Victoria glared at her father, the Earl of Claybourne. How dare he go behind her back like that! The old earl’s brown eyes smoldered with just as much anger. Why couldn’t she be as submissive as her elder sisters had been? But he had known from the day Victoria had fired her own nanny at the age of five -"because she was too grown up" - that his precocious daughter was different. Full of fire and spirit, she was, just like her mother, may she rest in peace. How was he to make her understand that Tyler wasn’t coming back as she expected him to? That she must marry before the end of this Season or else be considered a spinster? Her age already turned some gentlemen away, but he hoped her beauty would still attract a few.

Just the other day at Gentleman Jackson’s boxing club the Marquis of Hawksbury had inquired about her. That’s when the Earl had decided he had to force his daughter to choose a husband. Even if it meant arranging a marriage for her, it had to be done. He could hear Eleanor, Victoria’s mother, scolding him for allowing her to remain on her own for so long. He had wanted to believe that Tyler would return, too. The young man had been the son he’d never had. Who would’ve thought that he would desert Torie like he had? Now, he’d never heard the boy make any promise, but if Torie said he had asked her marry him when she was just fourteen--six long years ago--then he had. He knew his daughter was no liar.

"I will not marry anyone but Tyler!" Victoria stated firmly, stomping her foot at the same time.
The earl sighed, "Victoria, you know I only have your best interests at heart, but, dear, you must! What will the ton think if you attend yet another Season husbandless?"
"I don’t care what they think, Papa. I have made up my mind!"

"I’m afraid I cannot let you decide this time, Torie. Now I have arranged for you to be formally introduced at the Sheridan’s ball next Saturday night. I have asked Captain Cranston to escort you. If Hawksbury’s offer matches mine, he may very well be your future husband." The earl took one last glance at the furious look on Torie’s face before leaving the study.
He knew she would be angry with him for a while and he couldn’t bear to watch. Victoria crumpled into the nearest wing-back chair and pulled her feet up.
She didn’t care who saw her ankles, she had to think of how to persuade her father to change his mind. She knew who the Marquis was! She had danced with him one night during last Season. Images of the man ran through her mind. He wasn’t all that unattractive, still rather slender! But that grey hair!
He was so old! To think of sharing a marriage bed with him was disconcerting. Not that she knew exactly what went on, but she knew it involved kissing and other unmentionable things. Her sisters refused to tell her anything, they just exchanged secret smiles whenever she asked and told her that someday she would find out. Whatever it was, she knew that she would enjoy it with Tyler. Damn Napoleon! Why did Tyler have to be brave and act all gallant like the rest of the gentlemen and buy a commission into the English army?

He had completed his studies at Oxford in two short years, just about the time the English declared war on the French. That’s when he left again to prove his bravado. Torie hated to think of him freezing in Russia or starving in Portugal, wherever he was. The letters had stopped about a year ago. The last one had said he was on his way home and Victoria had waited by the door day and night for the coach to appear in the circular drive in front of Wilfordshire Manor, but it never did. No one was willing to state the obvious--that he had been killed; but, Victoria refused to believe that he was gone forever.

* * * *
She plastered a smile on her face as the butler introduced her at the top of the stairs inside the Sheridan’s ballroom.
"His lordship, Captain Rafael Cranston and her ladyship, Miss Victoria Lane," the butler intoned.
"Do you know how much I dread these things?" Torie asked as they descended into the ballroom.
"As much as I do," the Captain grinned and patted her hand still looped through his arm. "I will never understand why Father makes me attend. These events are such a bore! I despise acting all ladylike and dancing with men who smell like smoke and alcohol from spending their days and their money at those clubs. They even step all over my feet!"
"I sincerely hope you don’t classify me in that manner!" Rafael gave her a mock look of offense.
"Of course not!" Victoria smiled. "Just everyone but you!" she said.
The Captain, having just returned from the front not too long ago himself was one of those who believed Tyler dead. He just didn’t broach the subject whenever Victoria was around. He couldn’t stand to see the look of hurt in her eyes.
Although he had never met the man, he thought Tyler a bastard for treating her the way he had. He sincerely hoped the man had a good reason for disappearing like that.
"Care to dance, my sweet?" Rafael asked, bowing gallantly.
"Why not?" Victoria sighed, "It will pass the time until I have the meet that old clod and can call it a night."Rafael nearly laughed at her sarcasm.
"Clod" definitely described the Marquis. The man was no match for Victoria and her spirit.
She would drive him to Bedlam in a matter of days. There was no way he would ever produce an heir with Victoria. The man was too old to dance let alone perform his husbandly duties.
The waltz ended and Rafael spied the Marquis patiently leaning up against one wall, eyeing Victoria as if he were making a purchase. The Captain instantly had qualms about introducing her. But he had given his word to the Earl.
"Torie, the Marquis has arrived. Shall we meet him?" Victoria spotted the old bachelor and immediately recognized him as the one she had danced with during last Season. Her stomach churned at the thought of spending the rest of her life with him.
"Lady Victoria, it is my pleasure to see you once again," the Marquis said politely, bowing and kissing her hand.
Victoria inwardly grimaced and curtsied. "And mine, " she replied.
"I spoke with your father and he is most anxious at our impending marriage.
I shall call the Gazette first thing tomorrow to have our engagement announced."
Victoria’s eyes went wide. Engagement? Her father had said she only had to meet the man. She wasn’t actually considering marrying him! She looked to Rafael for help. He saw her terror, but there was nothing he could do.
Victoria forced a nod and then picked up her skirts and fled through the balcony doors. The cool balmy September air helped to calm her temper. Marry him! Really! She hadn’t ever thought the possibility would become reality. Victoria took a deep calming breath and tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear and turned to go back inside when she saw him.
His blue eyes brimmed with intensity and he was looking right at her. Victoria blushed when she found herself meeting his gaze. Victoria knew exactly what he wanted. Even though he had already seen her, she began smoothing her gown and fixing the emeralds that dripped from her throat and wrists. The man swiftly walked towards her and her heart beat faster with each step he took. There was something vaguely familiar about his walk, something that reminded her of Tyler. She slowly walked back inside the ballroom for a closer look. The stranger’s eyes lost their intensity as she made her way towards him. Then, he suddenly looked away and seemed to forget all about her. He turned to his right and took the arm of a young lady, leading her onto the dance floor. She was positive that it was he and she knew that he had seen her. Why wasn’t he dancing with her instead of that other girl?
She was certain that he was Tyler. He had the same bright blue eyes, light brown hair and muscular build. He was a bit taller since she had seen him last, nearly four years ago. The young chit on his arm must have said something witty, for he threw his head back in laughter--the same way Tyler used to.
"Are you feeling better?" asked a voice. Victoria turned her head, expecting to see Rafael when her eyes met the Marquis’.
"Good. Shall we dance, then?
Dumbfounded, she nodded and looped her arm through his and followed him to the dance floor. She tried to steer the Marquis towards Tyler, but he wouldn’t allow it.
"What are you dwelling on, my dear?" the Marquis asked her.
Embarrassed to reveal her true thoughts, she lied, "Just on how well you dance."
The man laughed. "I must say that that is the first time anyone had ever complemented me on my dancing skills."
She forced a smile, her eyes never leaving the man she thought to be Tyler. The music suddenly ended and she knew the evening was growing late, people would be leaving soon, the stranger included. She had to get him to notice her. Maybe when they locked eyes earlier, she had been too far away for him to really see her. Or maybe she had changed a lot and he didn’t recognize her.
"I am rather thirsty, my lord, would you mind overly much fetching me something to drink?"
The Marquis smiled a fatherly smile and patted her arm. "Of course not, my dear, I’ll be just a moment."
The second Hawksbury had disappeared from sight, she quickly made her way into the crowd and tried to spot where the man who looked like Tyler had gone. She had lost track of him when the dancing couples had dispersed.
She swung around to look behind her and bumped into someone. As she turned to apologize, she dropped her dance card. "Here, mademoiselle, I believe you dropped this," a gentleman said and Victoria found herself staring right into the man’s eyes. She didn’t know what to say. "Thank you, my lord," she mumbled and watched him for some sign of recognition. There was none. He bowed and returned to the young girl. How could he not know her? She didn’t understand! They had been friends since they were young children! Surely four years couldn’t have erased her from his memory. She was bent on finding this out and was about to tap him on the shoulder when the Marquis returned with a glass of wine. "This is all they had, my sweet, I hope it is sufficient,"
"Yes, thank you," Victoria said blankly and downed it in one swallow.
She grimaced at the way it burned going down, and handed the glass back to him. The Marquis began chattering, but Victoria ignored him and watched the man’s back, trying to think of a way to make him turn around again.
Suddenly she thought of something and walked up to the girl. "Excuse me, Suzanne?" The girl looked at her blankly. "No, I’m afraid not. I’m Emily." "Oh? But I was so sure that you were my cousin’s friend. You look so much like her." The girl forced a smile and politely nodded, obviously wishing Victoria would leave.
"Is that so? Well, then I must make her acquaintance some day."
"Yes, you really must. She is a delightful girl." Victoria continued.
She saw the man watching her out of the corner of her eye with an amused look. Damn, why wasn’t he saying anything? "Well, I do apologize for bothering you, then," Victoria said and walked back to the Marquis. She felt the man watching her as she walked away, silently chastising herself for not breaking the rules and speaking to him.
Lord Adam Danbury felt Emily jealously grasp his sleeve as the young girl walked away. He really wished she would release her grip of his arm. This whole idea of his valet’s, suggesting that he attend this trifle called a ball, to help stir something in his memory was absurd.
"Now, my lord, the Sheridan’s ball really is quite a tradition every Season. Everyone who is anyone will make an appearance, and, surely, someone there will recognize you," his valet had reasoned a few mornings ago.
"But, Marius, how am I supposed to speak with people who might recognize me if I have to dance with silly females all night? Besides, why would they come looking for me at a ball?"
"Yes, my lord, you are quite right, you will have to dance with silly females. But, someone might mention something that could trigger your memory."

So, Adam had agreed with reluctance to attend this dreadful event. Marius had even arranged for him to escort Emily, the daughter of one of his employers from the War Ministry. Emily, whom he knew had a crush on him, was more than delighted to comply. But being recognized was not the only thing on his mind; that girl who kept bumping into him was also. For some strange reason, he felt like he knew the girl, but he could have sworn that he had never seen her before. Where could he have possibly seen her before? His searched his mind, but it remained blank. He hated knowing nothing of his past. Ever since that...

"Are you ready to leave, darling, my feet can’t handle all this dancing," Emily complained. He nodded.
"I wonder who that strange person was and why she was so certain that I was her friend. I must say that is the strangest conversation I have ever had!" Emily continued.
Adam was also thinking about the lovely young lady, but not for the same reasons.
"Did you hear me, Adam? Adam?" Emily questioned.
He looked down at her. He still was not used to answering to that name.
He knew that it was not his real name, but until he could remember, it would have to do.
He wanted to find out more about the young lady.
He felt a connection with her. She might have the answers to some of his questions.
Maybe she was one of those people Marius was talking about and she knew something about his past.
He could easily tell that she was lying when she was talking to Emily.
The two had obviously never met. Maybe the girl recognized him. Damn, he watched her walk away with a young gentleman.
A captain still parading around in his uniform. He would have to ask Marius if he knew anything about the girl. He had heard the man call her Victoria. Such a beautiful name. It fit. He hoped that this Victoria could give him what he was searching for.

Victoria was silent for most of the trip home. She was brooding about how to get even with Tyler for ignoring her. How dare he look right at her as if he didn’t know her? How could he? She felt her heart sink. Had he changed his mind about their secret promise? Then again, maybe he hadn’t recognized her.Whatever his reasons, Victoria was determined to discover why Tyler had decided to ignore her. She knew she would see him again. And soon.