Trace tried to maintain an air of calm as he mingled among the waiting guests. A few of the men seemed to size him up, and he stared back at them evenly, neither smiling nor frowning.
Eventually they looked away, and no one tried to strike up a conversation with him. That was just as well. It gave him the opportunity to listen to the crowd that had gathered in the ballroom.
"Wonder what she looks like–"
"Heard rumors she's difficult–"
"How many younger siblings does she have? It's quite the secret."
Trace swallowed and turned away at that last one, hoping that Sapphira would indeed have a younger sibling at last. He wove his way through the crowd, carefully examining each person in passing to see who he could recognize.
So far, the answer was no one.
Although his own mask covered just the upper half of his face, many of the men and women wore full masks. That posed a great challenge, but Trace just had to get through this evening.
