The cat lifted his head and glared at her for reminding Ezekiel to shove him in a basket.His tail flicked with warning, and even she could tell Tristan meant to fight should he be disturbed from his afternoon repose.
Ezekiel glanced at the clock and grimaced.“Could I possibly convince you to keep him for the night?It appears I was bewitched by a princess and now don’t have time to take him home before the show.”
“Blaming me for your inability to tell time?”
“No, for making me believe time stood still when really it was speeding by.”He came back to her and clasped her hand.All teasing was gone.“Please.He’d have to stay in my office, and you saw how that turned out.Besides, can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if he escaped and made it onto the stage during the performance?”
If there weren’t so much truth to his words, she’d make him take Tristan anyway.“I suppose I can allow it.But tomorrow you’ll bring us both a can of f-i-s-h for our troubles.”
Tristan yowled his agreement.
“I can do that.Thank you.I’ll see you tomorrow.”He bussed her on the cheek, then slipped outside before Nora could come up with anything else to delay him.
As soon as the door shut, Mrs.Jerden gave a conspiratorial grin.“Two days, and already you’re courting.We’re well on our way to that marriage proposal I promised.Now we need to prepare your father.When does he come home again?”
When indeed?His telegram this morning hadn’t been specific, only that he was nearing the end of the audit and should be home soon.No matter when he arrived, no amount of preparation would make courting a man of music and opera acceptable.Yet somehow Nora would find a way, because if there were any man she wanted to risk a future with, it was Ezekiel.Unfortunately that also meant confronting the questions she was afraid to find the answer to.Was she going mad?Or was danger lurking outside her door?
Chapter Twenty-Three
WITHOUTTRISTAN’S BREAKFAST DEMANDS, EZEKIELalmost overslept.He hadn’t realized how much he’d come to depend on the beast for his morning wake-up.His lack of foodstuffs reminded him he’d failed to make it to the market yesterday.If he weren’t more careful with his time, he’d be fighting Tristan for scraps.He peeled the last hard-boiled egg and grabbed a wrinkled apple before running out the door to make the several blocks’ walk to Pike’s Opera House.The flowers had bit into his monthly budget for taking the horsecar, but he didn’t mind.Nora’s gratitude and admittance that they had improved a hard morning made the expense worth it.
And now he and Nora were officially courting.
“Ahh, I know that look.Some girl has gone and made you touched in the head.”Graham caught up to Ezekiel as he passed the laundress’s.
That was another chore he’d need to tend to at some point.He still hadn’t had his clothes cleaned from the hack accident last week.“I’m not touched, merely pleased.”
“I’m happy for you.You deserve to have a little fun, so long as she doesn’t distract you from your composing.Where are you on that?”
“Better than I could have imagined when last we spoke.”A corner of Ezekiel’s mouth curved up.He couldn’t help it.Yesterday had been the first real progress he’d made, and it had all been because of the woman who’d worked alongside him.It was easy to put into musicthe way Nora made him feel, to pretend the declarations she sang were meant for him and not some fictitious insurrectionist.“I now have a muse to help me along.”
“Even better.Who is she?One of the actresses in Keene’s troupe?Or did ol’ Crosley finally go and hire some permanent staff to work as supernumeraries?”
“Neither.She’s a woman completely unconnected to the opera, but I think she would make a wonderful Princess Seraphina.”
Graham scoffed.“Sounds like she’s more siren than muse to me.No connections to the opera, and yet you’re ready to cast her in a principal role?Does she actually have a singing voice, or are you merely attempting to earn the woman’s favor?”
“Oh, she’s a true mezzo, albeit informally trained.”“Informally?”
“She’s been taking weekly lessons from her ma”—he nodded a greeting to a passing gentleman and lowered his voice—“at the same place I visit mine.”
Graham pinched the bridge of his nose.“Please don’t tell me you’ve gone and fallen for a woman whose mother is a patient.Women are far more susceptible to the ailments of their parentage than men.To court such a woman would risk your future family.Hasn’t it been hard enough to walk this road with your mother?You don’t want to walk it with a wife.”
“Just because her ma suffers doesn’t mean she will.”
“Love makes every man a fool.So what is her name, and what do you know about her mother’s illness?”
Ezekiel could trust Graham, not to mention he might shed light on the secrets Nora still held.“Her name is Nora Davis, and—” After a glance to ensure no one stood close enough to hear, Ezekiel continued in a hushed tone.“I believe Nora’s ma is Constanza Brisbane.”
Graham stopped walking.When Ezekiel kept moving, Graham raced to catch up.“The missing opera singer?What would give you such a notion?”
“Because Nora’s ma declared herself so, and I’ve heard her sing.That voice is well-trained and well-maintained.”
Graham dismissed the explanation with a wave of his hand.“All that means is she was a trained singer.Not everyone who sings becomes famous.I am sure there are plenty of singers far better than Mrs.Brisbane who are lost to obscurity simply because they have neither the means nor connections to make it to the grand stages of this country.Given the woman’s location, you cannot believe a word of what she says.She probably only wishes she were Constanza.”
It was a logical explanation, one Ezekiel could have readily accepted if he didn’t have more to support his claim.“Adam Adler from the Soldene Opera Company knew Constanza before she left the stage and could describe Nora without ever having seen her.”
Graham muttered an oath.“What did you tell Adler?”
