Valerie Parv - The Princess and The Masked Man

It didn’t stop him from wanting her.

Giselle’s equerry rose from a deep curtsy. “It’s almost midnight, Your Highness. I came to see if there’s anything you need.”

“Very thoughtful of you, but there’s nothing for the moment. Have you enjoyed the ball?”

“I’ve had a great time. From the talk around me, this is the best Spring Ball ever.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

She saw Elaine’s glance go to her bandaged foot. “I realize it hasn’t been fun for you, but…”

“It’s all right, Elaine. I may not have been on the dance floor but I’ve talked my head off tonight.” With the ease of long practice she stifled a yawn before anyone saw her. “Speaking of dancing, you seemed to enjoy the last waltz.”

She saw her assistant color under the mask. “I had a fascinating partner. He wouldn’t give me a single clue to his identity.”

Me neither, Giselle thought, stifling her disappointment along with another yawn. She had hoped Elaine might have learned something about her mystery man.

He wasn’t her mystery man, she reminded herself. He was either a friend of Maxim’s or Eduard’s, or a castle employee and she would have her answer as soon as the masks came off. No mystery about him.

“He did say he’s new to the castle,” Elaine volunteered.

All Giselle had to do was access the castle’s security files and find out who had been given clearance to attend tonight’s ball. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? She could eliminate the guests she knew by sight, and those who had, contrary to custom, told her their names. She had been assisting her brother to administer the Merrisand Trust since she was twenty-one. Few names on the guest list would be totally unfamiliar to her.

“He has a ten-year-old daughter, but I’m willing to bet he isn’t married,” Elaine said.

Annoyed to feel a sudden sharpening of interest, Giselle asked, “What makes you think so?”

“He told me he’s out of practice at dancing, and he came to the ball alone.”

She told herself she was only interested for her equerry’s sake, not her own. She had known Elaine since they were both teenagers, so they were as close to being friends as Giselle’s position allowed. She didn’t want to see the other woman get hurt.

“His partner may have stayed at home with their child,” the princess suggested, not liking the agitation that accompanied this idea.

Elaine chewed her lip. “It could explain why he didn’t seem eager to see me again, although I dropped a few hints. Not even to meet when the masks come off, so he can find out what I look like. Perhaps you’re right, he already has a partner.”

“Perhaps.” To her frustration, Giselle found out she didn’t want to be right for once.

“Did you speak to Prince Maxim and the Marquis about becoming Keeper of the Castle?” Elaine asked.

They had talked about the job as Elaine was helping Giselle to organize the ball. “I spoke to them. They agree I’m well qualified, but the charter is ironclad. An unmarried woman can’t hold the position.”

Elaine made a sound of annoyance. “Can’t you petition Prince Gabriel? As the governor of Taures, your father should be able to decree that the requirement is inequitable in this day and age. Men don’t have to be married to hold the job.”

Wishing she could stamp her damaged foot, Giselle nodded agreement. “You’re missing the point. My father does know it’s inequitable, but it suits my parents to have me in such a cleft stick.”

“Because they see the position as an inducement to get you to marry?”

“Precisely.”

“What about Robert Gaudet? The whole province would love it if their princess married the most eligible man in the kingdom.”

“I don’t intend ordering my life to entertain the kingdom,” Giselle said sharply, then lowered her voice, aware of the other guests within earshot. “Robert is handsome and charming. I enjoy his company. I just don’t see myself marrying him.”

“Not even if it allows you to become Keeper?”

Giselle gave her attendant a sour look. “You sound like my parents. You’d think they’d be concerned about welcoming an actor into the royal family. Thespians are hardly known for their fidelity.”

Elaine nodded. “Your parents probably feel that the decision should depend on what’s most important to you.”

Easier said than done, Giselle thought. The Keeper’s position was important to her as a matter of simple justice. By doing the job for the last few years she had earned the recognition.

It wasn’t only status she wanted but the right to put into practice some of her own ideas for the castle’s future development. She and Maxim didn’t always see eye to eye on what should be done. Invariably his will prevailed. Only when she held an equal position would her opinions carry the same weight.

Her mother had tried to assure her that she could achieve as much or more if she became the power behind the throne, but Giselle disdained such an antiquated notion. She knew Robert would love the title of prince, but he had his own stellar career. He didn’t want to be involved in the affairs of the castle. So why should she have to ally herself with him in order to do the job in her own right?

Elaine leaned closer. “Of course, the right man might make you feel differently.”

The idea struck so close to the heart of Giselle’s thinking that she almost sprang from her chair. Only a hint of pain from her foot when she put pressure on it kept her seated. “The tabloids seem to think Robert is the right man.”

“But you don’t.”

Elaine knew her too well to pose it as a question. She alone knew that Giselle had asked Robert to go to America without her so she could consider the future of their relationship. In fact, she had already done so, but Robert had asked her to think it over while he was gone. Giselle didn’t expect the time apart to make any difference. The spark simply wasn’t there.

If she needed any reminding, she had only to consider her response to the mystery man. Now there was a spark. If it had glowed any brighter, she would have gone up in flames. His very touch had been enough to set her heart racing. Yet she didn’t know his real name or anything about him. She only knew he had made her feel utterly alive and desirable.

Would she feel the same once the masks came off? As it was, she could make him into any man she wanted. Her dream lover, her Prince Charming. The mystery might be what made him seem so enticing. Somehow, she doubted it. Something in him had called to her soul like a voice in her mind, promising the earth if only she was open to possibilities.

Excitement shivered through her. She was probably letting the fantasy mood of the ball affect her more than it should, but for once she felt like indulging herself. She wanted to meet him, to stare into his eyes and discover if the spell was really there, or existed only in her mind.

And she wanted to do it on her feet.

“Please fetch me my walking cane,” she told Elaine on impulse.

Her equerry looked startled. “I thought you didn’t want to use it tonight.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Hurry, it will be midnight in a few minutes.”

The woman did as bidden, returning promptly with the cane the doctor had prescribed for Giselle’s use until she could manage unaided. The princess looked at it in distaste. The sedan chair held far more appeal, but that would mean involving her bodyguards, and their presence was hardly conducive to the scene she had in mind.

Carefully she rose to her feet. To her surprise, her foot hurt only a little more than when she was seated, even when she put all her weight on it. She was definitely improving. Not wanting to undo the doctor’s good work, she let the cane support her as she moved among her guests.