then.
I thought a moment then decided there was no reason to lie. I shook my head. “No. I don’t mind it. There are things, such as this, that are truly remarkable about being in London. However, nothing compares to the lush unspoiled countryside or the fragrant smell of the outdoors.”
His smile softened. “I could not agree more. Whereas London is full of energy and lights, the countryside is full of natural beauty and peace. I miss it when I’m away.”
His reply surprised me. “Away? You don’t spend most of your time in London?” I asked. I had pictured someone like Ashington being near the city, not tucked away in his country manor.
“Not if it can be helped. I much prefer the country,” he replied.
Lord Ashington had truly surprised me. As the stage lights drew my attention and the music began, my thoughts stayed on the conversation and how… it had been nice. Not at all what I had expected.
Aunt Harriet’s hand reached over and squeezed mine from the excitement of the evening. I smiled over at her and she was truly happy. Yet another thing that softened my previous feelings toward Lord Ashington. Nothing about this evening had been less than enjoyable.
Eventually the music pulled me in and I was lost in the beauty of the voices and the extravagance of the clothing. Whitney would adore this. I wanted this for her. I wanted her to sit in a box such as this one and experience it all. She was why I was here after all. I had come to London for her. Securing her a future was all that had mattered to me.
I glanced over at Lord Ashington and found his gaze wasn’t on the stage as mine had been, but he was leaning back in his chair watching me. I was suddenly very nervous and unsure of myself. Why hadn’t I noticed he was studying me? Had I been that lost in the scene below? I met his gaze unsure as to why he was watching me and wondering if I had been making a strange face or if I had possibly made a sound of appreciation.
Thoughts of Whitney were gone as I became acutely aware of his nearness and the darkness surrounding us. Although Aunt Harriet was on my other side, it suddenly felt as if we were doing something improper. We weren’t, of course, but my cheeks burned regardless. I was thankful for the darkness, so he couldn’t see my reaction to his attention. Why wasn’t he watching the performance as was everyone else? Wasn’t that why someone attended the opera? To watch the performance?
“It’s remarkable, isn’t it?” Aunt Harriet whispered close to my ear, causing me to jump.
I started to turn so that I may reply but not before I saw the amused smile on Lord Ashington’s face. It wasn’t at all like him. Nothing about that smile was stiff or unapproachable. It wasn’t forced but so very real. His eyes twinkled and he appeared years younger in that moment. How often did he smile that way? I was sure I had never witnessed it, not even when he was busy charming Lydia Ramsbury, not that I paid close enough attention to be sure, of course.
I felt my own smile spread across my lips in that moment and my chest felt funny. A little tug or maybe a touch of warmth. It was a strange new sensation I didn’t quite know how to categorize and I wasn’t sure the exact way to describe it. Whatever it was, there was something there in the moment I wasn’t prepared for, but it excited me and possibly frightened me at the very same time. Lord Ashington was not a man in whom I should let my guard down and begin to feel things for… was he? How sure of his attentions could I be?
When I finally broke his gaze, and turned to my aunt, she studied me but a moment, then she grinned saucily. “Well, if I didn’t know better, Miriam Bathurst, I would think you were smitten,” she whispered.
My smile vanished then and I instantly frowned. “I am not smitten,” I assured her. I wasn’t a silly girl. One did not get smitten by a smile. It took more depth than that. I was more careful. There was a level of rejection I had suffered in my life that no other rejection could dare compare. It had made me tough and it had made me cautious. I