The Vanderlyn ballroom shimmered, a kaleidoscope of silks, jewels, and carefully constructed illusions. A thousand candles cast a warm glow on the masked figures swirling across the polished floor, their laughter echoing off the ornate ceiling. Tonight was the Vanderlyns' annual masquerade ball, an event whispered about for months, a pinnacle of the social season. For Thomas, disguised as Clara, it was a minefield.