Chapter One
“It needs something more…” Emmeline Lowin paused before the looking glass in her mirror and considered her fancy dress for the masquerade she was set to attend that evening.
She had spent a great deal of time and money to coordinate her appearance from the intricate powdered wig affixed over her midnight black hair to the lavish ballgown with its layers of underskirts, hoops, and restrictive full-length corset; she would not allow it all to come undone because she had missed a detail.
Her jewelry perfectly matched the rich greens and blues of the bespoke brocade gown designed for her to wear to the party.
Her naturally porcelain skin had been dusted with rice powder to give her a milky complexion.
Her lips had been painted a cherry red, which lent her a seductive air.
The gold lace mask covering the upper half of her face was in place and tied with a silk ribbon to disguise her identity.
Everything was perfect. Nearly. She picked up the bit of kohl pencil she’d used to accentuate her long, dark eyelashes and added a perfectly round dot of black to the apple of her right cheek.
“There!” she said triumphantly and gave a little turn to admire her reflection. She was sure not even her own mother would recognize her in this outfit were she not already waiting belowstairs to act as her chaperone for the evening, along with her elder brother, Leo.
This was one of the premier events of the London Season, and it was also the first time Emmeline was permitted to attend.
At two-and-twenty years of age, her mother had finally agreed that she be allowed to partake in the fancy dress party for which most of the ton planned months in advance.
They needed ample time to work with modistes and designers to plan, create, and execute their intricate assigned costumes.
The hosts, the incredibly glamorous Duke and Duchess of Benton, had always taken the rather unorthodox step of delegating who wore what costume to the ball.
While the decree was initially disliked by those who preferred to adhere to their own tastes and sense of style, it was quickly understood to be a fun way for guests to meet and interact with others while in disguise.
Everyone was assigned a costume whose pair came from a different household.
Along with her invitation, Emmeline was instructed to dress as a lady of the French Court from the prior century.
The choice had, at first, been a bit shocking given the state of Franco-English relations, but she supposed it was better than being forced to figure out how she was to dress like a horse and make it seem dignified, like her friend, Mary Sole, had the first time she’d received her invitation.
Besides, one did not have to like the French to admit that their fashions were stunning.
This year, Emmeline’s mother was a white swan with a glittering white gown and ivory plumage decorating her shoulders and hair, and Leo was dressed as a Roman Senator, complete with a crimson robe and toga.
Each of them could expect their partners to be among the crowd tonight and would be expected to share at least one dance with them to complete the effect.
The fun of it was that one did not know who his or her partner would be.
Oftentimes, it was a good friend, sometimes an acquaintance whom the hosts believed would help foster good conversation.
On other occasions, it was a pairing of secret lovers or an affianced couple thrilled to find themselves together with the opportunity for some privacy.
Matches had been made at this event, and, as a woman who was nearing the tail-end of her time as a prized commodity on the Marriage Mart, Emmeline could not wait to see who her partner would be.
She wondered if she would recognize him, or if he would recognize her.
Looking into her reflection once more, she strongly suspected whoever he was would not.
“All I require for this evening to be perfect is for the Duke of Stanhope to mind his manners and stay as far away from me as possible,” Emmeline said to herself.
With any luck, the man would suffer a sudden illness severe enough to keep him home for the better part of the rest of the Season.
She’d had quite the triumphant day teaching the odious man a lesson, and she looked forward to basking in her success a while longer.