What a perfect evening this was turning out to be.
“Here, Miss Camden,” Lady Carleton said. “Take my opera glasses. Squinting at the surrounding company is unbecoming for a lady.”
Genny felt a blush infuse her cheeks. “My apologies. I didn’t even realize I was doing that.”
“No need to apologize. But you should know that Barrington is with my husband, and they will be joining us when their matters at Parliament wrap up this evening.” Lady Carleton tapped her white satin glove to her chin. “They do seem to be running later than usual.”
Equal measures of desire and irritation filled Genny on hearing the announcement. She should be thankful Castleigh wasn’t attending but was too annoyed to put much thought to that welcome fact.
“What matters are keeping them in Parliament if I might be so bold to ask?”
“A tax is being levied on sugar imports coming in from the West Indies and more specifically Barbados. Did you know my husband has fifty acres next to Lord Barrington’s property?”
So this was how he so easily secured a seat at Lady Carleton’s dinners and summer house parties. “I wasn’t aware. I suppose you’ve known Lord Barrington for as long as you’ve been married to your husband.”
“I have, and his father when he was alive, too.”
“And what of Lord Castleigh, my lady?” Charlotte interjected.
Lady Carleton turned her sharp assessing gaze on Charlotte and cocked one eyebrow. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your regard for the marquess. And though he declined our invitation tonight, you should know he’s not the kind of gentleman for you, dear Charlotte.”
“He’s kind to me, my lady. I count him as a friend.” Charlotte gave an ineffectual pout.
Lady Carleton squeezed Charlotte’s hand with a cluck of her tongue. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but allowing a man like Castleigh to court you, as charming and sweet as he is, would have you shunned from good society and make you a mother before you are ready to take it to task.”
“I don’t understand.”
Genny had to tell her cousin the truth about the scandal that man would bring to Charlotte’s name should she pursue more than friendship with the man.
“What she means, Charlotte, is that Lord Castleigh has two children out of wedlock living with him.” Her cousin gasped. “No one even knows who the mother is. Rumor has it that they were dropped off on his front steps the day they were born. The worst of it is that he allows them to live openly with him in his own home. So any woman he does marry will come under the scrutiny of society for allowing such a thing to continue.”
“Oh, I hadn’t any idea. H—he never told me that he had … children.”
“That is exactly as it should be. Believe it or not, he was doing you a great favor by not telling you. One doesn’t talk about these things in polite company,” Genny said.
Maybe now her cousin would take her advice and avoid the marquess.
“Enough with all this speculative talk. I hear my husband.” Lady Carleton turned her back to the stage and faced the closed curtain.
Genny took a deep breath and focused on a stain on the wall as all three of them stood in anticipation of the men’s arrival. She heard Leo talking quietly to Lord Carleton as they entered.
“Lady Charlotte. Miss Camden.” Leo’s deep voice sent a titillating vibration right down to her toes.
And because half the opera house probably watched their exchange, Genny forced herself to meet his gaze. It wasn’t as though she could avoid him for the remainder of the night.
“Lord Barrington.” She dipped her head in a semblance of polite greeting.
Barrington took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles. Though she wanted to pull her hand out of his reach, she held firm and let her displeasure be read clearly in her narrowed gaze. His dark eyes only twinkled in amusement.
After greetings were exchanged, Lord Carleton sat next to his wife, which meant Genny needed to take the seat next to Barrington behind the first row of chairs.
She would not allow Charlotte to sit beside the lout. Though there was a distance of about a foot between their chairs, Leo slid his marginally closer. Would he attempt to whisper sweet nothings in her ear? If he did that, he would leave her with no choice but to pinch him.
As delicious as their stolen kiss had been, there would be no mistaking it for anything but an awkward misunderstanding. Just because they had once been lovers did not give him license to assume anything had changed between them or that they could simply pick up where they had left off.
* * *
“I did not take a program from the usher when I arrived. Which opera is it tonight?” Leo asked of no one in particular.
Lady Charlotte turned in her chair and passed back her leaflet of paper. “Albert Lortzing’s Undine. I’m told we will not need a handkerchief for the ending, as this particular opera is a romance.”
“Really? It’s a shame that I haven’t more time for the opera when Parliament is in session. I do enjoy spending my evening in the company of such lovely ladies.”
“So good of you to treat yourself to a night out, then,” Genny said under her breath.
“I was not able to catch what you said, Miss Camden? Would you mind repeating it?” He enjoyed teasing her far too much.
“Nothing of import, my lord. Just nattering on about how good it is that no one dies in the opera tonight.”
“Quite the save, Miss Camden. Quite the save.”
She put her shoulders back and tilted her chin up haughtily. “I don’t know what you refer to, Lord Barrington.”
“Of course not.” He gave her a knowing grin.
She picked up her opera glasses and looked around the opera house, deliberately ignoring him. He’d not give her the opportunity to snub him for the remainder of the night, however.
Quickly reading over the synopsis for the opera, he handed the program back to the front row. “Thank you, Lady Charlotte.”
“You’re welcome,” she responded before turning back to the front.
Grasping the arm of Miss Camden’s chair, he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “A tale of a water nymph getting her prince. How fitting when I met you in nothing more than your chemise whilst swimming.”
Without hesitation or warning, she rapped him on his hand with her closed fan. He yanked his smarting hand away and rubbed the back of his knuckles. And though he wanted to laugh, he did not want to draw eyes their way. Right now, he had her all to himself and he’d like it to stay that way for as long as possible.
“Where have you been all my life, Miss Camden? I don’t think I’ve enjoyed anyone’s company above yours. You have a miraculous way about you that keeps me in line when I most need straightening out.”
“I’m afraid the sentiment will have to go unreturned.”
“Touché.”
She did not respond further, only glared at him, retribution clear in the perturbed pinch of her lips and the crack of wood as her hand tightened around her closed fan.
As the orchestra started the opening act, he took advantage of the noise to slide his chair nearer yet to hers.
He sat close enough that he could make out every delicate feature of her face in the dimly lit box. Her chin was slightly pointed, her cheekbones high but not overly defined in her fairylike face. Her lips weren’t very generous, but had enough flesh to pull and suck on when they kissed.
He wanted to taste her lips now but forced his gaze downward to assess the rest of her ensemble.
Her collarbone and shoulders were exposed tonight in a dress that scooped down on her curvaceous frame. It looked to be another dark and drab color, but he’d not be able to confirm that till the lights were restored in the opera house.
Her skin shone luminescent like a pearl glimpsed in the murky gloom of seawater, but she was all warm flesh and blood that he craved more than ever to touch and feel for himself. Her bosom was pushed high and unfortunately covered except for the very top swell that caught the black-beaded drops of her necklace. She should have a strand of diamonds wrapped about her neck and be draped in the finest of silks, not wearing paste jewels and outdated styles.
Her hair was coiled and held in place with plain hairpins and a simple, black lacquered hair comb. A shame she hadn’t accepted his gift; it would have looked lovely in her hair tonight.
He had to pry his eyes off her and physically turn in his seat so he could focus on the stage for the opening act. It felt like forever before the first intermission came upon them.
“The music is lovely,” Lady Charlotte exclaimed, taking Lady Carleton’s arm as they headed out of the box for refreshments.
“So glad to have joined you. I’m pleased to know the ending won’t be the typical operatic bloodbath,” Lord Carleton said, following his wife from the box.
Leo didn’t fail to notice that Genny held back, so Leo stood aside to let the rest of their party precede them.
She grasped his wrist and pulled him out of sight from the other attendees outside their private box.
“Why are you trying so hard to unsettle me?”
Knowing they would only have a moment alone, he acted quickly. Placing his palm to the small of her back, he used his free hand to flick one of the heavy velvet curtains around their forms and pressed her gently against the recessed wall at the back of the Carleton box.