Crossed Lines by Jennifer Delamere

Author:Jennifer Delamere
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;Love Stories;FIC042110;FIC042030;FIC027170
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2021-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

Twenty-One

The cab negotiated the clogged lanes near the opera house and began moving at a smoother pace once it reached the wider streets. Rose sat with her eyes half-closed, looking a trifle worn out. Mitchell was frowning as he stared out the window, apparently deep in thought, and Emma was left to ponder why this near-perfect evening seemed to have left everyone out of sorts, including herself.

Everything had been going fine until the end, when she’d mentioned Christopher. The flash of hurt in Mitchell’s eyes had surprised her, giving her the feeling she’d made a terrible misstep.

Maybe he hadn’t felt hurt so much as affronted since he had made all the arrangements. By pulling a few strings, he’d secured tickets for very good seats. He’d bought them lemonade at the interval. Now he was escorting them home, having arranged ahead of time that this four-wheeled cab would be waiting for them. Given that hundreds of other people were looking for cabs at the same time, Emma was grateful Mitchell had the foresight to make that extra effort.

Throughout the evening, he been nearly as entertaining as the show itself. He explained the various aspects of the performance and shared funny bits of theater gossip. Emma had no doubt that when she finally got around to reading the program she’d bought—she’d spent her own money on it, despite Mitchell’s attempts to pay for that too—she’d find it dry compared with the commentary he’d provided.

In short, Mitchell had been so warm and sociable that it had been easy to enjoy his company. So much so that she’d barely given Christopher a thought.

The realization pressed itself on her, heavy as the weight of guilt. This was why she’d felt compelled to bring Christopher into the conversation. All evening long, she’d been engrossed by the fine surroundings, the beautiful production, and the enjoyment of sharing it with such pleasant companions. She’d been swept away, in a sense, by the romance of it all. How had that happened without Christopher there?

It was a disturbing question. It was Christopher who should be foremost in her thoughts, wasn’t it?

When Mitchell had begun quoting the loving sentiments of the aria, she’d had a troubling sensation that he was doing more than simply speaking for his friend. What was worse, she’d found herself responding to him in the same way. Beneath the casual exterior he often displayed was a truly serious man. She’d seen hints of this at their first meeting outside the CTO. She’d grown more sure of it in the days since then. This was a man who felt everything very deeply. At Victoria Park, when he’d spoken of how he loved being moved by music or theater, she’d thought how interesting it must be to experience things so profoundly. Then, after the opera, as their conversation had moved to the powerful leanings of the heart, she’d finally understood exactly what he meant, for she had felt it too. It had been exhilarating! For those few moments, she’d been aware only of him.

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