Once Upon a Masquerade by Tamara Hughes Read Free Book Online Page A

given her from beneath the cloak. She caressed the intricate etchings on its surface, then turned the oval pendant to the back and the inscription Give All to Love . She’d hidden it from her father all these years, reasoning the piece was relatively inexpensive. Although deep inside, she knew even if the locket had been made of pure gold, she wouldn’t have parted with it.
    “Acquainting yourself with the city all on your own?”
    A giddy thrill swept through her limbs as she recognized the voice. She turned toward the sound, startled to find Mr. Black standing atop the steps leading down to the fountain. In a dark gray coat and top hat, he appeared every bit a gentleman, but his intense hazel eyes and chiseled jaw belonged to the pirate she’d so brazenly kissed the night before. As he lifted his hat in greeting, she stood speechless, desperately trying to suppress the elation dancing inside her belly.
    He descended the steps with a friendly grin. “Had I known you were in need of a guide, I would have offered my services.”
    She turned away, forcing herself to remember her vow to avoid him. “I wanted to find a place to think.”
    “I was going to drop this at the Endicotts’ before I spotted you walking in this direction.” He handed her the duster she’d left behind in her haste to escape the Vanderbilt library. “I must apologize for my rudeness. I didn’t intend to offend you with my incessant questions. Curiosity ruled my better judgment.”
    “It’s all right.” She battled with her own better judgment as she struggled to keep her defenses from crumbling.
    Mr. Black glanced about, taking in the flowing fountain, the expansive lawns, and the serene lake. “This does seem like a good place to think.”
    Clearly he wasn’t going to leave, although she couldn’t understand why he remained. She could hold her silence and ignore his presence, but that didn’t seem right. After all, he’d come to apologize. She released a breath. “I’ve always loved this place, this statue.”
    “I thought you said you were unfamiliar with New York.”
    She cocked one brow. It truly was in his nature to question everything.
    His lips curved in a slow smile. “You don’t have to answer that.”
    Although he teased, for once she could tell him a bit of truth about herself. “I confess I’ve visited here before. In fact, I remember when this park was first completed. My father brought me here.”
    “That was quite some time ago.”
    “Yes. I think I was eleven years old. My mother had passed away the prior year. I remember walking through the park and coming to this very spot. I looked up at the angel and told my father that Mother was here, and she looked beautiful.”
    “What did he say?” His smooth voice relaxed her, her troubles fading for the moment.
    “Nothing.” She stared out along the lake shore. “I don’t think he ever came back here after that. My mother’s death weighed heavily on him. It still does.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be. I find every time I come here, I feel her presence. It’s very comforting.”
    Mr. Black studied the winged figure, his profile as handsome as the rest of him.
    “I think she would have liked you.”
    A corner of his mouth raised in a half-grin. “Oh? Why is that?”
    “Because I do.” The words had tumbled out before she thought to stop them. She jerked away from his warm gaze, shocked by her own brazenness. Whatever happened to her plan of sending him away? That was her ultimate goal, or at least she thought it was.
    She still held the stylish hat she’d brought along for her outing with Mr. Westerly. Setting it on her head, she began pinning it. A proper lady would have never been out without one in its rightful place. She smiled sheepishly. “It blew off moments before you arrived.”
    Mr. Black’s sidelong glance questioned her words. The calm breeze barely stirred the leaves.
    “It was much windier earlier in the day.” She wondered at the