Chapter 13
The stream of guests had slowed down. Caroline went through the guest list in her head and judged that only four or five remained.
She watched Mason chat with an older couple, his laughter jovial and welcoming. The more she pondered the situation, the more
convinced she had become that Mason had something else to hide. Something besides ownership of Lennox Manor, something besides
lying about his finances. She would find out once this party was out of the way. Something had to change, even if she had to force the situation.
Thomas touched her arm and she wrenched her attention back to receiving guests. She set her lips in a smile of delighted welcome
and prepared to greet the next arrivals. But first, she caught Lisan’s eye and indicated with a tilt of her chin that she
wanted the musicians to move up to the ballroom. It was good to have someone like Lisan, intelligent and intuitive. She was
more than a good secretary; she had become a good companion.
There was sudden silence in the foyer, a collective intake of breath, then whispers.
An Asian woman in a stunning red cloak had entered.
She shed the cloak and began making her way across the foyer with gliding footsteps, her blue kimono shimmering with purple and silver irises.
As she approached, Caroline saw that even though the woman’s face was heavily powdered, she was exquisite, with delicate features that were somewhat boyish and heavy brows that lent her features an androgynous beauty.
Her escort, who had hovered unnoticed during the woman’s spectacular entrance, doffed his coat and hurried to join her.
Caroline’s breath clawed at her throat and she struggled to hold her welcoming smile. She knew the man. She didn’t know his
name, or where she knew him from, but they’d met before and it had not been a pleasant encounter.
“Andrew, thank you for coming,” Mason said, taking the lead. “You already know Thomas, of course. This is his wife, Caroline.
Caroline, Andrew Grey is the architect I told you about, my dear.” Caroline murmured words of welcome.
Andrew Grey’s long face was almost handsome. Almost, because his features were too sharp and his dark reddish hair made his
pale, freckled skin look pasty. His eyes were what made him memorable, an unusual shade of light brown, fringed with dark
lashes.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Grey said. “May I introduce Princess Masako Kyo?”
“Your Highness,” Caroline said, making a graceful curtsy. Thomas bowed deeply. Mason merely inclined his head with a polite,
slightly amused smile.
“There’s no need for ceremony,” the princess replied. Her English was slightly accented, her voice pleasant. “I’m actually
Manchu and I don’t believe in titles. Please, just call me Kyo.”
“If I may ask,” Thomas said, “your dress is magnificent, and it’s Japanese, am I correct? But you say you’re Manchu?”
“I’m Manchu, raised in Japan,” she said, “which makes me uniquely qualified to be part of Count Kato Komei’s diplomatic mission
to the Forbidden City.”
Caroline pretended she was listening to the conversation between Mason, Thomas, and Kyo, pretended she didn’t notice how keenly Grey was looking at her. But she couldn’t avoid him when he spoke to her directly.
“Mrs. Stanton,” he said softly. She had to face him. “Mason mentioned your maiden name was Vessey and that you’re related
to the Dominics of New York. I believe we’ve met before, at one of the Dominics’ parties. Very briefly.”
His words managed to sound like a threat.
“I don’t recall,” she said, brightening her smile even more. “Do forgive me, but I’ve never been good with names or faces.
And there were so many parties in New York, so many people to meet.”
The thing was, she did remember him. He was heavier, his auburn hair a little thinner, but his freckled complexion and strange
light brown eyes were the same. If only she could place him. If only she knew what he remembered.
“Come, Andrew,” Kyo said, “there’s other guests arriving and we mustn’t monopolize our hosts.”
Grey turned to her with an adoring gaze; clearly he was besotted by this fascinating creature, barely taking his eyes from
Kyo as he escorted her toward the staircase. Then Kyo stopped, as though yanked back by a harness. She walked with gliding
steps toward the musicians. Toward Lisan.
Caroline tore her eyes away; two more guests had come to the door.
“Well, this will make for a memorable party, whatever else happens,” Mason whispered to them. “Andrew shows up with a princess
of ill repute. She claims to be a member of Count Kato Komei’s diplomatic mission. Word is she’s nothing of the sort. Nor
is she a real princess.”
“I’ve heard of this woman,” Thomas murmured. “Is it true she was mistress to one of the northern warlords?”
“Whether or not it’s true, what on earth is Andrew doing with her?” Mason said. “She’ll have him for breakfast.” He sounded amused, not annoyed.
“I didn’t know you’d met Grey before,” Thomas said, turning to Caroline. All the guests had arrived and he took her arm to
mount the staircase to the ballroom.
“Honestly, I don’t remember him at all,” she said. “He says we met in New York, but the Dominics gave so many parties and
I never enjoyed them. I always left as soon as it was decent to do so.”
Caroline wanted to plead a headache, go hide in her room. But she couldn’t do that. Furthermore, it was better to face Andrew
Grey. Whatever was on his mind, whatever threat he represented, the sooner she found out, the sooner she could deal with it.
She had to learn what Grey remembered, what he might do or say. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders, forced
yet another smile to her lips, and, with her hand tucked in the crook of Thomas’s elbow, entered the ballroom.