The masquerade had seemed the ideal opportunity to conduct his surveillance, since he could employ anonymity to contrive an encounter with Miss Fortin and judge her for himself. The unmasking was not scheduled until midnight, and by then he would be long gone.
He’d come tonight intending to prove Kate’s ludicrous theory wrong. Regrettably, however, his plan had been hurled off course by the beauty herself, particularly her lovely smile. There was a radiance about her that captivated and drew Jack in wholly against his wishes.
At least he now understood why a wealthy widowed duke could be smitten enough to consider offering matrimony to a much younger commoner with no fortune.
Her skin was flawless ivory, her lips full and ripe, Jack noted. He would relish kissing those luscious lips; indeed, he would relish doing much more than simply kiss Miss Fortin.
For a moment he let his imagination run riot. He could well envision the pleasure of bedding her, feeling her go wild beneath him, matching her in the throes of passion.…
But matrimony? Jack curbed the urge to shudder. God forbid.
The notion that Sophie Fortin, or any woman, might be his potential soul mate was laughable. He had no intention of being ensnared in a courtship, let alone marriage. And yet she was definitely too tantalizing to resist pursuing.
The dance ended just then, and Miss Fortin’s partner of the moment bowed and took his leave of her. Alone, she glanced over her shoulder and caught Jack watching her from a corner of the gardens.
Her gaze stayed on him for a long heartbeat. Then, instead of turning away out of shyness or embarrassment, she surprised him by suddenly moving his way.
Upon reaching him, she peered up into his mask, trying to see his eyes. “Do I know you, sir? I penned the invitations for my Aunt Eunice, and I don’t recall anyone of your description on the guest list.”
Although his pirate costume couldn’t disguise his height or athletic build, Jack suspected his identity was safe, since his mask covered the better part of his face and his headscarf mostly concealed his mane of black hair.
“No, we have not met before, Miss Fortin,” he answered, amused by her directness. Baldly confronting a stranger was something only the females in his family would do.
“Then would you care to explain why you have been watching me these past twenty minutes or more?”
Her boldness impressed him, but he parried her question with his habitual facile charm. “Is it unreasonable for a man to enjoy watching a beautiful young lady?”
In response to his flattery, she gave a light, skeptical laugh and glanced down at the cutlass he wore sashed at his waist. “Am I in any danger? Pirates are known to take hostages for ransom and carry away maidens for their own wicked purposes.”
“If memory serves, I haven’t ravished any fair maidens since Tuesday last.”
Her enchanting smile reappeared, much to his pleasure, although whatever reply she would have made was interrupted by her unlikely suitor, the Duke of Dunmore.
“There you are, my dear,” Dunmore said in a fond tone. “You promised me your hand for the next set of dances, remember?”
Her purported suitor, Jack observed, had fairly handsome features but thinning hair that was graying at the temples. In his mid-forties, the duke was also taller than average, but his aristocratic bearing was marred by his slight paunch.
After a brief hesitation, Miss Fortin answered with a gracious smile. “Yes, of course I remember, your grace.”
Seeing that entrancing smile bestowed on the nobleman, Jack felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy. Absurd, since he had no claim to Miss Fortin’s affections whatsoever.
The duke might have felt a touch of jealousy as well, for he cast Jack a sharp look before offering the lady his arm.
“Who was that pirate fellow?” Dunmore asked as he led her away.
“I am not certain,” Jack heard her say as they took their positions on the grass dance floor.
When the music began for a waltz, Jack watched their progress with bemusement, wondering what Miss Fortin saw in the Duke of Dunmore other than his illustrious title and fortune.
They did not appear to be well-matched as dance partners, for Dunmore was remarkably uncoordinated and kept treading upon her toes. Her expression remained serene until the third time he ground down on her foot, and then she couldn’t conceal a grimace.
Dunmore seemed to realize he had hurt her, for he halted in his tracks and began apologizing profusely. “My dear, pray forgive my clumsiness. I fear I cannot keep up with these younger chaps.”
Miss Fortin forced a smile. “It is no matter, your grace. There are all manner of people who find the waltz difficult to negotiate since it is so new. But perhaps we should not attempt it any longer?”
When Dunmore readily agreed, they moved back to the sidelines and stood conversing until the dance ended. A short while later, she excused herself.
When she turned toward the house, Jack could see her struggling to hide her limp. She was putting on a game face but was clearly in real pain.