Their carriage pulled up outside the theater where the crowds gathered en masse. The driver opened the door and Adrian climbed out, only to turn and help Ophelia down. She used his arm generously and kept her hand around his bicep as shestepped onto the sidewalk and found her balance. And all the while, the eyes of those around them were felt.
There were scores of them, all members of the peerage, all there to enjoy a night at the theater as was a common outing. They gathered by the entrance, waiting to be let inside, and while their conversation was bustling and loud, it softened considerably once Adrian and Ophelia were noticed.
“This again…” Ophelia joked as she stayed close to Adrian, doing her best to ignore the stares, as well as the obvious whispers. “You would think they would have something better to speak about by now.”
“Are they watching?” Adrian said as he stood tall and puffed out his chest. “I have not noticed.”
She eyed him with a disbelieving frown, as if he were making a joke. But he looked ahead, chin pointed, expression proud, and Ophelia almost believed him. At the very least, she believed that he was willing to pretend that he did not care.
“Perhaps it is my imagination,” she joked as they started forward, through the crowd, which quickly parted for them. They were a duke and duchess, after all, above the rest, and better. Despite the judgment that came at them in waves, such appearances were kept to. “Oh yes, silly me, they are hardly looking at all.”
“It takes time to be forgotten,” Adrian said, almost to himself. “But so long as there is no meat for the wolves to feed on, they soon grow bored.”
“You speak from experience?”
“I do.”
Ophelia eyed her husband closely, curious about his comment. She knew a little about his past, that he kept to himself for a specific reason, and that reason was why he had chosen to lock himself away as if he did not exist. But she did not know the details, nor had she enquired about them.
In truth, she did not really care. As she knew firsthand, it did not take much for one to find themselves in the middle of a scandal, and rarely was it as interesting as people wanted it to be.
No, she did not care about Adrian’s past. What concerned her was his future, one that she was now a part of, and one that she was determined to keep free of scandal and incident. That was the way forward, and that was what tonight was really about.
“Should we…” She gestured to some of those who milled by the entrance.
“Should we what?”
“Make introductions?” she offered. “Is that not what these things are all about?”
He scoffed. “Probably, but as you know, I am not here for that.”
“Why are you here?”
He looked down at her, unblinking, almost confused by her question as if the answer were obvious. “For you, Ophelia. I am here for you.”
Ophelia kept her arm tight around Adrian’s, holding him close, letting the world know that he was hers and that they were together. He had fought against her. He had denied her and himself. But that single statement was the final confirmation of where he saw their marriage heading.
Just get through tonight, Ophelia. Tomorrow, I can consider those questions that will soon need to be answered.
They made their way inside together, the first to be let through the entrance. Adrian had a private booth booked, right above the stage, a perfect view of the performance saved just for them. They were shown to the booth, Adrian helped Ophelia into her seat, and when he sat with her, he took her hand without hesitation.
The performance itself was splendid, but Ophelia paid it little attention. She spent the following hour with her heart in her throat, her mind turning, and her body flushed as her gaze continually drifted to Adrian’s hand wrapped firmly around her own.
He stared ahead, seemingly focused on the performance, but she wondered if his mind was in the same place as hers.
Small steps… all headed in the right direction… and when tonight came to an end, Ophelia was certain that tomorrow would bring with it sunny days. Finally, their marriage was turning into something real.
CHAPTER 25
The intermission caught Ophelia by surprise, so that when the curtains closed and the crowds started to move, she did not know what was happening.
“What…” She blinked as she looked about them, noting that those in the other private booths were rising.
“Intermission,” Adrian said as he stood up. “Let us have a drink.” He held out his hand.
She smiled and took it. “Yes, I think a drink sounds lovely.”
They exited the booth together and made their way toward the private lounge at the end of the hallway. They were the last ones there, and as was common, when they entered, more than a few of the bobbing heads turned to take note.
