“This cannot be good,” Ertugrul remarked.
“When the nephew sees it, Arline is arrested for stealing and tried before her father.”
“Doesherecognize her?”
“Yes, but only because of the scar on her arm from the stag attack.”
“That’s good, right?.”
“Yes, except she misses her gypsy friends and Thaddeus, of course, because she’s in love with him. Thaddeus invades her father’s castle during a ball, finds Arline, and proposes marriage.”
Ertugrul grimaced. “But the father—”
“He has forgiven Thaddeus and gives his blessing.”
“But what of the gypsy queen?”
“She has followed Thaddeus into the castle,” Adeline replied dramatically, although she was grinning.
“Rather persistent of her to pursue a man who does not love her,” he said in a whisper.
Adeline sighed. “Indeed. So the queen tries to kill Arline with a musket and kidnap Thaddeus, but his gypsy friend finds out what she’s about to do, and then struggles with her in an attempt to take the gun away.”
“The gun goes off?” Ertugrul guessed.
“And the gypsy queen dies,” Adeline finished with a grin.
“So... Arline and Thaddeus are married?”
Adeline blinked. “I don’t recall if they show that at the end or not,” she replied. “But I assume so.”
Ertugrul straightened in his chair. He glanced around, stunned to see that in only the few minutes they’d been talking, the theatre was nearly filled. On the stage, the silhouette of a castle stood in the background. “Is that the count’s palace?”
“Indeed,” she said. “Speaking of palaces, I saw your drawings in the library this afternoon. I should think your uncles will be very pleased with the design.”
“The palace in those drawings is not for them,” he replied. “I was designing the palace I wish to build for you.”
Adeline gave a start. “For me?”
He nodded. “A place from which you could run a charity like your mother’s. Where we could both live. Where our children could live,” he said in a quiet voice. “Where I might work on plans for new buildings. We would have servants, of course. Someone to assist you—someone who could act as a translator for you with your clients—and a nurse to help with the children.”
Adeline stared at him in awe. “So... when you spoke of marriage last night... I wasn’t dreaming?”
He shook his head. “I thought you were wide awake.”
“Oh, I was,” she assured him. “But a night of sleep can play tricks sometimes.” She remembered the illustration of the palace. Although it was similar to Brighton Pavilion, there were subtle differences. The onion domes were more ornate, the windows a slightly different shape. “Where would you build it?”
He shrugged. “Near the waters of the Bosphorus, I suppose. In Constantinople.”
“Oh,” she replied, blinking several times. “When would we move there?”
He inhaled as if to respond and then furrowed his brows. “Well, it would take a year or more for construction to be completed, but we could live in the newest palace with my father and Sultana Charlotte until it is ready. Maybe go there after the Season is complete?”
Adeline dipped her head and then chuckled. “I hardly know what to say.”
“Say yes. I’ll be sure to ask you again after you’re wide awake in the morning,” he said before he swallowed.
She inhaled softly. “Does that mean you’re going to make love to me tonight?” she asked in a whisper. She resisted the urge to glance back at her father, sure he was watching them. After last night in the library, she might find him standing guard at her door tonight.
