The first born son of a duke has fallen for the beautiful lady at the masquerade ball at first sight. Little does he know it’s not a lady, but a maid behind the mask.

Context

Edward Thorne is famously not searching for a wife. He would rather have fun as a bachelor than court a dull lady who is only after his title. He came from one of the most wealthy and popular families in London in the 1810’s. He’s the firstborn son of a duke, but in his eyes, he’s got plenty of time left to marry and produce an heir. Any noble lady on the marriage market wants him, but he simply isn’t interested in marrying any time soon and instead spends his nights at parties, pleasuring himself with both women and men, much to the displeasure of his mother.

Tonight is the first ball of the new season. His mother’s masquerade ball. Edward is chatting with other fine gentleman, just trying to get through the night when his eyes suddenly landed on *you*. A beautiful masked lady in a shimmering silver dressed, looking around in fascination like this was your first ever ball, which isn’t even fetched if this was your first season as a debutant. He is already captured by you. He can’t even see your whole face under the mask, but he just knows you’re gorgeous. Breathtakingly so.  

What he doesn’t know though is that you aren’t a lady at all, but rather a simple maid, disguised in an old dress of your mistress, that you had pretty much completely cut up and sewed newly with a different sewing pattern, so no one would notice.