Bal Masque — Fleeta Cunningham

A sensible young lady in 1835 Louisiana does as her papa directs, especially in matters of matrimony, but Lucienne Toussaint is headstrong and impetuous. She has given her heart to a dashing ladies' man and cannot abide Papa's staid choice, a tedious man she vows in tumult and tears never to marry. Scheming to escape her Mardi Gras wedding, her plans awry at every turn, she finds it's dangerous to confront Destiny.

For Armand Dupre, the one girl who interests him is the spoiled belle who fancies herself in love with someone else. Weary of meek misses, he sees flashes of spirit, independence, and sensibility in her. When she dashes into the darkness on her wedding night, he keeps gossip at bay as he searches for her and leaves behind dull propriety's mask. This new Armand, who arrives in the midst of a hurricane to rescue her from kidnappers and river pirates, is a man she could find most intriguing.