple mask, “You look quite amazing yourself!”
Amelia moved her mask away from her face and wagged her eyebrows.
“Dominic and I thought we would do a little play on our differing attitudes. I am his twilight and he is my midnight.”
Though she was happy for her friend, Ophelia’s heart twinged. Amelia had no idea how lucky she was to be married to a man she loved.
Amelia’s smile faded a little as her eyes ran up and down Abraham.
“Are you the sun as well, Lord Weavington?” She asked.
Abraham chuckled as he looked down at Amelia and shook his head.
“Close, my dear host. I am Midas,” he answered.
Amelia gave him a forced smile.
“How… clever,” she replied, “And I hear you two are now engaged!”
Ophelia’s friends had all come rallying at her door after Abraham had submitted the news to the local paper, but she had been too upset to receive them.
She feared that as before, they would pull the truth from her and put themselves in danger.
After Abraham had threatened her the other night, she sensed he’d stop at nothing- or no one- to make sure his plans were accomplished.
Ophelia forced a smile and nodded her head.
“Yes, apologies for not being able to deliver the news in person. So much to do now, you know.”
“Wedding plans,” Abraham interjected. “We wish our union to be well-known and glorious.”
Amelia pursed her lips and nodded as she looked up at him.
“I see. Well. That is a perfectly reasonable explanation,” she replied.
“Your wedding was not so, was it Your Grace?” Abraham asked, shifting his body between Amelia and Ophelia. “It was a more hurried affair, I heard? Something more like a fire sale?”
Ophelia felt her cheeks burn in anger as she tried to slip her hand from his hold. How dare he?! She tugged, trying to break free, but could not loosen herself. So she peered around Abraham’s body, giving her friend an apologetic look.
A look of shock appeared on Amelia’s face, but anger simmered through her stillness, and Ophelia watched as Amelia’s wide eyes softened and her smile grew positively devilish.
“There certainly is a fire in my marriage, Lord Weavington,” she replied, raising her chin proudly. “And I would warn you not to get too close to it.”
As she said so, Dominic wearing a skull mask and pitch black suit, appeared from behind Amelia.
Ophelia watched, her heart filling with a longing for Tristan as she watched the man slip his hands protectively around his wife’s waist and pull her back into his chest. Dominic’s smile was just as devilish as removed his mask and rested his chin atop her head.
“You are here, Abraham, because of our dear friend Ophelia, and for her sake only,” Dominic stated, forgoing a more well-mannered welcome, “Even so, speak like that to my wife again, and I will personally be taking you outside.”
Ophelia’s stomach churned as the two men stared challengingly at one another, not at all sure what was going to happen. Then suddenly Abraham’s body relaxed. She heard him chuckle, and then watched him bow his head as he took a step a step back by her side.
“Of course,” Abraham replied. “Forgive me. Sometimes when I am jesting I am not fully aware of just how poorly my words come out.”
Dominic simply nodded as he kept his intense gaze on Abraham.
“Amelia, my love, why do you not take Ophelia to the girls?” Dominic asked, brushing a kiss along Amelia’s cheek. “I know the five of you are just dying to catch up. Abraham and I will take ourselves into the smoke room.”
“Oh, thank you,” Abraham said, pulling Ophelia’s hand into his, “But I believe my betrothed and I shall stay together this evening.”
Ophelia felt the tension crackle in the air as Dominic boldly moved from behind Amelia, took hold of Abraham’s wrist, and uncurled his tight grip from Ophelia’s hand. Ophelia wasted no time pulling her hand to herself and going to Amelia’s side.
“There is something you need to know if you are to marry Ophelia,” Dominic said, shoving Abraham’s hand away as the two stared at one another with open hostility, “She has a very special friendship between my wife and her three other friends. Nothing will able to tear them apart. Is that not true, Amelia?”
“That is right,” Amelia agreed, wrapping an around Ophelia’s back.
Ophelia’s knees nearly buckled as her friend held her; so worried she was about what was going to happen next.
“Come along, darling,” Amelia urged, giving Ophelia a gentle tug, “Our friends are waiting.”
Though she wanted to flee precisely in that direction, Ophelia remained rooted to the ground, watching Abraham intently. She was quite certain he was insane. What will he do being challenged in such a public place?
To her utter surprise, though, Abraham turned to her with a relaxed grin.
“Go on then,” he said, his tone almost careless, “Have fun with your friends.”
Abraham then turned back to Dominic.
“I, unfortunately, will have to decline your offer to join you in smoke room, Your Grace. You see I am quite partial to this particular holiday. I believe I shall go outside and walk about the bonfires you have erected.”
“Let us go find the girls,” Amelia urged as Abraham walked back toward the front door. “I believe they are all in the parlor anxious to see you. They will be relieved to see that you came.”
Even after Abraham walked back outside, Ophelia could not relax. She felt the heavy weight of gold necklace locked around her neck, feeling more suffocating now than ever before, but she did her best to breath through it as Amelia led her toward their friends.
As Ophelia walked through the small gathered crowds among the house, though, she could not help but look for Tristan.
He was one of Dominic’s closest friends, and she was sure that he would be in attendance.
Still, as her eyes roamed toward the plethora of masked guests, she did not see a single person that exuded Tristan’s presence.
Her heart sank a little more as she walked up to her friends. She was not sure what she would say if she saw him or if she could even gather the courage to go up to him at all, but what she did know was that she missed his presence. Especially now.
Ophelia did her best to forget such feelings as her friends turned to her and smiled, and she did her best to smile back.
They all looked gorgeous as usual. Theo wore a cat mask similar to her own that matched Theo’s beautiful gown of black, gold, and emerald green silks.
Seraphina’s mask covered her face entirely, and was a pearlescent white with soft pink painted at the cheeks and lips.
Her gown was a startling buttercup yellow; brightening up the room filled with darker gowns and suits.
Rose’s mask, like Ophelia’s and Theo’s, only covered the top half of her half of her face.
It was a painted a smooth, eggshell white with black trim around the eyes and pink roses painted near the ends.
Her gown matched the pink of the roses on her mask. They all looked lovely- and happy.
“There is our darling,” Rose cooed as Ophelia approached them.
“Oh, happy day! You came!” Seraphina exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.
“I promised I would,” Ophelia said with a half-hearted laugh as she returned Seraphina’s hug.
Ophelia looked up as her chin rested on Seraphina’s shoulder, and saw that unlike the rest of her friends, Theo was not smiling, but instead studying her intensely. She blushed under the scrutiny, and gently pulled away from Seraphina’s hug.
“Ophelia come with us, darling,” Theo urged, lacing her arm through hers, “Let us get you something to drink.”
“Oh, after what I just observed, we are all getting a drink and going up to my chambers to speak post haste!” Amelia interjected.
Ophelia let Theo lead her toward the refreshment table, and once again, she could not help look for Tristan.
And, once again, she felt a well of disappointment when she did not spot him.
To her relief, though, she did not spot Abraham either.
He must actually been serious about the bonfires.
She’d hated every moment they’d spent together since the night he’d locked his necklace around her throat, and was praying that he stayed outside for the rest of the evening.
As they passed the refreshment table Ophelia reached for a glass of lemonade.
As if deciding for her that she needed something stronger, Theo swiped the glass from her hand and exchanged it for a glass of red wine.
Seraphina, Rose, and Amelia also took up glasses of red wine and the five of them let the parlor and headed up the stairs and toward Amelia quarters, far away from the hustle and bustle of the party.
“What is going on?” Ophelia asked as Amelia shut then locked the door to her sitting room.