Once Upon a Masquerade (Entangled Scandalous) by Hughes Tamara

Author:Hughes, Tamara [Hughes, Tamara]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: mystery, historical romance, ball, 1880s, masquerade, New York City, Entangled Publishing, Cinderella, mistaken identity, other side of the tracks, nouveau riche, Victorian, maid, Scandalous
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2014-02-10T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

WITH A HEAVY HEART, REBECCA examined the palm of her hand, the skin thick and rough. While Mary arranged her hair for dinner, she sat at the dressing table and studied her reflection in the mirror before her. Green eyes stared back, and her gaze softened. She recognized those eyes. They were her mother’s.

The woman in the mirror looked as she always did. The hair and gown didn’t change who she was inside. She would always be her mother’s daughter, the one who did her best to take care of her father.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath.

Was that all she wanted to be? Her father’s protector? She’d finally found someone she could love. A man who was considerate and caring, brave and strong. Wouldn’t it be better to chase after him and fail than to forever dream of what might have been?

Her lids opened, and a flicker of hope and determination lit those green eyes. It was time to fight for what she wanted most.

If she’d learned anything about Christopher, it was that he didn’t give up on someone because the situation looked lost. She would do the same. His reasons for helping her might stem more from honor than caring, but she could change that. Although Christopher didn’t love her, he wasn’t indifferent to her. If she gave him her full attention, could he so easily cast her from his life? If he came to care for her, perhaps he would overlook her circumstances. It was worth the risk. He was worth the risk. Ultimately, even if he rejected her, at least she would know she’d taken the chance.

“There, all done.” Mary stepped back to survey her work with a smile.

Rebecca turned her head from side to side. Her hair rose in large curls like a silky bow atop her head. “Absolutely wonderful.”

“Thank you.” Mary set a choker and earbobs on the dressing table, then retrieved a pair of slippers.

Lifting the necklace, Rebecca studied the paste diamonds, their glassy planes twinkling in the glow of the lanterns. “Are you sure these aren’t real?”

Mary pulled the piece from her grasp and settled the heavy band around Rebecca’s neck, fastening it into place. “Of course they’re not real. How do you think I’d come by real diamonds?”

When Mary would have grasped the earrings, Rebecca clamped her hand around them. “Mary, be truthful.”

Mary turned toward the bed to fold a gown that lay across its surface. “What do you mean? I am telling the truth.”

“Christopher insists the gems on the comb I wore to the Vanderbilts’ ball were genuine. And I believe him.”

Ignoring her comment, Mary packed the gown into the trunk. Her sudden productivity convinced Rebecca all the more.

“Mary.”

“All right. They’re Victoria’s.” Mary dropped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “What could I do? You needed to appear a lady, and I didn’t have any other means to dress you like one.”

With an inward groan, Rebecca gazed down at her stunning red dress. “And the gowns?” Her friend’s silence smothered the air in the room.

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