“Lily, I was just about to—” He stopped, then struggled for words. “You look…”
“Yes?”
Charles looked around, as if fighting part of himself that wanted to kiss her senseless in order to be a better person for her. “You will be the envy of the opera.”
Lily favored him with a smile. “Would you mind terribly if I sat beside you?”
“M-mind?” he stuttered. “Of-of course not.”
“Are you cold, my lord?” She moved over and sat beside him. After a moment he carefully stretched his left arm around her shoulders. “Strange, you seem very warm to me.”
“D-do I?” he asked.
She ducked her head, to make herself look embarrassed. “I’m not being too forward with you, am I? I had thought we were past all that after we…”
“Kissed?” he volunteered.
“Yes. Would you kiss me now?”
“Here?” he asked, his voic
