audience. She tipped her head in acknowledgement to a few and suffered the openly admiring glances of the men in the pit before suddenly clutching Hal’s arm.
‘Why, there is Isabella, Harriet and Sir Seymour,’ she said in surprise, looking at a nearby box, and then smiling and waving. ‘Look, Hal! Dinny is wearing the most extraordinary pink and yellow waistcoat and his shirt points are so starched that he can hardly turn his head.’ Julia laughed. ‘He rivals our most famous dandies this evening and if he were not such a pleasant fellow, he would be a complete figure of fun! Oh, and Isabella looks so beautiful in that gown – but how on earth did Dinny persuade her to attend the theatre? I was never so surprised to see—’ She stopped and turned to stare accusingly at her brother. ‘You knew she would be here, didn’t you?’
Hal gave his sister a guilty look. ‘I should have told you that there was an ulterior motive, Julia.’
‘You don’t need to apologize,’ she replied, eyes twinkling. ‘Isabella is the dearest girl and I am anxious to speak to her myself.’ Her expression changed when she glanced across to the occupants of the adjoining box. ‘Oh! But there is someone else here who you may not wish to see – Lady Portland and her husband are sitting next to us. We must acknowledge them, I suppose, but I hope that she will not think of coming to our box! How does she contrive to be at almost every event where we are?’ Julia acknowledged Lady Portland’s greeting before looking away quickly.
Hal, his annoyance evident in his brooding expression and his rigid shoulders, observed Felicity Portland smiling at him seductively. Damn the woman! Had she no restraint in her manner?
Isabella, who had been half-listening to Sir Seymour’s conversation with Harriet on the relative merits of comedies and tragedies, started in surprise when she saw Julia and Hal. She had not considered exactly what she would say to Hal when she met him again. Now he was here and would no doubt come to their box in the interval. How could she begin to explain her hopes, her fears and the state of her heart to him? She was apprehensive, yet also exhilarated at being near him once more. At least, thought Isabella, I feel alive again since meeting him, and she revelled in the sensations coursing through her as he smiled in greeting.
Sir Seymour cut across her thoughts by announcing that the play was about to begin. Edmund Kean’s reputation as a fine Shakespearean actor was well deserved and he had been hailed as remarkable since his debut as Shylock the previous year. Isabella was surprised to discover that his stature was small, but his portrayal of tragic emotions was masterly. However, in spite of the magic Kean was weaving on the stage, Isabella found herself under a different spell. Her eyes wandered constantly back to Hal. Whenever he looked at her and smiled, she reciprocated and consequently spent most of the first act with a smile on her lips and fighting to contain relentless waves of desire.
Isabella had also noticed the strikingly beautiful redhead in the box next to Hal’s. She was dressed in a satin gown which clung to her voluptuous figure, and was watching Hal in such an openly admiring and speculative way that it made Isabella blush. She wondered if the older man who was the lady’s companion was indeed her husband, since he made no attempt to curb her provocative behaviour, or even seemed to notice it. Isabella had no idea who the lady was and what connection, if any, she had with Hal.
The first act complete, the interval had barely begun when Hal and Julia appeared in Isabella’s box.
After uttering a general greeting, Hal added, ‘Are you enjoying the performance?’
‘Yes, very much,’ said Harriet. ‘Sir Seymour has been most informative; he is a keen patron of the theatre, you know.’
Sir Seymour gave a self-deprecating cough. ‘Always happy to support artistic endeavour even though my
‘Why, there is Isabella, Harriet and Sir Seymour,’ she said in surprise, looking at a nearby box, and then smiling and waving. ‘Look, Hal! Dinny is wearing the most extraordinary pink and yellow waistcoat and his shirt points are so starched that he can hardly turn his head.’ Julia laughed. ‘He rivals our most famous dandies this evening and if he were not such a pleasant fellow, he would be a complete figure of fun! Oh, and Isabella looks so beautiful in that gown – but how on earth did Dinny persuade her to attend the theatre? I was never so surprised to see—’ She stopped and turned to stare accusingly at her brother. ‘You knew she would be here, didn’t you?’
Hal gave his sister a guilty look. ‘I should have told you that there was an ulterior motive, Julia.’
‘You don’t need to apologize,’ she replied, eyes twinkling. ‘Isabella is the dearest girl and I am anxious to speak to her myself.’ Her expression changed when she glanced across to the occupants of the adjoining box. ‘Oh! But there is someone else here who you may not wish to see – Lady Portland and her husband are sitting next to us. We must acknowledge them, I suppose, but I hope that she will not think of coming to our box! How does she contrive to be at almost every event where we are?’ Julia acknowledged Lady Portland’s greeting before looking away quickly.
Hal, his annoyance evident in his brooding expression and his rigid shoulders, observed Felicity Portland smiling at him seductively. Damn the woman! Had she no restraint in her manner?
Isabella, who had been half-listening to Sir Seymour’s conversation with Harriet on the relative merits of comedies and tragedies, started in surprise when she saw Julia and Hal. She had not considered exactly what she would say to Hal when she met him again. Now he was here and would no doubt come to their box in the interval. How could she begin to explain her hopes, her fears and the state of her heart to him? She was apprehensive, yet also exhilarated at being near him once more. At least, thought Isabella, I feel alive again since meeting him, and she revelled in the sensations coursing through her as he smiled in greeting.
Sir Seymour cut across her thoughts by announcing that the play was about to begin. Edmund Kean’s reputation as a fine Shakespearean actor was well deserved and he had been hailed as remarkable since his debut as Shylock the previous year. Isabella was surprised to discover that his stature was small, but his portrayal of tragic emotions was masterly. However, in spite of the magic Kean was weaving on the stage, Isabella found herself under a different spell. Her eyes wandered constantly back to Hal. Whenever he looked at her and smiled, she reciprocated and consequently spent most of the first act with a smile on her lips and fighting to contain relentless waves of desire.
Isabella had also noticed the strikingly beautiful redhead in the box next to Hal’s. She was dressed in a satin gown which clung to her voluptuous figure, and was watching Hal in such an openly admiring and speculative way that it made Isabella blush. She wondered if the older man who was the lady’s companion was indeed her husband, since he made no attempt to curb her provocative behaviour, or even seemed to notice it. Isabella had no idea who the lady was and what connection, if any, she had with Hal.
The first act complete, the interval had barely begun when Hal and Julia appeared in Isabella’s box.
After uttering a general greeting, Hal added, ‘Are you enjoying the performance?’
‘Yes, very much,’ said Harriet. ‘Sir Seymour has been most informative; he is a keen patron of the theatre, you know.’
Sir Seymour gave a self-deprecating cough. ‘Always happy to support artistic endeavour even though my
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