CHAPTER 28 #2
Axel cheerfully clapped a hand on Luther’s shoulder as he prepared to follow Helena into the carriage.
“My apologies, good sir, but this conveyance lacks the space for six. As my wife and I wish to travel with our sisters, you must partake of your own accommodations.” He waggled his eyebrows at Tobias, who stood with his weight on one leg and Liesl’s hand in his elbow. “That goes for you, too.”
“As expected.” Stepping past Luther, Tobias lazily handed Liesl into the carriage. He sauntered away with a casual wave. “See you there.”
Luther spluttered for a few moments, but he could hardly argue with the prince’s order, especially when his desired lady was obstinately staring in the opposite direction. Having no reason to stay, he stomped off, presumably to find the coach which had brought him to the castle.
“Are you sure you thought this through?” Katy laughed as Axel helped her up the steps. Releasing his hand, she settled on the empty bench and grinned at her giggling sister. “If you had let them ride with Liesl and Helena, we could have had a carriage to ourselves.”
Exchanging his own wink with Helena, Axel jumped lightly into the vehicle and dropped an arm around Katy’s shoulders. “Perfectly. We can snuggle later, whereas my poor little sister was desperate to be free of her suitors now.”
Helena’s smile dimmed when her eyes settled on Katy’s red cheeks, but she quickly focused on Axel instead. “Thank you for that. If I have to spend hours stuck between them at the theater, at least I can escape them for the drive.”
The theater…Axel’s mind drifted. He hadn’t been back since the day of the attack. Would it have the familiar feeling of his favorite refuge now that it was restored? Or would his memories of flickering flames and the abrupt cessation of Lotti’s voice haunt him?
~
“If you continue to apply such pressure, you will render my lower arm useless.”
“Sorry,” Katy sighed. “After the way we left the last time, it’s hard to relax.”
As they walked down the ramp, Axel cast his eyes around the repaired auditorium. The high arched ceiling and rows of chairs looked much as they had before.
Katy copied him. “Do you think it really is safe?”
Axel gave her hand a light squeeze. “I verified with the operations director; they haven’t had a single note or accident since the fire. Whoever was responsible must have lost his nerve after seeing the results.”
“Let’s hope so.” When they reached their row, she stopped, staring at the chairs while Helena and Luther argued over the seating arrangement.
Her left hand drifted to her middle. “Do you think we should have all the kingdom’s heirs here?
The note-writer may be gone, but it would be an excellent opportunity for L—our friend to make another attempt and blame it on him. ”
Shaking his head, Axel prodded her gently toward their seats. “Trust your cousin. If we were in danger, he would have let us know.” As she followed her sister, he added, “But if you aren’t comfortable being here, we can leave.”
“No, it’s fine.” She sat in the second seat from the aisle, tugging him down next to her. “You’ve been looking forward to this for too long for me to take you away now.”
“You’re sure?”
Katy patted his shoulder. “Positive.” Giving him a teasing grin, she added, “That would be like keeping a sheep from its pasture. If we go home without watching the show, you will mope, and I’ll lose that light-hearted actor that I love.”
“Me?” He pressed his right hand to his chest and dropped his jaw in a disbelieving expression. “You think that I would engage in something as melodramatic as moping?”
Laughing, she settled into her seat, the tension easing from her shoulders.
Axel put on a smile, but his mind clung to the concern she had presented.
He felt confident that the theater was safe.
Father clearly agreed, or he wouldn’t have let them all come.
But was it a foolish risk? Should one of them have stayed home?
Resting an arm across Katy’s shoulders, Axel gazed at the smile beginning to curve her lips as the atmosphere of the theater wrapped around them and drew her into its excitement. She didn’t want to go back, and he wanted to enjoy the show with her.
Sliding his eyes sideways, he watched his sister argue with Luther. With her banishment to Reineggburg for her youth, she’d never been to a show. He couldn’t ask her to return to the castle, either; it would be selfish to request that of her.
“I resent the insinuation, Luther.” Crossing her arms, Helena lifted her chin and scowled at the young nobleman. Other patrons were drifting in, but the room wasn’t yet filled with the buzz of a full crowd. “If you do not approve of my friends, you are welcome to sit elsewhere.”
Liesl shrank a little deeper into her seat before turning to Katy with a bright smile. Too bright, if Axel was any judge. “Do you think we’ll get a visit from the ghost tonight? I’d love to see a real one!”
“I’m hoping we don’t,” Katy answered with a sigh. She glanced up at the new chandelier sparkling over the orchestra pit. “Our last encounter isn’t one I would like to repeat.”
“I am not disparaging your friends, Princess Helena.” Luther’s voice drowned out Liesl’s response. He had his hands raised palm-out in front of him. “I am simply suggesting that you have someone between the two of you for a few hours since we cannot agree if Tobias or I should sit next to you.”