That Perfect Someone
Page 5

Julia was wearing her two favorite colors tonight. Her new ball gown was aqua silk, trimmed with turquoise double cording that was bound together with silver threads. The aqua and turquoise did wonderful things to her blue-green eyes, lightening them and darkening them respectively, giving her the shade somewhere between the two colors that she preferred. It was too bad she had to wear a domino that partially shaded her eyes, but as masks went, the domino was the narrowest of the three styles, covering just her eyes, and hers was rather fancy with the opening for her eyes rimmed in sparkling gems.
The domino was too narrow to conceal a person"s identity. She had no trouble recognizing a domino-clad Lord Percival Alden, who pushed through the crowd to get to her side. She"d met him through the Malorys, since he"d long been a friend of the younger men in that family. He was a bit infatuated with her despite her being engaged. He was tall, in his early thirties, and quite easy on the eyes.
Percy, as his friends called him, fumbled for her hand when he reached her, so he could gallantly kiss it. Then he sighed.
“You take m"breath away, Miss Miller, "deed you do. I"m in no hurry to marry, but I s"pose I will have to eventually. Gad, all m"friends have already put the chain on. But if you were available, I"m quite sure I would be thinking of marriage much sooner.” She blushed. It wasn"t the first time he"d voiced that thought to her. Percy had a bungling tongue, thoughtlessly saying things he shouldn"t, and she"d seen how he could frustrate his friends because of it. But Percy was harmless for the most part. She just didn"t tell him her circumstances might soon change. While he was quite acceptable as a husband, he didn"t steal her breath away. But it was definitely high time she started looking for a man who could …
She gave the expected response to such bold words: “Fie on you, Percy, everyone knows you"re a confirmed bachelor.”
With one of his friends calling Percy to join him, she wasn"t sure he even heard her. He didn"t appear to want to leave her side, though, but finally sighed again.
“Please keep me in mind if your circumstances ever change.” As he hurried off, he yelled back at her, “And save me a dance, do!”
Dancing in this crush? Julia chuckled to herself. There was to be an unmasking at midnight, and she didn"t doubt that at least a third of the guests would disappear before then. But by that time they would have got what they came for, a look at the one Malory who never socialized and thus was a prime target for rumors and speculation. Tonight was an exception and James Malory was attending the ball because it was being given in his wife"s honor.
The Malorys weren"t just a large family, they were rich and titled as well, and it appeared they were all in attendance tonight at Georgina"s birthday ball. Julia had met most of them, and she even knew some quite well.
Her neighbor Georgina had actually befriended her long ago, and Julia had been invited to her house for small social events, even for quiet “just family” dinners. Georgina was an American whose brothers were considered “in trade” just like Julia"s family. One of Georgina"s brothers had made a deal with Julia"s father before his accident, a contract for regular cargoes of wool for their shipping business. Textiles was just one of the Millers" many enterprises.
Late last year Julia had helped out Georgina"s youngest brother, Boyd Anderson, who had just married a Malory himself and was looking for a house for himself and his bride in the city.
Julia"s father had acquired quite a few fine properties in London over the years, some of which, in the highly sought-after upper-crust neighborhoods, he had accepted as payment for debts. Once her father acquired a property, he never sold it. She wholeheartedly agreed with that investment strategy. So while she wouldn"t sell Boyd the town house he wanted, she"d given him a long lease on it, which he was happy with.
Yes, she knew the Malorys well, and she knew that some of them, like other members of the ton, felt sorry for her. Not because she was becoming an old maid, but because they knew she couldn"t marry until her long-gone fiancé returned to England, which seemed unlikely to happen.
Julia didn"t really mind that sort of pity. Good heavens, she"d be feeling the same thing for someone else who found herself in her pathetic situation. Although most people were polite enough not to bring up her engagement in conversation—Percy being the exception!—that wouldn"t be the case for much longer. She hoped. After that talk she"d had with Carol, she"d visited her solicitor the next day. He"d already started working on it, though he"d warned her that the Earl of Manford would likely do everything possible to delay the legal action. So it might take longer than she"d thought to be rid of that horrid contract.
“I knew it!” Carol exclaimed as she came up to Julia. “You just have to look at him to know it"s all true, every brutal, ghastly thing ever said about him.” Julia managed not to laugh. Carol sounded so serious! But when Julia looked closely at her friend"s face, which was partially covered by a pale pink, jewel-studded domino similar to her own, she realized Carol was serious. She"d be walking out the door in a moment if Julia couldn"t get her to see how silly she was being in basing her opinion of James Malory on nothing but rumor.
The two younger Malory brothers, James and Anthony, might have been such rakehells in their day, never losing a duel whether with fists or pistols, that they were well-known for being quite deadly. No one could dispute that, but all of that had occurred years ago! Unfortunately, that could easily lead to much worse allegations, and now some speculation about James Malory"s long absence from England after such a jaded career was simply ridiculous. Sent to the penal colony in Australia, where he"d killed all his jailors to escape, a pirate on the high seas who sank ships just for sport, the leader of the Cornwall smugglers finally imprisoned for murder—those were just a few of the more outlandish things whispered about the man by people who didn"t personally know him or his family.
Not that it was anyone"s business why James had disappeared for so many years, or what he was doing during that absence. But the ton was notorious when it came to gossip, and while most of them were quite satisfied with real scandals, others who wanted answers that weren"t forthcoming simply made up their own!
Julia didn"t doubt that most of the rumors about James Malory had no basis in fact. His menacing aura was what made it so easy for people to speculate in the wrong direction, and his elusiveness, which kept people from getting to know him. Yes, she didn"t doubt he could be deadly if provoked, but who in his right mind would provoke him?
Big, blond, handsome, James would draw eyes even if people hadn"t guessed who it was hovering over the beautiful, petite guest of honor in her ruby-colored gown. They made such a striking couple. But James wasn"t wearing a mask tonight like everyone else. His mask was hooked over his wife"s arm, and Julia had even noticed Georgina prompt him more than once to put it on. He"d just stared at her without expression, refusing to comply. Julia had found that amusing. It was so like James to abhor anything of a frivolous nature.
The more elaborate masks covered the whole face or just half the face, and unlike the domino, those did actually conceal people"s identities. But Julia was certain she would have recognized James even if he were wearing a full mask. His body was quite distinctive, brutish one might say, it was so muscular. And no one else wore his hair so unfashionably long that it floated about his shoulders as did James"s. Perhaps if he had worn a mask, Carol might have got through the evening without fearing him.
Julia needed to bring her friend up-to-date. “You know, Carol, James Malory hates social gatherings, really can"t tolerate them. Yet he"s here tonight because he loves his wife and wouldn"t dream of disappointing her by not attending her birthday ball.”
“Really hates them?”
“Yes.”
“That would explain why he"s never at any of them, wouldn"t it?”
“Indeed.”
“I thought it was because he was such a pariah,” Carol then added in an even lower voice,
“in the extreme, so that no hostess would include him on her guest list.” Julia managed to hold back the laughter that was threatening to burst out, but she did say drily, “You do know who we"re talking about, right? One of the more powerful families in the realm? They get invited to everything.”
“I"m sure the rest of them do, but I doubt he does,” Carol huffed in disagreement.
“Him especially, Carol, or haven"t you noticed how bloody crowded it is here tonight? You don"t really think Lady Eden invited this many people, do you? If his reputation weren"t so notorious, the ton wouldn"t be so eager to finally be able to meet him in this social setting, which was what made the invitations so prime, and why so many extra people have shown up without one. You don"t think he knows that, too? Yet just for his wife he still came here knowing quite well that he"d be on display.”
“That does seem rather decent of him, doesn"t it?”
“Let me introduce you,” Julia suggested. “He can be quite gracious to the ladies. Once you meet him, you"ll never believe those silly rumors again.”
But Carol dug in her heels and with an adamant shake of her head said, “That"s quite all right. We"ll let him stay on that side of the room, and we"ll stay on this side, thank you. There might not be a jot of truth to any of those rumors, and he"s much more handsome than I expected, but he"s still not the least bit approachable. Why, he hasn"t smiled once at his wife, probably doesn"t even know how to smile! And I don"t see anyone else daring to make his acquaintance. No matter what you say, Julie, there"s still that certain something about him that makes me want to shudder. It"s as if he"s primed to jump at anyone who gets near him to bite their head off.”
“What a dreadful image that is,” Julia said, still managing not to laugh at her friend"s graphic imagination. “Shame on you.”
“Yet it"s true! He might be the nicest chap imaginable. Prob"ly is. There, you see, I have listened to your logic. But he still looks like the ogre you called him.”
“I called him nothing of the sort,” Julia protested. “I think my words were more to the point that you should stop thinking of him as one.”
“He"s not an ogre?” Carol said with sudden triumph. “Look at him now and say that. If that isn"t a man with murder on his mind, I don"t know what is.” Julia frowned and followed Carol"s gaze, and, darn, she had to agree. In all the times she"d been in the same room with James Malory, she"d never once seen him like that. If looks could kill, someone in the room had already expired.
Chapter Six
I CAN"T BELIEVE YOU"VE SHOWN up here,” Gabrielle said, poking Richard in the back to get his attention.
He swung around with a groan of frustration. He"d done a good job of staying out of Gabby"s view, James"s view, and the view of two old acquaintances he thought he recognized, even though he knew his face was well-hidden under the sad-clown mask, a full face mask that was damned hot. But he wasn"t going to let her castigate him again when he had his own bone to pick with her.
“And I can"t believe you didn"t tell me Georgina"s birthday celebration was going to be a masked ball. Didn"t you realize how perfect this is? It negates all of your concerns—and how the deuce did you recognize me?”
“Your hair, of course.”
“Maybe I should have worn a dress,” he quipped. “Why didn"t I think of that?”
“Because you are no longer anywhere close to slim enough to pull that off, even if there were women as tall as you, which there aren"t. And do duck down before he sees you,” she hissed as she dragged Richard back to the edge of the crowd.
This was already beginning to sound like their last discussion. Richard didn"t think he could bear being told no yet again. But Gabrielle had been hard-nosed from the moment they"d docked. With only the one coach for the five of them to share, the plan had been for Ohr and him to drop her, Margery, and Drew off at the Malory town house before they looked for accommodations for themselves, but Gabrielle had vetoed that idea before they"d even left the docks. She had pulled Richard aside and explained that she didn"t want him going anywhere near that particular house, even as close as the curb in front of it.
“You aren"t being reasonable about this. He isn"t likely to even remember me. He"s nigh twice my age and probably quite forgetful because of it.”
Gabrielle had choked on an incredulous laugh. “You"re calling James Malory old when the man is in his prime? Don"t kid yourself. You might have put on a little weight to fill out very nicely since he last saw you, but your face is the same, and, Richard, you have a very memorable face as handsome as you are. I"d recognize you anywhere, so will he. Hell, your old nanny would probably still recognize you.”
“I never had a nanny,” he"d replied stiffly.
“Don"t try to ignore the point I"m making. You won"t escape his notice, and he will remember the man he saw his wife slap after you made overtures to her in her own garden with her two toddlers right there! He would have tracked you down that very day if I hadn"t promised him you"d never go near her again, and still, he made it clear what would happen if you broke my promise.”
As if he didn"t know all that? As if it made a difference when he craved the sight of Georgina with his whole being?
“Have a heart, Gabby,” he"d said, appealing to her softer side. “I won"t go near her, but you have to let me at least see her this one last time. You could arrange it for me. That brute she"s married to won"t have to even know I"m there. Pick a day when he"s not home.”