CHAPTER ONE
THE ALL HALLOWS’ EVE MASQUERADE BALL was in full swing the first time Paige Gardiner saw him. He was leaning against the far wall of the Hunt Club ballroom, watching the gyrating devils and black cats on the crowded dance floor. There was a dangerous look about him, a leanly muscled power that was disturbing, and Paige thought suddenly of a lion in the tall grass, waiting for a herd of wildebeest to move just a bit closer.
‘Paige, for heaven’s sake, haven’t you spotted Alan yet? We can’t just stand here, blocking the doorway all evening.’
Paige blinked and looked at her mother. ‘Sorry,’ she said, giving her a quick smile. ‘I’m trying to find him, Mother. I just can’t seem to…’
‘Of course you can’t. There must be a dozen Romeos here tonight.’ Her mother sighed and brushed a lock of Paige’s pale blonde hair back from her face. ‘And a dozen Juliets, of course. But none as beautiful as you, dear.’
Paige smiled. ‘And no Romeos as handsome as my fiancé,’ she said. ‘That’s why he’ll be easy to find.’
But he wasn’t. She frowned behind the anonymity of her delicate silver mask as her violet eyes searched the crowded room. There was, indeed, an over-abundance of Romeos, and from this distance they all looked very much alike. Still, Alan was special. He was the man she was engaged to marry. She’d be able to pick him out from all the rest.
There he was again, the man she’d seen when she entered the ballroom. He was looking through the glass doors at the club’s formal gardens. His back was to her now, but Paige knew it was he. She recognised the defiant set of his shoulders beneath his dinner jacket, and the too-proud angle of his head.
He turned suddenly, and his eyes, behind his narrow black mask, locked with hers. The ballroom, the dancers, the music—all of it spun away.
‘Paige?’ Her father’s hand closed around her arm. ‘Paige, isn’t that Alan?’
An eternity seemed to pass before she could look away from the man and turn towards her father.
‘Where?’ she asked, and he nodded towards a nearby Romeo. ‘I… I’m not certain,’ she said, and colour rushed into her cheeks. Ridiculous, she thought. She’d been dating Alan Fowler for almost a year and she’d been engaged to him for three weeks. Surely she could recognise him, even in costume. ‘Alan?’ she said tentatively. ‘Is that you?’ To Paige’s great relief, the Romeo turned and smiled.
‘There you are, sweetheart.’ She smiled in return as he took her hands in his and kissed her cheek. ‘You look positively beautiful, Juliet.’
‘You look pretty good yourself, Romeo,’ she said, and she smiled again. ‘Is it my imagination, or is every pair of eyes in the room on us?’
Alan grinned as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. ‘It’s a possibility,’ he said. ‘Mother’s out-of-town guests have been arriving by the carload all day long. In fact, Aunt Dorothy was asking about you only a few minutes ago. Want to meet her?’
‘Not yet,’ Paige said so quickly that everyone laughed.
‘Paige is nervous about meeting all your relatives,’ Paige’s mother said as she brushed an imaginary speck of lint from her daughter’s gown.
‘It just doesn’t seem like the best way to do it, that’s all,’ Paige murmured. ‘You know, at a costume ball, with so much going on all at once.’
Janet Gardiner sighed. ‘There’s not much choice, with the wedding only three days off.’
Alan laughed. ‘Mother thinks it’s terrific. She must have rented a dozen costumes and…’ He looked down at Paige as she shuddered lightly. ‘Are you cold, sweetheart? Here,’ he said, slipping his arm around her shoulders, ‘is that better?’
Paige nodded. ‘Much,’ she said brightly. ‘I just felt a chill, that’s all.’
Three days, she thought, as Alan turned towards her father and began to discuss a business matter. Three days, and she would be Mrs Alan Fowler. It seemed impossible. A month ago she’d been content, dating Alan as she had been for months, turning aside his proposals which had become so frequent she hardly noticed them. But then, there had been that one evening when he put his finger to her lips before she could refuse him.
‘Don’t say no this time, Paige,’ he’d pleaded. ‘How about something different? Tell me you’ll think it over until tomorrow.’
‘I won’t be here tomorrow,’ she’d said. ‘Remember? Maywalk’s is sending me on my first buying trip this week. I won’t be back until Friday.’
Alan had grinned. ‘Even better. I’ll have a whole week to hope—and you’ll have a whole week to think of a reason not to say “yes”.’
And Paige had smiled and agreed. After all, she owed him that much. Alan was sweet and charming, and she knew that the women he’d dated before would give anything to change places with her. Their dates always ended with chaste goodnight kisses, but that didn’t seem to deter him. If anything, her refusals to make their relationship more intimate seemed only to spur him into a more determined pursuit. What harm could there be in letting five days go by before telling him ‘no’ one more time?
But, when she’d returned that Friday, her mother had embraced her and said tearfully, ‘I’m so happy for you, dear. But you should have told us yourself.’ And while Paige was still trying to make sense out of that, her father had kissed her and told her he was glad she’d finally decided to take his advice and marry Alan.
‘I’ve been telling you he’s the right man for months,’ he’d said. ‘I’m glad you finally came to your senses, girl.’
And Alan—Alan had flashed his sheepish, charming grin and admitted he’d got carried away, that he’d mentioned what she’d said, but only to her parents and his, and…
‘What do you mean, you mentioned what I’d said?’ Paige had demanded angrily. ‘I didn’t say anything, Alan. You asked me to wait, to think things over…’
Alan had said yes, he knew that, but what was there to think about, really? They liked each other, they had fun together, and he would give her a secure, happy life.
‘Don’t be angry with me, sweetheart,’ he’d murmured.
His expression had been so apologetic that Paige’s anger had fallen away. ‘I’m not angry. It’s just that…’ She’d touched her hand gently to his cheek. ‘You must know that I don’t love you, Alan. Well, I mean, I love you, but I’m not in love with you. Do you understand? You deserve more from a wife than I can give you.’
Alan knew what she meant. He’d taken her in his arms a dozen times, waiting patiently for her to respond to his caresses, assuring her it was all right when she didn’t.
‘I want you,’ he’d said simply, smiling into her eyes. ‘As for the rest—it
will come in time. You’ll see.’
Embarrassment coloured her cheeks, but her gaze had never wavered. ‘Alan, what if I don’t? What if…’
The look on his face had told her he couldn’t imagine such a thing happening.
‘I’d still love you, of course,’ he’d said, and then he’d grinned boyishly. ‘But there’s no danger of that. I won’t fail you, Paige. You’ll see.’
‘Alan,’ Paige had said, wanting to tell him it wasn’t his failure she was concerned about, but he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her again, and when finally she’d pushed him gently from her the door had swung open and his mother had entered the room.
‘Paige, we’re so pleased,’ she’d said. ‘I hope you don’t mind—I’ve spoken to the caterer—I thought perhaps we’d have a champagne breakfast, with quail and lobster.’