Page 23 of The Marquess' Disguised Heiress
Eliza had never met someone who had confused her in the manner the handsome stranger from the garden had confused her. She could not place knowing him anywhere, even though he had felt familiar.
His height and stature were similar to that of George, and for a second, Eliza was confused about whether it was George, but the idea seemed entirely ludicrous.
Why would George come to the masquerade dressed as a noble lord?
The stranger had asked her to find him inside the house, but that seemed extremely unlikely or impossible. Eliza was terribly occupied and had been asked to keep away from the guests as religiously as possible, but the man was clearly a guest. If Uncle Edgar or Aunty Beatrice saw her talking to a guest, they would be extremely angry with her and Eliza had no desire to create unnecessary trouble for herself.
Hence, the chances of running into him seemed low.
“Beth?” Amelia’s voice pushed her out of her train of thought, and Eliza turned to look at her as she held a bowl of empty punch in her hands.
“Yes?”
“Are you alright? I have been calling your name for quite some time now, but ye have not been responding. Are ye feeling okay?”
“Perfect.” Eliza smiled, shaking her head to clear away her thoughts about the stranger in the black tux, his deep voice still rumbling inside Eliza’s head. “I had just been lost.”
“Lost where?”
Eliza certainly could not tell Amelia the truth about what she had been thinking, so she had to think of a story. Justa few minutes ago, she had heard several ladies from the ton whispering about a young man with a mysterious air who, according to them, was the most enigmatic and handsome man in the entire ballroom.
“Whispers,” she quickly said, trying to satisfy her friend’s curiosity, “I just heard a few ladies whispering about some enigmatic man in the ballroom who everyone is curiously talking about. I wonder if I can catch a glimpse of him to see what the commotion is about.”
“Oh, Beth.” Amelia suddenly became excited, coming to stand beside Eliza so the two of them could talk in whispers. “I just saw him when I went to refill the punchbowl. The ladies are absolutely right. The man is a sight for sore eyes; his handsome looks are out of this world.”
Eliza wondered if it was the same man who had met her in the gardens. For a second, she was almost sure it was him.
“Even with a mask on?”
“Oh yes, even with a mask on.”
“What does he look like?” Eliza asked, her curiosity getting the best of her as she tried to find out if it was the same man indeed. Although, it felt as if she already knew the answer. It was the same man.
“He is wearing a dark black tux that fits him to perfection, and he is both tall and muscular, standing above all the other men present in the room. His dark hair is slicked back into a ponytail, and his dark eyes are absolutely beautiful, and for a second, when he looked at me, I felt flustered just by that one look. His jaw is sleek and sharp, and everything about the man shouts perfection.”
Oh yes, it was the very same man, alright. Eliza knew.
She became even more confused about why the most handsome man tonight had taken such an interest in her and had even told her he knew her name.
She simply could not understand anything that was happening around her, and all she needed to do was find the truth about him. Although, how was she going to see him again?
“He does sound handsome,” she said plainly, too confused to show any more enthusiasm.
“Ye will have to see him to grasp the seriousness of the situation, Beth. Trust me.”
Eliza chuckled. “I do trust you, my friend. Fully.”
For a second, his description once again reminded Eliza of George and how he looked slightly similar to the man, but his hair was much lighter, and his eyes not as dark as the strangers had been.
Where the stranger had smelled like cinnamon and spice, George always smelled like birch and a hint of spice, more earthen than rich. George was natural, while everything about the stranger screamed nobility.
“I must head to the kitchen to see if any of the candles need replacing.” Eliza stood up, excusing herself, but in truth, she just wanted to be alone.
The events that had unfolded tonight were confusing enough already, and Eliza simply needed to be in her own company for a little while to create distance between her and the ballroom where the stranger was the topic of conversation for every young lady.
He must have made quite an entrance and created some impression to achieve such a thing, but Eliza didn’t care. She did not need to run into him again.
She walked a little further into the house, taking the servants’ stairwell to go upstairs to the attic so she could be alone in her room for a little while.
