The air in the grand hallway of the Opera House was thick with the scent of expensive perfumes, beeswax candles, and the stifling weight of unspoken judgment. To the noblewomen peering from the side galleries, the spectacle on the stage was nothing compared to the drama unfolding in the foyer.
She moved with a graceful, measured pace, her heels clicking softly against the polished white marble. Behind her, the muffled sounds of the orchestra were beginning to fade as the intermission drew the noble crowd out from the main hall. Evelina's mind was not on the music. It was on the future.
