Chapter 1
Stanley Winter Ball
Mason Flowerdy, the Honorable Viscount Lonsdale.
Caroline Harwood’s gaze tracked her target as he moved along the edge of crowd, idly watching the dancers showcase their abilities. Tall. Handsome.Unapproachable.
He hadn’t spoken one word to any of the ladies present tonight. None even approached him, as if they all knew to steer clear of the man. Caroline would certainly stand out if she approached him. A fatal drawback for tonight’s task. The success of her mission depended on being mostly unremarkable by the crowd; and the Viscount Lonsdale.
But she could not give up.
The Viscount was in possession of a priceless pocket watch a mysterious someone had placed a particularly high sum of money on. Caroline needed that watch. With the price the mysterious someone had offered her in exchange for that watch, she could pay for years’ worth of living expenses and her sisters schooling. She could not let them down. No matter what.
The only hindrance . . . she’d misread the situation, or rather, the man. The gossip columns had said nothing about his character being so aloof and detached. On the contrary, the papers had colored him quite dashing and dapper. She’d assumed he’d be surrounded by fawning mothers and diamonds of the first water.
Caroline snorted.
Utter rubbish, those gossip sheets.
No matter how she looked at the situation, without hens clucking around the man, she would stand out like a peasant at a royal ball.
Drat it.
What other choice did she have? If she hadn’t been so desperate, she’d leave this very moment. Perhaps she should. After all, if she followed through with her plan, she’d be a thief. A cutpurse. A robber.
Caroline paused. Why on earth did that sound so thrilling? She had expected nerves. This sudden feeling of excitement, however, came as a shocking surprise.
She watched the Viscount stroll towards the French doors and slip onto the balcony.
Caroline blinked.
To follow or not to follow?
Another thrill shot through her.Follow.
While not ideal, she had no other option. At least onlookers would not notice her much. The man himself, well that was another matter. One she did not dwell on. Even if he noticed her, once in possession of the watch, she’d be in the wind. He could overturn every stone in London, Caroline wouldn’t be there.
Retrieve the watch.
Collect the money.
Disappear to the country with her sisters. Enjoy a simple life. Away from the baron. His influence. His control.
Caroline’s heart raced as she moved through the crush and made her way to the balcony. The splendor of the ballroom had long since lost its grandeur as the scent of pungent sweat and cloying perfume continued to storm her senses.
Every cell in her body quaked with discomfort.
The only thing that provided her a measure of solace was the dress she’d spend a quarter of her precious savings on. While not as extravagant as the dresses worn by some of the ladies in attendance tonight, she nevertheless felt confident in the pretty gown of soft blue silk.
The cool night breeze caressed her flushed cheeks the moment she stepped outside. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, collecting her wits and allowing the chill air to calm her fluttering pulse.
A masculine throat cleared.
Her eyes shot open and met the hot gaze of Viscount Lonsdale, staring fixedly at her. It was enough to send her pulse into frenzy again. “Goodness, you startled me.” Caroline clutched at her throat. She hadn’t expected him to be so close!
“Apologies, my lady. I did not mean to give you a fright.”
His deep, hypnotic voice held her captive for a dazed moment before her wits returned, and she waived a hand to dismiss his apology. How surprising. She never thought he’d converse with her on his own accord. From what she observed since her arrival, she hadn’t spoken to anyone else this evening.
