One Year Later

Muted laughter could be heard over the melodic tones of the orchestra as it played a waltz. Candlelight cheerily blazed over the heads of the crowded ballroom, adding to the Christmas spirit and illuminating the couples as they danced around the room. A lighthearted atmosphere was present as the people celebrated Christmas Eve together.

Tables were set up along one edge of the dance floor, and were draped with expensive white linens. On one side of the ballroom lay a half dozen set of large glass doors, framed by draping white curtains, which were thrown open to the chilly December night in order to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. A few brave couples wandered out onto the balcony overseeing the gardens and could be seen strolling along.

It seemed as if all the crème de la crème of London society was in attendance. The gentlemen were dressed in their finest tailored suits, bedecked with ribbons, jewels and chains while the ladies were attired in beautiful gowns of gold, silver and white silks with extravagant hairstyles and glittering gems. All wore masks to disguise their true identity. After all, it was Madame Chesterfield’s masked ball, the highlight of the year.

From her spot next to her aunt, Kalinna adjusted the half mask that covered her face and fanned herself. She was still amazed that she was here, at the most talked-about party in all of London, and to top it off, she was spending the holiday season with her newfound family. Her mood could not be better.

She was also thankful for the small breather as she allowed her aunt and uncle to introduce her around to their many acquaintances and friends. After all, there was hardly a time at a ball or gathering where she was left alone by the young men in attendance. Now seemed to be a rare exception.

It was not that she didn’t enjoy the attention; it was just that she found herself comparing all of the gentleman to Justin, and none seemed to measure up, which left her slightly disappointed. She knew it was foolish to act this way, but she feared that she could not help it. There was something about the pirate captain that just had her blood racing and she had yet to find a young man of respectable London society who did the same.

Kalinna sighed. She knew that she should be more grateful to her aunt and uncle, and especially her grandmother, for introducing her into society and lavishing her with such finery. However, she couldn’t fight the nagging sense that life had been more fulfilling when she had been on her own, fighting French pirates and scrubbing the decks of the Christina.

From the moment she had stepped foot off the Shadow Dancer a year ago, Kalinna had been swept up in a whirlwind of activity. She had met her aunt, and cousins, as well as many other relatives, who all seemed to take to her, as she did to them. Her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Barclay, had seen fit that she was properly cared for, complete with a brand new wardrobe, an introduction into society, and a sizeable inheritance. From there, things had seemed to only pick up pace.

She had attended ball after ball, danced with many young men, been introduced to so many people the names kept her head spinning. And somehow, unbeknownst to her, she had managed to charm them all. It had been just yesterday that the Dowager had overheard the conversation of two eligible young gentlemen, and how they had been raving about her granddaughter.

There was also speculation among many of the ladies of the ton, as Kalinna’s aunt had reported, what lucky man would be the one to win the heart of such a beautiful, well-mannered and elegant lady. The Dowager Duchess, however, knew it would have to be somebody special. Somebody who was Kalinna’s equal. And so far, no man had come remotely close to the elder lady’s standards.

“Kalinna dear, come forward, there is someone I would like you to meet,” Rachel Wickham, Kalinna’s aunt and the current Duchess of Barclay, stated as she placed a hand on the young woman’s arm.

Kalinna immediately stepped forward and turned her attention to the regal lady that stood next her aunt. The woman was dressed in a beautiful flowing gown of the softest silver, her golden locks drawn up in the latest style. A large diamond pendant glowed around her neck. Yet what drew Kalinna in were the woman’s eyes. Though her face was hidden behind a half mask, the snapping blue eyes distinctly reminded Kalinna of a handsome pirate captain.

She shook herself. This was becoming too much. She was seeing Justin’s eyes on another person…and a woman to boot! It was time to let demons rest and forget about the man. It would do her no good to dwell on what she could never have.

The woman removed her mask, as did the young man next to her, and Kalinna found herself doing the same. It was better that she put an actual face to the name her aunt was saying.

“Kalinna, this is my good friend Christina, the Duchess of Schellden. She and your mother were the best of friends years ago,” Rachel Wickham continued; Kalinna curtseyed to the woman, who did the same, “And this is her youngest son, Derrick.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Kalinna responded as she curtseyed.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Derrick responded as he made a quick bow over he hand and kissed it. Kalinna blushed.

“Oh Derrick, stop making such a fuss and let the young woman breathe,” the Duchess of Schellden scolded as she batted her son on the arm.

“I am sorry that you find my charm so disarming mother,” Derrick replied as he placed a quick kiss on his mother’s cheek, “Now if you ladies will pardon my hasty exit, but I believe I am needed in the salon.”

With a last bow, and after returning his mask to its rightful place, Derrick took off in the direction of the salon, where many of the men had sought comfort in drink and cigars. The Duchess of Schellden turned her full attention back to the young woman as her son disappeared into the crowd.

“You shall have to excuse Derrick. He sometimes seems to think that the world revolves around him. I do not know where he gets it from,” Christina said with a roll of her eyes, “My eldest son should be along any moment, and I pray that he has more sense than that brother of his.”

“I am sure I shall enjoy meeting him, as long as he is nothing like some of the boorish men I have been forced to dance with this evening,” Kalinna retorted, then promptly clamped a hand over her mouth in horror.

Much to Kalinna’s surprise, the duchess let out a laugh and her blue eyes twinkled in merriment. The young woman let out a silent sigh of relief.

“I am sorry…”

“My dear, do not apologize. You have the same spirit your mother had when she was your age,” Christina stated, smiling, “Just as you have her beauty.”

“Thank you my lady,” Kalinna responded.

“Now come, let us take a stroll. Standing still like this makes me feel like an old woman,” the duchess announced as she linked arms with the younger woman; Kalinna smiled.

“Tell me about my mother,” Kalinna said as soon as they were alone, “My father rarely talks about her anymore, and never did he mention her family, or the connections she had to London society.”

“Well, as I am sure you are aware, your mother and grandmother had quite a heated argument when Elizabeth announced that she was going to marry your father,” Christina began, “Everybody thought that she would marry a nobleman. In fact, her father, your grandfather, believed that Elizabeth would marry no lower than a viscount.”

“I take it my mother believed otherwise,” Kalinna stated.

“Apparently so,” Christina confirmed, frowning, “Though I must admit, your mother’s engagement to Richard seemed somewhat out of the blue; none of us knew him all that well, and he did not seem the sort of man your mother had dreamed of when we had been girls.”

“But I thought the reason my mother ran away with my father is because they were deeply in love and my grandmother would not allow them to marry,” Kalinna commented, a little confused.

“I believe, in her heart, your mother cared deeply for Richard, but something did not appear right. At least in my eyes, and I had known your mother for many years; we had been girlhood friends,” Christina explained, then shrugged, “But do not take to heart the ramblings of an old lady. Your mother made the choices she wanted, and I will not condemn her for them.”

Kalinna smiled as the duchess grew silent, lost, apparently, in memories of the past. The young woman let the silence continue, as she became lost in her own thoughts. She knew that her parents had not gotten along perfectly, in fact, their entire marriage, at least that she had seen, seemed to be one argument after the other. Maybe there was something to the story that neither Kalinna, nor the duchess for that matter, knew. Kalinna desperately wished her mother was alive so that they could set the story straight, but alas, that wish was not meant to be.

“Oh dear, I have become lost in my memories. I am sorry my dear. Would you like to hear of some of the stories when your mother and I were growing up together,” Christina suddenly questioned as she shook herself out of her daze.

“Yes, indeed,” Kalinna readily agreed, smiling.

“Well, then, let me think…”

The two continued to stroll the edge of the dance floor, Kalinna listening intently as the duchess recounted story after story of the times she spent with Kalinna’s mother, and of the trouble the two used to get into. Therefore, she was unaware of an intense blue gaze that had had her locked in its sight for the past ten minutes.

The young man was dressed in black breeches with knee-high boots. A black waistcoat was worn over a deep blue tunic adorned with silver buttons, which matched the silver buckle at his waist. His hair was styled so that blondish-brown curls were visible over the half mask he wore to conceal his identity.

Within the mask, the deep blue eyes stayed focused on Kalinna Davenport and the Duchess of Schellden. The eyes narrowed as a young man interrupted the two women and asked the younger to dance with him. She accepted, leaving the duchess alone and thus giving him time to talk to her.

He moved gracefully across the room, one eye on the duchess, the other on Kalinna, who was being whisked around the ballroom by some young fop, who could barely keep time with the music. He increased his pace, annoyance evident in his stride. And at that precise moment, the young woman and her dance partner stopped right in front of him, where the silly young man proceeded to try to kiss her.

“May I cut in?” he questioned as he stepped up to the couple, wondering what on earth he was doing, running a risk such as this.

“You may,” Kalinna replied as she turned and stepped into his arms. Her previous partner stood there throwing him daggers with his eyes, furious at the ruined opportunity to kiss the most sought-after young woman at the entire ball.

The music began, a slow, sultry waltz, and the two of them were off. Kalinna smiled gratefully up at him, recognizable even though half her face was hidden by her mask.

“I must thank you sir, for rescuing me from that unpleasant situation,” she said in a light tone, “I fear the young man was ever-pressing in that regard and could not be persuaded to discontinue his affection.”

“Well than it is lucky for you I was nearby to stop such a catastrophe from occurring,” the young man quickly replied.

“Indeed it was,” the young woman responded with a small laugh, “If looks could kill, sir, I believe you would be dead a hundred times over.”

“Then we must both be thankful that the young man does not have a sword, or else I might be facing my doom at this moment instead of sharing a dance with a beautiful woman such as yourself,” he replied; she blushed.

“Thank you,” she shyly responded before allowing him to lead her in a turn, “I am Kalinna Davenport, lady of Barclay.”

“I am the Duke of Schellden,” he nervously responded, suddenly feeling the need to bolt out of the room, “You were just conversing with my mother a few minutes earlier.”

“Ah, so you are the elder brother, the one who is rumored to have better manners,” Kalinna stated, openly grinning.

“You must have met that fiend of a brother that I unfortunately have,” the duke responded with a short laugh, “I do not know if an apology from me is enough to cover the damage inflicted by his ego.”

“Do not worry sir, he has done nothing to cause offense,” Kalinna said, not wanting to be the cause of a fight between two brothers, “I was merely commenting on the fact that our meeting was so brief that it is a wonder I met him at all.”

“Derrick still has a lot of growing up to do,” the duke stated in reply as he gazed down at her with his blue eyes, “You do not need to make any excuses for his behavior or fear that you are causing a row between us. Now tell me, how are you enjoying London? Is it to your liking?”

“Oh, very much so,” the young woman eagerly responded, smiling, “I have not been to so many balls and gatherings in my entire life. I fear my head is spinning from all the people my aunt, uncle and grandmother have introduced me to.” The duke let out a laugh.

“Do not worry yourself overmuch about that. The names shall come in time,” he assured her, “And how is your grandmother? It has been a long time since I last conversed with, yet if I remember correctly, she is a spitfire of a woman.”

“Oh yes, one would not believe she is a grandmother at all,” Kalinna gaily responded, her eyes glittering with love for the woman, “I do not know how I will ever repay her generosity. She is the one responsible for all this finery, and has also set up an inheritance for me. I only wish that her and my mother would have been able to put aside their differences so I could have known my relatives sooner.”

“Well it appears that you are surely making up for lost time, no?” the duke questioned as the music changed to a languid ballad, and he drew her closer.

Kalinna mutely nodded her head, unable to form a coherent reply due to his nearness, the masculine scent of him stirring up a distant memory. She tried to latch onto it, to no avail. So she shrugged it aside and concentrated on dancing, rather than the handsome man who stood before her, who was causing her heart to speed up.

Silence descended over the pair as the music changed from the slow ballad to a more up-tempo piece. There was no time for words, however, as the two of them concentrated on dancing, unaware that they were catching the attention of many of the other guests.

They made quite a handsome couple, and danced well together. So well, that soon, they were the only couple on the floor. The fact that the masks disguised the couple’s identity added to the excitement buzzing through the room, though many a young man knew, with heavy hearts, that this was the beautiful Kalinna.

Kalinna dipped and spun; her thoughts were out of focus, her attention solely on the man in front of her. Something flickered again in the back of her brain as she gazed intently into his blue eyes, but each time she tried to grasp it, it flitted away. So she continued to dance, allowing the duke to dip her, and enjoying the feeling of him holding her close.

Justin didn’t know how much more he could take. It was obvious that Kalinna did not recognize him, had not yet put two and two together, for which he was grateful. However, he knew this bubble of ignorance she was living in was bound to be popped sooner or later. And it appeared that it would be sooner, if the evening continued as it was going.

He didn’t know why he had allowed his mother to convince him to attend this ball. He had come home, intending to spend the Christmas holiday with his mother and brother, make a short visit to his father’s grave, check in with the English government, and then be back out to sea. Somehow, he knew things were not going to work out in his favor.

The music came to a close and Justin pulled Kalinna into a last dip. Clapping echoed through the ballroom, jolting the pair out of their thoughts and alerting them to the fact that they were, indeed, the only couple on the dance floor. Kalinna felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

“It appears we have charmed them all,” the duke quietly whispered as he righted the young woman and the two stepped apart.

“Indeed,” Kalinna replied, breathless.

Thankfully, the music started back up again and other couples filed back onto the dance floor to enjoy a slower-paced song. Kalinna and Justin stood there, a bit awkward after their display of dancing skills. They didn’t quite know what to say, but the silence did not last long, for it was only moments later that their hostess, Madame Chesterfield, Duchess of Windmere, claimed everybody’s attention.

“The time is now midnight. I would like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas,” the stout lady announced to the hushed crowd, “Feel free to remove your masks and enjoy the champagne.”

Hesitantly, Kalinna’s hands went to the ties of the mask, shaking for some reason. Maybe it was all the champagne that she had consumed earlier in the night. Or maybe it was all the dancing she had done that had left her a bit lightheaded.

But maybe, just maybe, it was the anticipation and the nervousness of seeing the face of the man standing in front of her. A man that somehow made her heart beat and blood boil just like the pirate captain had managed to do over a year ago.

Justin felt dread in his heart. How could he avoid taking off his mask and keep his identity concealed? All around them, masks were being removed and people were hugging, wishing Merry Christmas, and celebrating. He had no valid excuse to leave the mask on, and he certainly did not want to lie.

So somehow, his fingers slowly made their way to the ties that kept the mask in place, wondering what Kalinna’s reaction would be. He knew she would be angry, hell, he expected her to give him a good piece of her mind; all of that he could deal with. However, he was not sure how he would react if she refused to see him ever again.

Kalinna quickly withdrew her mask, and her green eyes immediately went to the young man standing next to her, who was still in the process of removing his mask. Oh how she itched to just yank the concealing contraption from his face and look at him. But she thankfully repressed the urge.

Finally, he dropped the mask from his face and Kalinna felt herself become lightheaded as she gazed at the one person she thought she’d never see again. Was she hallucinating? Had she drank too much champagne this evening? Or was that really Justin Timberlake, the pirate, standing before her, looking handsome in all his finery?

And he had introduced himself as the Duke of Schellden. But that was impossible – the man was in charge of a ship of unruly pirates. A ship that plundered, and raged the high seas…and was named the Christina. The Duchess of Schellden’s first name was Christina, how could that just be a coincidence?

“Kalinna, I…” the young man began as he stepped towards her; she immediately took a step back, her green eyes wide, her face pale.

“Do not touch me,” she whispered; his outstretched hand immediately fell back to his side.

“I can explain,” he began, blue eyes pleading, “Just give me a chance.”

“You lied to me,” she said in a low voice, her eyes narrowing in anger, “Why? What are you hiding from me? How could you treat me like I am a blind idiot? Just leave me alone, I never want to speak to you again.” Justin felt his heart sink.

“If you would just let me explain…” he began again, but was interrupted by the untimely arrival of his mother.

“Justin dear, there you are. Merry Christmas sweetheart,” the duchess began as she placed a motherly kiss upon his cheek, “And I see you have already met Kalinna. Wonderful.”

“If you two will excuse me, I seem to have developed are rather nasty headache and fear I must depart for home. Merry Christmas to you both and goodnight,” Kalinna stiffly responded, curtseying before she left a dejected Justin and bewildered Christina behind.

“Justin, what on earth is going on here?” Christina demanded, her eyes narrowing as she pulled her eldest offspring to a secluded corner of the ballroom, “What have you done to offend the young lady?”

But Justin was not paying any attention to the duchess. His eyes were trained solely on Kalinna Davenport as she donned her outer wrappings and left with her aunt, uncle, and grandmother, taking his heart with her.