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"Sir please this is not appropriate behavior!"

"Tonight you are free Valentina, let yourself be, delight and revel in our disguises this is why I brought you here."

"You were the one who sent the invitation? But I am engaged to your friend Mr. Henry!"

"My friend? Heavens no, we are to friends as women are to snakes, I am merely under the orders of the Duke to know him, to see if he will be of use to him," he laughed.

"Of use?" I thought of how Mr. Henry and his family were almost broke so I could assume influence was the only thing he could offer.

"Yes and if he is not then he will get thrown aside and much to my satisfaction." Sir Holloway explained and I wondered what kind of power did he hold over Mr. Henry's future.

"Why do you dislike him so?"

"I shall not go over his gambling, his brawls, or indecencies for many here are guilty of such things but I am a maker of faces, the very reason why I am of great value to the Duke and just as I smelled the sweetness of heaven from the very moment I was met with your face I knew the putrid rottenness of Henry Walker. An unintelligent common man puffed up with deceit about his real worth, a mere court jester ruled by his mother's ambitions of greatness for her dark little family."

"But I thought..."

"That your fiancée and I were friends? If that were true would I be trying to steal you away from him? Do I have your permission Valentina?"

"If I was wise to make any decision I would have never ended up here, or going down this path," overwhelmed by the request I regretted all others.

"What path? Is it to do with Mr. Henry?"

I feared for my mother if I asked him for help but if Sir Holloway could help would it be worth it to trade this information and hope for the best? No, I could not keep bestowing my trust upon men any longer so I kept my mouth shut about the path I was on no matter how hard it was.

"Is there anything you may want me to know about him?"

"No sir I know nothing."

"Then let us talk of you, and only you, tell me where did you learn to sing like a siren? Or how many men have you dragged to the bottom of the ocean with such melodies? More than you possibly know I believe," Sir Holloway came in with his wanting eyes to kiss my lips and I stepped back hurriedly.

"Forgive me sir..." I ran away in the middle of the foolish masks, they were one in the same jester masks made in different colors but the same design, the court's fools closing in on me still I ran out of the Ball for I could not tell how far or near from danger I was when everyone wore the same disguise.

There were tears in my eyes as I sat down in the courtyard outside the party and my stomach hurt from hunger and while I cried the only thing I could remember was my father's sweet embrace and how if he was alive he never would have let any of this happen. My father and my brother were the only men that I had ever been safe with, every other man had exposed me, left me powerless as an object picked up to decorate their life and this would be my role for the rest of my life by Mr. Henry's side.

"Alice is that you?" I thought I heard Mr. Howard's voice though when I looked around it was Joseph, "Alice?"

"Joseph?"

"Yes," he sat down at once seeing my distress.

"Oh forgive me I was just alone and worried I would not find anyone I knew at the Ball."

"What are you doing here?"

"I got an invitation."

"How? I mean it must have been a mistake for Lilly did not get one, only Henry, my father and I did."

"What?" I paused when he said his father, Mr. Howard was somewhere around here. "Your father is here as well?"

"Yes he is an Earl and a painter, the Duke is very interested about both title and talent."

"Right, Lady Walker must not have been aware the invitations were for the men," though even this I questioned maybe she had sent me in here knowing what it would be like for me, maybe this was why she insisted I dressed to call attention to myself.

"No I dare say no one expected this, you should go home Alice, this is no place for you, and well neither for us but everyone knows the Duke is the best way to make the right connections."

"Right I shall go then I just need a minute to breathe."

"Good and if you need any help memorize my mask," Joseph said and I did, it was white and it covered mostly just around the eyes.

"Thank you," I stopped my crying and tried to carefully enter back inside now that I knew of Mr. Howard's presence and before leaving I needed to know some things, some truths which were owed.

"Ah there you are Valentina," it was Sir Holloway again and he grabbed me from the back by the waist then kissed me on the cheek, "where did you run off to?"

"Sir please..."

"Valentina no one will know, you will remain spotless I promise" he tried to convince me by pressing deeper into my dress.

"Sir..." He turned me around to him and for one second I almost gave up, tired of running, maybe the key was to give in, what had I gained by running? Nothing but troubles.

"Seal me with your singing lips Valentina," Sir Holloway shut his eyes to kiss me as I deliberated whether to give in or run off when a hand yanked me by the arm to save me from the kiss.

"Sir Holloway?" I yelled out in fear of whoever was pushing away from him, I didn't know who or what was more dangerous in this party I hoped to see the face of the thief pulling me and then a door opened wide.

"Alice what are you doing here!" Mr. Howard growled as I caught my breath then spun me inside the room and locked the door behind us, my hands trembled bringing all my nerves to the surface.

"Alice!" He shouted at my paralyzed frame watching him, overthinking everything and I turned away disappearing my face into my hands with tears dripping down my eyelashes when Mr. Howard put his hand on my shoulder and finally talked softly.

"Are you alright?"

"Um hm," I recoiled from his touch.

"Was that Sir Holloway?"

"Um um," I shook my head in shame saying no.

"Why are you lying to me?" He stared but I didn't say a word. "Did I interrupt something between you two?" He claimed and I could only look at him, red eyed from afar.

"Did I? Should I have left you there with him? Were you his company for the night? Is that why you're here? In this God forsaken party?"

"Is that how you think of me?" I asked as he asked absurd questions about myself, or maybe he asked the right questions, who was I now but Mr. Henry's property?

"Joseph told me he saw you crying, why were you crying?"

"I..." I tried to answer but became busy tracing his cheekbones that held up his mask and the way his hair fell to the side on top of it. His dark navy jacket, his posture like a column alone standing tall in the middle of the room an irresistible allure pulled me towards him. Mr. Howard had transformed into a man of society at last but I was not sure it pleased me for this man before me no longer belonged to me, though he probably never did.

"Say something Alice!"

"Why are you here sir?"

"I was invited," he scoffed, "but why are you here Alice?"

"For Mr. Henry."

"Really then why is he not with you? Why is Sir Holloway by your side? Are you sure you did not come as per his request?"

"I cannot do this anymore." I turned away again to talk. "This charade must come to an end, if you are to hate me then tell me at once what I wish to know, who are you engaged to?"

"Why does it bother you? What's it to you who I engage myself with or not? Your wedding is but a few months away right? Or is it?"

"Stop belittling me, stop deflecting, or telling me how to act, you have no idea of what the truth is!"

"And neither did you when you put me through your parade of suitors! Neither did you when you believed what everyone else claimed to know about my character and my past!"

"Fine then I am guilty, guilty as one can be and I shall pay the price! But you must tell me at once who is the lady who has won your heart! Who has changed your mind about everything you despised? Who has managed this miracle! Say her name!"

"Cynthia! Cynthia is my fiancée! She is the Saint behind this miracle," he said and I all but fainted trying to look into Mr. Howard's severe eyes.

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Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.