Lady Triumphs by Renee Bernard

Author:Renee Bernard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-08-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The play was well-attended and Serena did her best to follow the story, pretending indifference to the usual studies from the gallery to the balconies and from the balconies toward each other. Opera glasses were aimed at every portion of the vast space except most notably toward the stage. Not that this was a new phenomenon but tonight it inexplicably grated on her nerves.

Her plans for the evening had unfolded seamlessly.

Well, nearly.

Lord Trent had ‘luckily’ met them in the lobby, though Adam was missing and Geoffrey had offered no explanation of the change. Harriet had extended an invitation to the earl to join them in their box and the trio had settled in for the evening’s entertainments. Lady Lylesforth had deliberately taken a seat between them to diffuse any risk of gossip and Serena had fought not to smile at the miserable show Lord Trent had made of it as he grimly suffered the arrangement.

The end of the first act allowed for a bit of conversation and she marveled at the lump of icy dread she felt. Even so, she turned to her companions with a smile, eyes bright with feigned delight at the prospect of conversation.

“It is very transporting, is it not?” Serena sighed. “I do so love the theatre!”

“Why?” Trent asked in astonishment. “All those wild gestures and ridiculous posturing? My God, I’d rather watch a good fight between fish vendors or those two fat women with the apple cart who insist on screeching on my street each morning.”

“Shh!” Harriet snapped her fan shut. “I wonder that you bother to waste your evening then.”

“Take it as a grand compliment, Lady Lylesforth. I am questing for any chance to sit in your effervescent and giddy presence.” Lord Trent leaned forward with a wolfish grin. “You are irresistible, woman! Give us a taste!”

Serena gasped at the lewd words and knew instantly that he’d gone too far. Harriet hit him so fast that Geoffrey had no defense. It was a smart brutal strike with the rigid baton of her fan across the bridge of his nose and hard enough to probably gift him with a mark in the morning. She was up and out of her seat just as quickly, and Serena shifted to try to offer her friend an arm but Harriet was having none of it.

“Harriet!”

“I need a moment.” She was gone through the privacy curtains that covered the door to the upper hall before Serena could restrain her.

“O-of course,” Serena said then turned back to assess the damage. Dozens of eyes and magnifying glasses were aimed in their direction at the commotion and she had to force herself to take a slow breath to steady her nerves to return to her seat as if there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The earl yanked out his handkerchief and made a show of pretending to sneeze, all the while clamping down on what might be a broken nose. “God damn it! Women should be forbidden to wield a fan!” He complained under this breath.

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