Kit pulled her back. “Are you all right?”
She shrugged, her face contorting a bit.
“I forgot about you and heights. Here...” Kit pulled her chair back, next to his own, and slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “Rest your head on my shoulder, Hallie-girl.”A few quiet moments passed and he asked, “Is that better?”
It was wonderful! Hallie nodded, snuggling closer to his warm body. The curtain rose, and soon she was immersed in the actors and their play. Kit’s arm held her comfortably against him, and she relaxed. The rich scent of his tobacco began to work its magic, and then his hand softly caressed her bare arm.
Hallie sighed, and then suddenly hiccupped. Her hand flew to her mouth, trying to stifle the next one. It was louder than the first, and they seemed to pop out of her like champagne bubbles. They would not stop. People turned and looked, and some began to “shoosh” at them, and in a flash Kit was kissing the breath right out of her. Her hiccups left, her sense left, and she just let herself taste him. His tongue played havoc with her own, filling her mouth thickly and then retreating to beckon her mimicry of the kiss.
The applause, loud and cheering, finally made them sever the kiss. With dazed eyes, Hallie gazed up at her husband. His look was as hot as she felt. She looked down, aware of his hand resting on her breast. She watched as he slowly drew his fingertips across the sensitive skin of her collarbone. Her breasts swelled and tightened, and she shivered from the soft stroke of his fingertips as they whispered across her skin. The activity around them broke the spell, turning her passion into embarrassment.
Moments later Kit stood, stretching his long legs. “It’s intermission. Do you want some lemonade? No more champagne.”
Hallie shook her head.
“Stay away from the balcony rail, will you? I’ll be back in a few minutes. You will be all right here?” Kit nodded in Sabine’s direction.
“I’ll be fine.” Hallie was getting a headache. Her chair was well away from the railing, and she could care less about Sabine.
After a few peaceful minutes, in which she tried—without success—to understand her ripening sensuality, she felt something poke her shoulder. It was Sabine’s ivory fan prodding for her attention. She swallowed her dislike and decided to give the woman a chance. She turned around with a friendly smile plastered on her face.
“When are you due?” Sabine asked, staring at Hallie’s waist.
Her smile died. “Pardon me?”
“The baby, my dear, when is it due?”
“There is no baby,” Hallie blurted.
“Really? How odd. Your marriage was so... hurried, that I assumed... Well, my dear, you must know that Kit Howland has always been considered unattainable. Since he’s never associated with any particular woman, I suppose I expected that he had...” Sabine must have seen the rising anger in Hallie’s look, because the woman shut her mouth. She snapped open her fan and prudently changed the subject.
“My, but the air is close in here.” Sabine fluttered her fan while her piercing eyes darted from one group to another.
Sizing up the competition, Hallie thought, watching the burgundy-haired witch position her exposed body to where it would draw the most attention. It irritated Hallie, having to sit by while this woman preened in front of the ribald males in the mezzanine below. The whistles and jeers forced Hallie to glance down. Suddenly, her embarrassment, her anger, and her headache vanished, replaced by pure panic. Through the raucous crowd, one face stared back at her. It was Abner Brown.
She tried to memorize his position before she stood and raced from the box in search of Kit. She worked her way down the crowded stairway and then paused, trying to locate Kit or Lee. To get through the swarm of people, she had to finally edge her way along the wall of the corridor. She came to where the hallway split, and as she edged blindly around the corner, a hand jerked her into a dimly lit nook.
“What the hell are you doing out here alone?”
Kit’s angry voice forced a breath of relief from her lips. “Abner Brown’s here. I saw him,” she blurted out.
Kit grabbed her shoulders. “Where?”
“Just now, down in the far gallery, near the pillar under the front box.”
“I’m sending you home with Duncan.”
“But what—”
“Don’t argue with me,” Kit ordered, dragging her, cloakless, out of the theater.
Hallie’s teeth chattered from the cold, wet air. “I c-can’t ar-argue if I—I fr-freeze to d-death,” she grumbled, hugging her bare arms.
Kit shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around her as he looked for their carriage. He pulled her along the line of parked carriages, found theirs, and all but threw her inside and closed the door. She heard him give Duncan some garbled instructions, and then he was gone. Hallie sat huddled against the seat for a few minutes, wondering why they weren’t leaving.
The carriage door opened, and Duncan helped an angry Sabine inside. Hallie stifled her groan; she had forgotten about Sabine. As the carriage snapped into motion, the woman ranted about her ruined evening. Lee had gone with Kit to find Abner. Sabine was spitting toads. How dare he abandon her like he did? Lee Prescott was going to be sorry, she swore.
Hallie shivered in silence, thinking that Lee was lucky, since Sabine would most likely have pinched him.
