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When she spotted the duke on the other side of the hall, she almost gasped.

That had nothing to do with the jet-black trousers, shirt, jacket, and mask that he wore, or the fact that she easily recognized him in the outfit, or even the fact that he was there. It was the shock of seeing him in another woman’s arms.

“I should go,” Eleanor told Sebastian.

“Go?” he asked.

“Back to my mother,” she clarified.

“Then let me escort you.”

Eleanor was too upset to accept. “No, it’s fine, I need to go.” She spun away from the lord, adding over her shoulder, “Thank you for the dance.”

She left Sebastian in a hurry for fear that he might see the tears welling in her eyes. Once she was sure no one was looking at her, she used one hand to lift the mask a little and the other to wipe the tears below.

The mask gave her anonymity and distracted from the redness in her eyes. She walked quickly, almost tripping where the wooden floor transitioned to carpet, to where she had spoken with her mother earlier.

She didn’t stop there and continued out of the ballroom and into the empty hallway. There, she stopped and placed a hand against the wall, gasping for air.

The noise from the ballroom was too close for comfort, and Eleanor stumbled away, having to press her hand to the wall again after another couple of steps.

She saw a pale glow emanating from a room up ahead on the right, and it acted as a beacon, beckoning her forth. She didn’t know what she would find when she got there, only that she had to get there.

Eleanor found the room empty. A stubby wax candle on the writing desk looked as if it had been burning for years, with wax pooled and built up around the base.

Perhaps someone would soon return, but for now, it was a safe haven away from people. She pushed the door closed behind her and moved to the desk, placing both hands on it.

“Stop it, stop it, stop it,” she muttered.

She shouldn’t be so annoyed. The duke was a complication in her life, and that complication was now removed.

Before she could dwell on it, the door behind her was flung open.

“I want an explanation immediately!” he boomed.

CHAPTER 21

Gabriel entered the masquerade ball, and he immediately felt that it was all wrong. He looked into the eyes of multiple guests as they stared back at him, their faces hidden, their confidence bolstered.

Would they stare at him the same way if they knew it was him? Would they stare at him with such bravado if they didn’t have the anonymity of their masks?

He had lost her.

They hadn’t arrived at the ball together, but he knew Lady Eleanor was in attendance, and he couldn’t find her. He had lost her.

Music played, and some couples danced in the center of the hall. Perhaps Eleanor was out there. It was impossible to determine. The dancing was the same as at any other event, but the masks and unusual clothing distracted the eyes.

He had to find her. He had to ensure her safety now that he had arrived at the ball to find so many masked lords willing to stare him down when they normally wouldn’t dare.

“Lady Eleanor,” Gabriel stated when he found her.

He thought he had found her, but as soon as he was before the young woman, he realized that it was only her hair color and length that were the same and nothing else.

“My apologies,” Gabriel said, moving quickly away from her.

He pushed through the crowd, needing to get closer to the dance floor, even though he had no evidence she would be there.

As soon as he was close enough to reach out and touch one of the dancers, he almost did, pulling his hand back at the last moment when he realized the woman was also not Eleanor.