Page 22 of Songs and Spun Gold
It was all a pretty fantasy, and she knew it. But she had little enough fantasy in her life of threshing, shearing, and spinning; couldn’t a girl lay aside her practicality every now and then?
“Shall we, then?” Gunther grinned, offering her his expensively-clad arm.
And if he turned out to be a scoundrel, surely she could manage to beat him off if she had to. Or at least scream loudlyenough to bring someone to her rescue.
Taking his arm, she let herself settle closer than she had before. “I should probably tell Angelika first,” Katy sighed. “She’ll worry if I disappear. Oh, and I should get my cloak,” she added absently. It was late autumn; she’d freeze without it. Gunther might be willing to share his, but she wasn’t feelingthatrash.
“Of course,” he replied. “I’ll wait for you at the top of the stairs.”
Katy furrowed her brow, wondering if he was hiding nefarious intentions after all. “Why don’t you come with me? I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”
“With this face?” Gunther laughed. “If I step foot out of the cast area, I’ll be mobbed by adoring fans, and we’ll never get out of here.”
“Good point,” she said as they began to climb the stairs. His true motivation or not, it was a valid point.
To say that Angelika was not pleased with her disappearing act would be putting it mildly. She was even less thrilled when Katy announced her intention to run off again and wander the capital with a man she’d just met. Fortunately, Angelika couldn’t do a thing about it except scowl at Katy and cast dire predictions.
Naturally, Katy ignored these with the practice of long friendship. Not that shealwaysignored Angelika, but sometimes, Katy had no interest in being held back by her friend’s cautious nature.
Tonight was one of those times. Gunther was a stranger, but he made her laugh. He had amazing brown eyes, and he radiated good nature and friendliness. Where was the harm in enjoying his company a little longer?
And when it was time to return home, she could leave him in her dust.
CHAPTER 6
Katy
Fastening her cloak around her neck, Katy slipped back through the door that led to the offices and basement staircase. Gunther stood with his hands in his trouser pockets, casually leaning against the wall next to the stairs. He’d been staring off down the hallway, but he turned to her with a smile when the door creaked open.
“Finally ready?” he asked cheerfully as he approached her. His eyes twinkled at her, mitigating any offense she might have taken at his words.
Patting her hair, Katy replied, “Oh, I forgot to slip into the ladies’ powder room first. You wouldn’t happen to have a mirror nearby, would you?”
Gunther merely shook his head at her. “Your hair looks fine, and you know it. If you keep looking for excuses to delay our departure, I will be forced to believe you never had any intention of keeping me company this evening.”
His scrunched eyebrows and slightly downturned lips expressed woefulness so perfectly, she might have bought it if not for his eyes. They laughed at her behind his perfectly crafted expression.
“You found me out,” Katy sighed. “This has all been a ploy to break your heart. But I suppose it would have been more effective to never come back, wouldn’t it?”
“Probably,” he laughed, his eyes sparkling. He moved hisarm behind her as if to guide her with a hand on her back, but he quickly dropped it and offered his elbow instead. “Now, if you’re done stalling…”
For a moment, she pretended to pout, but then she relented and wrapped both hands around his forearm, giving him a wide smile as she did so. He gazed back at her, eyes soft and only the barest curve at the corners of his lips. Old feelings, long pushed to the side in favor of reality, stirred to the surface as she met those deep eyes of his.
Was she sure they were the eyes of a stranger?
“Weren’t you the one complaining of delays?” she forced out after a few breaths.
The right side of his mouth curved up farther, and the twinkle returned to his eyes. “Quite right you are, Miss. My apologies.” He waved his right hand down the hall. “Come, let us be off.”
Katy was pleased to discover that this hallway was better lit than the one in the basement, even though it shared its practical style. It was also fairly short, quickly dumping them into an alley on the side of the theater.
If it were summer, it might have been light enough to see by the sun. Being later in the year, the sun had long since disappeared behind the horizon. The moon had not yet risen, so only the light from the gas lamps on the main street nearby filtered through the alley to their position.
With it came the rattle of carriage wheels on the cobblestones, the whinnies of restless carriage horses, and the low rumble of many voices as the theater attendees exited the building and either found their waiting carriages or set off on foot for their homes. Casting a glance toward the front of the building, Katy could see a line of conveyances blocking the alley and wondered how far down the street it stretched.
Gunther flipped the hood of his cloak up and led her inthat direction. “It would be more pleasant to avoid the mess, but I’m afraid the other way is a dead end.”
Katy covered her mouth with her right hand and gasped. “You’ve already dragged me into an alley! You dishonest cur!”
