"Mademoiselle Adaira...may I have the honour of this dance?"

The vicomte's words echoed through the ballroom for the entire crowd to hear. Instantly, everyone fell silent and turned their eyes on the nobleman bowing before his lady love.

As for said lady love?

She opened her mouth, eyes boring into the vicomte as if he were the bug to her boot. "I ref—"

"Splendid!" the marquess exclaimed. "Such a wonderful couple. They will make a fine pair for the first dance." Imperiously, he gestured to the quartet, and the four musicians readied their instruments without hesitation. "I hereby declare this ball officially opened!"

"Lilly?" Adaira hissed out of the corner of her mouth and sent me a pleading look. "You're my friend, right? My dear sister-in-law. You wouldn't mind helping me out of a tight spot?"

"Sister-in-law?" I cocked my head, a perfectly innocent expression on my face. Living with Ella, I'd had plenty of opportunity to copy that expression for when I needed to screw with someone. "You must have me confused with someone else. I am Mr Victor Linton, not my sister Lilly—as evidenced by the fact that I just had to dance with a lady."

"Oh, for heaven's sa—! You're not still pissed off about that, are you?"

"Of course not." Patting her shoulder, I gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't you worry. I'll watch over you, just like you watched over me."

Her eyebrow twitched. "Meaning you'll stand aside and enjoy the show."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but..."

"...but that's exactly what you'll do."

"Indeed."

"You...! Don't you dare use that bloody word! I get enough of that from my brother!"

"Indeed?"

"Come on, Lilly! Help out your sis!"

"Don't worry." I patted her shoulder. "It's only a dance, right?"

"Traitor!"

"Guilty as charged."

"What if the French bastard has hatched another one of his nefarious plans?"

"Don't worry. I doubt there are any bandits in this ballroom."

"How do you know? They could be hiding behind the curtains!"

"Well, if that's the case, I'll make sure to heroically rescue you as is my duty as your future betrothed. Have fun."

And, with that, I turned around and, whistling, sauntered away, towards the other end of the ballroom.

"I curse you!" Adaira announced behind me in a tone straight from a Transylvanian graveyard. "I curse you to dance with beautiful women this entire evening."

I couldn't help but snort as she was led away by her dance partner.

Ha! As if something like that would actually work!

I had just finished that thought when a voice came from right behind me. The voice of my little sister Ella. "Victor! I've finally found you! Oh, um...may I call you Victor? Please wait a moment!"

Oh crap! I just couldn't help tempting fate, could I?

Hastening my steps, I slipped into the crowd and ducked behind a conveniently massive lady, who was currently busy devouring a plate full of biscuits at the buffet. A moment later, Ella appeared, huffing and puffing—but by that time, I was already securely hidden underneath the table. Thank God Her Ladyship the marchioness had picked nice, long table cloths that reached all the way down to the ground.

"Victor? Mr Linton? Yoo-hoo! Where are you?"

Like I'm going to tell you!

"Excuse me, Miss," came the voice of the fat lady who, just a moment ago, I had complimented for being such excellent cover. "Are you looking for a young man in a tailcoat and peacock vest?"

No! No, don't!

"Yes! Yes, exactly! Have you seen him?"

"I have. He—"

Nooo!

"—went that way."

Huh?

"Oh, thank you! Thank you very much! I'll go look for him straight away."

Receding footsteps sounded. A moment later, the table cloth was lifted, and the smiling face of the wonderful not-at-all-fat lady came into view, giving me a grandmotherly smile.

"Hello there. You can come out now, young man."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Scrambling to my feet, I bowed before her.

"Don't mention it. I was young once too, you know." She gave a sad sigh. "Always being chased around by those stupid suitors even though you have so many better things to do. Like...eating sweets, and drinking hot chocolate, and ordering more sweets to eat. Care for a biscuit?"

"Oh...don't mind if I do, thanks."

The biscuit was actually rather tasty. Breathing a sigh of relief, I leaned back against a nearby column and relaxed. Something, I realised only then, I hadn't really managed to do in quite a while. Ever since Mr Ambrose and I had been forced to rush north to protect Adaira from that scheming son of a bachelor, I hadn't had a single quiet moment. Something which wasn't exactly helped by the fact that I had an energetic newborn entertaining me with his shouts every night. So, for the time being, I simply took it easy and enjoyed my snack.

Although one thing I didn't do. And that was take my eyes off Adaira.

All my earlier teasing aside, I would never leave my sister-in-law with a stranger, much less a man who had proven to be a threat to both me and my family. I couldn't prevent him from dancing with her—not if her father wanted him to. She still wasn't of age, and the marquess held vast power over her. But would I let her be in danger because of that?

Hell no!

The dance was a slow one. A romantic one. Something that, I was sure, wasn't a coincidence. Knowing the marquess, he had specifically arranged this so DeMordaunt could romance Adaira on the dance floor and sweep her off her feet. And that was exactly what he did.

Or at least tried to.

Oh my oh my.

I cocked my head and watched the scene in front of me with interest. So, Adaira had decided to follow my advice, had she?

"Tell me, Mr Linton," a familiar, cold voice suddenly sounded right next to me, "why does it seem like my sister is trying to tapdance on top of the vicomte's toes?"

Whistling, I glanced up to study the beautiful paintings on the ceiling. It wasn't at all because I was trying to avoid his eyes. No, not in the least.

"I couldn't say."

The tall, dark figure of a certain stone-faced business mogul appeared beside me, his icy gaze flicking between me and Adaira.

"Did you perchance use your dancing lessons with Adaira to give her lessons in stomping on men's feet?"

"I admit nothing."

"So you did."

"I can neither confirm nor deny."

"You do realise that, as her brother, I will have to dance at least one dance with her later, don't you?"

"And this is my problem because...?"

A muscle in his cheek twitched. "I should really not have taught you about negotiation tactics."

I couldn't help but grin. "What can I say, I'm talented."

"Indeed. And..."

"Yes?"

He cast another glance at his sister and the vicomte, who currently seemed to be very much regretting his decision to come to this ball. Either that, or pulling pained faces while dancing was considered good manners among French nobility.

Leaning closer so only he and I could hear, Mr Ambrose uttered two small words.

"Thank you."

Wonders never cease.

"You're welcome."

"Hm."

We stood there in companionable silence, enjoying our view of the dance floor. The assembled lords and ladies had come in their most elegant silk and satin apparel. The candlelight illuminating the room made the chandeliers above glitter like diamonds, and the guests were bedecked in enough actual diamonds to fill a bank vault. In my opinion, however, the best sight of all was the Vicomte de Saint-Celeste twisting and turning under Adaira's energetic toe-torture.

I had to work hard to suppress the urge to applaud. As a teacher, I was immensely proud of my student.

Finally, the music petered out, and the two dancers came to a halt not far away. Curtsying primly, Adaira gifted DeMordaunt a beatific smile. "Thank you so much for an enjoyable time, Monsieur Vicomte. Now...would you like another dance?"

The man's face twitched spasmodically, and in a blink he backed away, stumbling over his feet in the process.

Her smile widening, Adaira turned around and strolled over towards us. "That," she informed us with a grin that would have been shit-eating if she hadn't reached for a biscuit from the buffet, "was immensely satisfying."

"Indeed?" was her brother's curt reply.

Adaira rolled her eyes. "Indeed, brother of mine." Smiling indulgently, she took another bite of her biscuit. I was just about to get myself some snacks of my own when I caught her glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. Why was she looking at me like that? It almost seemed as if—

Oh crap.

Oh crap, no. She couldn't possibly be planning—

Swallowing the last bit of biscuit, Adaira stepped towards me and curtsied. Her eyes were glittering with just a bit too much mischief for my liking. "Well, hello there, Mr Linton. I believe I had promised you the next dance?"

It was only then that I realised teaching Adaira my patented skill of feet-stomping might not have been the best idea.

***

"He isn't here either." Her shoulders sagging in disappointment, Ella glanced around at the crowd of people—none of whom were Victor Linton. Was it really so hard to find her brother at a ball that, at least partially, was being held for him? Apparently yes, since she had seen neither hide nor hair of him. Her companions, who seemed to find her fruitless efforts rather amusing for some unfathomable reason, weren't really being helpful either.

"So..." With twitching lips, Amy sidled up to her. "Would ye like to take a trip to the buffet or should we continue looking for Vi-vi-vihihihihihi..."

Ella blinked. This was the fifth time this evening one of them had randomly burst out into laughter. What was the matter with Lilly's friends tonight?

"I ate before I came down here," Ella told them. "I'm not really hungry right now, so I'm going to continue looking for my brother. But if you want, by all means go look for some food."

"Oh, I think I'm gonna come with ye." Eyes twinkling, Amy grabbed Ella's right arm. Patsy appeared on her other side, and the rest surrounded them, giggling. "This should be interestin'."

Ella cocked her head in confusion. Was her looking for her long-lost relative really this amusing?

Apparently it was, because the girls didn't stop giggling the entire next ten minutes they spent searching the ballroom. That in itself wouldn't have been so bad. Ella liked it when people enjoyed themselves, whatever the reason. The problem was: they hadn't found anything. Still weren't finding anything! Still weren't—

"Ella, dear? Is that you?"

At the welcome sound of the friendly voice, Ella turned around and came face-to-face with the most heartening sight all evening.

"Lady Samantha!"

Something must have shown on her face, because almost immediately, an expression of concern spread over the marchioness's face.

"Is everything all right, dear? You look a little bit under the weather."

"I...I'm..."

Somehow, Ella found she wasn't able to finish the sentence. But she didn't really get the chance to, either, because the next moment, the kind old lady pulled Ella into her arms and gave her a hug. A supremely comforting one. For just a moment, Ella indulged in it. Having grown up in the tender care of her aunt Hester Mahulda Brank, hugs were not exactly something she was used to. Of course there was her loving husband Edmund, who was all too happy to hug her, especially when they were in the bedroom doing...ehem...

Quickly, Ella brought that line of thought to a halt before her ears were set aflame. Anyway, yes, there was Edmund, and he was an amazing husband who gave the best hugs in the world, but there was just something about motherly hugs that set them apart from the rest. For just an instant, she forgot about her worries.

"What are you doing here among us old people, Ella, dear?" Releasing the younger woman from the hug, the marchioness gave her a doting smile and gestured out at the dance floor. "You should be out there among the other youngsters, enjoying yourself."

"I know, but..." Blushing, Ella lowered her head.

"But what?" The marchioness placed a finger under her chin that slowly forced her to look up again.

"I...I was hoping to find Victor. I..."

An understanding expression spread over Her Ladyship's face. "Oh. Your long-lost brother? Dear Lilly's friends told me all about what happened. A true tragedy, for the two of them to be parted for so long!"

That caused another fit of giggles from the girls behind Ella. She might have wondered why if not for the marchioness's next words, which instantly gained all of her attention.

"Do you want me to help you find him?"

At that, Ella's face lit up. "Would you?"

"Of course! You're Lilly's sister. How can I not help you? That's what she would want me to do."

Behind Ella, Patsy burst out laughing and had to support herself against Eve, who was overcome by a fit of giggles the moment later. But Ella didn't notice any of this. Her eyes, full of hope, were fixed on Her Ladyship's face.

"Then yes! Yes, please help me!"

"All right." Sliding an arm around Ella's shoulders, the older woman gave it a comforting squeeze. "Then let's go. Together, I'm sure we'll find dear Victor and Lilly in a blink, and then you can all have a wonderful family reunion."

"Splendid!"

The both of them were so excited that neither of them noticed the wheezing female figures on the floor behind them.

"Come on." The marchioness gestured towards the dancing couples. "Let's look on the dance floor. I know young people. Your brother is probably having fun sweeping a young lady off her feet right now..."

***

"Ow! Argh!"

"Something the matter, dear Mr Linton?" Adaira batted her eyelashes at me, her gaze full of pure sweetness and innocence. I wasn't fooled for a second.

"Oh, nothing at all." I showed my teeth, doing my best shark imitation. "Except that you are currently standing on my toes."

"Oh, goodness gracious!" Placing a hand over her heart, Adaira sent me a look filled with pure remorse. "I'm so sorry, darling. I'm afraid I am too inexperienced a dancer to move as a proper lady should. I always end up making—" Aiming her heel straight for my left big toe, she stamped down. "—mistakes."

"Ngh! Mistakes?" I squeezed out between clenched teeth. "Don't be so sure about that. I'm fairly certain your dancing teacher would be proud of you."

"R-really?"

"Really. Although—" I moved in a flash, slamming my shiny dancing shoes straight onto her toes. "—you still have a lot to learn from your master."

"Gah!"

"Did you say something, Lady Adaira?"

"N-nothing," Adaira squeezed out, her eyes watering. "Nothing at all."

"Oh my, are you crying with happiness at being in my arms? We really are meant for each other, aren't we, darling?"

"Grg! Like a match for a hayloft!"

"You say the sweetest things."

Sending a fiery glare my way, Adaira aimed another kick at me. Only...she had forgotten one very important point. We were dancing, and I was leading. Whirling her around, I drew her in another direction, which caused her foot to miss mine by several inches.

"Aah!"

"Be careful, treasure of my heart. Don't stumble."

Adaira's eyebrow twitched. "Treasure of my heart?"

"Well, you are an Ambrose. Anything involving gold or money should be a suitable compliment, right?"

Her eyebrow twitched again. "You—!"

Suddenly, her voice cut off.

"Yes?" I cocked my head, smiling—only for confusion to spread over my face as an answering smile appeared on hers. And she seemed to be looking past me for some reason, at something behind me.

"You're going to get it."

"Huh?"

"Ah, Mr Linton!" the familiar voice of Lady Samantha Genevieve Ambrose came from right behind me. "This dance seems to have come to an end, right? How convenient! There is someone here who would love to talk to you."

--------------------------------

My dear Readers,

I must confess, it is quite difficult to come up with several fitting chapter titles that contain the word "ball" in one form or another ;-)

Who do you think wants to have a little chat with Mr Linton? Virtual cookies for anyone who guesses correctly!

Yours Truly

Sir Rob