CHAPTER 6

Miranda and Ferdinand

THE FOLLOWING HOUR, SUSIE AND AUGUST SLIPPED BACK INSIDE. In the midst of their political conversation, the men were still seated and they scarcely noticed August and Susie's appearance without any faint idea. The discussion went on, so she settled herself on the piano stool and pressed her palms against her chin, blinking at them in awe. Susie rolled her eyes when she found out her fiance was perfectly caught up in oblivion.

Her feet were languidly crossed, exposing her naked ankle, and August took a glimpse at this new posture from her.

Reimund discovered her in the room after fifteen minutes had passed, and finally, he went quiet from the conversation, raising his chin a little while facing his lover who won his heart a year ago. Immediately with a quick jerk from the armchair, his aura was radiant, much pleased with his fiance once she was back inside again.

"I wasn't aware you were here." Reimund edged closer to her until he bent forward and was about to drop a delicate kiss on his lover's forehead when suddenly, Susie dodge herself from the spectacle in dismay and her hand flew to her bosom.

"Oh, really? Why, look! I feel like I am being shunned by my own fiance."

Rather slightly taken aback after being rejected by the kiss, he quickly recovered from it since he remembered she was not a woman who was fond of physical touches.

"We were discussing some things, my sweet."

"Just as I thought. It does sound like you were more interested in the conversation than me." She leaned forward again, almost in a whisper while she gazed up in his face with a coquettish look.

Reimund cleared his throat and stared down into the pools of her amber eyes. But before he could open his mouth and explain, August dropped his antique watch with a loud clang from the corner where the sound on the floor caused the sweethearts to break their stare.

"Thunder!" August exclaimed, muttering curses under his breath even more.

One of the reasons why he had dropped it was not because he knew his brother and his friend were witnessing these two lovers wooing. August deliberately feigned the act successfully, since he loathed the chemistry between them and tried to avoid watching any little romantic intimacy from these two lovers.

Carl's attention was on him by now.

"What's that?"

"It's my watch."

"Let me see." He rose to his feet from the cushioned chair and drew nearer to examine the gold plated watch. "Never knew you had one of these. Is it broken?"

"No, just a little crack."

At this point, Adam came to him and was surprised, mouth parted openly.

"Isn't that from—"

"Yes, it was a gift from papa last year. No big deal, it still works." He lifted the watch and showed it to them. "See?" and just like that, he fooled them, so skillfully that he hastily withdrew it and inserted the watch in his pocket.

The antique watch his father had given him was made of gold, and realizing he was at fault, he regretted the damage he had done since the item was worth a lot of crowns. If not, more than he could imagine.

A damnable act was somewhat a mistake for him.

Then a clap thundered the room.

"Good news, we are about to buy tickets soon! We plan to invite all of you to the Hoff Opera tonight." Reimund announced with rapture in his throat.

"Well, My brother and I prefer it if we stay. We don't want to be a burden later on," August returned, suppressing his moody behaviour.

"How so? None of you will be a burden to us. We're actually anticipating for everyone to join, even the twins will come."

"Not sure about that—"

"Oh, do come, August. You must join us." Susie rose from the stool with an imploring look and slipped her fingers upon his arm for a touch. It was the first time she had ever touched August.

For once he felt human as his heart throbbed against his chest, trying not to let anyone catch the sound of his beating heart lest if it was too audible for their ears to hear.

Having said this, he brightened at her.

"As you wish." August made a nod and was ever so pleased, even more than glad to receive it from her, especially coming from her own lips.

Reimund caught this gesture of hers, and he was rather struck by it since he never thought she was a woman who loves to do physical contact with anyone—not even with those who were close to her—and yet here she was, so tender and endearing, it almost seemed as if she had longed for the young man to join her in the first place.

Suddenly, the radiance in Reimund's face faded, and the countenance betrayed him when a pang of envy wounded his ego for a moment until he managed to turn away and cast his attention on Adam. "You don't mind going to the opera with us, I hope?"

"No, no. Not at all, lieutenant." He shook his head and then narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I think it was an excuse for August. Obviously, the opera doesn't quite suit him."

"What do you mean? I am fond of the theatre, brother. Don't be a fool." He said in a different tone, looking down at Susie with an expression that said he would gladly go for her sake. Susie glanced up at him under his gaze with wonder across her face.

For a while, the two exchanged glances as if communication through the eyes were enough to ease their mood.

An hour rolled by, and everyone visited the Hof Opera when the sun was gone, including the twins, Carl and Adam. Reimund paid the tickets for everyone who joined him before the performance began as they reached the grand hall.

Together they sat in the same row of seats under the imperial box, apart from Susie and Reimund who were separated tonight. The lovers were seated opposite from where August sat, and he assumed the lieutenant deliberately did this in order to keep her all to himself for private matters.

Finally, the velvety curtains were pulled away from the stage as the play was about to begin and the orchestra greeted the room with melodious music, playing La Traviata.

"How long is this going to end?" Gustav groaned, looking dull as a brick. He was a boy who struggled to sit still for a long time, waiting for this to end soon, but he bore it patiently like a gentleman.

While the theatrical performance was playing, August imagined Susie at the stage with her beautiful complexion, thinking to himself of how fitting it would be if she was an opera singer, and knowing she could charm the whole audience with a voice as light as hers. Across him, August began to watch her, cool as an owl staring at her among a dark crowd. Feeling that he had no control, he forced himself to turn away and cast his attention to the performance.

"What is this?" Gustav yawned beside him.

"La Traviata." August replied, crossing his skinny arms against his stony chest. "It's Verdi."

"Is he Italian?" Phillipe queried, his chin was cupped in his palms.

"Yes. How can you not know?" Gustav ejaculated. "He's a famous composer." He blinked several times at his twin.

Phillipe shrugged his shoulders and returned his gaze to the stage.

Reimund and Susie were whispering to each other throughout the performance, stifling a laugh behind their bare hands. Endeavouring not to burst out a peal of laughter in the audience, both of them stood up, clasped their fingers together and took their exit before the performance even finished.

The young man's eyes followed the shadows of these two lovers slipping away from the crowd, and when a minute passed, she was gone from his sight as though a candlelight was blown from the wind.