Oh, who was she fooling? She was hardly the temptress in this situation. If anything, he ought to be warning her off.
"Do we have a deal then?" he murmured.
She took a deep breath. "I suppose."
From across the room, Thea looked up from her pamphlet and said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Are you two quite finished? If so, it would seem we have a battle plan to strategize."
"A battle— I'm sorry, but what… A what?" Clarissa sputtered.
She looked back at Kit and found he was fixing her with the world's most wicked grin.
8
The opera was not Kit's idea.
But his aunt had said, "The box is available. You enjoy the opera, don't you?"
Kit did not enjoy the opera. He endured it. There was a rather big difference, which his aunt refused to acknowledge. However, they were here now and he fully understood the assignment.
And truly, as he took in the crowd milling below his balcony, he saw precisely how clever his aunt had been.
A ballroom was crowded and chaotic. But a box at the opera was intimate, and yet still visible to every pair of opera glasses in the theater.
"Clever, indeed," he murmured.
If the Duke of Ashworth's heir was seen sitting in a box with Cast-Off Clarissa—leaning toward her, laughing at her whispered remarks—the ton would have the image burned into their collective memory by morning.
Clarissa arrived a short time later on Alderton's arm, a small smile in place, with Mrs. Lennox trailing behind and looking nearly as pleased as he was to be at the opera.
"Good evening, Lady Clarissa." He bowed. "You look positively radiant?—"
"Oh, please do not say radiant." The words seemed to burst out of her, and he saw John try and fail to smother a laugh. "We've just finished discussing how radiant has never been an apt description, and John said—" She turned to her brother. "Well, no, I mustn't tell him about that."
John ran a hand over his mouth to hide a smile at whatever inside joke she'd referred to, and Kit felt very much on the outside looking in.
He did not like it one bit. Though he did enjoy the way Clarissa was very clearly amused. But before he could join her in the fun, she straightened and grew absurdly solemn.
"My apologies," she said stiffly. "I merely meant…" She stopped short and looked to John as if for help.
He knew full well the man was her half-brother. So yes, it was ridiculous to be jealous of the man. But here he was. Wishing that this woman would turn to him for help instead.
And yes, he most certainly wished he was in on the joke as well.
Lord Alderton turned to him. "My sister does not take compliments well, I'm sorry to say."
Clarissa dropped the demure act to shoot her brother a teasing glare, but when she turned back to him, she wore that small smile again. "I just don't like the word radiant. It's excessive."
"You look…very well." He paused. "Is that better?"
She gave a little nod, but her mouth twitched with amusement. Progress.
"Shall we?" He gestured to a seat.
Kit positioned himself beside Clarissa, close enough to suggest intimacy but not so close as to cause a scandal.
Alderton took the seat behind. He kept his focus firmly on the empty stage as if he'd made up his mind then and there that he'd ignore whatever his sister and the earl were doing. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lennox sat like a sentry.
"Your chaperone isn't very talkative, is she?" he murmured to Clarissa.
