Since Brenna was a master at timing, I was sitting quietly twiddling my thumbs when Thomas knocked on my door that evening.

"My, don't you look stunning," he said, taking my gloved hand to kiss it in greeting when Elspeth had opened the door for him.

"As do you," I said, meaning every word. He was dressed in a sharply tailored dark suit, his emerald cravat emphasizing the green in his blue eyes.

"Our carriage awaits," he said, his eyes glittering as he tucked my hand into the crook of his arm. When I attempted to hurry past the other debutante suites, Thomas slowed my pace.

"Why the hurry?" he asked, pausing to adjust his jacket when we were just outside cousin Annabelle's suite.

"I'd rather not gloat that I'm being escorted by a prince," I said, cursing my luck as Ashley Mayfair's door opened just down the hallway. She and her three ladies in waiting emerged in a flurry of giggles, Ashley stopping short upon noticing me and Thomas.

"Good evening, ladies," Thomas said, right as Ashley turned on her heel to pretend she hadn't noticed us. At Thomas' words, Ashley faced us, her face contorting into a forced smile as she curtseyed.

"Good evening, your Highness," she said, studiously avoiding my gaze. Thomas remained immobile next to me, that rakish grin on his face as he waited for Ashley to rise and continue towards the entrance hall ahead of us.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy being curtseyed to by the likes of her?" he leaned down to whisper when we resumed walking. I pursed my lips, unwilling to admit how thoroughly I'd enjoyed watching Lady Mayfair get taken off her high horse. Thomas laughed.

"Oh don't start tonight off in such a sour mood," he said as we descended into the entrance hall among the milling debutantes, "My next victim will be the impeccable Adelaide Winters."

"Must you cause trouble wherever you go?" I asked, feeling the eyes of the room on us as Thomas led me out the front door towards the carriage blocks.

"Always," he grinned, "But especially so when I have such a lovely accomplice."

He paused near the first carriage in the line, which was by far the most opulent. A footman held the door open and as I peered inside, I noted that it was very much empty.

"I'm not climbing in there alone with you," I blurted out as Thomas rested a hand on my back.

"So mistrustful," he chuckled, "Are you afraid I'd ravish you in the few minutes we'd be waiting for brother dearest?"

"I need some air is all," I said, pulling away from him so I could fill my lungs with the crisp evening air as opposed to the hint of his cologne.

Something felt wrong about this evening. Whether it was that I would be forced to watch as Andrew escorted Adelaide and enjoyed the opera with her at his side or that I'd be doing the very same thing with the younger prince, I had no idea. My stomach was turning in knots as I looked over to the other debutantes, climbing into carriages in groups or paired up with inductees.

Georgina waved at me as she emerged, hurrying down the steps towards where Emmeline and William Weatherington were waiting. Across the way, Xavier was chatting with cousin Annabelle, helping her into a carriage of their own. I made a face, remembering that I hadn't had a moment to speak with him since my conversation with Georgina earlier that afternoon.

"Well don't you two make a lovely couple," Thomas' jovial voice cut into my thoughts and I whirled around to see Andrew and Adelaide descending the stairs towards us.

Thomas hadn't been lying and my stomach turned anew at how picture perfect they appeared together. Adelaide had swept her pale blonde hair up into a cascade of amethyst-encrusted curls, her lavender ermine-lined cloak hanging elegantly around her slender shoulders. She looked regal and perfect next to Andrew, who was wearing a dark suit and red cravat. Like his brother's, it was expertly cut and tailored to hug his broad shoulders. I couldn't help but grind my teeth at the fact that Adelaide and I were both in shades of purple.

"You two look quite fetching yourselves," Adelaide said kindly and I fought from scowling as she blushed prettily at Thomas' compliment. Thomas was beside me again as I looked away towards the carriage.

"Don't we? Although I must say I'm especially partial to that shade of purple on Libby," Thomas said, shooting me a wink. I hated my traitorous eyes for seeking out Andrew's reaction to the flirtation.

"Yes, it certainly brings out your beauty," Andrew said, his green eyes holding that same hunger I'd recognized from the first night in the little library. That invisible tug between us gave a yank to my heart as we stared at each other.

"Why don't you allow me to help you in," Thomas said to Adelaide, watching the look Andrew and I were exchanging. He released me to offer Adelaide a hand into the carriage, climbing in behind her.

"I'm so happy you're coming," Andrew said, gesturing for me to precede him to the carriage. Despite the gloves we were both wearing, when our hands touched as he helped me in, I felt my breath catch in my throat. I settled in beside Adelaide, trying to remember to breathe.

"Aubergine really is a lovely colour on you," she said, shifting her skirts so I would have room enough to sit. I bit back my sigh at her kindness, once again forcing a smile.

"Thank you so much," I managed, "And your cloak looks...warm."

Her smile turned into a look of puzzlement as I looked away, the footman slamming the carriage door before we lurched forwards.

"I'm so looking forward to this evening," Adelaide continued, addressing the pair of princes across from her while I stared out the window.

"Of course you are," Thomas said, "Is this when you enrapture us with your vast knowledge of the operatic arts?"

"Feisty as always, Thomas?" Adelaide fired back, "As a matter of fact it is. Otello is one of my favourites. The way the lower strings so elegantly set the mood for the third act is simply a marvel."

I snorted, hastily covering it up with a fake sneeze.

"Bless you," Adelaide exclaimed, "Do you need a handkerchief?"

"No, thank you," I said. I glanced across the carriage, only to catch Andrew's eyes. He was pursing his lips together, his eyes dancing with the laughter he was attempting to restrain.

"Don't we have a painting of Othello and Desdemona somewhere in the gallery?" Thomas asked, an exaggerated pensive frown on his face as he looked towards Andrew. The elder prince opened his mouth to reply when Thomas snapped his fingers and pointed at Adelaide.

"Ah yes now I remember. It's a part of the collection you'd been admiring in the dawn light last winter, isn't it?" Thomas said, a wicked grin on his face. Beside me Adelaide squirmed ever so slightly.

"I'd trust you to remember since you were there as well," Adelaide said, her own lips pursing before she turned to Andrew, "You must have a favourite opera, Andrew?"

"Alcina," he replied, without missing a beat. Adelaide laughed.

"Of all the operas you could choose, Alcina? Really?" she asked.

"Ruggiero and his disguised love Bradamante destroy the evil sorceresses together," Andrew said, his eyes finding mine on that last word, "I very much enjoy it."

"I'm partial to Don Giovanni myself," Thomas cut in.

"Of course you are," Adelaide said, "A licentious nobleman wreaks havoc until demons carry him off to Hell. That sounds very much like you."

"A man who praises wine and women as the glory of humankind is my kind of hero," Thomas said, the carriage lurching to a halt, "Then again, after the gallery, I'd have thought you'd have figured that out about me already, sweet Adelaide."

"Give it a rest, will you?" Andrew said, as Adelaide made for the door with more haste than necessary.

"What? I'm not allowed to discuss the single black mark on her record?" Thomas shot back as Andrew climbed out after Adelaide.

"Just be a gentleman, all right?" Andrew said, turning back towards us with a pointed look my way. I didn't much like Thomas' chuckle as Andrew caught up with Adelaide.

"Oh I'll be a gentleman, all right," Thomas grumbled under his breath, climbing out before me to straighten his jacket and offer me a hand out.

As soon as we entered the opera house, I felt the weight of dozens of gazes upon me. The lobby was filled to brimming with nobles, a path cleared for us and the debutantes behind us.

"This is the part where you should do your best to act like you're happy to be on my arm instead of his," Thomas muttered as we crossed the hall, ladies whispering about us behind fans while their husbands looked on with little interest.

"Or we can just admit that we'd both be happier if you and your brother swapped debutantes," I muttered back. Thomas bit back the laugh he'd barked as we reached the stairs.

"Oh you gullible little fool," he said, giving my hand a squeeze in the crook of his arm, "You don't think I care a whit about Adelaide, do you?"

"If I'm inferring correctly, you two were discovered together at dawn in the painting gallery," I said. Thomas shook his head with another mirthless laugh.

"I was the one who'd discovered her there, I wasn't the one who'd brought her," he said, shooting me a sidelong glance as we reached the top of the stairs, "Although I'm flattered you think I'd besmirch a lady so thoroughly."

My mind filled with questions, but we were cut off as the butler pulled open the curtain to the royal box for Andrew and Adelaide ahead of us. There was a rumble of noise from the parterre as the theatre guests rose, once again all eyes turned towards us. Thomas ushered me in as Andrew and Adelaide stood by their chairs in the first row. Behind us, Princess Anne entered with William Weatherington, followed by the king and queen. We all remained standing until the king had helped his wife to sit, the parterre rustling once again as the rest of the theatre resumed their seats.

I hadn't realized I'd been gaping like a fool until Thomas chuckled beside me once again.

"Try to get used to it, otherwise they'll think you're a gawking simpleton," he whispered. I blushed and batted his arm with my fan, not realizing what I was doing until it was too late. He seized the fan and attempted to tug it away from me, the resulting scuffle earning us a look from both Andrew and the queen.

"You're getting me in trouble!" I hissed, once the queen's disapproving eyes had turned back around towards the front.

"Oh no Libby, I haven't even started yet," Thomas replied, dipping his head down to whisper in my ear. He lingered there, his breath warm on my cheek as I blushed anew, my hand clenching on my fan.

I cursed Andrew for instructing me to accept Thomas' invitation. While the royal box did indeed offer a spectacular view of the opera below, I was being forced to sit in the back row of said box with a troublemaking prince while all eyes were turned forward. I didn't trust him not to create some sort of trouble, not in the least.

"Please remember yourself, your Highness," I said tightly, my fan at the ready to bat him away again if need be. But all he did was chuckle, the sound rumbling in his throat as he leaned away from me.

"You are far too easy to fluster," he whispered back, draping an arm across the back of my seat as he relaxed to enjoy the show. I kept my back ramrod straight, watching miserably as Adelaide leaned over to whisper something to Andrew, their faces painfully close together as he whispered something back to her.