Jane smoothed a hand down her pink dress. It was the softest shade of blush. She’d allowed Mama to purchase it, which that lady had done with great glee. Now Jane was feeling awkward. Blue felt like armor. Pink? Pink felt like … naked skin. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I thought I’d try another color for a change.”

“It suits you. You look beautiful. That’s probably why the quizzing glasses are trained our way. They’re all positively green with envy.”

Jane had to smile, though she also had to severely doubt it.

Daphne craned her neck to see out the side of the box. “Look, it’s Captain Cavendish. He’s only a few boxes down.”

Jane nudged Daphne with her elbow. “Go over and say good evening.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Daphne sat back down and pressed her hand to her throat. “If he doesn’t have the good grace to come and greet me, then I intend to completely ignore him.”

“You came here specifically to speak to him,” Jane pointed out.

“No.” Daphne shook her head and her blond curls bobbed. “I came to be seen by him. That’s quite different from speaking to him.”

“That makes no sense at all.”

The curtain behind them ruffled and Lord Berkeley poked in his head. “Lady Daphne, Miss Lowndes, may we come in?” the viscount asked.

Jane smiled widely at him. Lord Christian Berkeley was a friend of Lucy’s, well, Garrett’s really. In Bath last summer, Lord Berkeley had briefly and unsuccessfully attempted to court Lucy, but they remained friends. Berkeley had even made an appearance at last autumn’s house party where Cass had pretended to be Patience Bunbury. Berkeley was a good man and a tremendous sport.

“Lord Berkeley! Of course, do come in,” Jane replied.

Lord Berkeley strode in with Garrett Upton behind him.

Jane sucked in her breath and concentrated on calming her pitter-pattering heart. She should have known Garrett would be with Berkeley. Garrett hadn’t looked at her. She stared down at her slippers.

“Lord Berkeley, Mr. Upton,” came Daphne’s bright voice. “It’s ever so good to see you. I didn’t realize you were at the theater tonight.”

“Upton, here, cannot resist a performance of Much Ado About Nothing,” Berkeley replied with a laugh. “As soon as I saw you two lovely ladies, I told him we had to come and greet you.”

“Funny.” Jane kept her eyes trained on Lord Berkeley. “I had the impression Much Ado About Nothing is Upton’s least favorite of Shakespeare’s plays.”

“No. That would be Romeo and Juliet,” Upton bit back.

“A close second then, is it not?” Jane replied with a tight smile.

Lord Berkeley waded into the deafening silence. “I rarely come to town, you know, and when I do, I always enjoy the theater.”

“Then you must come more often, my lord,” Daphne replied.