...It was an hour after dinner had concluded that Jocelyn gathered us all up and announced we were off to the first ball of the evening. A footman handed me a black wool cloak with a hood and a domino. I tied the half mask to my face and place my top hat on my head. A secret thrill rippled through me. Once everyone was masked, unless I remembered what someone was wearing, I didn’t have an idea who anyone was.

We piled into gondolas and the gondoliers propelled us off into the night. Jocelyn sat next to me, her white dress shining in the moonlight. She leaned over and touched my hand, drawing my attention. I turned to her, and Jocelyn edged closer, creating an intimate bubble around us. Donatello didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he moved in such a way as to block anyone else’s view of us.

“There are some people I’d like you to meet, Clive. Men who are interested in the same thing as you are.”

I jerked, but her grip on my arm tightened, not allowing me to move away from her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hush now. You and I will be friends, I believe, but first, you can’t lie to me. My dear brother was of the same persuasion as you. I loved him dearly, and you remind me of him. So I would like to help you.”

“Help me? In what way?” I eyed her suspiciously.

“By giving you a chance to grow and learn about yourself. I’ll open a world to you that you can choose to enter. A world where you won’t get hurt because of your needs.” Jocelyn bit her lip and sorrow danced across her face. “I wish my brother was given a chance, but it wasn’t meant to be for him.”

I patted her hand. “Thank you, signora, but I’m fine. I don’t need any help.”

Her expression told me I was wrong, but she didn’t argue. “Just let me introduce you to some of my friends.”

“All right.”

There wasn’t any fighting her. Her determination to help me came from some misplaced guilt about her brother. I would let her introduce me, yet there was nothing promised about taking any kind of step into the world she offered up to me.

“Good man,” Donatello mumbled to me as we settled back into our original places.

All my worries shot out of my head when we approached the first palazzo of the evening. Gondolas lined up in the canal to offload elaborately dressed passengers. Plus carriages blocked the street in front of the palazzo as well.

It was a spectacle of grand portions. Men dressed in leather and fur. Women dressed in silk and lace. Costumes created from feathers, satin, and velvet. Every imaginable creature walked and danced in the ballroom. My eyes feasted on the noise and pageantry.

I lost touch with Jocelyn after five minutes in the room. The crowd of people was too big for us to stay together. I wandered, sipping wine and chatting with strangers. I tried not to stay with any group for too long. There was just so much to see.

Finally, I backed behind a pillar to get a breath. As cold as it was outside, it was roasting in the room. I sipped some more wine and stiffened as I felt eyes on me. Turning slowly, I froze as my gaze fell on a man standing near the doors opening into the garden.

I knew the figure was male by the sheer size of him. The top part of his mask was intricate gold swirling that almost formed a butterfly shape. The lower half was white porcelain with gold lips. I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were. They seemed black holes, sucking my will into them. He wore a black crushed velvet cloak with a hood to cover his hair. A dark tri-corner hat sat on his head. His long legs were encased in black trousers.

He broke our contact to glance out the door, then he looked back at me. With a tilt of his head, he invited me outside. I didn’t even realize I’d made my decision until I was halfway across the dance floor after setting down my glass.