Madeline Stewart stood at the edge of the ballroom, clutching her fan as a sick feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. She could not believe she was about to perpetrate a fraud on the most elite members of London society. With trepidation, she watched the people moving about the room, feeling out of her element among the elegant people in attendance.

Conversation buzzed in the air as the assemblage of this exclusive fellowship discussed the latest scandals perpetrated by its various members. Ladies laughed behind their fans, the candlelight glittering on the gems gracing their bodies, as gentlemen amused with fanciful tales. The champagne flowed freely and heads with towering, powdered hair swayed with the rhythm of social interaction.

Madeline watched with the fascination of an outsider. If luck were with her, she would not be a nonmember for long.

"Come now, Phoebe. There is no need to be nervous. I am certain you will be a smashing success." The older lady beside her smiled as she slipped her arm through Madeline’s.

Madeline smiled at her unwitting accomplice. She had been a renowned beauty in her youth, and now with her upswept silver hair and turquoise eyes, Lady Sophia Martin was still considered a lovely woman. She had welcomed her young charge into her home, thinking Madeline was her niece Phoebe. Madeline felt horrible for deceiving the older woman, but she could not risk jeopardizing her masquerade this early in the game.

"I am positive I will be fine in a few minutes, Aunt Sophia. The crowd looks intimidating but I am certain my nerves will be better once I meet a few people."

Straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin, she descended the staircase leading into the opulent ballroom. She was not going to be intimidated by the people crowding the room. As far as the ton was concerned she was an equal. No one would ever guess she was only the companion of the woman she pretended to be. And if I pull this off, they will never find out, she thought.

As she stepped into the room, she could see people taking notice of her. The attention made her uncomfortable, but she was determined not to let her feelings show. She had heard members of the ton could sense fear like a pack of wild dogs and would leap on any show of weakness.

"Phoebe dear, I would like to introduce you to a few of my friends. If you have their approval, the rest of the ton will accept you. These ladies hold sway over society." Sophia led her over to a group of ladies.

Madeline wished Sophia had not said she needed these ladies’ approval. Her stomach started rolling at the implications.

She looked at the women as she and Sophia approached the group. There were five ladies, and all but one looked like they were well past the first blush of youth. She hoped it was her imagination making her think several of them were looking as if they had just eaten a basket of lemons.

"Well Sophia, is this the niece you have been talking about? It is about time you brought her over to meet us." The stoutest lady of the group spoke, her voice surprisingly shrill for her stature. Her maroon gown looked like it had difficulty containing her large frame. Her hair was powdered and piled high. Madeline had difficulty containing her laughter when she saw several stuffed birds peeking out from her powdered locks.

"We have only just arrived, Margaret. You could hardly expect us to be anything but fashionably late. This is Phoebe’s first ball, and it would hardly be appropriate if there were no one here to see her entrance," Sophia replied. "Margaret, may I present my niece, Phoebe Bradley. Phoebe this is Lady Atherton."

Madeline curtsied before Lady Atherton as the plump matron inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"To Lady Atherton’s right is her daughter Deirdre." Sophia indicated a pale, rail thin girl whose dress was cut much too low for her. Both young women curtsied to each other. Sophia introduced Madeline to the remaining three ladies. They varied in size and shape, with none of them as round as Lady Atherton, or as thin as her daughter. They glanced at Lady Atherton as if seeking her opinion before deciding if they should approve of their friend’s niece.

"Why haven’t you had your coming out before now? You are certainly old enough to be introduced to society," Lady Atherton grilled Madeline as her eyes moved over Madeline’s trim figure, with a slight curling of her lips.

"I would have had a season last year, only my mother fell ill. I could hardly enjoy myself in society while my mother lay dying. I stayed at her side until the end. My mourning period ended only a few months ago."

"Of course you had to stay with your mother," Lady Atherton said. "You are to be commended for your devotion to her. You must call on me with your aunt." The birds in Lady Atherton’s hair bobbed as the robust woman nodded her approval. The rest of the ladies took their cue form their leader and extended invitations to tea as well. They managed to twist their mouths into what could be considered a smile as they gave their nods of endorsement.

Madeline guessed she had been dismissed when Lady Atherton turned away. She watched Margaret plow through the room, moving with surprising quickness for a woman of her stature. She nodded at various people she saw. Her retinue had to move rather quickly to keep up with her.

"You have been accepted, dear." Sophia beamed as she squeezed Madeline’s hand.

"How could you tell?" Madeline asked, puzzled. She had expected to do something a little more difficult to gain acceptance, like trial by fire.

"Because the grand dame invited you to tea. If she had not found you to be acceptable, she would not have issued such an invitation. Now why don’t we see if we can find some people a little closer to your own age? I see Viviane Radford, the Marquis of Ravenwood’s daughter, has arrived. You two got on rather well when she came to tea last week. It would be good for you to cultivate a friendship with her. Her father is well respected in society."

"She seemed nice, although she struck me as somewhat outspoken," Madeline said as they walked toward Miss Radford.

"She is indeed very blunt. I know her mother has tried to curb her tongue, to no avail. Her father’s title is very old, and he is very rich besides, which means her behavior is overlooked to some degree."

"Lady Martin, how good to see you." Viviane curtsied for Sophia before turning to Madeline. "Hello Phoebe, it is nice to see you again."

"Viviane, would you be a dear and keep Phoebe company? I’m certain she will have more fun if she is with someone her own age."

"Of course, I will. Phoebe, let’s take a turn about the room so the gentlemen may admire our fine figures." Viviane took Madeline’s arm and led her away from the older woman.

"So how are you this evening, Phoebe?" Viviane inquired, as she and her new friend strolled around the room. Several people tried to stop her to engage in conversation. Viviane simply inclined her head, acknowledging them as she moved on.

"Nervous. My aunt introduced me to a few people but I really don’t know anyone here."

"I don’t know what you have to be nervous about. You have already gained Lady Atherton’s approval. Trust me, once the old bat recommends you there will not be a door in society barred to you." Vivian chuckled. "Besides, you’re young, you look beautiful and put most women here to shame. Take the gown you’re wearing, for example. It is daring enough to look fashionable without looking vulgar.

Madeline looked down at her gown and had to admit she had liked it from the moment she had put it on this evening. It resembled most of the gowns adorning the ladies here tonight, Viviane included. It was emerald silk brocade with a form-fitting bodice. Lace flowed abundantly from the square neckline and cuffs of the fitted sleeves. The full skirt floated over the panniers on either side of her hips, making her waist look tiny. Her head felt heavy with the powder that covered its rich brown color. The towering hairstyle did not help, but at least her skin was smooth enough not to require a layer of cosmetics. When she had looked at herself in the mirror this evening, she had been surprised at how vivid her brown eyes had looked with her hair stark white.

"It looks like everyone who is anyone is in attendance tonight. It seems the gowns this season are getting more and more daring. Have you ever seen such a tawdry display of flesh in your life? I realize some of these women are trying to lure a husband, but there is such a thing as leaving a little to the imagination. Why just look at Atherton’s daughter, Deirdre, over there. If her gown were any lower, we could see her navel," Viviane said with a sly grin.

"She seems like a nice girl. It must be hard for her to have such an overbearing mother."

"Don’t let her mousy exterior fool you. She will go to any lengths to snare a husband. She tried to catch my brother in a compromising situation. Fortunately, he would not take the bait. It is true he will chase anything in a skirt but I guess even he has his standards. The only way Deirdre will get anyone to toss up her skirts is if she were to strap her rather large dowry to one of her thighs." Madeline saw Viviane looking at her out of the corner of her eye, as if gauging her reaction. She had to admit she found the other woman to be very shocking.

"Viviane, how did you develop such an outrageous attitude? You are much too young to be so..."

"Shocking? Scandalous?" Viviane supplied with an impish twinkle in her eyes. "I cannot stand to be conventional, I find it to be a total bore. And I immensely enjoy shocking people."

"How can you know so much about what goes on between men and women? I don’t know if I would be daring enough to speak of such things."

"It comes from having a brother who is a confirmed rake. It is surprising what one learns from listening at keyholes. Men have the most fascinating conversations when females are not about."

"Your brother is a rake?" Madeline asked, enthralled. She had always heard vague whispers about such men, but she had never met anyone who knew an actual lothario.

"Yes, he is one of London’s most notorious. The only rake on par with him is his friend, Damian St James. They are known as the Angel and the Devil. Nigel is blond and fair, while Damian has a dark brooding look. They have set many a female heart on fire, not to mention her loins."