“Well, I do not think he slept the entire time. He and Selene supposedly had fifty daughters together,” Malcolm told Selina, and she could see the mischievous gleam in his eye even through his mask.

  “It is just a story,” Selina said.

  “That is true. But for this one night, I want to believe it,” Malcolm said.

  Selina did not reply, and the rest of the dance was spent in silence, as Malcolm whirled her in dizzying circles around the dance floor. Selina did not waste her time thinking about a pair of fictional lovers, not when there was a very real man only inches away. When the music ended, she and Malcolm walked from the floor as if in a trance. They were met by Julia, who effectively broke the spell by requesting that Selina come with her to her chamber. Selina reluctantly excused herself from Malcolm.

  “When you return, I would like to dance again,” Malcolm said. “Tonight we are in costume, so if we dance more than two dances no one is likely to know.”

  “I think everyone knows who you are, Malcolm,” Selina said. “But I will dance with you at least once more,” she promised, before leaving the room with Julia. She was a little irritated with Julia for interrupting her and Malcolm. However, she was so happy she found she could not remain angry for long. She was sure that had been love shining in Malcolm’s eyes as they danced together, and she began to wonder if he might propose to her that very night. If he did, she had no doubt what her answer would be.

  “Why are we going to your room?” Selina shook herself out of her reverie to ask, as she and Julia started up the stairs.

  “I need you to help me with my costume. I think that something has come undone.”

  “Have you seen Mr. Ossory?” Selina asked, sparing a thought for her friend’s romance.

  “Yes, we danced the last dance together.”

  “Did he like your costume?”

  “I suppose so. He didn’t really say.” Julia said, her resolve strengthening when she realized all his comments had been about Selina’s costume. When they reached Julia’s bed chamber, she allowed Selina to precede her into the room, and then closed and locked the door behind her.

  “Julia?” Selina called from the dark room. She did not at first suspect her friend of any evil intent, merely wondering why Julia had shut the door and left them in the dark. After repeated calls went unanswered and Selina tried the door and found it locked, she realized Julia had locked her in the room.

  “Why, that little brat!” Selina exclaimed. She went to pound on the door, calling loudly for help. She did so for about ten or fifteen minutes and received no response. The music from the ballroom masked her cries, and all the servants were downstairs for the evening, waiting on the guests or working in the kitchens. She felt about for a tinderbox, and finding one on a nearby table, she lit a candle.

  With the room lit, she saw another door that led to an adjoining chamber, probably Mrs. Thistlewaite’s, and she tried that door. To her surprise, it opened. “Stupid girl,” Selina said, walking into the other chamber and out the door. She could not wait to tell Julia what she thought of her immature prank.

  Julia, in the meantime, went into her mother’s room, where she had hidden the Selene costume earlier that evening. She hurriedly changed into it, putting on the wig she had fashioned into a copy of Selina’s coiffure, and topping it with the crescent moon headpiece she had paid to have duplicated. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought she could pass for Selina in a room that was not too bright.

  She could still hear Selina yelling for help as she left the room and went down the stairs. She would have to work quickly, just in case someone heard Selina. She approached a footman and handed him a slip of paper. “Please give this to Mr. Malcolm. It is urgent that he receives this immediately,” she told him.

  Then she walked quickly to the library, where she had requested in the note that Malcolm meet her.

  She did not have to wait long. She had just been about to leave, having decided this was a very bad idea after all and that she should go release Selina, when Malcolm walked into the room.

  “Selina,” he said, and Julia was struck by the admiring expression on his face. When she compared it to the expression of near contempt he had always displayed in her presence, she began to feel that she was justified in her actions after all.

  “This reminds me of our first meeting,” Malcolm said. “Except I was the one holding a piece of paper in my hand.”

  He approached her where she stood in the darkest corner of the room. “Do you remember what you said to me?”

  Julia shook her head.

  “How could you forget so quickly? I remember every word we’ve ever exchanged. I told you that hope was a futile thing, and you disagreed with me. You said that you hoped I obtained what I was looking for. You had little idea that it was you that I was searching for.”

  Malcolm paused and reached for her empty hand. “I wanted to wait, at least until the end of the house party, to be absolutely sure that I was making the right decision. But I do not think I can become any more convinced than I am already. Selina, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Julia could not believe how well Malcolm was fitting into her plans. “I am sorry, I cannot,” she said, speaking in a whisper so as to disguise her voice.

  “What?” Malcolm said, looking startled.

  “I cannot marry you,” Julia said.

  “I do not understand. I thought you returned my feelings.”

  “I will not deny that I am fond of you, but I cannot marry you. You see, I have a list,” Julia said, reminding herself to speak softly, even though she wanted to shout in triumph. She handed him the paper she was holding, and watched as he walked over to the brighter part of the room to read it.

  She saw him scanning the list, which was titled “Qualifications for a Husband.” All of the items had been checked off but one. She thought she could tell by his expression when he saw that item. It was: “Does not make others feel as if they cannot live up to an impossible standard.”

  When he finally looked up at her, an expression of shock and pain on his face, she turned and walked hurriedly from the room, ignoring his cry for her to wait.

  Malcolm could not believe what he held in his hands. After years spent judging others, he could scarcely believe that he was the one that had been judged and found wanting. Someone, somewhere, was laughing at him, he was sure of it. He stood there a moment, defeated, looking at Selina’s list in disbelief, before he realized that he would not allow it to end this way. He would convince Selina he did meet all the qualifications on her list, just as she met all the qualifications on his.

  Selina ran hurriedly down the stairs and into the ballroom. She did not see Julia among the dozens of dancers, but she did run into Mr. Ossory.

  “Selina, I thought you were in the library with Malcolm.”

  “What?” she asked him, still looking around her for Julia.

  “Well, perhaps I shouldn’t mention it, but Malcolm received your note while he was speaking to me, so he told me about your appointment with him in the library.”

  “I made no appointment with Malcolm—” Selina started to say, and then stopped. She began to wonder if she should look for Julia in the library. She turned and left the ballroom, with Mr. Ossory following.

  “Selina, is everything all right? You do not seem like yourself,” Mr. Ossory was saying as they approached the library door, when a woman in an exact replica of Selena’s costume came running out of the library and into the hallway.

  There was a shocked silence, as Mr. Ossory looked from Selene to Selene. Then he said, “Miss Thistlewaite, is that you? What are you doing dressed as Selene?”

  “Julia!” Selina said. “What is the meaning of this?”

  Julia tried to edge past them, but Mr. Ossory detained her with his hand on her arm. “I think you had best explain what is going on, Miss Thistlewaite,” he told her, his voice and expression stern.

  “Selina,” they heard Malcolm call from the library, before he, too, joined them in the hall.

  “What is this?” Malcolm asked, upon seeing the two Selenes.

  “That is what we are waiting for Julia to explain,” Selina told him.

  “Julia?” he said, looking more closely at the second Selene. “Perhaps we should return to the library,” Malcolm said.

  They all filed into the library, Mr. Ossory leading a resigned Julia. Malcolm lit some more candles, removed his mask, and looked closely at Julia, who was seated next to Mr. Ossory on a sofa.

  “So it was you who refused my offer just now, I assume,” Malcolm said.

  “What?” Selina exclaimed. “Julia, how could you?”

  Julia, seeing three faces looking at her in strong disapproval, ripped off her mask and burst into tears.

  “Well, Miss Thistlewaite?” Mr. Ossory said after a minute or two, apparently unaffected by her weeping.

  “It is his own fault,” Julia said, nodding her head in Malcolm’s direction. “He spurned me publicly, all because I didn’t meet a qualification on that rotten list of his. So I decided that he would know what it felt like to be judged and found wanting. I introduced him to Selina—”

  “Selina! Don’t tell me you played a part in this?” Malcolm asked.

  “Why, no, not really,” Selina said, before her innate honesty came to the fore. “Well, that is to say, I did know about the list, but I did not want anything to do with Julia’s little scheme.”

  “You knew about the list?” Malcolm asked.

  “Well, yes, I did, although you cannot think that I–” Selina said.

  Malcolm interrupted her. “When did you find out about it?”

  “Well, the day I came to town Julia mentioned it to me, but Malcolm, you cannot think—”

  “Would you please stop telling me what I can and cannot think?” Malcolm said, and Selina drew back in dismay. She had never seen Malcolm this way. Cold, unyielding, angry. “And would you please remove that stupid mask? I think you have worn enough masks recently.”

  Selina responded with dignity. “I have never pretended to be anyone other than who I am.”

  “So you did not lie to me and tell me that you were not the cousin of Mrs. Covington?” Malcolm asked. “God, what a fool I’ve been. I should have seen it then,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

  “Malcolm,” Selina said, crossing to where he was standing and placing her hand on his arm. “Please hear me out before you decide that I am guilty.”

  “And why should I believe you? It appears you have been deceiving me the entire time.”

  Selina shrank back from Malcolm as if struck and went to sit down. Mr. Ossory felt compelled to stir himself in her defense. “Jeremy, perhaps you should listen to what Selina has to say.”

  “Selina, is it? It appears to me she has bewitched you as thoroughly as she has me. I do not think you are the appropriate person to counsel me. Now, if you would all excuse me, I am in the middle of giving a ball. A masquerade, ironically enough,” he said, and left the room.

  Selina sat as if turned to stone, and then a single tear ran down her cheek, tracing a path through the white face powder. Julia got up from the sofa and ran to kneel beside Selina’s chair. “Selina, I am so sorry. Please say you will forgive me.”

  Selina ignored her, getting up from her chair and walking to the door. “Pray excuse me,” she said, and left the room.

  Twelve

  Julia was left facing a very angry Henry Ossory. “I hope that you are proud of your behavior this night,” he said to her.

  “Of course I am not. I feel absolutely dreadful. I feel like I’m going to be sick,” Julia said, her hand on her stomach.

  “Well, you should. You have absolutely ruined two people’s lives and for what? Some silly grudge you had against Malcolm.”

  “It was silly, was it not?” Julia said sadly. “It is odd, it felt very serious at the time.”

  Henry began to feel an inkling of sympathy for Julia. She made a very dismal picture, her nose red from crying, her hair mussed from the wig that had come off at some point during the heated discussion that had just taken place. In fact, Henry had never seen her look worse. She saw him looking at her and made a pathetic attempt to straighten her hair.

  He smiled very slightly at her which had the opposite effect for which it was intended. He was quite surprised when she threw herself, sobbing, against his chest. He began making soothing noises and patting her head, trying not to dwell on the fact that those Grecians didn’t appear to wear much in the way of undergarments.

  When her sobs dwindled to occasional hiccoughs, he began to wonder if it would be considered shabby if he pushed her away. The longer he held her, the more uncomfortable he became. He certainly did not want to be having lustful thoughts toward Julia Thistlewaite, of all people.

  He was relieved when she finally drew away herself, apologizing for the wet spot she’d left on his domino.

  “It is all right,” he said, wondering if he could now take his leave of her. But she still stood, barely a foot away, her head tilted down in a posture totally unlike the redoubtable Miss Thistlewaite, and he felt it would be rude to leave her in such a state.

  “And I am sorry to involve you in all this, as well. I imagine you and Selina will make a match of it now,” she said, peeking up at him.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “It may not be too late for her and Malcolm.”

  “But you admire Selina,” Julia said. “Don’t you want her to be free?”

  “She will not be free if she is in love with someone else.”

  Julia sighed. “I wish I were more like Selina. Everyone likes Selina. It is quite infuriating,” Julia said, sounding a little more like herself.

  Henry decided that Julia would survive. “I am going back to the ball,” he said. When she looked a little disappointed, he surprised himself by suggesting she put her milkmaid’s costume back on and join him for a dance.

  “I won’t be a minute,” Julia said, turning excitedly for the door. She had just reached it when she turned back. “Perhaps I shouldn’t, after all. I should probably apologize to Selina,” she said, her excitement gone and her expression resigned.

  “I think that would be a very good thing to do,” Henry told her, and she smiled brilliantly at him. Henry began to think that perhaps Julia Thistlewaite wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought.

  Julia knocked softly on Selina’s door. “Selina?” she called. There was no answer so she tried turning the knob, not too surprised to find that it was locked. She knocked again.

  “Go away,” she heard Selina say.

  “Selina, please open the door.”

  “No.”

  “I will not go away until you open this door.”

  There was silence for a moment while Julia waited. Nothing happened, so she knocked again. Then the door quickly opened.

  “There, the door is opened. Now go away,” Selina said, and shut it again.

  “That is not what I meant and you know it,” Julia said, turning the door knob and finding it unlocked. She walked into the room and over to the window seat where Selina was seated, staring unseeingly out into the darkness.

  Now that she was inside, Julia had no idea what to say. There was nothing she could do to excuse her actions, they were despicable. She stood there for a moment, wondering if she should turn and leave, when Selina finally turned to look at her.

  “If you are wondering whether or not you should lock me in the room, I assure you, I do not intend on going back down the rest of the evening. Feel free to masquerade as me until tomorrow, if you choose.”

  “Of course I do not plan to lock you in your room,” Julia said, but faltered under Selina’s withering gaze. “Selina, I am so sorry. I cannot tell you how sorry I am.”

  “Do not bother. I do not want to hear it anyway,” Selina said.

  “You have every right to hate me. I hate myself. I should have listened to you weeks ago. But I was so jealous of you,” Julia said.

  “Jealous? What are you talking about? I thought you did this because you wanted to revenge yourself on Malcolm.”

  “I don’t know why I did it. Initially I wanted to humiliate Mr. Malcolm, and that still was part of my plan, but I wanted to ruin your chances with him as well. I could not bear that you were succeeding where I failed. It was very childish of me, and I apologize.”

  “So now that you’ve destroyed my hopes of happiness with Malcolm, I imagine you’re rather pleased with yourself.”

  “That’s the strange thing about all this; I am not the least bit pleased,” Julia said.

  “All right, I accept your apology, if only to get you out of my room.”

  “Then you forgive me?”

  “Yes. Now please leave,” Selina said.

  “No, we have to figure out how to fix this,” Julia said, dragging a foot stool toward where Selina sat and sitting down on it.

  Selina gave a little moan of exasperation and banged her head lightly against the window. “Why won’t you leave me to dwell on my misery in peace?”

  “Because I do not want you to be miserable. I want you to be happy,” Julia said.

  Selina turned to look again at Julia, who appeared to be sincere. “Then it seems as though we are both destined for disappointment,” she said.

  “Malcolm loves you, Selina,” Julia told her earnestly. “I should know. I was there for his proposal.”

  “If you want me to forgive you, you’d better not remind me of that,” Selina said.

  “My point is, if he loves you, he is sure to forgive you once he knows the whole truth. And that is what I plan to tell him.”

  “You forget that he believes us both to be liars and deceivers. He will not believe you are telling him the truth.”

  Julia looked perplexed for a moment, but then a look of triumph crossed her face. “Cassie,” she said.