It was incredibly hard to keep a straight face in those following moments. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, and I could also feel Sarah’s eyes boring into the side of my head. I did not look at her. If I did, I would most likely lose all my composure.

I stared between the two men, wildly confused.

Which one was the one I had danced with at the masquerade ball? Which one had I kissed?

Lord Henry had not recognized me, so did that mean that he was the twin of the one in the mask?

Lord Walford had just finished introducing his wife and other son to Mother and Father, and turned towards Sarah and me.

I was certain that they would all hear the frantic fluttering of my heart. There was no way they could not. I began to feel lightheaded.

“Lady Grace, Lady Sarah,” said Lord Walford, “may I introduce you to my wife, Lady Walford, and my other son, Edmund, Earl of Townshend.”

“It is an honor, ladies,” Lord Townshend said, bowing.

He made eye contact with me, and the same shock that had coursed through my body with Henry passed over me, as if I had been doused in icy water.

This brother did not recognize me either. His face was kind and loving. Both of Lord Walford’s sons seemed quite amiable. This was unbelievable, every moment of it.

How strange, to experience the very same reaction with both men, to feel the same feelings deep in my soul. The similarities between them were incredible. They even had the same mannerisms, which I noticed as we all stood together in the foyer, exchanging pleasantries.

I was slightly discouraged; I had hoped that looking into Lord Townshend’s face would help me determine who the man was behind the black mask. It was becoming more and more apparent that I was going to have to pay closer attention.

Either that, or hope that one of them recognized me.

The implications of the man I had danced with being Lord Henry was the best scenario. It meant that I was already engaged to my masked stranger, and he and I could live in peace together. I was certain we would laugh together about all of this, the irony of it all, and it would be a most amusing story to tell our children one day.

But if it happened to be his brother…

The butler appeared at the end of the hall, bowing deeply. He beamed at our guests. “Dinner is served, my lord.”

“Excellent!” Father replied, clapping his hands together. “You are all in for quite a treat. Our chef has made an exquisite meal for this wonderful Christmas Eve.”

I shook my head as we made our way down the hall toward the dining room.

It was imperative that I discerned which twin I had kissed. But how? It would not be very proper to come right out and ask Henry if he remembered kissing me.

The very thought made me blush scarlet.

“Grace…”

I looked over at Sarah, who had walked over to me and slipped her arm into mine, pulling me close.

“Are you still so sure that the masked man is Lord Henry?”

I shook my head.

“What are you going to do?” she questioned. “They look exactly alike!”

“I know,” I whispered in reply. I squared my shoulders as we stepped into the dining room. “I will just have to be clever.”

“And patient,” Sarah added.

Somehow, I would manage to do just that. I had to.

We took our seats around the table, the candles flickering merrily in the centerpieces. The food smelled divine, and the crystal goblets my mother had insisted we use glittered in the firelight.

I sat beside my sister, and as we allowed the servants to push us in closer to the table, I realized that I was seated across from both twins.

My heart leapt up into my throat.

It was exhilarating to know that I had found the man from the ball. I never thought that I would be so blessed. What were the chances that the man my father chose for me was the very same that I had also chosen?

But what were the chances that he also had a twin? And an identical one at that? I could not tell them apart.

Dinner began happily, with very comfortable conversations. I listened carefully, interjecting whenever a question was asked. But my mind was elsewhere.

No one aside from Sarah knew that I had made a connection with anyone at the masquerade ball. Mother and Father would start to ask too many questions if I was forward with either of the men, and it would be very rude. I would not want either Lord Henry or Lord Townshend to think any less of me, or to think me impertinent.

I had to be very careful about how I approached the matter.

But I had to be sure. Once the man I had danced with realized it, everything would also change for him. And I might as well attempt to discern the truth in the safest, easiest way possible.

I quickly understood that Lord Walford and his wife had thrown the best ball of the season, and they had no issue jumping into the conversation whole heartedly. Sarah and I discussed dresses and fashion with Mother and Lady Walford. Father, Lord Walford, and his sons discussed the hunting for the season with my father.

I kept catching Henry stealing glances at me, and when his eyes met mine, he smiled. I returned it easily, and then had to force myself to look away.

I did not know if it was him for sure. I did not know if he was looking at me because he recognized me, or if he was just trying to decide if we were a good match.

It was truly maddening, not knowing the difference.

I had to figure it out, for the sake of my own sanity.

After much consideration and paying attention to the conversation, I decided that directly talking to Henry was going to be the best way forward. It would not seem strange for a woman to ask questions about her betrothed. In fact, she knew it would please her parents to see her interacting with him. It would most likely please him and his own parents as well.

“Lord Henry,” I began finally. It took me several minutes to build up the courage to even open my mouth. Now that I had begun, though, I did not think I would be able to stop. “Did you attend the masquerade ball a fortnight ago?”

Henry’s face brightened, and he turned his dazzling gaze upon me. It chilled me all the way to the bone and warmed my heart all at the same time.

“I was, indeed,” he replied smoothly. “I was there the entire evening.” He laughed warmly. “It certainly helped that it was taking place at my father’s estate.”

We laughed together easily. My heart beat faster.

“It was an absolutely magical evening,” I said, swirling my soup with my spoon. It was wonderfully flavored, but my stomach churned inside of me. If I put another spoonful in my mouth, I would have to retire to my room for the rest of the evening. “My sister and I enjoyed it immensely.”

“I am very glad to hear it,” he said.

All the other conversations from the dining table slowed and faded away. I could feel all their eyes on Lord Henry and me, listening closely to our words.

“Did you enjoy the music?” he asked.

“Enchanting,” I answered truthfully. “I spent most of the night dancing to it.”

I watched his face closely for any flicker of recognition. I hoped that my words might have been enough of a clue for him.

But he simply smiled at me in reply. Still he did not know that it was me.

“Well, that is nice to hear. That is what balls are for, after all!”

Lord Townshend watched his brother very carefully. As twins, I was certain that they must be very close. Perhaps even able to communicate without words. I could not read his face, but his gaze was intense as he glanced between the two of us.

“I, too, spent most of the evening dancing,” Lord Henry went on. “I truly enjoyed the mystery of not knowing my dance partner.”

Was there another meaning to his words? I looked for clues, but still, he was not offering any clue as to whether or not he remembered me.

“Perhaps we danced together and did not even realize it!” Lord Henry exclaimed. “That is quite possible, is it not?”

I stared at him, trying to keep my mouth closed. Was that his way of letting me know that it was him? Was he attempting to communicate it to me without the others noticing?

Sarah was not even trying to participate in other conversations at this point. She was staring at me as intently, as was Lord Townshend.

“I do love masquerade balls,” I said, attempting to navigate the matter as carefully as I could. “It made the whole night incredibly exciting. But how could someone ever find the people they had danced with again, since everyone wore a mask?”

Henry responded. “It adds to the mystery of it all, does it not?”

His vagueness was infuriating. Did he understand what I was trying to imply? If he did, then he should have made it clear that he remembered our dance, and our kiss. In my admiration of him, I had assumed that he was clever, intelligent. Had I misread him entirely? Or had I kissed his twin. My hope that the mysterious man was Lord Henry began to fade.

I had to try again and decided to be brave and ask a very bold question, one that only the man I had danced with would understand.

“Even the exterior of the house was well decorated,” I began, folding my hands on my lap to ensure no one saw them shaking. “The gardens and the fountains were a very welcome place of quiet and peace. And the terrace…” I sighed, not needing to pretend to be lost in the memory of that night. “I loved how the back terrace was decorated. The candles, the garland, the mistletoe…”

I watched Henry very carefully. If he did not understand this, then he was either dimwitted, or was the wrong brother.

He smiled at me, and shrugged his shoulders. “I did not have the pleasure of seeing the garden after it became dark. I have spent much time on that terrace, but sadly did not see it the night of the ball.”

So that meant…

I looked over at his brother, Lord Townshend, and saw that his eyes were wide, staring at me with renewed interest. His face had paled, and his easy, comfortable demeanor had vanished. He sat straight in his chair, as rigid as a board. Comprehension had dawned on his face.

He finally recognized me, too.