Page 19 of Songs and Spun Gold
Resting a hand on her hip, she gave him an unimpressed look that was lost to the dim light. “I’m not a fool. I can followa straight hallway to the stairs.”
He turned his face away, lips mashed together. As the light from the room lit the expression, she caught a twinkle in his eye. Or maybe that was simply the light reflecting off it.
“You’re Lars!” she gasped. The angle of his jaw, combined with the voice… It was different when he wasn’t delivering lines. That must be why she hadn’t recognized it from the start.
His head jerked back toward her. “What? No, I’m—”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I—”
“No, sorry.” He waved a hand in front of his face and chuckled. “You threw me for a minute, that’s all. Yes, I played Lars tonight.”
Without conscious thought, her feet carried her toward him. Staring up at him, she said rapturously, “You’re the reason I came down here.”
“Oh?” His voice cracked a little.
Clasping her hands in front of her chest, she took another step forward. “When I heard you sing, I knew I had to meet you. To see if—” She choked on the desperate hope flooding her. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him.
But oh, how she wanted it to be.
“Lars” flashed her a winning smile, his teeth reflecting the candlelight. “We actorsdoaim to please. I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”
“Yes, it was wonderful,” Katy said, tossing off the assurance without paying it much heed. She raised her eyes to his warm brown ones. “But that’s not why I had to see you.”
He simply raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, waiting. Katy twisted her hands nervously. Her memories were so fuzzy, and she had no name. She struggled to remember more details of his face, but pressure began to build in her temples with the effort. Unless he acknowledged her, how would she know if it was reallyhim?
On the other hand, if it wasn’thim, she would never see him again, so it didn’t matter how big of a fool she appeared. She might as well just say it. “This might sound silly, but—” She bit her lip. “You wouldn’t happen to be a noble in real life, would you?”
She cringed internally, waiting for his scoff. For a moment, he stared back at her, smile still in place. Then he tipped back his head and laughed.
“A noble?” It was such a pleasant laugh. Not demeaning, just amused. “If I were a noble, do you think I would be spending my evenings in the bowels of the theater?”
Even as her heart sank at this verification of what she already knew, she crept closer. Stepping into the doorway, she searched his face, half lit, half in shadows. “If it’s what you love. What you want matters.” The words echoed in her head, evoking the sense that she’d said them before.
He blinked at her, confusion in his eyes. Such beautiful eyes, she thought irrelevantly.
“Pardon me if I sound forward…do I…know you?”
If only he did.
“No,” she replied, shaking her head slowly. Finally dropping her eyes, she told him, “I came down here hoping that maybe—” She stopped, letting the last of her hope drain out. “But no, I do not believe we’ve ever met.”
It was time to give up on fruitless dreams.
“I should probably go.” She tried to muster a joking smile, but it fell flat. “Before Angelika forms a search party.”
“Let me grab my cloak and boots, and I’ll join you,” he offered, already striding back into the dressing room. Katy stared after him, her mouth slightly open. This complete stranger wanted to—
Then her mind caught up with the rest of his sentence. “Your…” She glanced down at his feet. Hisstockingfeet.
She’d been talking to a handsome young man who wasn’t fully dressed.
Cheeks beginning to heat, she whipped her face away. “Don’t hurry on my account,” she called out, wishing she didn’t sound as flustered as she looked. Behind her, she could hear his light chuckles. “I told you, I can find my way back.” But she didn’t walk away.
The scuffling sound of boots sliding across a wooden floor was followed by the steady thump of shod feet. Trusting it was safe, she turned around and saw him reaching for a long, black cloak laid over the back of a chair.
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her easily with a quick glance over his shoulder. “After all, an actor cannot spend hisentirelife in the theater. I should be going, myself.” Pausing, he grabbed something off the seat of the chair before turning back to her, but there was nothing in his hands. He swung his cloak around his shoulders, concealing his black trousers and white shirt.
Katy watched him warily, trying to decide if he was as friendly and trustworthy as he seemed. He was an actor, after all.
