“I heard her perform years ago in Vienna when my parents and I were on holiday there. It was a private party of a diplomat.”
“You were awed, I take it.”
“Yes. Whenever she’s visited London, my mother always tells me I’m too young to appreciate her music.”
Arthur handed her a small wine glass. “I don’t think anyone can be too young to appreciate good music.”
Harriet nodded slightly. “I agree.”
“It is said music is a universal language. Therefore, it can be liked by any age,” Lucien said.
The door opened and in walked Daphne in a stunning emerald-green silk gown. She had showed it to Harriet earlier in the day so they could compare what they were each wearing. Harriet’s own gown was simple and done in a lighter green with the emerald-colored trim.
“Ah, we have another beautiful woman in our midst, Lucien.” Arthur walked over to his wife, who met him halfway, and kissed her on the lips.
“Thank you for the flattery, but I think we need to get going. There’s no way to avoid the crowds, and leaving later will only make it worse,” Daphne said.
Harriet deposited her wine glass on a nearby table and walked with Lucien out of the drawing room behind Arthur and Daphne. It was really happening. She was going to the theater, and she was being accompanied by a man who was interested in her.
She climbed into the carriage after Daphne. Lucien followed and sat down next to Harriet. She could smell his wintergreen shaving soap being this close to him. Arthur came in last, and the door shut behind him. Making sure everyone was comfortable, Arthur tapped on the roof and the carriage rolled forward. They were on their way.
No one said anything during the ride to the theater. As soon as the carriage rolled out, it was obvious by the traffic of carriages something big was happening close by. Normally the ride to the theater didn’t take that long, but if someone like this opera singer was scheduled, the area was a mass of carriages, horses, and people. Lots of people rethought how they arrived at the theater. Walking was faster, rather than waiting in a queue for their turn at exiting their vehicles in front of the prestigious theater.
Arthur was peering out the carriage window as best he could and came to the same conclusion. “I think we’d be better off to walk the rest of the way.”
With no one objecting to his suggestion, Arthur tapped on the roof. The carriage came to a stop, and he stepped out to speak with the driver. Harriet wasn’t surprised when he immediately returned and held out his hand to Daphne.
“We’re going to walk,” Arthur said.
Harriet was the last to step out of the carriage. Lucien assisted her and as they turned to follow Arthur and Daphne, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. She smiled up at him as they began to walk.
“Quite the crowd this evening,” she said. “I’m glad Arthur chose for us to walk the rest of the way.”
“Yes. We’d be in line waiting for quite some time. We’ll be inside far quicker than if we’d waited in the carriage.”
The walk was even slowed down with all the people doing the same thing they were. Harriet glanced around as they walked incase she saw someone she knew. She didn’t see anyone, but that meant little.
Once they arrived at the theater entrance, Arthur led them directly to the family box. It was larger than Harriet thought it would be. She walked to the edge and looked out at all the other private boxes and down at the general seating. The theater was going to be full by the time the performance began.
“Can I get you some lemonade or wine?” a familiar baritone asked from next to her. Lucien was close to her, something she found soothing. No other man had stood this close, except perhaps her father or Arthur. Lucien was an entirely different matter.
“Perhaps after we get seated,” she replied. She wanted to see what Daphne chose, though being married Daphne had more freedom of choice than she did.
Lucien steered her to two seats at the front. She sat in the one more in the center so she could see everything that transpired below. Once he sat down beside her nothing else mattered. He pointed out prominent people as his eyes scanned the various boxes. Harriet listened carefully to his comments as he directed her gaze to the various people.
There was one in particular she noted where a few young women she knew sat talking among themselves. One held on to a pair of opera glasses and was looking right at them. She recognized one of them as being one of the group who had ridiculed her early on.
Lucien must have figured out what was going on because he closed the gap between himself and Harriet, whispering in her ear. That gesture got the gaggle in the box almost across from them speaking between themselves.
“You can do better than them for friends. They’re obviously gossips and I’m sure their mothers are as well,” Lucien said.
“No need to worry about them. I find them amusing.”
Lights began to dim, and chimes played indicating the show was about to start. People were scurrying to their seats or boxes to settle in. All eyes were on the darkened stage as the orchestra began to play. They started out low, gradually building until somewhere in the middle of that darkened stage a voice came out of nowhere. As the lights began to grow brighter, the Italian soprano could be seen standing on a small platform. She was wearing a ruby-red gown, probably silk. It flowed for effect as she moved effortlessly around the platform and began to descend four steps to the stage floor. Never before had Harriet seen anything so dramatic. Never had she seen such talent.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Lucien asked.
“Oh, yes. She sings so magnificently. I’ve never heard anyone who could come close.”
