Cedric Marshall stepped into the box. He looked first at Therese, still chatting with Lord Swan and the Poulson party. After observing the sight for several moments, Cedric drew his gaze away, spotted Devlin, smiled, and walked over.
Child drained his glass, mumbled a farewell, and after exchanging nods with Cedric, departed.
Devlin welcomed Cedric with a smile. “I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t think you appreciated opera any more than I do.”
Cedric faintly grimaced and shifted to stand alongside Devlin. “I’d heard about this event from so many people, I wondered what all the fuss was about. Thought I’d come and take a look.” Cedric’s gaze had drifted across the box to rest once more on the group talking animatedly on the other side. Then Cedric pulled a pained face. “Sadly, by that time, I could only just squeeze into the pit.”
Devlin waved at the extra chairs lining the box. “You’re welcome to join us for the rest of the performance, if you wish.”
Cedric’s gaze had settled on the young lady standing beside Lady Poulson; it took several telltale seconds for Cedric to register what Devlin had said.
To Devlin’s amusement, Cedric blinked and lightly shook himself. “Oh. Yes.” He glanced around, noting the prime position of the box and the view of the stage and the audience it afforded. “Thank you. That will”—Cedric’s gaze returned to the other group, this time to rest on Therese—“help.”
Intrigued, Devlin studied Cedric. While as interested in ladies as the next man, Cedric resolutely eschewed tangling with the well-born variety.
The bells throughout the theater started ringing, pealing out a warning to the audience to return to their seats.
Devlin strolled to join Therese in farewelling Lord Swan and the Poulson party. Cedric, however, hung back, merely exchanging nods with the group.
Once the others had left, Cedric bowed over Therese’s hand and, with Devlin, rearranged the chairs.
The three of them sat across the front of the box, with Devlin on Therese’s left and Cedric on her right. As the lights dimmed, from the corner of his eye, Devlin saw Cedric, his gaze on Therese, hesitate, then Cedric leaned closer to Therese and whispered, “That young lady who was here with Lady Poulson.”
Therese turned to regard Cedric with awakening interest. “Miss Nagley?”
Cedric nodded. “I wondered if you knew much about her. I thought I recognized her. Where does she hail from?”
Reflecting that such a weak excuse for his interest had no chance of pulling any sort of wool over Therese’s sharp eyes, Devlin, cloaked in the deepening shadows, grinned and sat back in the expectation of enjoying the rest of the performance even more than he’d expected.
As the low murmur of Therese’s reply and Cedric’s subsequent questions continued while the orchestra finished tuning their instruments, Devlin felt utterly content.
If there was any development likely to increase his wife’s enjoyment of the evening, his good friend Cedric had just provided it.
It was still pouring when they left the Opera House, and the rain drummed so noisily on the carriage roof that it was impossible to converse as they traveled the slick streets back to Park Lane.
Not that Therese required words to convey her delight. Her face all but glowing, she sat beside Devlin and positively radiated her pleasure.
His satisfaction was commensurately great.
When the carriage rocked to a halt outside Alverton House, footmen holding umbrellas ran out and shielded them from the deluge as they descended from the carriage and hurried up the front steps.
Once indoors, laughing, they shook raindrops from their cloaks, then surrendered the garments to a smiling Portland. “I take it the evening went well, my lady.”
“Indeed, it did, Portland.” Therese’s expression said it all. “The performance was sublime!”
She whirled to face Devlin. “Even you have to admit that the final scene was utterly riveting, with so many voices soaring and weaving in such harmony.”
Smiling, Devlin strolled to join her. “I will admit to being entranced.” His smile widened, and he looked into her eyes. “Satisfied?”
She tipped her head in thought, then with her lips irrepressibly curving, replied, “For the moment.” With her dazzling eyes and a plainly inviting look, she drew him with her as she started for the stairs.
Buoyed on a wave of unalloyed happiness, as they climbed, leaving the bustle in the hall behind, Therese linked her arm with Devlin’s. She felt as if the music was still swirling in her mind, a compulsive harmony running through her veins.
They reached the head of the stairs, and as they turned down the corridor to their apartments, she pressed the side of her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.” Raising her gaze, she met his eyes. “This evening will live in my memory as one of my most fabulous experiences.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
They were nearing the door to his room. Eyeing the panel, she heaved a mock-disaffected sigh. “Devlin, ‘enjoy’ is far too mild a word.” Slipping her arm from his, she seized his hand and drew him on—past his door toward hers at the corridor’s end. Looking over her shoulder, she caught his eye and mischievously grinned. “I didn’t just enjoy it—Ireveledin it.”
