“What will you do if he wishes to pursue youonce again?” Genviève asked.
“I will discourage him and ask him not toseek me out again.” It is what she knew she must do no matter howmuch it caused her heart to ache. To become further involved withLord Acker would leave her shattered in the end. Besides, he wasfriends with the family she was to avoid and any association withAcker risked her being confronted by her brother. No matter howmuch she wished to meet him, in this she would not go against hermother’s dictate.
The orchestra began tuning their instrumentsand a moment of anxiety shifted through Juliette. It wasn’tuncommon for her to become nervous when she performed a dance forthe first time before an audience, but she knew that after a fewsteps her confidence would return and the music would takeover.
“I am going to watch from the back of thetheatre,” Genviève informed them before she slipped from theroom.
“I want to meet him,” Hélène announced assoon as their sister was gone.
“Our brother?” Juliette clarified.
“Yes.” Hélène clarified. “It has been yearsand what if maman is wrong?”
Juliette looked into her younger sister’sblue eyes. “I’ve considered the same,” Juliette said quietly.
“If he is horrible we will do as mamanplanned by selling her jewelry and return to Milan.”
Juliette bit her bottom lip in thought.Hélène was right. Maman was already making plans to leave. Whatharm could there be in meeting their one relation, a half-brother?
“Let’s plan to call on him, but not untilmaman sells her jewelry and right before we are set to leave. If heis horrible we will be able to disappear quickly.”
“And we won’t tell maman. Or at least notuntil we are back in Milan.” Hélène frowned. “We will need to findout his name and direction.” She huffed and walked toward the sidecurtain. “We have a brother and don’t even know his name.” Hélènepeeked through a small opening and a moment later stepped away andturned to Juliette. “Lord Acker is in the audience.”
Juliette’s nerves spiked but she would put itfrom her mind. She had danced with Acker watching before andtonight would be no different. “Is he sitting with anyone?” Shewanted to know if he had escorted a lady.
Hélène eyed Juliette for a moment. “He iswith two other couples, but no lady appears to be with him, if thatis what you wish to know.”
Heat infused her face, but Juliette saidnothing. Her sisters knew her too well.
The orchestra quieted which meant theirinstruments were now in tune. In just a few short moments Juliettewould take the stage.
“We need to leave immediately after theperformance,” she informed Hélène. “Have my clothing ready, please.I want to be gone before Lord Acker comes back here, if he choosesto come.”
Hélène nodded and began gathering herthings.
Acker settled back while the orchestra turnedtheir instruments. He shared a box with Lord Bentley and Eleanor,as well as Mr. Jordan Trent and his wife, Audrey. Normally hismother jointed him at the ballet, but she had chosen to stay withthe Dowager Bentley and two gentlemen in a box on the opposite sideof the theatre. He narrowed his eyes and studied the couples. Werethose gentlemen friends or were the ladies being courted? Motherwas only in her fiftieth year and Bentley’s mother was onlythirty-and seven. It would stand to reason that widowers, withheirs and children already might seek out their companionship.
Acker glanced at the older gentleman, LordFilbright, who was paying particular attention to his mother. Thegentleman had better have honorable intentions towards his motheror Acker might just need to have a few words with him.
Lord Carrington must be telling the dowager astory because the woman’s face lit with humor and she laughed. Odd,Acker could not recall every seeing Bentley’s step-mother laugh andrarely smile. She was a beautiful woman when happy. After all thoseyears with the former Bentley she deserved to be happy andCarrington was only a few years older than the dowager with adaughter due to be introduced next Season and three youngersons.
“I’ll need to keep an eye on Carrington,”Bentley groaned.
“Why?” Eleanor stated, turning toward him.“He seems to make Rose happy and if anyone deserves happiness it isyour step-mother.”
“What if he is not honorable in hisintentions? She is a widow.”
“Why don’t you let Rose decide what is bestfor her,” Eleanor suggested. “After all those years with yourfather she deserves to have a bit of say in her life.”
Bentley slumped down in the chair, crossedhis arms over his chest and grumbled something Acker did notunderstand, but he still watched his step-mother.
“I Donna why I le’ ya dragged me here,”Brachton was saying to his wife, Madeline.
She simply shook her head, but like Bentley,didn’t let her gaze stray from watching her mother and LordCarrington.
Brachton and his wife sat in the next boxover with Matthew Trent, John Trent and their wives. The othercouples were conversing in low tones and Acker could not hear whatthey were saying.
The lights dimmed and Acker focused back onthe stage as the orchestra began the overture. The first ballerinaentered and even though she was female, it was not Juliette. Therewas a stab of disappointment. Acker knew he would not see Juliettedance this evening, yet a part of him had held out a smallhope.
Another dancer entered and he straightenedand leaned forward. It was her. Juliette was dancing. He leanedover to whisper in Eleanor’s ear. “There she is.”
“Who?” Eleanor asked.
“The one who wished to audition.” Ackersmiled and pointed to Juliette. “The one who disappeared.” He hadtold Eleanor almost everything with regard to Juliette when hecalled on his friend the afternoon Bentley asked him to.
Bentley shifted and leaned forward. “It can’tbe?”
Jordan focused on the dancer andstraightened. “Is it possible?
“What?” Eleanor asked.
“More importantly, who.” Bentley answeredwithout looking at his wife.
“Jordan?” Audrey placed a hand on herhusband’s arm.
“Julia,” Jordan whispered, not taking hiseyes from the stage.
Each member of the Trent family shifted andstudied the ballerina Acker knew as Juliette. “Which one?” Madelineasked.
“The redhead,” Matthew Trent whispered,
