A Dance with Death

Chapter Six

I was wrong. It's much worse.
I'm only there maybe half an hour and I'm already wanting to leave.
Why?

Because Ralph Sinclair is within my sight, working his charm on at least three women. Apparently the pneumonia spell my aunt had cast earlier didn't do its task.

Believe me, I would remove myself but lucky for me, I'm stuck with Aunt Olga's gossip trio. The three women are like giggling girls sharing secrets!

"Did you hear what Mrs Dankworth heard from Mrs Compton who told my sister?" Mrs Clayden asked.

"What?" Mrs Farley inquired.

"Apparently Mrs Compton heard from her servant, who ran into one of Lady Wildridge's kitchen maid in the marketplace the other day, that she believes Lady Wildridge had this masked ball for a reason."

"What sort of reason?"

"She didn't know for sure, only that very few selective families were invited through a letter of an invitation."

I glanced at the women. So there's a motive before these "invites"?

"So you're saying Lady Wildridge has a motive of some sort?" Aunt Olga skillfully glanced at me without Mrs Clayden knowing.

"I don't know, but it seems very peculiar, doesn't it? That only some people were invited and not the whole town as Lord Wildridge would have done."

I slowly crept away from the women before I got myself involved. Was it true? Did Lady Wildridge exclud certain families from the ball?

"Arinya?"

Oh no, please don't be...

"Oh, my goodness, it is you." Mrs Sinclair, my would-have-been mother-in-law, gave me a squeeze. "I must say, you've barely changed. You're just as beautiful, if not more!"

Isn't the whole point of a masquerade not to know who people are? Unfortunately for me, I know my former betrothed's physique. Even with his dark mask covering most of his ugly face.

I plastered a smile on my face. "And it's wonderful to see you again, Mrs Sinclair."

She took my arm. "Tell me, has anyone else stolen your heart since my Ralph?"

I have never wanted to lie to someone's face so much as standing before Ralph Sinclair's mother. "Not yet."

"Oh? Then maybe there's still hope." She beamed, far too happy.

I didn't want to give her hope or upset her, so I excused myself.

Why, why, why did she have to be here? Wasn't it bad enough that her son was here? Apparently fate had something against me.

"Arinya! You came!" Lady Wildridge made her way to me, grinning. Actually 'grinning' Isn't the right word for an regal lady like her. Perhaps smiling? But that didn't seem right either. Anyway, she was showing teeth.

She engulfed me in a hug. "I'm so glad you made it! Did your sisters come as well?"

"Yes. But they were swept away by handsome partners as soon as they walked through the door. And our Aunt Olga is chatting with her old friends."

She smiled. "How lovely. No one has asked you to dance yet? I had thought several would have asked."

"Oh, they have. They just didn't interest me."

"Really? Well, there's plenty of beautiful women you could ask...?" She raised her brow.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry, my lady, I only meant that I'm not interested in dancing right at the moment." Or marriage. Or having children.