Her eyes did not move from the stage.There, two lovers flitted around each other below, singing about their ardor.
“Miss Salisbury?”
But she didn’t hear him.She was too absorbed, it seemed.Well, he could understand.
Her absorption even kindled a slight warmth about his sternum for her.He liked that she could appreciate what happened on the stage below.
When the players vanished for the first intermission, he watched as she shook her head, as if coming out of a daze.
“Have you ever been to the opera before?”he repeated.
She looked up at him, clearly still wrapped up in the story.
“No,” she said, finally, “I’d never been to London before this week.”
“Are you enjoying it?”
“London or the opera?”
He smiled.“The opera.”
“Yes—it is rather—but I suppose it doesn’t seem remarkable to you.”
He shook his head.“I love the opera.Even the dreadful shows, I enjoy.”
She looked at him with surprise.
“Thomas,” said a voice from behind him.
No.
Dear God.
For the second time this evening, the sound of a particular voice made him curse.
What on earth was she doing here?
She never came into his personal box.As far as he could recollect, she had nevermetone of his mistresses.
That was, clearly, about to change.
She was going to start a scandal if she wasn’t careful.Tontongues would surely wag now, especially since Beatrice would attract attention anyway this evening.
“Mother,” he said, standing and bowing.
Behind his mother, Gresham appeared.He stifled a huff of irritation.The man had a nerve treading into his box after what his mother had revealed this afternoon.
“Mother, please let me introduce to you Miss Beatrice Salisbury.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Salisbury,” his mother said, all graciousness, as Gresham also tendered a nod.
Beatrice, wisely, said nothing, bowing her head modestly in acknowledgment.
“Mother, it is foolish to come here.You will start untold tattle.”
“Oh, let them talk,” his mother said.“They will talk anyway when our engagement is announced.”
“You may be reconciled to being freely spoken about, but I do not consent to have my name bandied about in a similar manner.”
