Page 102 of A Single Thread of Moonlight

But, for now, I needed to concentrate on Stefan. Tonight I would be pulling the mask away, letting everyone see who he really was.

A man appeared, dragging Stefan away, and I felt my breathing ease. “There you are!” Sophia appeared, flushed and happy. “I haven’t been able to get near you tonight. Everyone is talking about you and Prince Stefan.”

“Never mind about me and Stefan,” I said. “What about you and Mr Waterford?”

Her whole face lit up, as though a match had been struck. “Oh, Serena,” she sighed. “He’s wonderful.”

“I think he feels the same way about you,” I laughed.

She blushed. “He says he does,” she admitted. “Though I can hardly believe it.”

“I can,” I said sincerely.

“How glad I am to have come to this wretched party and met you all.” She pulled me into a swift, surprising embrace.

I hugged her back, just for a moment. I hoped that soon there would be a way for Sophia to become friends with the real me. Everything was about to change.

I fixed a smile to my face as Stefan returned, taking possession of my hand again, swirling me through the crowd. I danced again with him, then with Jack, who wanted to spend the whole time talking about Sophia, then with Percy, who looked as though he was counting his steps and gave me that sweet, rueful grin every time he stepped on my toes.

All evening Nick and I were apart, yet I always knew where he was. I felt his presence in every room, just out of my eyeline. It was as if we were tied together by some invisible thread, as if I could feel the tug of it wherever he moved. I was sure that he felt the same.

The minutes crawled by, but finally, finally, the time came.

“I have asked the orchestra to stop after this song,” Stefan said, “to let me make our announcement. Are you ready, my love?”

I looked at him steadily. “I’m ready.”

The last notes of the song died away, and Stefan stepped forward.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention?” His voice was commanding, deep with the entitlement that comes of always being listened to. The crowds instantly fell silent, though a hum of expectation thrilled around the room. The dance floor cleared, and Stefan stood in the middle.

“I have a very happy announcement to make,” Stefan said, an unfettered smile on his face. “I am pleased to tell you all, to share with you the news, that Miss Serena Fox has agreed to become my wife.”

The ballroom burst into spontaneous applause, and Stefan held out his hand to me. I stepped forward, into the space that he occupied, but I didn’t take his hand.

“I hate to contradict you, Your Highness,” I said, my voice ringing out loud and clear. “But I’m afraid there has been a mistake. There will be no wedding.”

Stefan froze, a look of confusion flashing across his face. “Serena!” he exclaimed. He smiled, but his eyes darted confusedly. “Now is not the time for a display of your British humour.”

An awkward rattle of strained laughter ran around the room.

“I’m not laughing,” I said, looking him straight in the eyes, holding his gaze, daring him to look away from me.

I saw the exact moment when the joviality fell away, when the barely repressed anger and self-interest rose to the surface.

“I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth,” I continued, the words carrying around the room with startling clarity. This place really did have excellent acoustics. “Not after all that I’ve learned about you. The way you treat women. You have left a string of ruined reputations behind you, destroying the lives of good women who thought they could trust you. You are a cad and a lecher. In this house alone I know that the maids fear being left on their own with you. Is that the behaviour of a prince? Is that the behaviour of a good man?”

I glanced around at the shocked crowd and my eyes found Cassie’s. She stood frozen, eyes wide, a fruit tart held halfway towards her open mouth. A smile grew on her face as our eyes met. She nodded. It was almost as if I could hear her cheering me on. I might have known that my sister would be firmly on my side. I turned back to face the prince.

Stefan’s face was ashen now, fury burned in his eyes. If I hadn’t been swept up in my own performance, I would have been frightened.

Instead, I carried on. “You should be ashamed of yourself, and I hope your grandmother teaches you the lesson you sorely need.”

“I— You—” Stefan took a step forward, but the dowager countess of all people materialized beside me.

“Well, Stefan,” she said crisply, “I can’t say that I’m surprised to hear this. Your grandmother told me she had her own suspicions about your behaviour, and I’m afraid that what I have to report to her will be damning indeed. If what Miss Fox says is true, I think it is certainly time that she brought you to heel.”

With that the spell broke and the silence that had overwhelmed the room shattered. The thrill of gossip – better than anything they could have hoped for – filled the air.