Victoria squinted at him. Perhaps he wanted people to see them more as a couple, without the necessary small talk. She should not complain. It had been a while since she last indulged in a play that did not involve her as an actor.
“Are we?” she asked, as she spotted mischief on his face. It was a welcome change from his constantly grave demeanor.
“Yes, we are,” he rasped, his eyes gazing at her with heavy-lidded intensity that pulled the air from her lungs.
The look on his face and the fire in his eyes made the carriage ride an exercise in agonizing restraint. They sat opposite each other, with the coach’s rhythmic swaying having his knees brushing against the fragile silk of her skirts. Just the slight nudge had her fidgeting in her seat. She wondered if the carriage ride and the night at the theater were designed to torture her. Suddenly, even her sapphire pendant felt hot on her decolletage.
Richard did not speak much. He looked out the window, as if his mind was far away from where he was stoking the fire in Victoria. Soon, they had arrived at the entrance of the theater, and she was utterly confused. The night out was his idea.
“You were very quiet in the carriage,” Victoria murmured, trying for a teasing one. “I know you aren’t quite as I could be, but last night -.”
“I was merely contemplating the play,” he gently interrupted.
“Oh? Are you now a devotee of Shakespeare?” she asked, grinning at him.
“Perhaps I am merely thinking of the most emotional moments in the play, Victoria,” he replied, his eyes twinkling. “The ones that would have the full attention of the audience.”
“Oh.”
Her eyes widened at what he was trying to imply.
“Yes. That is the extent of my interest in the Bard,” he whispered, as he led her inside with his hand hovering over her lower back. The ghost of his touch seemed more searing than a palm pressed hard on skin.
“It is an intermission.”
The reply was simple, but she understood. Their conversation the night before led them both to realize they were always made to endure what life dealt them. They needed to separate themselves from that and be as carefree as they were not allowed to be.
Their private box was located in the first tier, speaking of prestige and a hint of privacy. When the house lights dimmed as the overture began, the theater was bathed in a golden haze.
Richard ensured that Victoria sat first, and he settled into the velvet chair beside her. As husband and wife, they were expected to sit beside each other, but he opted to sit slightly behind her left shoulder. The duchess giggled nervously, not quite understanding what her husband planned to do.
On stage, the play began to unfold. Victoria shifted restlessly as she realized how Richard was almost completely submerged in shadows.
“You look like you’re brooding there,” she whispered.
“Well, I am. They need not concern themselves about my seat,” he whispered back, his warm breath on her nape. She shivered involuntarily. “I am brooding, Victoria, contemplating how I can touch your skin with six layers of fabric between us.”
Victoria gasped softly, her fingers gripping her fan, almost strangling its handle.
“Careful, Your Grace. We are not in the privacy of our bedchamber,” she managed to warn him breathlessly.
“The music is quite loud,” he observed cheekily, “and our curtains have been drawn forward.”
He leaned forward to rest his forearms on the back of her chair. They might simply look like a couple sharing a commentary about the performance. The ton would not suspect that his hand was moving with intent, knuckles grazing the bare skin of her shoulder.
“Richard,” she protested half-heartedly.
He proceeded to trace the line where her silk gown began, making her tremble.
“The performances are, uh, superb,” she managed to say.
“Is it?” Richard asked hoarsely. “Use your shawl to cover yourself.”
“It is getting chilly,” she agreed, as she did exactly what he asked.
“I might have to return home with nary an idea of what happened on stage,” he admitted, chuckling softly, as knuckle lowered to the swell of her breasts.
“Ah. There must be a punishment for that,” she said breathlessly.
