Chloe’s eyes darkened. “It’s not like that,” Will said urgently. “Charlotte is not that kind of person.”

Chloe looked down at her hands involuntarily twisting the dark twill that her mother insisted her dresses be made out of. How could she go up to that box and sit with this beautiful woman he carelessly called Charlotte? She longed to be home, perhaps adding up a column of figures for her father, or watching her mother pack up boxes of shirts for the poor.

Her mother leaned forward suddenly. “It is acceptable to us, dearest,” she said in her Dutch accent. Chloe stood up. She hardly had a choice if her own mother was ready to condemn her to be laughed at by a bunch of … of peacocks! Tears stung her eyes but she walked steadily out of the box and down the red-carpeted corridor. People were pacing up and down the corridor, defeated by Act One of the play and simply waiting for intermission. Chloe walked with her head down, certain that they were all staring at her.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Will pushed open a door adorned with an elaborate coat of arms. The door led to a brief corridor which was very dark since the entrance to the box proper was hung with heavy curtains. He stopped for a moment in the velvety darkness. His hand pushed up her chin and a voice said, “Courage!” And then a mouth touched hers, very lightly. Chloe gasped. There was a brief instant of silence and then she heard Will’s voice again, sounding rather surprised. “Let’s try that again,” he said, and she felt rather than saw his head descend. His lips touched hers and then she jumped as his tongue smoothly slid into her mouth. Chloe jerked her head back.

“No, don’t,” Will said rather thickly, dropping his arms around her back and pulling her against his chest. This time his lips were forceful, demanding, and she opened her lips. Even through her whalebone stays Will felt the little shiver that traveled over Chloe’s body. His breath was warm against her lips and then, he couldn’t help it, he took her mouth again, unable to believe how a simple kiss affected him. His hands moved down her back. “My God,” Will finally said roughly. He turned Miss van Stork sharply about and pulled open the curtains leading to the box, half-pushing her through them.