“How am I to sit in this?” she said with a laugh.
Molly chuckled with her. “Very carefully or the sheer will rip.”
“No, I shall stand all night. Hmm, dancing may be out of the question, too.”
Molly tied th
e mask with white feathers sticking out of the side. “Can you even see?”
“Barely. This costume is mad.”
“But it is beautiful, ma’am.”
Even with all the issues with her dress, excitement rippled through her. Tonight, she would tell Matthew she loved him and she was the perfect woman to be his bride. She would do her best to right his reputation. Several of her friends were influential amongst the ton. Hopefully, she could count on them for support. It didn’t matter what the others thought or believed because her family supported her and they always would.
“That’s the last of the ties holding the shell in place, ma’am,” Molly said.
Jennette turned to the mirror and immediately knew the reason she’d chosen this costume. Aphrodite rising from her clam shell was the most beautiful thing she’d ever worn. The pale, pink sheer fabric of the shell against the white flowing Grecian gown created an elegant effect.
“Have a wonderful night, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Molly.” She planned to have the most magnificent night of her life. When she returned to her room tonight, it would be as the future Countess Blackburn. Tomorrow she would start her wedding plans. A simple wedding at Selby House. Avis would love to be the hostess for her wedding breakfast.
As she walked down the steps, she smiled at her mother waiting below.
“You look positively radiant,” her mother stated. “Any special reason?”
“Do you think Banning will accept him?”
“Yes. Once he sees how much you love Blackburn, he will understand. Plus, Avis will make certain he gives his approval.”
Jennette nodded. “Shall we?”
Her mother’s eyes welled with tears. “My little girl,” she mumbled softly.
Jennette squeezed her mother’s hand as they walked into the carriage. “How am I to sit in here?” she asked with a laugh. She finally managed to sit and wondered why they even bothered to drive when Nicholas’s home was only two blocks away.
When they arrived, she scrambled out of the carriage eager to enter the house and find Matthew. Walking into the ballroom, she scanned the room and realized the flaw in her design. It was a masked ball and she had no idea what he planned to wear.
After discounting all the men with hair either too light or too dark, she found him. He wore the same highway costume he’d worn to her birthday ball when he found her in the garden. His lips slowly tilted upward as she walked toward him. The mask he wore hid most of his face but she had no need to see his visage. She knew the structure of his face, the small lines that formed when he smiled at her, and the way his brows creased when he frowned. And after they married, she had every intention of painting him nude.
“Aphrodite, I assume?” he asked when she reached his position by the door.
“A highwayman. Hmm, I believe I might have seen this costume at another time.”
“Are we to wait for Jennette to introduce us, then?” he said with a chuckle.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Jennette replied.
Her heart swelled with love. This was the man she’d wanted and needed all her life. She couldn’t wait to start their life together. After seeing his town home, she wondered if his estates needed as much work. She certainly hoped so. She hated to have nothing to do with her time. His estates would keep her busy for years.
“There is a waltz starting, shall we?” He held out his arm for her.
“Yes.” At least she would be close to him. She desperately wanted to sneak away with him to a quiet room where she could kiss his lips, feel his tongue rough and velvety against hers. The thought of losing herself in his arms brought warmth to her cheeks and elsewhere.
The music started and they floated across the room. His hand burned through the layers of her clothes. She yearned for his kisses, his touch.
“Hmm,” he said. “I thought Aphrodite was without clothing as she arose from the sea.”