I shook my head in amusement. “People will believe anything these days. There are no such things as ghosts.”
“No? Are you sure about that? Mediums are everywhere now. They hold séances to contact the dead. People swear by them, that they say things they could not have known.”
I shrugged. “People hear what they want to hear.” Of course, it had only been a few nights prior that I had seen a candle in the mausoleum at the château and had briefly conjured up thoughts of ghosts. But it hadn’t been a ghost in the end. Just a woman whom I’d had the unfortunate task of delivering bad news to. “I don’t believe in ghosts any more than I believe in unicorns or fairies.”
Bram sat back in his seat. “Well, you know that I’m a man of science. I believe in facts myself. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to it. The natural world is full of all sorts of strange phenomena. Not all of it can be explained away.”
“Not yet.”
“Not yet,” Bram acknowledged with a grin. “I suppose this means that you won’t be frightened of the opera. It won’t keep you up all night, at least.”
“I should think not.”
At least I hoped it wouldn’t. I did have to return to work early tomorrow. It would be a late night, but I couldn’t have passed this up. I needed this. And if the consequence was that I had to suffer through a tiring day, so be it.
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” Bram said, watching me.
“Me too,” I told him. His eyes were so warm and intoxicating that I had to look away. I glanced out of the carriage to find that the sun had slipped completely past the horizon. The warm colors lingering over the land were cooling even as I watched. “And then it was night.”
“The night’s not so scary. But consider yourself under my protection. I promised you a good time, and that involves getting you home in one piece.”
“But not too early.”
“Oh, no. You can bet it won’t be too early.”
In another hour, we were at the opera house, and just in time, since most of the chairs were already filled as we were escorted to our seats on the main floor. I looked up longingly at the private boxes, where I was used to taking in the symphony or plays, but I was lucky to find myself here at all tonight.
As the lights dimmed, excitement simmered inside me. I did enjoy a good opera, and while this wasn’t going to be the glory of the opera houses of Paris, it was sure to be a spectacle. And I’d always been curious aboutFaust.
I was amazed at the talent as the opera commenced. The voices soared and the drama unfolded against shockingly elaborate set designs. I loved the lead soprano and decided that the Opera Ghost would have likely demanded her play on his stage had he heard this voice. I was so engrossed with the performance that I was startled when an intermission was announced.
“Are you enjoying it?” Bram asked as several people stood to stretch their legs before the next act.
“I love it.” I beamed, and Bram rewarded me with a bright smile of his own. “Thank you. I’m having a lot of fun.”
“Think nothing of it. It was my pleasure.”
Bram excused himself to find a room to relieve himself, leaving me to observe the people around me. I looked up and found myself drawn to a figure in one of the private boxes.
I paled and turned my head away quickly.Had he seen me?No. He couldn’t have noticed me. He probably never bothered to gaze down at the general populace. I didn’t dare look back up to make sure. Alexander Westenra was the oldest brother of the closest neighboring family to La Vallée. I didn’t know what he could have been doing so far from Nemours, near Paris. It wasn’t as if Voiron was a city of note. He couldn’t be looking forme,could he? My aunt wouldn’t have sent him. Surely not.
I considered leaving, but that would likely draw Alexander’s eyes right to me. Even if he wasn’t looking for me, he must have heard about my disappearance. He was a neighbor, after all, and news carried far.
For the moment, I was one among a crowd. If I kept my face turned away, he would never know I was here. At the end of the opera, I would blend with the masses as we left together, Alexander never the wiser.
I produced my kerchief and dabbed at my forehead. I never imagined I could run into anyone I knew this far off the beaten path. I hoped this was a chance encounter and not something more organized. I thought of myself as safe, tucked away in the servants’ quarters of a faraway château. There was nothing to direct people my way, so their net would have to be cast wide to come this far, if that was even what this was. And yet, they would still never find me among Montoni and his family. This would have to serve as a reminder that I needed to lie low. I couldn’t go out and about, announcing my presence, even in obscure places such as this.
I couldnotget caught.
“Is anything the matter?” Bram asked as he returned to his seat beside me. I tucked my kerchief away and forced a smile into place. Now that there was a body beside me, blocking me even more from prying eyes, I felt much better. There was no way Alexander would spy me here. I was fine. I just had to relax.
“Everything is perfect,” I lied as the lights dimmed once more, shadows racing to offer the cover I needed to let my guard down.
Bram patted my hand reassuringly, and I reveled in the momentary warmth it provided before he pulled away. It was all I needed to forget about Alexander and to merely be there with Bram. And I lost myself, once more, in the music.
Despite a diverting evening in the company of a handsome doctor, I had to resign myself to returning to my chores the next morning. I didn’t regret the late night; it had been past two in the morning when I’d arrived back at the château. I was feeling the lack of sleep as I trudged through my day in a daze.
I’d fallen asleep on the way back, but a carriage swaying gently to the sound of clip-clopping hoofbeats was a recipe for sleep. I’d awakened at the doors of the château with Bram’s cloak thrown over me like a blanket. Very chivalrous. I hadn’t wanted to say good night, but I’d also desperately wanted to slip into my bed.
