Charles looked back towards the Brown. What he saw was a swarm of people lined up waiting to gain entrance. “Send a footman and see how long a wait there is.”
He opened the door to the carriage and found Cathryn in the spot he’d been occupying moments before. “I’ve sent a footman to see how long a wait we’d have.”
“It’s certainly a popular place if all those people are waiting for a table.”
He nodded and closed the door. Walking back to the coachman, he could see the young footman and Coachie discussing something. Charles imagined the wait was probably longer than anticipated.
“How long?” he asked, approaching the pair.
“More than an hour. Starting tomorrow, you must have a reservation to dine here. They weren’t expecting this reaction.”
“I can imagine,” Charles replied. “In that case, let’s return home. I’m sure Cook can come up with something.”
He climbed back into the carriage. “We’re going home. The wait is well over an hour.”
“Oh my. They must be good if the line to get in is that long.”
“Evidently so.”
“The day is lovely. We could go home and eat on the terrace if you’d like.”
He nodded. “That sounds nice. Just you and me, none of the crowds.”
“Not that I don’t like to eat out, it’s simply the fact you can rarely hold a conversation because of all the noise. People just don’t know when to be quiet or enjoy the ambiance.”
“You’re right,” he said.
They kept riding along. It didn’t take long before the commercial shops began to turn into residences. Traffic reducedas well. When they pulled up in front of the house, Charles led his wife inside. Immediately, she went to the kitchen to get things started with the cook. It would be an easy meal, and probably better than anything she could find at a restaurant.
A short time later, she met Charles on the terrace. The day was sunny, which needed to be enjoyed. Cooler weather would soon be on its way. He was standing against a baluster looking out at the gardens.
“We could have gotten a hamper and gone to one of the parks,” she said, approaching him.
“This is nicer. We have the place all to ourselves, and we don’t have to deal with the bugs and sit on the ground.”
“I concur on all.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cathryn stared atthe person standing in front of the full-length mirror. Finally, she chose a new periwinkle silk gown she recently had made. She chose it in part because of its color. Having considered emerald-green or red, she decided she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. Tonight was about the music.
Grabbing a shawl, she left her dressing room in search of Charles. He wasn’t far, sitting in front of a fire in the drawing room. He rose upon seeing her enter the room. She effortlessly glided across the floor to his side.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“You look beautiful.”
“You always say that,” she said.
“Because it’s true.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, husband.”
“Good to know. Would you care for a drink before we depart?”
“No,” she said. “I’m fine, but we should be leaving,” she said.
They walked out of the house to the waiting carriage. He handed her up and then followed as a footman shut the door behind them. The evening was quite comfortable, the night sky clear. Stars were beginning to come out. Soon they would be twinkling against a black backdrop.
