To Kiss a King - NIcole Burnham Page 0,46
her from the box as the theater lights rose. Chiara stood near the curtain, preventing anyone who might be exiting the other boxes from approaching. Eduardo led Claire past the restroom, then through a second door to a narrow staircase.
“I assume this leads to the stage?”
“It does. But there’s something else I’d like to show you.” They went down a short flight of stairs, but instead of turning at the landing and continuing their descent, Eduardo pulled aside a wall covering to reveal a hidden door. He turned the knob, then reached for her hand. “Are you bothered by heights?”
“No.”
“Good, because you’ll love this.”
Chapter 12
Eduardo closed the door behind her. As Claire’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw why he made it sound as if they were embarking on an adventure. “Is this the catwalk?”
He flashed a grin more suited to a mischievous child than a monarch. “Want to take back what you said about heights?”
“Never.”
“Watch your heels. They could get caught.”
His fingers tightened around hers as he eased her onto a metal-grated walkway with railings on either side that allowed them to see all the way to the floor. He stopped over the wings in a spot that offered a view of the entire stage. Below them, the crew moved with the precision of a military unit as they whisked away chairs and giant candelabra and replaced them with set pieces for the next scene. The hum of voices from the audience carried through the curtain, which remained closed for intermission, but in the lofty space where Claire and Eduardo stood, all was silent.
He turned so they stood side by side and encouraged her to lean over the railing, but his hand remained wrapped around hers. He kept his voice low so they wouldn’t be heard by the crew. “I thought you might want to see what goes on behind the scenes.”
“I love this. Thank you.”
She meant it. There was something both fascinating and romantic about seeing the stage from above. Then there was the man beside her. Eduardo diTalora possessed a gravitas that came from within, rather than from his title. She could have met him in a grocery store or while walking through a city park, have known nothing about his background, and been drawn to him after exchanging only a few words.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the performance, even if Italian isn’t your first language.”
“You say that as if it’s my second. It’s not. I’m frantically teaching myself in the evenings when I get home from the office.”
“How is it going?”
“Slowly. I took Spanish through high school and college, which helps. There are enough similarities between the words and sentence construction that I can figure out most of what I read and some of what I hear. Speaking is another matter. That will take time.”
“How is your adjustment to San Rimini going otherwise?”
“It’s been smooth. The residence is stunning and I’m mostly unpacked. I’ve also discovered that I was gifted with an amazing staff. They’re intelligent, interesting people, and we’ve been able to continue projects started during Ambassador Cartwright’s tenure without missing a beat.” She briefly told him about an American telecom company she’d assisted with a regulatory concern and a family the embassy had reunited after a passport issue.
“How about you?” she asked. “How has your project for the Strada il Teatro been going?”
He gave her an update on meetings that had taken place between his staff and the business district’s various interest groups. “It’s difficult to find common ground given their wide range of concerns, but Sergio assures me that we’re making progress.”
“Let me guess: every group wants another group to compromise?”
“Exactly.”
She smiled. Below them, the crew wrapped up preparations for the second act. Eduardo glanced at his watch and noted that they had a few more minutes before they needed to return to their seats. “Do you need to use the restroom?”
She shook her head. His fingers tightened around hers. Their hands were on the railing now. Being alone with him in such a setting was thrilling, yet oddly comfortable at the same time.
“What did Sergio think of tonight?” she asked.
“Do you mean the fact that we’re on a date?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing, because I didn’t tell him.”
Claire didn’t bother hiding her surprise, which drew another mischievous look from the king.
“I have a senior staff meeting every Monday morning. When it came time to review my schedule this week, I merely confirmed my attendance tonight. Luisa and my security team know that you’re here, obviously, but