Edmund Lindsey held the glass of ratafia, frowning as he searched for any sign of Joanna Lennox in the ballroom. He'd gotten used to finding her quickly in a crowd over the last few months. She was taller than most ladies, and her pale-blonde hair was like a shining beacon beneath the chandeliers.

"Lindsey, you continue to disappoint me," a cold voice said from behind him. Edmund spun to face a handsome aristocrat with dark hair and even darker eyes. The man had appeared from ...