Slowly she was drawn in to the story of an old king gone foolish, demanding that his daughters swear they love him more than anyone or anything else in the world or they would inherit no money, no land, no part of the kingdom. She didn’t pay much attention as the two elder sisters hysterically barked their inability to love anyone beside their father, even with their husbands standing right beside them. That was life, life in London anyway. People would do anything for money. Look at Will. She’d summoned him from a tradesman’s box, unless she was greatly mistaken. Charlotte’s eyes wandered down to that box. A young woman sat in the front, staring directly at the stage. From where she was sitting, almost directly above her, Charlotte could see that her hands were clenched into fists in her lap. She studied her profile for a second, but then her attention was jerked back to the stage.

The king’s youngest daughter was flouncing about, refusing to answer her father. Or perhaps she said something he didn’t like? Charlotte started to listen, her ear first rejecting the old musical lines as too difficult. Then they suddenly fell into place and became easily intelligible. The audience calmed, listening intently, and when the first act ended and a buxom Spanish singer began singing of cherries and lemons, there was a moment of silence before chatter rose into the rafters.

Charlotte looked back into the box below. There was something she liked about that tradesman’s daughter’s face.

“Will,” she said softly, turning her head a bit. She gave him her most charming smile. Will visibly softened. Really, Charlotte thought. Men are such boobies. “Why don’t you ask your friend to join us?” She nodded down toward the woman in the box. “It must be most uncomfortable down there alone with just her parents for company.”

Will’s spine grew suddenly cold. He didn’t want Chloe laughed at, or mocked in a way she didn’t understand by seasoned society women. His mouth tightened.

Charlotte put a hand on his sleeve. “I would truly like to meet her, Will.”

Will’s deep blue eyes met hers and he relaxed. He had never heard of Charlotte Daicheston doing anything shabby or cruel … so why not? He stood up and a minute later reappeared in the van Storks’ box. Chloe’s parents courteously moved out of the way for him, although he knew that unless they were totally impervious they must be seething at the affront dished out to their daughter when he visited another woman’s box.

He stooped next to Chloe’s chair. “Would you like to join the Brandenburgs?”

Chloe turned astonished eyes on him. Her eyes are blue, he thought, as blue as mine. “Why?” she said bluntly.

Will couldn’t think of a good lie. “Lady Charlotte requested it.”