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stifled an oath. His wife. He would never
forgive his father for forcing this marriage on him and depriving him of the
woman he truly loved.
    And so that night
Adam and Louisa arrived at Ranelagh Gardens. He wore a plain black domino and
mask; Louisa's domino of violet silk hung open over a sumptuous gown of lilac
satin heavily embroidered in gold. The gardens were brightly lit by gaily
twinkling lanterns; the pavilions overflowed with refreshments and revelers
seeking to discover what faces were hidden behind the masks. Strains of music
floated from the pavilion, where people clad in brightly colored dominos
danced. The pair dined in comfort in a private box and then ventured forth into
the ballroom, where they danced a few turns.
    "Adam, darling,
perhaps we could visit the card room," said Louisa. "I believe Mrs.
Ormsley said she would be there tonight. You don't mind, do you? I know how
tedious you find dancing."
    "Are you
thinking of me, or of yourself?" teased Adam. Louisa had a fondness for
gaming that he found quite charming. She took so much pleasure in the activity,
and though she seldom won, risking money made her curiously excited, and Adam
usually found himself well rewarded for her losses later in bed.
    Louisa pouted
prettily. "If you are minded to be unpleasant about it..." she
murmured.
    Adam laughed and drew
her close, his hand slipping inside her domino to caress the side of her
breast.
    "We shall do
anything you desire, my dear. I am yours to command."
    Louisa smiled
prettily, and the pair made their way to the card room. There Louisa found Mrs.
Ormsley and Sir Jonathan Salter at play, and she moved quickly up to the table.
    "Do you mind,
Adam?" she asked. "You know how I love basset."
    "Indeed I do, my
love," said Adam with a grin. "Play to your heart’s content. I
believe I may take a stroll in the fresh air, but I will be back shortly."
He placed a rouleau of guineas on the table before her. "Best of luck, darling,"
he said.
    He strolled through
the crowded card room and re-entered the ballroom. The brightly clothed crowd
continued to dance, and there was a small commotion at the far end of the room,
where some gentlemen appeared to be chasing a lady of less than impeccable
virtue. Adam made a mental note to watch carefully over Louisa; this was no
place for a gently bred woman to be left alone. As he prepared to go outside, a
woman seated on a settee not far away caught his eye. She was holding court
with a bevy of gentlemen, all of whom appeared to be hanging on her every word.
A domino of sky-blue silk covered her white gown, and silver embroidery
glittered on her underskirt. The simple richness of the ornament stood out,
making other women appear vulgarly over-dressed. She seemed somehow familiar to
him, and then he caught the glint of her unpowdered red-gold hair and
recognized the flash of brilliant blue eyes behind the mask. It was the lady he
had seen riding in the park earlier that day. Intrigued, he drew closer.
    "Don't be
impertinent, Roland," she was saying, tapping a gentlemen on the cheek
with her fan. "You should treat me with the respect due a married
lady."
    The gentleman dropped
to his knees by her side. "What can I do to earn your forgiveness?"
    She looked at him
calculatingly. Another gentleman laughed. "It is his fortune she'll be
having," he declared loudly.
    "No, for I have
one of my own," said the lady. "I have no need for money. I do not
believe there is anything I need from you at all, Roland."
    The gentleman
clutched his heart in mock despair. "Oh, cruel damsel. You wound me to the
quick!"
    "Pish,"
said the woman. She made a sweeping gesture. "You think only of
yourselves, all of you. I am but a diversion for you."
    Another gentleman
came forward and took her dainty hand. "On the contrary, you are the sun
around which we mere planets revolve. Without your presence we would have
neither light nor warmth."
    The woman laughed
again, tilting her head prettily on its slender neck,