Heart pounding with excitement, Victoria wrapped both hands around Lincoln’s forearm. “That was amazing. How did he do that?”
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. Actually, I did see it, and am not sure if I believe it.”
“Well, that’s my nosegay pinned on you, and your boutonniere is pinned on my dress.” She glanced down where the red carnation was pinned just above her heart that was fluttering like there would be no tomorrow. “I suppose we should switch them back.”
“Do you want to?” he asked.
Any other man and she would have already removed it, simply out of propriety, or because it almost felt like a claim on her, or a claim on him, but because it was Lincoln, she didn’t mind that. Probably because of the deal they’d struck. Whether that was it or not, she felt comfortable telling him the truth. “Not really. I want proof to tell others what happened. Audrey isn’t going to believe it.”
“Then we’ll leave them,” he said. “Come, let’s find some seats for the show.”
“You won’t mind walking around wearing a nosegay?” she asked as they made their way towards the rows of chairs.
“Not if you don’t mind walking around wearing a boutonniere.”
He was looking down at her in such a way that her heart started pitter-pattering all over again. There was truly no reason. Other than perhaps the excitement of the magic trick was still living inside her. “No,” she said. “I happen to like carnations.”
“There you go,” he said with a nod, and then gestured to two chairs in the third row. The closer ones were already taken. “You take the aisle seat,” he said, stepping into the row. “That way you won’t have to look over anyone’s head. I’m taller. That won’t bother me.”
“Thank you.” He was a very considerate person. It wasn’t like she hadn’t realized that before, she’d just never thought about it that much. He’d just always been Audrey’s older brother.
“Can you see the stage?” he asked after they’d sat on the chairs.
Due to the man sitting in front of her, she did need to lean sideways and look up the aisle to see the entire stage. “Yes.” Noticing the woman sitting in front of him, who had two huge peacock feathers in her hair, she said, “You can’t.”
The aisle between the rows of chairs was wide, and refusing to feel bad about her actions, because he needed to be able to see, she scootered her chair partway into the aisle. “Scoot your chair over.”
“Good idea.” He scooted his chair up next to hers. “Thank you.”
Hans walked onto the center of the stage and excitement rippled through her. That had to be why. The way Lincoln laid an arm over the back of her chair and leaned closer so he could see between the man and woman in front of them had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” Hans said. “Allow me to begin by introducing you to my lovely assistant, Matilda. She’ll be assisting me to make the impossible, possible!”
Victoria clapped along with the others as Hans pointed to a dark-haired woman wearing a flowing dress of bright red, orange, and yellow silk.
“And some of you have already met Harvey,” Hans continued. “He’s a tricky one, so I’m going to put him right here in this wooden cage, so you can all help me keep an eye on him.” Hans placed the little white rabbit in a wooden cage atop a table, and then, out of nowhere, the carrot appeared again, and he dropped it inside the cage, too, which Harvey instantly started munching on, making everyone laugh.
“I still wonder how he did that with our flowers,” she whispered to Lincoln.
“Sleight of hand, I guess,” Lincoln replied. “But he certainly was good at it.”
“And quick. I didn’t feel a thing, did you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Hans began speaking again, and she forced her attention on the stage, yet found it somewhat difficult with Lincoln’s arm still stretched along the back of her chair. That was, until Hans started pulling scarfs out of his sleeve. A red one, green one, yellow, orange, blue, purple, all tied together and the line of them just kept coming, piling up at his feet. Then he picked up the pile, rolled them into a ball and threw the ball into the air, where the scarfs all turned white and separated, floating down around him as simple white squares of cloth.
“How in the world?” she asked aloud.
Lincoln chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Look, the rabbit is gone. The cage is empty.”
The cage was still on the table, but empty. Shocked, she laid a hand on Lincoln’s leg. “Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.”
She didn’t either, and didn’t know how Hans completed many other magic tricks that took place on the stage, from juggling bottles to making things disappear, including his assistant Matilda after she’d climbed into a box on the stage. Matilda showed up in the back of the room, carrying Harvey. The room erupted in applause, and Victoria was disappointed to learn that was the end of the show.
“We can come back for the next show,” Lincoln said as they rose from their seats. “He’s repeating it every hour.”
She stepped into the aisle while he slid both of their chairs back in line with the others in the row. “Do you want to see it again?”
“If you do.”
The softening inside her chest caused her to place a hand over her heart. Audrey had always said that he was the best brother ever, but not having a brother herself, Victoria had never had anyone to compare him to. She would have had a brother, if Garth had survived, but he hadn’t lived more than a few minutes. However, she had encountered enough men to know Lincoln was different. He was likeable. Even while bickering, she liked him. She liked being around him, too. He was fun, but also, she didn’t grow tired of him. Some of the suitors who’d shown up at her house she’d been tired of before they’d removed their jackets.
“We don’t have to,” he said. “It was just a suggestion.”
“Oh, no.” She shook her head and stepped further into the aisle so he could step out from between the rows of chairs. “I’m afraid I was woolgathering. The show was fun, and I would like to see it again, but first I must find Audrey. She hadn’t mentioned a magician, and I wonder if she knows about him.”
“All right then, we’ll go find her.”
He cupped her elbow as they began to walk, and she contemplated how she didn’t mind that. Him touching her. All it did was make her heart beat a little faster. Normally, just dancing with some men man could make her skin crawl. He didn’t have that effect on her at all and she smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad to see the frown is gone.”
“What frown?”
“You were frowning while woolgathering a moment ago.”
“Was I? I didn’t mean to be. I was thinking about how Audrey was right.”
“About what?” he asked.
“You. She said you are the best brother ever.”
He chuckled as they entered the hallway. “You caught her on a good day.”
“No, I didn’t. She always speaks highly of you, and it’s very nice of you to step in for her father at all these functions.”
This time he laughed. “I’d be here whether my father was in Florida or not.”
She believed that, and truly didn’t want him to think that she had been frowning about him earlier. “I was thinking about brothers,” she admitted. “I had a baby brother, but he only lived for a few minutes. He was born right after my father died, and was just too tiny to live. Too tiny to breathe.”
“I’m sorry to hear to hear that,” he replied softly.
“We never talk about him. My family. No one does. He was named Garth, after my father, but to this day, my mother never mentions him.”
“Every family has someone they don’t talk about,” he said.
“Even yours?”
“Yes, even mine. For us, it’s my uncle Troy.”
She shook her head. “Audrey has never mentioned a Troy. Did he pass away?”
“No, she won’t mention him, no one will, because he’s in prison in England.” He nodded towards the doorway leading into the ballroom. “There’s Audrey and Jake.”
“I just heard there is a magician performing in the upper hall,” Audrey said, rushing towards them.
“There is!” Victoria replied, although her mind was on Lincoln, and how sad he’d sounded when he’d mentioned his uncle.
“Why are you wearing Lincoln’s boutonniere?” Audrey asked, frowning as she glanced at Lincoln. “And he’s wearing your nosegay?”
“The magician,” Victoria said, and proceeded to explain how it had happened, as well as many of the other tricks the magician had performed.
The four of them attended the next performance of Hans the Magnificent, which was just as breathtaking as the first one. No one else had their flowers switched like she and Lincoln had, and hours later, upon arriving home, Victoria removed the red carnation from her dress and carefully laid it between the pages of a book, to preserve it.
The magician’s performances had been remarkable, but Lincoln was who had made the evening memorable. She had never enjoyed a ball so much. Because of their agreement, she hadn’t needed to worry about men asking her to dance. That had not only been a relief, it made her look forward to the list of other events that they would attend. It seemed strange, but having people think they were a couple, felt freeing to her.
Their agreement had worked out for Lincoln, too, because she’d remained at his side the entire time, and had easily dissuaded any eager socialites with little more than a smile. She hadn’t felt bad about that, nor had it been difficult, because they were all silly girls who only had one thing in mind—getting him to the altar.
That would not happen on her watch.
Nor would there be a scandal.
Not even when they ended their partnership. They would part as friends. Remain friends. Just like she would remain friends with Audrey.
She’d never thought of him as a friend in the past, but this trip had changed all that and she was happy about that. They had so much in common. Especially when it came to marriage. It was so nice knowing that she didn’t need to worry about saying or doing anything that might encourage him to believe that was her goal. He knew it wasn’t, and she knew he had no ulterior motives.
She had no ulterior motives, either. Though, for a fleeting moment or two this evening, she had caught herself wondering why she didn’t feel as if she was pretending. What she felt for him had felt real, natural, but then she’d remembered that they were friends. Nothing more.
The list she’d made long ago about finding the love of her life wasn’t overly long, but it was specific. He—if there ever was a he—would be very much like her father had been. Kind, and caring, and funny. Very funny. Someone who would make her happy, make her laugh. Her father had made them all laugh, all the time, and she missed that, so very much. He’d made others laugh, too. Everyone had liked her father. And she had loved him. Loved him so much that sometimes her heart still hurt when she thought about him dying. Being gone forever.
Her father had been handsome, too, but that wasn’t on her list. She would never fall in love with someone just because of their looks. She wouldn’t fall in love with anyone that she didn’t want to fall in love with. It was as simple as that. Just like she’d told Lincoln.
With happiness filling her, because there were times when everything felt right, and this was one of them, she patted the book holding the boutonniere between its pages. The book was one she’d brought with her from home, a mystery novel. She’d known how it would end—at least had been very sure of that—and had brought it with her because she knew she couldn’t have waited a month to finish it. Having finished the book a few days ago, she’d been happy to know she’d been right about who the culprit had been and what he’d done.
She was right about Lincoln, too. About the two of them being friends.
Smiling to herself, she left the book on the dresser and proceeded to get ready for bed, already excited for the next event on the list Roseanne had created.
Lincoln normally didn’t go into the office on Saturdays, but had this morning, because he wanted to go over the notes that he’d quickly written up last night while talking with his informant in order to have things fresh in his mind.
He and Victoria would be attending the theater tonight with Jake and Audrey. John Webster would be there, too, and Lincoln wanted a few questions front and foremost to ask when they encountered each other.
Yet the paper before him was empty because he kept thinking about Victoria, and how enthralled she’d been about the magician last night. He wondered if the play would have her as mesmerized as Hans the Magnificent had last night. Her nosegay was still on his dresser. In the small dish where he usually put the change out of his pockets. He hadn’t known what to do with it. It was just a flower, but he hadn’t wanted to throw it away.
Eventually, he’d have to.
Giving his head a clearing shake, he mumbled, “It’s a flower. You have a case to focus on. One that could put you where you want to be.”
It took more reminders like that to keep his mind on the task at hand. By the afternoon, when he left his office, he’d memorized a list of questions for John. He also had two nosegays in his possession.
Unable to get that flower on his dresser off his mind, and because he’d never bought one before, nor knew where to buy one, he’d sent his driver out to buy one for Victoria for tonight. However, then he’d determined that giving her one might raise eyebrows, so he’d sent his driver out to buy a second one for Audrey. Giving each his sister and Victoria one to wear to the theater tonight wouldn’t raise eyebrows. Not even his mother would be able to read more into that.
Furthermore, there wasn’t anything that needed to be read into. He merely felt bad that Victoria’s flower from last night was drying up to nothing on his dresser.
Upon arriving home, he asked Curtis to have the nosegays sent up to Audrey’s and Victoria’s rooms. While the butler saw to the task, Lincoln made his way into the parlor, where he heard voices.
Audrey, Victoria, and his mother were in there, all three sitting on the sofa and discussing something on the large sheet of paper laid on the table before them.
“Hello, Lincoln, dear,” his mother greeted. “We are putting together the reserved seating.”
He gave a nod, but his eyes kept going to Victoria, as if he had no control over them. She was wearing a pink-and-white-striped dress, and looked as pretty as ever, so why was he noticing small things? Like how a few corkscrews of hair dangled near her temples, and how her ears were perfectly shaped. He’d never noticed a misshaped ear in the past, and noticing that hers weren’t made no sense.
He had to clear a lump out of his throat while pulling his gaze off her. “Reserved seating for what?”
“Oh, darling.” His mother sounded exasperated as she shook her head. “The wedding, of course.”
He nodded, recognizing that he should have known that.
“Oh, and dear, dinner will be served half an hour early this evening. We’ll need the extra time to arrive at the theater on time. It’s opening night.”
Hiding the thought that hit him, he gave his mother another head nod. “Very well. I’ll leave you to your reserved seating work.” Why hadn’t he considered his mother would be attending with them tonight? She loved the theater and never missed an opening night of a new play.
Leaving the room, he sought out Curtis again. “I need you to send someone to buy a nosegay for my mother and have it put in her room,” he told the butler.
“Right away, sir,” Curtis replied. “Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
Curtis left and Lincoln made his way to the second floor, wondering how replacing a simple flower from last night had snowballed into three trips to buy nosegays. Yet, he was glad that he’d thought about the repercussions of only giving Victoria one. Neither of them expected anything from their arrangement. It was simply to fool others for the time being, but he didn’t need his mother or sister to read more into it.
His actions confirmed themselves later, when all three women appeared in the drawing room wearing their theater finery, including the nosegays. All three were appreciative of his thoughtfulness.
A short time later, upon arriving at the theater, and noticing other women wearing nosegays—something he’d never noticed in the past—he was glad to have bought them.
The other thing he noticed, was the number of stares directed at him, as well as the whispering behind hand fans.
Although, in all honesty, he hadn’t set out to notice the nosegays or the stares, he’d been searching the crowd for John Webster. He’d told himself to look for John in an attempt to not be caught staring at Victoria. However, not even that was working. Ever since he’d walked into the drawing room and seen her wearing an olive green gown that was again a simple dress with little embellishment other than the pink rose nosegay, he’d been having a hard time taking his eyes off her.
At the moment, he was also wondering what exactly was filling him with a unique sense of pride as he escorted her through the lobby and up the wide staircase to the second floor and their balcony seats.
“I can find my way to our seats by myself,” she said near his ear.
“Why?” he asked quietly, because his mother, sister, and Jake were only a step or two ahead of them.
“Because you’ve been scanning the crowd like you’ve lost something since the moment we walked in the door.”
“I was just noticing how many other women have nosegays,” he replied.
She made a quiet scoffing sound before whispering, “It was very kind of you to surprise us with the nosegays, but I do not believe that is what you’ve been looking for.”
“Well, it is.”
“It is not.”
“Is too.”
Shaking her head, she huffed out a breath.
He grinned, and stepped aside, allowing her to follow the others through the curtained doorway of the private balcony, where six chairs were lined up along the half-wall of the open area that overlooked the stage.
They walked to their seats, and he held her chair as she sat before taking the seat between her and the wall. The chairs were padded, yet he wasn’t looking forward to sitting here for the next hour. From past experiences, it was going to be long and boring. He wasn’t disrespecting the actors, their abilities nor the work they put into their performances. It was his attention span that was to blame. He’d never been captured enough by a performance for his mind not to wander and wish he was someplace else.
Victoria’s hand touched his knee as she leaned towards him and whispered, “It won’t be that bad.”
He chuckled at how she knew what he was thinking and leaned close enough that the ends of their noses practically touched. “That’s a matter of opinion.”
“Perhaps. However, I believe if you were to have an open mind, you might enjoy this performance.”
“I have an open mind.” In fact, his mind was so open, it was noting how the overhead lights were reflecting in her blue eyes, making them sparkle. It was also so open that it wondered why he’d never noticed such things about her in the past.
Her smile grew. “Good, because I can’t believe you haven’t heard of Robin Hood.”
“What does Robin Hood have to do with anything?”
Her brows knit together and her smile disappeared as she asked, “You know that’s the performance, don’t you?”
“No.” He went on to explain, “I never asked. It didn’t matter. I knew we’d be here no matter what.”
Her entire expression softened and her hand still on his knee increased its pressure, spreading a warmth over his leg.
If she’d been going to say anything, the dimming of the lights must have changed her mind. She removed her hand and turned her gaze over the balcony ledge as darkness overtook the theater.
The curtains opened, and the performance began in a market square where the actor playing Friar Tuck broke into a song declaring he was an honest man. Lincoln knew the Robin Hood story well, and had to chuckle at the content of the opening song. However, it was the coy glance that Victoria cast his way that truly sent happiness rushing through is veins.
She reached over and patted his arm, and before she could remove her hand, he covered it with his.
They remained like that, hands touching, and to his surprise, the stage curtain fell and the lights turned on signaling the intermission between acts long before he’d expected it. Leastwise, he hadn’t yet grown bored or stiff.
Victoria’s gaze was on him. “You can admit it,” she said.
“Admit what?”
“That you are enjoying the performance.”
He rose and held her chair with one hand while offering the other for her to hold while rising to stand. “Yes, I can admit that. You’re enjoying it, too.”
“I am, more than I’d imagined,” she said. “The performers are wonderful.”
His mother quickly responded to that, explaining how she’d seen some of the same actors in other performances. She continued talking, making comparisons to past plays as they exited the balcony and descended the steps.
As his mother saw friends amongst the other show-goers and shifted her attention to them, he asked Victoria, “Would you care for a refreshment?”
“I would, thank you, but—” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I believe Mr. Webster is attempting to gain your attention.”
He lifted his head in the direction she nodded towards and made eye contact with John Webster on the other side of the room. His goal for the night was to speak to John, but an easy way to excuse himself wasn’t immediately forming. Like purchasing a nosegay for Victoria, he hadn’t fully thought this through. His mother never approved of business being conducted during social events, even though this conversation would only take a moment. He’d found a legitimate way to hold up any sale. John’s father’s will had never been probated. Though in this circumstance, it was merely a formality, it would provide the time needed to explore and prove who was behind the suggested sale and why. All he needed was John’s agreement to go ahead with the probate.
“Go say hello,” Victoria said. “I’ll escort your mother into the refreshment room. You can join us there.”
The sense of near disbelief washed over him. He could almost kiss her for her offer. He knew enough about women to know most would never suggest such a thing. They expected a man’s full attention to be on their wants and needs at all times. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“No, not at all.”
He gave her elbow a slight squeeze. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
Victoria allowed herself a moment to watch Lincoln walk away and silently admire how handsome he looked in his black suit. She wondered if his handsomeness had something to do with the way her heart was still beating faster than it should. Or was it because she knew they were fooling all these people surrounding her. Making them believe there was more than friendship between her and Lincoln. That felt a bit devilish, and she’d never done anything devilish in her life. She could justify the reason behind it, but justifying the feelings inside her was becoming difficult. Fooling anyone should not feel good. Should not make her happy, yet she was happy.
Her gaze shifted and there was no limit to the number of eyes that were following Lincoln, just as her gaze had, and they weren’t all those of young women. Many were older, mothers who would like to have their daughters courted by him. Married to him. That wasn’t what Lincoln wanted, and she was certain that knowing that is what imbedded a sense of bravery inside her that had never been quite so strong. It gave her the ability to pull up a smug smile to display upon the sets of eyes that shifted from him to her.
As the onlookers shifted their gazes elsewhere, Victoria turned towards where Roseanne was still engaged in conversation with two other women. Jake and Audrey were nowhere in sight, leaving her to believe they had already entered the refreshment area. She also believed that John Webster was who Lincoln had been looking for upon their arrival this evening. A genuine smile tugged at her lips over his insistence that he’d been looking to see what other women had been wearing nosegays. Together, they might be fooling others, but he could not fool her.
However, she was warmed by his thoughtfulness for the flowers he’d purchased for all of them. A few other men had given her flowers, and she’d never been overly impressed by the action because she’d known the reason behind their actions—the hope of getting their hands on her family’s money. Lincoln had done it just to be kind, and even though she wasn’t the only one he’d purchased the nosegays for, it made her feel special.
“Where’s Lincoln?” Roseanne asked with a frown as she scanned the crowd.
“He’s visiting with someone,” Victoria replied. “I told him we’d meet him in the refreshment area. I assumed you were thirsty. I know I am.”
“I am quite parched,” Roseanne said, looping their arms together. “All that laughing during the performance is to blame. It’s been an entertaining rendition of an old tale, don’t you agree?”
“I do,” Victoria replied as they made their way through the crowd. “The actors are extremely talented.”
As she’d expected, Roseanne began explaining the number of times she’d seen the same actors in other performances, which took her mind off her son’s whereabouts.
It didn’t take Victoria’s mind off him. Not even the play, which had been excellent, had done that. She’d been excited to see how he had instantly become occupied by the performance. She would have too, if his hand hadn’t been upon hers and squeezing it during certain times. That had sent her heart into quite a state, making following the storyline somewhat difficult.
Her thoughts had been on him, and were again now. She once again wondered if Mr. Webster was one of his clients. Not that it was any of her business, she was just curious. He certainly had been looking for someone and it had been evident that Mr. Webster had been discreetly attempting to catch his attention a moment ago.
It could possibly have something to do with the bicycles he’d purchased, but all Mr. Webster would have had to do was call Lincoln about that. Then again, all he’d have to do was call him if he was a client and had a question. She was just too curious, or perhaps too distrustful of men. All men. Which wasn’t unexpected considering her history of would-be suitors. She couldn’t remember a single one that she’d ever thought might have an interest in her for herself.
Lincoln wasn’t interested in her, either, not in that sense. He didn’t need her grandfather’s money, and for a brief moment, she wondered if this, this happiness inside her, would be the same if he truly was interested her as a woman. Someone he wanted to share his future with, his dreams and goals. If he would welcome her to assist him in manifesting those goals and dreams.
It was a silly, fleeting thought. She shouldn’t be wondering about that, nor imagining how thrilling it would be to work alongside him. Offering him support and ideas or suggestions that he’d welcome. He would thank her for being a part of his life.
She gave herself a clearing head shake. That was not what either of them wanted and she appreciated that, therefore, she shouldn’t hold the same skepticism towards him as she did others. She certainly didn’t when it came to other things, so why was she wondering so much about Mr. Webster? Which is where this entire line of silly thoughts had begun.
No answers to her own thoughts formed as she accepted a glass of champagne and sipped on it while listening to the others around her discuss the performance and actors. The fluttering sense of happiness returned as she recalled how Lincoln had laughed during a scene that they mentioned. He was in attendance because of family requirements, and had been prepared to be bored the entire evening. She’d recognized it because that had been exactly how she’d felt every time a suitor had been invited to her home for a meal or just a visit. There had been no fun, no thrill in any of that.
Nothing like what she’d experienced since arriving in the city this trip. Lincoln was the reason. She’d had fun on all of her visits with Audrey, but this time was different and that alone gave reason for her to know she was right in her goal of not getting married just because it was expected of her. She didn’t want a dull and uneventful life.
That hadn’t been something she’d thought of before, but every moment she’d spent in Lincoln’s company had been anything but dull. Even when they bickered over a difference of opinions.
A soft touch on her elbow caused her heart to do a little loop-de-loop, and she instantly knew who was at her side.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome.” She scanned the room, looking for a waiter. “Would you care for a beverage?”
“It looks like they are collecting empties. It must be time to return to our seats.”
She handed him her glass. “You can finish this one.”
He took it, finished it, and set her empty glass on a tray that one of the many attendants were carrying.
Roseanne set her glass upon a tray as well. “Who were you visiting with, dear?”
“Just an acquaintance,” he replied as he escorted both of them out of the room.
Victoria held her question until they were once again seated in the balcony and the lights were out. As the curtain rose, she leaned closer to him. “Did you cancel your order?”
“What order?” he whispered in return.
“The bicycles.”
“No.”
She attempted to stop herself from asking, but it didn’t take hold. “Is he a client of yours?”
“He is now.”
The smile that tugged on her lips seemed silly, yet she liked having her curiosity satisfied. She also liked that he trusted her enough to tell her that Mr. Webster was a client.
Her smile faded as she wondered why Mr. Webster had just become one of Lincoln’s clients. That resulted in her giving herself a chiding. She didn’t need to know everything, not about Lincoln or his clients, but she couldn’t let it go.
Her thoughts refused to shift to the play, because his arm was resting along the back of her chair, making it impossible for her to concentrate on anything but him.
Long after the play was over and they were back home, she lay in her bed, staring at the picture, still wrapped in paper behind the chair near the window, wondering why Lincoln was willing to have Mr. Webster be his client but unwilling to help her with her case.
Even though she told herself that wasn’t a fair comparison, because Mr. Webster probably had legal business issues that he needed Lincoln to take care of, whereas Lincoln had already told her that she didn’t have enough information for a robbery case, she couldn’t get it off her mind. Her goal was to make sure Elwood paid for his crime against her family.
However, she now had the new goal of keeping Lincoln safe from all the socialites, and in truth, that one was what was on her mind more than Elwood. Leastwise, it had been up until tonight. Was that because she’d realized how much she was enjoying Lincoln’s company? Not just his company, but his friendship. He had many clients that he’d probably told people about for years, so why had she relished in him telling her that Mr. Webster was one of his clients? Because it made her feel like she was even more of a part of his life?
Attending a theater performance wasn’t new. She’d lost count of the number of times she had attended one, yet she’d never been more excited about going to one than she had been today. Since waking up this morning, a thrill had lived inside her, knowing that she’d be attending with Lincoln. That same thrill had remained throughout the entire evening.
Truthfully, it was still there and the day was over. Furthermore, if she was being completely truthful with herself, she knew that thrill was going to remain right up to the wedding. She liked acting as if she and Lincoln were a couple. Which was completely unlike her. She’d never wanted to be part of a couple.
This was different, though. She wasn’t really part of a couple. Perhaps that’s where the thrill came from, that she and Lincoln were only pretending.
However, when the pretending ended, nothing would have changed. Nothing about her life.
Unless she found a way for Lincoln to help her see that Elwood was charged for what he had done. She couldn’t lose sight of that. After all, that had been a part of why she’d agreed to their pretending.
The main reason.
She had to set a precedent so in the future, men wouldn’t believe she or Eva were easy pickings.