Page 80 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
He almost smiled. “You won’t.”
The honest in his tone must have reached her because shestared at his proffered hand a beat longer. Then, with a breath like surrender, she took it.
The drive into town was quiet. It was tense as usual, but for the strangest unknown reasons, it was not unpleasant. Magnus didn’t speak much, and Lily didn’t ask.
There was something in the silence that felt sacred and brighter, but they both seemed to hesitate to speak before they understood what it meant.
Eventually, the carriage came to a halt, and Lily was the first to peer through the window. Her breath caught when she saw it—the little theater on Kingsley Row.
She couldn’t believe it. The tickets were hard to find.
“You brought me to the theater,” she said softly, stunned.
Magnus stepped out of the carriage and extended a hand to help her down. “You once told me that you hadn’t been since your mother passed.”
Lily blinked quickly, and he couldn’t tell if it was the breeze or emotion that made her lashes flutter.
“I didn’t think you were listening that day,” she murmured, placing her hand in his.
“I always listen to you,” he said before he could stop himself.
She faltered, her hand still in his. “This isn’t a public performance, is it?”
“No. I had the place cleared.” He offered a small, devilish smile. “I bribed the stagehands. Scandalous, I know.”
As though he hadn’t done enough to leave her speechless, Lily froze. He had the whole theater cleared?
She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips.
“You bribed a theater?” she asked, stepping out of the carriage.
“I do worse things before breakfast.”
He guided her inside. The large space was dimly lit by candles and shafts of late afternoon light. The stage was empty but bathed in gold. There were petals scattered across the floorboards, and soft music piped from somewhere unseen.
Suddenly, she stopped, before turning in a slow circle.
“You did all of this?” she whispered, stunned.
Magnus also stopped, watching her more than their surroundings. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I simply tried to give you something no one else could.”
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. No suitor had ever offered her a dance, let alone a private theater.
“You’re impossible,” she said, though her voice lacked heat.
“I know,” he murmured. “Come with me, My Lady,” he added, before leading her further.
He held her hand with one hand, the other around her waist as he helped her up the steps and the moment could only be described as sweet.
They sat in the private box near the stage, and for a long moment, neither spoke. The distant music filled the silence between them.
Well, before Lily broke it.
“I used to come here with my mother,” she said, her voice soft. “She would hum the scores for days after, always just a little off-key.”
Magnus watched her face, and he could see the memory painting something almost childlike across her expression.
“Did you love her?” he asked gently.
