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Angie certainly would, so I changed the subject.

“I must remember to thank him for the shelves. They’re perfect.”

“Enough about the shelves—I want to hear all the juicy bits on Gregory. I take it you’re going out with him again?”

“I’ll see him at the masquerade ball.”

“Do you want me to make myself scarce in the evening?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me you’re not still thinking about that other man?”

I was, and far more than I should have been. “Just keeping my options open.”

12

“May I have this dance?” Gregory asked.

He looked especially dashing in white breeches and a silver-edged mask.

“Of course.”

I could barely breathe, and it wasn’t all due to my overly tight corset. It was well after eleven o’clock—why hadn’t Midnight messaged me yet?

Please be here. Please be here. Please be here.I repeated the mantra over and over in my head.

Gregory offered me his hand, and I tucked my phone into my faux-fur muff while my insides churned like a washing machine on crack. I’d spent all day psyching myself up for the big talk with Midnight, and if he didn’t show, my nerves would snap like a frayed elastic band.

Gregory held me close for a foxtrot, and I prayed he wouldn’t feel my heart pounding in my chest, and also that I wouldn’t suffer a cardiac arrest in front of two hundred slightly inebriated partygoers. The foxtrot turned into a waltz, and I was saved from the tango when he spotted a familiar face across the ballroom and waved.

“Would you excuse me a moment, Augusta? That’s Dr. Langston, and I need to speak with him about a referral. We’ve been playing voicemail tennis for days.”

“Of course.”

Out in the hallway, I checked my phone again. Whatever happened, this was the last night I’d be waiting on tenterhooks for a message from Midnight, so I had to take a small comfort from that at least.

Breath whooshed from me as I read the words lit up on the screen.

Mr. M

Meet me at midnight. Your desk, the pool house. Bring your filthy mind.

On second thoughts, I was glad he hadn’t sent that message earlier. If I’d had two hours rather than one to think about what he wanted to do to me, I’d have needed to change my knickers for sure. Pale pink lace this time, bought specially for tonight’s endeavours.

Thank goodness Angie had disappeared too. As she was on Team Gregory, I didn’t want to feel her disapproval if she saw me sneak out.

Gregory met me with a glass of wine when I walked back into the ballroom, and boy did I need it. I necked half of it back before I realised what I was doing, much to his consternation.

“Is everything okay?”

“Uh...” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “I think my time of the month is coming, and the wine helps.” When in doubt, blame it on a little pre-menstrual tension.

“Speaking as a doctor, I’m not sure that’s entirely correct. You’d be better off lying down with a hot water bottle.”

I seized upon his words. “Good idea. Best I do exactly that.”

I’d got three steps before he grabbed my hand. “At least let me walk you home.”

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