A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE
Royal Theatre, Drury Lane
“What’s become of your guest, the emir?” Rose asked as David helped her down from the coach.
“We’re not sure,” he replied, glancing about in the hopes of seeing his friend among the others who were departing all manner of equipage along Drury Lane. “He went off shopping this morning and then again this afternoon.”
“Oh, dear,” Rose said, her gaze darting to Adeline. “I do hope he attends the ball tomorrow night.”
“He plans to,” Adeline replied. “He certainly enjoyed the last one. I think he danced all but one dance.”
“Well, he won’t be dancing a waltz with me this time.”
“You didn’t like dancing with him?” Adeline asked in alarm.
“Oh, he’s an excellent dancer,” Rose claimed, “but I’ve already promised both waltzes to David.”
Adeline giggled. “Doesheknow that?” she teased.
“I do, indeed,” David said as he offered his arm to Rose. With her mother on her father’s arm, Adeline was left to walk behind the others as they made their way into the theatre. She nearly let out a yelp when a hand clasped one of hers and lifted it.
“May I escort you, my lady,?” Ertugrul asked before he kissed the back of her gloved hand.
“Ertugrul!” She stepped back to admire his suit of clothes. “Oh, my. You look positively European,” she murmured in awe.
“Is that good?”
She grinned. “The best,” she replied before she sobered. “We’ve been worried about you. Afraid you might have been fleeced by a street urchin.”
Ertugrul stared at her for a second. “What do sheep and sea urchins have to do with shopping?”
Giggling, Adeline explained the meaning of the words. They were halfway to the Morganfield box when her father suddenly stopped and glanced around. “There you are,” he said when he caught sight of Ertugrul.
“Yes, sir. I waited in the lobby for your arrival.” Despite recognizing several people from the Weatherstone ball and from thesoirée, no one had approached him. Dressed as he was, he didn’t stand out from the crowd as he had at the ball, but the anonymity had allowed him to study the architecture of the theatre.
George led them all up several flights of red-carpeted stairs and then to a box that looked out over the stage. Even before David could help Rose with her chair, she was waving to the occupants of the box on the opposite side of the theatre. “I cannot believe my mother would attend the theatre the night before she’s hosting a ball,” Rose remarked. “She’s always so nervous.” She took a seat next to David, her gaze sweeping the rest of the boxes.
When Ertugrul aimed a curious glance in her direction, Adeline said, “Much like Rotten Row, people go to the theatre to see and be seen,” she murmured. She indicated the available seats. “So, would you like to see or be seen?”
He chuckled. “I should like to watch the opera, but I wish to do so next to you,” he replied. “Is that allowed?”
“We’ll find out,” she said as she led them to seats in the front row closest to the stage. Her parents had settled into their usual seats near the back. Once the lights dimmed, they would be in the shadows.
“What language will they sing in?”
“English. It’s an Irish romantic opera,” Adeline explained. “With gypsies, royalty, and star-crossed lovers.” When she saw his furrowed brow, she continued. “The main characters are Arline and Thaddeus. She’s the daughter of a Hungarian count, and he’s a Polish nobleman that’s living in exile in Austria. When she is six years old, a wild stag attacks her, but Thaddeus saves her. During the attack, though, her arm is wounded and she’s left with a scar.”
“Go on,” Ertugrul encouraged.
“To show his gratitude, the count invites Thaddeus to a banquet, but when Thaddeus refuses to toast a statue of the Austrian Emperor and instead tosses his wine on it, he has to escape with the help of a gypsy friend who kidnaps Arline.”
Ertugrul furrowed his brows. “So Arline and Thaddeus eventually become lovers?” he guessed. “She’s too young for him, though.”
“Well, after twelve years, they are sweethearts,” she explained. “But the gypsy queen is in love with him at the same time the count’s nephew has fallen in love with Arline.”
Ertugrul’ seemed to think on this point for a moment before he said, “He doesn’t know she is his...” He paused as he considered the relationship. “His cousin?”
“Exactly. Because he doesn’t recognize her. Out of jealousy, the queen steals a medallion from the nephew and plants it on Arline.”
