Nora wasn’t so sure.With her mind slipping toward paranoia, could she really risk encouraging him?He deserved a woman of sound mind, and that was one thing she could never give him.
Chapter Nineteen
TRISTAN KNOCKED OVEREZEKIEL’S STACKof prompt books for that week’s Shakespearean performances and complained loudly.
“If you keep making messes, I’ll delay your lunch,” Ezekiel grumbled as he collected the splayed books from the ground.Fortunately, they were bound editions, but they were delicate from multiple uses.Thomas Keene, the week’s performer, carried them from venue to venue for each new stage manager.
Displeased and impatient, Tristan strolled to the nearest chair leg and scraped his claws along its length.
“Stop that, or I’ll cut your claws!”
Tristan ignored Ezekiel, likely knowing Ezekiel would be the one to suffer most in that endeavor.
Ezekiel should have left the beast at home and made a side trip to retrieve him on the way to Longview.In apparent retribution for being locked in Ezekiel’s office, the little menace had knocked everything remotely accessible to the floor.
The door opened.
Thomas Keene, an eminent tragedian and this week’s star performer, leaned against the frame.“I found a fetching young lady searching for you in the foyer, so I brought her here.I hope you don’t mind.”
Ezekiel glanced around his disaster of an office and scowled.It was far from his usual clean and orderly space.
Tristan noticed the open door and darted between Keene’s legs.
“Oh no you don’t.”Miss Davis’s voice carried past Keene, and when the man stepped aside, she held a grumpy Tristan in her arms.
Her hair was back to a simple bun, and her dress was mud brown, but she made both look beautiful.If her impassive expression turned into a grin as she greeted him, then she would put Aphrodite to shame.It wasn’t anywhere near a grin when she looked up from Tristan, but he’d take the small lift of her lips as encouragement.
“Please forgive the mess.Tristan did not appreciate his time in my office.”
Her eyes traveled the room.“On the contrary, it appears he enjoyed himself immensely.Are you certain he didn’t invite other cats in to have a party during your absence?”
Keene coughed.“I see I did well in bringing Miss Davis to you.Enjoy your break.I’ll be in the greenroom when you return.We’ll need to go over those changes before the performance so they’re properly situated in my head.Have a pleasant afternoon, Miss Davis.”
When he left, she hesitated in the hallway.“I don’t think it wise to set Tristan down with the door open, but I can’t be alone with you in the office with the door shut.What should we do?”
“I’ll straighten my office later.Don’t let him go until I say to.”Ezekiel grabbed the can of sardines he’d brought for Tristan and rolled the key to open it.
Tristan yowled and squirmed in her grip, determined to get his lunch.She held tight and dodged a few angry swipes.
Ezekiel knelt by the basket, stuck the open can in the far corner, then held one side open.“Go ahead.We’ll see if this works like it did this morning.”
Tristan leaped from her arms and bound into the basket.Ezekiel shut the lid and latched it tight on both sides.
“How intelligent to use his desires to trap him without harm to yourself.”She strolled forward and fingered the string tied around two carefully installed screws.“Do the points poke through?I’d hate for Tristan to be injured.”
“As often as he’s scratched me, it would only serve him right, but no.I cut off the tips and smoothed them with putty to keep him safe.”
Appreciation and maybe even a touch of admiration brightened her gaze.“You are a good man, Mr.Beaumont.”
“Merely a selfish man who desires a free arm to escort the prettiest lady ever to grace Pike’s Opera House.Shall we?”He extended his arm and waited.So far it had been a toss-up on whether she’d accept such gallantry when offered.To his immense pleasure, she delicately looped her arm around his and allowed him to guide her through the building.
In the hack, Nora once again claimed Tristan’s basket as her lap partner, only this time she did not situate herself as far as possible from Ezekiel.They still kept a respectable and proper space between them, but it was good to know she trusted him more now than last week.She still didn’t jump straight into conversation, and he allowed the silence she seemed to love.
He broke it after what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes.“Have you given any more consideration to Mrs.Reed’s offer?”
She blew out a slow breath.“No, not with any seriousness.Father won’t allow it, so there is no point in dreaming of it.”
But there was that hint of dreaming in her voice.
