"Forgive me, am I invading your thoughts?" he asked.
"Nah, you—," I began. Then a thought came to me, "you rather completely overturned them, I'd say," I said, mimicking the twang in Clarence's voice. I tossed my hair, "Good lord, what was I thinking about?"
I sent him a grin, and he accepted the challenge.
"The importance of a graceful intrusion perhaps?" he replied, thickening his voice with a Ru
The question flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. He seemed surprised at my offer. I felt surprised, too, especially because my mask didn't twitch like it usually did whenever I asked a question."I'm not certain if it is necessary that you help," he answered slowly."I know you don't want to crowd him out, but old people can feel safer around younger ones," I insisted, "and I'm good at small talk."He hesitated for a moment, th
He moved towards the drawing room and I followed close behind. As we entered, he murmured softly, "I suppose it is also coincidence that the piano is here.""Really? You play?" I asked, my delighted surprise making me forget to whisper.Some guests turned at the sound of my question. Keeping up with me, Masquerade answered modestly, "A few simple scales, nothing equal to the masterpieces of great composers.""I don't believe that," I retorted
My heart was pulled to both extremes. I wished I could have asked Masquerade what was on his mind when he looked at me. But I knew entertaining the guests was probably more enjoyable for him than talking to me again.Besides, I was overreacting anyway, I told myself. He probably wasn't even thinking about me when his eyes got intense. After all, he calmed down as soon as he noticed I was looking at him.Come on, Jenna, calm down. One little thing doesn't mean he's crazy. Let the guy have his own thoughts.
Her claim came as a surprise to me."...it's yours?""Yes, my brother gave it to me," she insisted."Really? What's his name?""Robert," the girl said, "His name's Robert."
She held up the ace of hearts, and I looked over her shoulder. Slowly, the mist obscured the face of the card. This image was much crisper, but the angles were still awkward and odd. This place was darker than the last two memories."No, no, please! I have no money to give!" a woman's voice pleaded."Here, sir, the last one," a gruff man said.The image thumped heavily, then grew still. It seemed whoever held the
The sudden shift in his tone piqued my interest."I'm just wondering if you know a young man named Robert?" I said."Here? Well, I suppose there's a few fellows with that name...um...Is Robert his real name or just his name?"Now it was my turn to be confused."What's the difference?""Wel
I swallowed a giggle at the confused tone in his voice."Well, aren't you a part of it, Garrett?""I suppose I am, in a way.""So?" I prodded." 'So' what? I'm confused."
Standing here brooding over my unaswered questions wasn't going to get me anywhere. Pushing myself from the column, I knew I should try to talk to Masquerade before another guest claimed his attention. Once I apologized for upsetting Garrett, I'd ask him about Robert.After a few minutes of searching, I found Masquerade."Is Garrett all right?" I asked, "I'm sorry if I bothered him. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings.""Oh no, Miss Phillips,
Hey all! Have you been able to read the past two chapters I've updated? "Dining with the Host" and "Reflection in the Mirror"?I can't see them on my end and I wanted to make sure y'all can before I post any more chapters. This is not a joke. The chapters look blank when I click on them.(The problem came because I didn't know GoodNovel was against any mention of social media. For some reason their warnings didn't come through until after I had already posted two chapters with social media references in the author's notes. So yeah, that's why I'm not sure whether or not my chapters are visible.)Please comment and let me know whether you can read them or not. I'd really appreciate it. I'm working on the next chapter and I should have it uploaded next week. I think y'all will like it! I mean, who doesn't like gorgeous outfits? XDThank you all again! You guys are the best! I appreciate you very much(P.S. Sorry for all the Published Au
Too late I realized I'd spoken out loud. My mask stung my cheeks, making me grab the ends to soothe the heat. My mind snapped out of its fog in time for me to see the two men staring at me in stunned silence.For once I was glad their faces were half-covered in masks.What the hell, Jenna?!"Um, I mean, I chose the dark red because the dress only came in that color," I said hastily, feeling confused and mortified.Alessandro leaned forward, "But you said a boy--""Only in that color?" Masquerade interrupted, touching my wrist, "Are you certain? The dresses I have are every color under the sun. You can pick any one you wish."His fingers caressed my wrist gently. I knew he wasn't expressing sympathy for my lack of color choices. I wished I could forget anyone else was here. My heart longed for a moment alone with him. We could talk about anything and nothing, could do anything and nothing. Who would be there to stop us?Di
I stood in the ballroom, my mind struggling to understand what I'd just heard. I'd had an opening? He distracted me? I shook my head. She must have just been angry that I danced with Masquerade. Still, her words had stirred up an anxious agitation in me. I couldn't put my finger on why I was unnerved. Nothing she said made any sense. Maybe her tone disturbed me. And her eyes! God, I'd never seen such an intense look in all my life. My stomach growled, reminding me that a meal waited for me. With one last glance to the gorgeous room, I moved into the main hall. Near the front door, a side hall led to the dining hall. As I walked to its grand entrance, I suddenly regretted not coming with the rest of the guests. With everyone already seated, I was going to look awkward entering by myself. My growling stomach assured me that momentary embarassment was worth it if food came after. The hall came into view and dazzled my eyes. Polished dishes, gleaming wal
Hello all! I know these last few chapters have been full of twists, but I need to step back just a little in the story because I feel some key scenes are needed to give a full atmosphere and weight to the story. So I'm going to take down the last four chapters, and continue the story after the chapter "A Creeoy Warning."I know part of what happens next will already be known by the time you get there, but trust me, you'll be much more invested when you do and will feel a lot more for Jenna and Masquerade. Plus you'll have spent more time seeing the different events of the ball, not just the dances.As a thank you for your patience, I invite you to check out Falling for Lord Masquerade's facebook page, where you can see images of the art inspirations I have for the story.I'll work my hardest to get these new chapters out this week. Again, I promise you'll be glad I did.Thank you, all! Much love,Emily Christine
Masquerade gracefully resumed waltzing, and I let myself be swept along, my lips still tingling from the sensation of his kiss. If the expression on Masquerade's face indicated anything, he had enjoyed it, too. He seemed a little bewildered, and frankly, so was I. How was it possible to be this happy? The music swirled around us as we moved in perfect harmony. Sometimes, we would happen to step closer and warm each other's face
We continued the waltz. The dancers moved together like a colorful kaleidoscope. My hair swirled to the sides with every twirl and step, exposing my face and shoulders picturesquely. Oh, I wanted so badly to forget that we were surrounded by the other guests, that everyone in the ballroom must be looking at me and making judgments because I was dancing with the host. Then I could dance with him without attracting so much attention. But I guess I could count myself lucky that I was dancing with him at all. He noticed my anxious glances around the ballroom.
I had hardly danced with Clarence when I realized just how lucky I was. He was graceful, but not stiff, like a lot of other dancers were. Knowing he wouldn't judge me, I felt very at ease. Though he kept me going at a good clip, he wasn't rude when I would slip or get confused. If anything, my mistakes fueled our conversation. "Ah, it would seem you've met your match, Miss Phillips," he grinned broadly. "It would seem so," I agreed, "Perhaps I don't swim so well as I thought."
The strings inside my chest had dissolved. I pulled my hair to the side and Masquerade smiled."Now! Chin up, shoulders erect, head high," he told me. "You are a lady of my halls. Command such respect!" I noticed Clarence approaching from behind Masquerade. "The gentlemen cannot help but admire you, then."
He turned back to me, and my eyes met his. Somehow, thinking these people were all rich and I was the poor one wedged between them like a sore thumb seemed a better alternative to this harsh truth. Literally, anyone...any kind of person could be here...I had no idea what that kind of person could be.Why did I ever want to come to this dance?Tears of fright began to well in my eyelids. I bit my lip hard, trying to sort through my raging thoughts. Masquerade regarded me.