Who ever would have thought that a spinster like her could be so intriguing?
CHAPTER 6
“Oh Diana, it is all so grand!” Grace breathed, looking up at the ornate façade of the theater in front of them, glimmering under the gaslights. “Shall we go inside?”
The evening air was filled with the scent of blooming jasmine. Standing outside the theatre, Diana adjusted her gloves and cast a sidelong glance at her sister. Grace’s face was awash with excitement and Diana felt a sense of mild relief washing over her. She had been worried that the occasion might overwhelm Grace and that she would become shy and nervous, but her sister’s confidence seemed to be growing. And it was just as well, thought Diana, as she was sure that Grace would attract plenty of attention from young gentlemen this evening. She looked particularly beautiful tonight, wearing a new gown of pale pink silk, with her hair arranged elegantly on the top of her head. Diana hoped that Mr. Sinclair would be there this evening, or some of the other gentlemen who had visited them after the ball. Only a few more occasions like this, highlights of the season’s calendar, and Grace was sure to receive an offer. And then allwould be settled and Diana could relax a little, knowing that her work was done and her duty to her sister exercised.
With the sound of laughter and chatter spilling from within, the anticipation was palpable, and Diana too was keen to enter the building. Their father, however, was nowhere to be seen, even though he had travelled there in the carriage with them.
“We must wait for Papa,” she said, scanning the crowd looking for him. She spotted him after a few moments, standing on the pavement chatting to his friends. He looked up and caught her eye, and she beckoned him to them.
“I quite lost track of time,” Jerome said mildly as he approached them. “Forgive me, my dears, shall we go in?”
They entered the theater and made their way through the lobby. Diana could see that Grace was looking around at all the people assembled in the rather cramped space.
“Are you looking for someone in particular?” she enquired. She hoped against hope that it was not the Earl of Silvermere who was on her sister’s mind. She had been trying her hardest to forget all about him for the last few days, but if he turned up here tonight then there would be no escape.
“No, not especially,” Grace said, not making eye contact with Diana.
Diana suppressed a sigh. She could tell that her sister was lying, but she decided in that moment not to say anything. What good could come of it? She did not imagine that the earl would be here tonight, anyway; she did not imagine that he would have had the concentration to sit through a whole play.
“Shall we take our seats?” she whispered to Grace, taking her arm.
Grace nodded, and she and Jerome followed as Diana led the way along the corridor.
“Diana, you have done a fine job as always of organizing everything,” Jerome said, as they settled into their seats in a box to the left of the stage. “We shall see things very well from here, and of course we will be seen by everyone as well!”
Of course, Diana thought wryly. One came to the theater not only to see the play, but also to be seen by everyone. It faintly annoyed her the way that people talked throughout the performance, not concentrating at all on what was going on on the stage. Sometimes people even turned their backs to the stage entirely, and focused purely on the social aspect of the evening. But that was the way of the world, and she knew what was expected of her. Perhaps one day she would come alone, she thought, and stand in the pit, closer to the actors, where she could concentrate fully on the performance.
She chuckled to herself at the thought. It could never happen, of course, but it was nice to imagine such things, all the same.
Some of the empty seats in the box behind them were soon taken by some friends of her father’s, those who he had been conversing with just a little while before, and they resumed their discussion in earnest. Some younger gentlemen joined them and began to chat with Grace. Their father seemed to barely notice what was going on around him, but Diana kept a close watch. They could not be too careful tonight, with the eyes of the whole of London’s society upon them.
Grace turned to her for a moment. “There are so many people here, Diana!”
Diana nodded. “Are you quite well? You are not feeling anxious?” she whispered.
“No, not at all,” Grace said, smiling. “I am enjoying myself!”
“I am very glad to hear it,” a voice interjected, and Diana looked up and let out a sigh of exasperation at the sight of the Earl of Silvermere entering their box.
“You cannot be seated here?” she said bluntly. “There is not enough space!”
The earl laughed. “Quite the polite greeting, Lady Diana,” he replied. “Do not worry. We will stand until the play is about to start, and then we will work out a solution, I promise you.”
Diana wanted to snap back at him that she did not need him to find a solution, thank you very much, other than leaving themalone, but she held back. She knew that if she was openly rude to him, there would be gossip, and that was the last thing she wanted, for herself or her sister.
She glanced for a moment at her father, wondering if he would come over and speak to the earl, but he did not look in their direction. She wished for a moment that he would show a little more interest in his daughters’ affairs, and particularly in this thorny matter of Grace’s marriage. The burden of responsibility weighed heavy on Diana as she looked around the theatre at the sea of faces. She did not always feel fully equipped to navigate herself and her sister through the complexity of this social world. But she had no choice. She had to do what was right for Grace, and that included protecting her from gentlemen like the Earl of Silvermere.
She glanced over at him. Thankfully in that moment, his attention was focused on another young lady who had joined the party, who Diana did not know; perhaps she was the daughter of one of her father’s friends. He devil-may-care attitude seeped through him as he smiled and chatted with her.
Then he turned to face Diana, and saw her looking at him A smile crept over his face and he spoke quickly to the young lady, then began to approach her. As he came closer, the air around them seemed to thicken with tension. Diana felt a sense of frustration bubbling within her. The last thing she wanted to do was speak to him, but he had seen her watching him. What on earth would he have made of that?
“You did not seem very pleased to see me, Lady Diana,” he said smoothly, leaning against the back of her chair. “I trust you are prepared for a riveting performance?”
“I am looking forward to the play, My Lord,” Diana replied with as much politeness as she could muster. “But I confess that I am rather surprised to see you here.”
“Oh, and why is that?” the earl drawled. “This play has been the talk of the town for weeks. I would be a fool to miss it, I am sure.”
