A Secret in Her Eyes by Samantha Grace

Author:Samantha Grace
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2016-08-17T23:00:00+00:00

RESISTING ROMEO

CHAPTER NINE

Claudine was not jealous of her fellow actresses. It had been unfair of Oliver to suggest otherwise when she’d marched into his office earlier that day after Mr. Hawke left the theatre. Her longtime friend had added insult to injury by teasing her about Natalia and Rachel, but his worst crime was agreeing with Russell Hawke’s suggestion for her play.

Just because the new owner had a head for business and a desire to see the Drayton turn a profit did not mean he knew anything about writing plays. Nevertheless, Oliver had glanced over Mr. Hawke’s copious notes that he had scrawled all over her script, handed it back to her, and ordered her to make changes.

When had Oliver become such an iron-fisted tyrant?

She stabbed the roast beef on her plate with her fork and sawed into it with her knife.

“Is your piece too tough, Claudine?” her hostess asked from her place at the head of the polished mahogany table.

Claudine flinched, realizing she was making a mess of the succulent meal she’d been served, and glanced guiltily at Beatrice Allred. “Forgive me, Aunt Beatrice. I am preoccupied this evening and behaving in a most unbecoming manner.”

“We all have our moments, dearest.” The older woman’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “I am sure whatever wrong was done to you today, you are justified in punishing your dinner for it.”

Claudine sank against the seatback of her chair and smiled. She had only known Miss Allred and her great-nieces a short time, but she had come to cherish them. As the Earl of Wedmore’s aunt was fond of saying, Claudine and Benny were part of the family now. She insisted they call her Aunt Beatrice and became irate when they forgot.

Sophia Darlington, the youngest of Charles Wedmore’s nieces, was seated to her great-aunt’s left. Her blue gaze locked onto Claudine. “You seem far away this evening. I hope there have been no more attacks in the neighborhood. Your friends were rather worried for their safety.”

“Thankfully, we’ve heard of no more trouble. Everyone is feeling more confident in their ability to protect themselves since your lessons, and Oliver has posted guards at the entrances.”

“It is a relief to hear, dearest,” Aunt Beatrice said. “If you didn’t have Benny for protection, I would be worried about you. Would you like to discuss what is troubling you?”

“It is nothing important. Theatre issues. I am sure everything will sort itself out.”

Benny grunted under his breath. Since the Earl of Wedmore was out of the country on an expedition, and Aunt Beatrice thought it was nice to have a gentleman preside over dinner, Benny had been relegated to the earl’s usual spot at the opposite end of the table, close to where Claudine had been placed. He set his fork aside and touched his napkin to the corners of his lips.

His manners had improved a great deal since their first dinner at Wedmore House five weeks earlier. Claudine suspected Xavier, Regina, and Evangeline would barely recognize him when they returned from Regina and Xavier’s honeymoon trip.

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