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happened.
    “Is everything all right?” he whispered.
    She shivered as his breath caressed her ear. “Yes. Just thinking.”
    “Anything you would like to share?”
    She shook her head. She didn’t want to tell him what she had been thinking. He would think her a silly female, and she didn’t want to be thought of as silly. How he made her feel, the effect he seemed to have on her when they touched, would fade soon. It had to be a side effect of their engagement. He was going to be her husband. Of course he would affect her.
    It wouldn’t last though. It couldn’t. They weren’t in love and everything else faded in time.
    The carriage ride to the opera house was swift all things considered. The roads were surprisingly clear for this time of night, allowing them to make it there in good time.
    As their carriage rolled to a stop, they noticed a crowd gathered in the theatre’s entrance. Everyone must have experienced the same lack of traffic, because while they were early, they had still arrived after everyone else.
    “Are we ready?” he asked the three women in the carriage.
    Sera and Aubrey both nodded as they looked to their chaperone, then began laughing. Lady Trumbridge had fallen asleep during the ride, her mouth lolling open.
    “You’d best wake her,” Quinton said, trying to hide his grin. “It wouldn’t do to have your chaperone sleeping.”
    They all chuckled while Aubrey poked her aunt to wake her.
    “What? Are we there?” Lady Trumbridge asked, looking between the other three passengers. “I wasn’t asleep. I was just resting my eyes.”
    “Of course, Aunt.” Aubrey smiled. “Yes, we’ve arrived.”
    “Excellent.” The older woman paused, looking at Quinton. “Well are we going to sit here all evening or are we going to go see the opera?”
    “My apologies, my lady.” He dipped his head in a bow, effectively hiding his grin from Lady Trumbridge but not from Sera or Aubrey. “Let us be off.”

CHAPTER 5
     
    Quinton exited the carriage first, extending his hand to help each lady out of the carriage. Offering his arm to Sera again, he smiled when she hesitated taking it.
    Could she possibly feel the same connection between them that he did? He couldn’t describe it, but it was a stronger bond than he had ever felt with anyone else. She may not like him, may not trust him, but she couldn’t deny the connection between them.
    He escorted them to their box, a private balcony off stage right that gave them a perfect view of the stage as well as the rest of the theatre. In turn, it would also give everyone a good view of them.
    Quinton knew they were still on display, and that they had to prove that they were in love to completely stamp out any further gossip. He didn’t care. He wanted to cement it in everyone’s minds that Lady Sera was his.
    He may not have wanted to take a bride based on her dowry, but he couldn’t be upset by the turn of events. Sera was more than he could have ever hoped for.
    Ushers snuffed out some of the lamps, signaling the audience to take their seats. At once, the sound in the auditorium quieted, the spectators lowering into the cushioned chairs.
    Quinton looked over the audience, seeing precious gems twinkle in the dim light. The mingling of perfume was overwhelming, but that was a usual occurrence at the theatre.
    From the corner of his eyes he saw Aubrey lean toward Sera and whisper, “There’s Lord Bromley on the other side. He seems to be looking at you.”
    With a nod, Sera smiled across the way at the duke before turning her attention to the stage. It was the polite thing to do, Quinton knew, but the surge of jealousy he felt had him taking her hand, giving it a light squeeze.
    His breath caught as she looked to him, a sweet smile a woman in love would give her fiancé rested upon her lips. He knew it wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. But that fact didn’t detract from its potency.
    Leaning toward her, he whispered in her ear, knowing others in the