Behind the Mask

By Lisa Worrall

The Downe's Valentine's Day Masquerade Ball has been an annual event for over a hundred years and where, four years ago, Gabe met Mike.
It's been over six months since Mike's death and Mike thinks that Gabe is ready to move on. How does Gabe know this? He receives a letter and a ticket to the ball, from Mike. Gabe isn't sure he'll ever be ready to move on, but in deference to Mike's memory, he attends the ball.
What Gabe doesn't know, is that his best friend, Tom, the one constant in his life since college, has also received a letter from Mike. Will Gabe be able to move forward and remember a long forgotten love, or will his world come crumbling down around his ears, again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa Worrall
• Release date: Apr 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310481642

Lisa Worrall

I live in Leigh on Sea, a small seaside town just outside London on the coast of Essex, about ten minutes from Southend, which boasts the longest pier in the world. I live with my partner and two ever-growing children, who I let think are the boss of me; along with a dog who actually is. As the wonderful Beatrix Potter said, "There is something delicious about writing the first words of a new story. You never quite know where they'll take you." I know exactly what she means and hope you'll join me for the ride.

Book preview

Behind the Mask

by

Lisa Worrall

Copyright 2014 by Lisa Worrall

Smashwords Edition

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DEDICATION

To my partners in crime

Sue Brown and Patricia Logan,

the wind in my sails and the pain in my arse.

I couldn’t do it without you

TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Tesco

Bloomingdales

Dawn of the Dead - Strike Entertainment

PS I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

Post-it: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

El Sol

William Morris & Co

Bloomsbury

Tigger - A L Milne

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

Chapter ten

About Me

Also Available

Chapter one

Valentine’s Day 2011

Gabe stared out of the window as the taxi turned off the country lane they had been travelling down and onto the gravel drive that led up to Downe Hall. The music could already be heard through the open windows of the large country house and laughter spilled out with it. He couldn’t believe he was actually doing this… albeit under duress.

The house looked magnificent, its gothic towers silhouetted against the velvet night sky. He smiled at the life size sculptures of naked men and women standing regally on the grass verge either side of the drive. The marble statues were covered with strategically placed white fairy lights, heralding the path to the house. Not that it was his first visit. Four years ago he’d been talked into attending the event of the season.

The Thomas Downe Annual Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball was legendary. The day marked on everyone’s social calendar. People came from miles around to lose themselves in the splendour of it all; the music, the costumes, the chance to be someone else for just one night.

That’ll be eighteen-fifty.

Gabe looked at the taxi driver and blinked owlishly. Huh?

The fare, the man nodded at the meter. Eighteen pounds fifty.

Oh, right, Gabe replied scrabbling in the pocket of his costume for a twenty pound note. He handed it to the other man mumbling, Keep the change.

Thanks, mate. Nice costume by the way. You meeting someone in there? The driver’s question was innocent enough and Gabe knew he couldn’t know how those words made his gut tighten and his heart ache.

Not this year, he replied and clambered out before the man could remark further. Gabe stood looking at the bridge over the moat to the large open gates. He’d spent a fortune on his costume and the price of the ticket itself would have kept his fridge stocked for six months, even though he hadn’t paid for it, so standing on the drive and watching other party-goers just sail past him was kind of stupid. And then there was the added concern that, if he stood there much longer, the organisers might drape him in fairy lights.

Besides, this was where it all began. It was only fitting this is where it should end. The night when he was supposed to bury the past and move towards the future. He huffed out a joyless laugh. The future—what future? Mike seemed to think he was ready to embrace a life without him—Gabe wasn’t so sure.

It felt like a lifetime ago instead of four short years, when he’d stood exactly where he was now, staring up at the splendour of Downe Hall, listening to the music spilling from the windows, his ticket clutched in his hand, just as it was now. Except he hadn’t been alone then. His best friend, Tom, had stood beside him, nudging him and urging him on.

Going to the Downe Valentine’s Masquerade Ball had been Tom’s idea back then. He’d had a real bee in his bonnet about it. Made it sound like they were the losers of the year if they didn’t attend. Kept banging on about how infamous the Downe Masquerade Ball was and how they must go. If Gabe recalled correctly, the ridiculous corny expression It’s the event of the year! had left Tom’s lips on more than one occasion. The tickets had been so expensive that Gabe had almost balked at the price, but Tom had made it sound so damned exciting and had played to Gabe’s more gullible, romantic side. Before he’d known what he was doing, the tickets had been purchased and they were in the costumers, picking breeches and brocade jackets.

Four years ago, Tom had been fit to be tied by the time the taxi had pulled up outside Downe Hall. Gabe had spent the previous week reading everything he could about the place and had known its history inside out. The Masquerade ball had originally been held in London, until the event had proved too popular in the late 1830’s and in need of a bigger venue. Thomas Downe had then decided opening his country estate once a year to his friends, neighbours and the elite of London society was a much more feasible option. The history books had been rife with stories that said Downe’s sister, Mary, had not exactly been enamoured by the idea, and although the siblings lived in the same house, apparently they didn’t speak to each other for almost a year. Gabe remembered staring up at the house as the taxi had come to a stop outside the mansion that night, and wondering how unsettling the atmosphere must have been with brother and sister walking the gardens, ignoring each other as they went about their daily life; their only communication being through the servants.

Not that communication on the taxi ride had been a problem for him and Tom, of course. His best friend’s lips hadn’t stopped flapping since Gabe had arrived at Tom’s to get dressed. The moron had been so over the top about the whole thing that Gabe had asked him on more than one occasion over the last week what was so special about the damned dance? Tom had merely shrugged and changed the subject, then continued to behave like Tigger on speed. So much so that Gabe had been concerned Tom might actually spontaneously combusted before they even made it to the bloody ball.

As