Midnight Masqerade

by Shirlee Busbee

  Perhaps it was just as well that they stay near Baton Rouge for a while longer, he finally concluded. Until he had settled all his own doubts about Melissa and her reasons for marrying him, it might be best if he allowed her to intrude no further into his life. Thousand Oaks was at present untainted by her presence; he had no memories of her there, nothing of her to haunt him, should she prove to be the calculating creature he had called her.

  Then, too, it would be easier to observe her here, where her family and friends were and where she would be more at ease, less careful in their company, and he might discover some clue to explain her inconsistent conduct around him. Certainly she would feel less isolated, less cut off from all that she knew than she would in the half-tamed wilderness area of Thousand Oaks.

  Not relishing having to tell Melissa of his sudden change of mind, particularly when he could not tell her why he had changed his mind, he sighed and slowly turned his horse around, riding back in the direction from which he had just come. He was, he decided irritably, going to be seen to be acting in as capricious a manner as his bride!

  Leaving his horse in the hands of the startled groom, he walked unhurriedly toward the cottage, considering several different reasons to present to Melissa to explain his apparent erratic behavior, but none of them found much favor with him. And when he caught sight of Zachary's bay gelding and Royce's big chestnut tied to an iron hitching post near the corner of the house, his heart sank. Lord, he hoped that Melissa hadn't yet told her brother or Royce about going to Thousand Oaks! His dismay increased even further as his gaze fell upon a jaunty cart of scarlet and yellow and the dainty black mare which pulled it standing securely tied in the shade of one of the big oaks at the front of the house. It would seem that in his brief absence company had arrived, and he smothered a curse under his breath.

  Not having recognized either the cart or the horse, he was curious about the owner. He had known that as news of their attendance at dinner last night at Oak Hollow spread through the countryside, the privacy afforded them during the first weeks of marriage would vanish, but he had hoped that he and Melissa would still have some time to themselves before company came calling to wish them well. It would seem, he thought dryly, that he was wrong.

  As he quietly entered the house, a sudden prickle of unease slid down his spine. Beyond the family, there was only one other person he knew who might be brash enough to come calling so soon, and he wasn't precisely surprised when he walked into the main salon and discovered Deborah Bowden sitting on the tapestry sofa, fastidiously sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea. Zachary was lounging in a damask-covered chair which looked exceedingly fragile under the weight of his powerful body, and Royce was standing near the fireplace, one arm resting negligently against the mantel. Melissa, her expression polite and wary, was sitting directly across from Deborah, and at Dominic's entrance she looked up at him with a mixture of relief and something else that made him decidedly uneasy. His bride, it would appear, was not pleased with the situation either, and if he read the signs right, he was going to find himself in a very uncomfortable position.

  Smiling warmly at the room in general, Dominic said lightly, "How nice to see you all." Looking directly at Royce, he added, "I was on my way over to see you this morning when my, er, stirrup broke and I had to return. We must have just missed each other on the road."

  A sardonic gleam in his eyes, Royce murmured, "How fortunate that you have returned. Melissa was just regaling us with the news of your imminent departure."

  Zachary, looking very handsome in a snug-fitting coat of bottle green, said with a grin, "Yes, and my sweet sister has just invited me to come with you-I hope you don't mind?"

  Inwardly groaning, Dominic smiled faintly and was just on the point of trying to extricate himself from what was becoming a stickier situation moment by moment when Deborah set down her cup of tea, and rising to her feet, ran girlishly across the room to him and said breathlessly, "Oh, Dominic, do say that you will change your mind and stay for a while!" Sending a limpid glance in Melissa's direction, she continued softly. "I have barely gotten to know your bride, and if you whisk her away so soon, we shall not have a chance to become friends."

  Turning away from Dominic, her blue silk gown floating behind her, she drifted over to where Melissa sat. Patting her lightly on the shoulder, she murmured, "She is such a dear creature, and I think it is unfair of you to take her away to that wretchedly remote plantation of yours. She would much prefer to stay here, I am sure."

  The expression on his face revealing nothing, Royce said carelessly, "I do think that Lady Bowden is correctyou should stay here for a bit longer." Casting Dominic a meaningful look, he added, "There are certain demands on your time which you could not meet while at Thousand Oaks. "

  "See!" Deborah cried gaily. "Even Royce thinks that you should stay!" An entreating smile on her face, she danced over again to Dominic. "Oh, do say that you will remain here a while longer!"

  Cursing Jason, Royce and Deborah, Dominic kept his eyes averted from Melissa and said half angrily, half laughingly, "Oh, very well! We shall remain here a bit longer." Risking a glance in Melissa's direction, he asked gently, "That is, if my bride does not mind?"

  A polite smile was frozen on her lips, but Melissa said with outward graciousness, "Why, of course, my dear! Whatever you please." Only Dominic noted the outrage and, yes, pain in her golden-brown eyes, but he could do nothing at the moment to alleviate either.

  Having accomplished what she had set out to do, Deborah returned to her seat on the sofa, and smiling happily, she chatted away. "Oh, it will be so wonderful. We shall have picnics and go for drives along the river and do all manner of pleasant things."

  "Is that what you were doing this morning? Driving along the river?" Dominic asked as he helped himself to a cup of tea, wishing it were strong, burning whiskey.

  Deborah looked demure. "Well, not exactly ... I was just out for a morning drive when I remembered that I had left one of my gloves at Willowglen the other day. When Zachary realized that I was all alone, he insisted upon escorting me on my drive. We met Royce on our travels, and when we learned that he was coming here we thought it would be nice to join him."

  "Well, I for one am disappointed that Melissa and Dominic are not going to Thousand Oaks. I was quite looking forward to seeing the place," Zachary said, a troubled expression in his eyes as he glanced at his sister.

  "Oh, Zachary!" Deborah cried with a pretty pout on her lips. "How could you think of going off and abandoning me that way?"

  Zachary laughed self-consciously and made some idle comment, and the conversation moved on to other topics. A short while later, bidding her first guests good-bye, Melissa decided ruefully that she deserved some sort of award for polite behavior under duress. If she had had to listen to Deborah's artless prattle one moment longer ... If she had had to watch her brother stare besottedly in Deborah's direction one more time ... And if she had had to sit there smiling, acting as if nothing in the world were wrong, while her husband let that, that hussy wind him around her finger . . . Her bosom heaved and some very unladylike thoughts were whirling around in Melissa's head as she watched the trio disappear down the long driveway.

  Any doubts she might have nurtured that Dominic's meeting with Lady Bowden had been innocent, or any hopes she might have had that there was nothing between the two of them, had been shattered the instant Dominic had allowed himself to be talked into staying here near Baton Rouge ... and Deborah Bowden. Of course he didn't want to go off and leave his mistress, she thought viciously, her slim fingers clenching into two fists at her sides. Uncertain which of the two she wished to wreak violence on first, Melissa angrily swung around, the glint of battle shining brightly in her topaz eyes.

  One thing had become crystal clear to her. Dominic might not love her, he might even have been compelled to marry her, but she could not simply give him upcertainly not to Deborah Bowden! At least I care about him, she told herself forlornly, and
if he'll let me, I'll make him an exemplary wife. I'll try to be an exemplary wife, she amended, unhappily conscious of her wayward temper.

  Melissa would be the first to admit that she had made many mistakes during her brief marriage, but the situation was not an easy one for her. It was bad enough being married to a man one knew hadn't wished for marriage, but to have fallen in love with that man and to realize that there would always be other women who would attract his attention were indeed painful. If Dominic had loved her, if their marriage had come about under normal circumstances, if she had known herself loved by her husband, she was quite positive that she could have faced Deborah's threat to her happiness with equanimity, but as it was ... As it was, not only was she going to have to fight for his love, but she would also have to engage an enemy who, if Deborah's antics this morning were anything to go by, did not know the meaning of fighting fair. She sighed heavily. The worst of it was, she didn't have a clue to how Dominic felt about the situation. Would he care one way or the other whether she vanquished Deborah or not?

  Throughout the visit of the others, Dominic had warily observed his wife and he had been steeling himself to face her justifiable wrath as soon as the unwanted company had departed. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to let her vent her spleen, he said mildly, "Well, that was a pleasant visit, wasn't it? It was rather, er, nice of Lady Bowden to come to call on us."

  Melissa stubbornly kept her face averted from him, thinking that she would like to tell him exactly how nice she thought it was, but instead, she replied woodenly, "Yes, wasn't it." Unable to control herself, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, she muttered, "I'm sure that since we shall no doubt see a great deal of dear Lady Bowden in the future, it is a good thing that she has taken such a wonderful liking to me, don't you agree?"

  Dominic had to smother a laugh, although he could sympathize heartily with what Melissa must be going through. He turned her around to face him, one finger lifting up her chin, and murmured, "Are you very disappointed that we are not going to Thousand Oaks immediately?"

  Determined not to betray the agitation within her breast, and acting with a nonchalance she did not feel, she met his amused gaze and said with considerable aplomb, "Of course not! It doesn't matter in the least." Continuing to appear indifferent, she added lightly, "I shall probably always prefer here to Thousand Oaks-it was going to be difficult for me to say good-bye to all my friends." Putting on a dreamy expression, she murmured softly, "It will be most pleasant to continue to visit with the young men .-. ." She gave a fleeting peek at Dominic's face. ". . . and women, too, whom I have known, since birth. I was dreading leaving them all so soon. I'm sure that several young men will be happy we are staying."

  She cast him a limpid glance, much in the way that Deborah would have done, and suddenly very aware of what she was playing at, Dominic was hard pressed not to burst out laughing at her excellent mimicry. The little witch! She was trying to make him jealous! He could understand very well what she was trying to do and she had his wholehearted enthusiasm, if she but knew it. Thinking that under different circumstances he would enjoy watching her antics a great deal, Dominic fought down the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.

  But some of his enjoyment at this gratifying situation faded as he realized that the following days were going to be very tricky. How was he to win Melissa's heart-and he suddenly realized that he did indeed want Melissa's heart-when he had to appear to be fascinated by another woman? He scowled. Jason and Morgan had a lot to answer for, he decided grimly.

  Seeing Dominic's scowl and mistaking the reason for it, Melissa felt her heart leap. Obviously the mention of other men in her life had not sat too well with her husband.

  Good! Continuing with her role with increased excitement, she said gaily, "Since we are not leaving for Thousand Oaks any time soon, I suppose that we should have a party to let our friends and neighbors know that we are now receiving guests." She paused, sent him a demure look and added, "Of course we will be sure to invite Lady Bowden ... and her brother. "

  His face expressionless, Dominic replied dryly, "Whatever pleases you, my dear. I'm sure that if you discuss it with Mrs. Meeks, she shall see to everything. All you will have to do is prepare the guest list."

  Melissa had hoped for some sort of reaction from him at the inclusion of Latimer, and she was aware of a pang of disappointment at his calm, disinterested words. With less enthusiasm than she had displayed so far, she muttered, "Very well, then, I shall discuss it with Mrs. Meeks! Do you have any objections to next Thursday evening? A party of fifteen to twenty for dinner?"

  With an eyebrow cocked at the slight bite to her words, Dominic shook his dark head. "No. Whatever you fancy, sweetheart. "

  Melissa could have stamped her foot with vexation. Then, her chin set at a stubborn angle, she swept regally from the room in search of Mrs. Meeks. Abominable man! she thought with irritation. She'd show him that she could act just as coolly and carelessly as he! Why, she might even smile and become very friendly with Lady Bowden!

  After a series of meetings with Mrs. Meeks, the party was planned to everyone's satisfaction; the invitations were written and duly delivered by one of Dominic's servants. To Melissa's delight, everyone accepted immediately, and with a happy smile on her face she set about overseeing the preparations for her first party. She had not expected to feel excited about the affair under the circumstances, but she did, taking shy pleasure in the final results of all the eagerly discussed plans.

  Since the weather was very fine and the dining room at the cottage was exceedingly small, it had been decided to hold the dinner party outside. To prevent the guests from being eaten alive by the swarms of biting insects which inhabited the area, with the help of several servants an elegant, exotic-looking room had been formed with hundreds of yards of gauzy netting hastily purchased in Baton Rouge. A long, white-linen-draped table had been placed in the middle of the structure, and several chairs had been borrowed from both Willowglen and Oak Ho-ow- although they did not match one another, the effect was quite charming. Silver bowls filled with fragrant gardenias graced the tables; garlands of glossy green leaves were artfully arranged near the bases. Gleaming crystal candelabra with tall, slim, cream-colored candles had been placed strategically in between the silver bowls, and on several small tables that had been scattered about the room more candles had been put. Lanterns had been strung from several of the magnolia and oak trees nearby, and the entire area had taken on a fairy-tale setting, causing the guests to exclaim with delight.

  It was a predominantly family party, Zachary naturally being invited, as well as the senior Manchesters and Royce. Daniel Manchester, Royce's younger brother, who had been away visiting with his bride-to-be in Mobile, had come home for Melissa's wedding and had been included in the party. Morgan and Leonie Slade had also been invited, and with the exception of Lady Bowden and Julius Latimer, the remainder of the guests were old family friends and neighbors. As the evening progressed, Melissa's initial nervousness vanished, and to her astonishment, she actually found herself enjoying the party, forgetting for the moment that she was not the radiant young bride she appeared.

  And she was radiant. Dominic, despite his best efforts, could not keep his eyes off her vivacious countenance, her tawny hair gleaming like sun-warmed honey in the candlelight, the creamy white flesh of her shoulders and bosom which rose above her low-cut gown of bronze silk taking on a golden glow. For tonight Anna had arranged Melissa's hair high on her head, a cascade of curls flowing onto one smooth shoulder. Dominic seemed. fascinated by a lone little curl that rested in that delicate place where her shoulder and neck joined, and he spent a good part of the evening imagining his lips pressing against that same spot. So entranced was he by the erotic thoughts chasing them selves through his brain that he was unaware of half the conversation sent his way.

  After dinner, deserting Zachary who had claimed her attention up until then, Deborah swam up to Dominic in a sea of r
ustling blue satin to claim his attention. Her wide blue eyes full of promise, she murmured, "Oh, Dominic! Do walk with me! The grounds look so inviting in the light from the lanterns that I feel almost compelled to go exploring. Do say that you shall come with me!"

  "What a capital idea!" Royce concurred smoothly, and grasping Melissa's arm, he said, "Come along, my dear. Since Dominic is properly escorting your guest, it is my privilege to have you with me."

  Any chance of Dominic's refusing Deborah's request had been neatly scotched, and as the other guests fell in with the suggestion, Dominic sent Royce a look that was not fond. Royce smiled angelically.

  Whatever enjoyment Melissa had been taking from her highly successful dinner party vanished the moment Deborah laid a decidedly familiar hand on Dominic's arm, and blindly she allowed Royce to lead her from the gauzy room. Her heart a bag of stones in her breast, she walked through the warm, magnolia-scented night, the laughing voices of the other guests barely impinging upon her consciousness, her mind full of definitely ugly ways of teaching Lady Bowden the unwisdom of the commandeering other women's husbands.

  Royce allowed her some minutes of silence and then he said gently, "Lissa, don't take it so much to heart. Any fool can see that Dominic would far rather be here at your side than putting up with the inane chatter of that simpleton. Have more faith in yourself ... and in him."

  Melissa stiffened and she shot her favorite cousin a markedly hostile glance. Under her breath, she hissed, "I should have guessed that you would stand up for him! Tell me, are you also willing to lie to me and deny that they are lovers?"

  There was a glitter in her lovely eyes that gave Royce pause, and hastily pulling her into the shadows, he said, "Don't be a little fool! I know that it looks bad, but trust me-Dominic's apparent interest in Deborah is not what you think!"

  Melissa laughed bitterly and jerked free of his hold on her arm. "Naturally! I never doubted it for a moment," she said with obvious disbelief. "Now if you will excuse me, I shall mingle with my guests-especially with the male ones!"