Devonshire Scream (A Tea Shop Mystery #17)

Wonderful, Theodosia thought. Magical.

Then the stage lights flashed on, the curtain rose, and the orchestra’s first vibrant notes shimmered high and sweet in the air. With that, Theodosia’s heart took wing and she was swept back almost two hundred years to the Latin Quarter of Paris.

The arias, the music, the sets, all proved to be dazzling. The opera singers who played Mimi and Rodolfo fairly mesmerized the audience. They danced across the stage, laughing, cajoling, singing their hearts out, and positively owning it.

This is it, Theodosia thought. This is what makes people’s hearts leap and quickens their spirit. This is what makes the arts so very special!

? ? ?

Amazingly, the first act flew by. When the curtain was dropped and the applause thundered out, Theodosia let herself relax against her seat back for the first time that night.

“That was just magnificent,” she said to Drayton. She was grinning from ear to ear.

Drayton was nodding and clapping with delight. “Absolutely transporting,” he said. “Possibly the best I’ve seen.”

Theodosia reached over and patted his arm. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much for inviting me tonight.”

“It’s not over yet,” Drayton said. He rose to his feet and smiled. “Since we’ve reached intermission, would you care to indulge in a glass of sherry? Or, I suppose in this case they’ll be serving wine or champagne.”

They were indeed serving wine and champagne. Theodosia and Drayton braved their way to a temporary bar that had been set up on the second floor and ordered glasses of white wine. Then, as the glittering crowd surged around them, they stepped out of the way and sipped their wine gingerly.

“This wine is actually good,” Theodosia said. “I was expecting something awful and puckery.”

“Right,” Drayton laughed. “Wine from a box. But this isn’t half-bad, is it?” He took another sip. “See anybody you know? It’s opening night, after all. The crème de la crème should be swanning about.”

Theodosia peered over the crowd. “I don’t know about the crème, but here comes Delaine.”

“Who’s she with?”

Theodosia shook her head. She didn’t recognize the man who was escorting her friend. “Her boyfriend du jour?”

“Theodosia?” Delaine’s sharp voice sawed through the low-key burble of the crowd.

Theodosia and Drayton both braced themselves. Delaine could be a little overpowering.

“Isn’t this just amazing?” Delaine exclaimed. She hustled up to them, all wiggling pink shoulders and swishing skirts. “Aren’t you thoroughly enchanted with this production!” When Delaine was excited, she loved to talk in exclamation points.

Delaine was not only over the top in her manner of speech, tonight she was dressed like a Greek goddess. Her cream-colored, one-shouldered long gown was strewn with gold accents, and matching gold and turquoise snake bracelets coiled about each wrist.

Versace? Theodosia wondered. Has to be. Wow.

Not surprisingly, Delaine was hanging on the arm of a very good-looking forty-something man. His dark, curly hair and architectural nose reminded Theodosia of a cross between a gigolo and an Italian count. Although, she giggled to herself, maybe they were one and the same. But Delaine was making introductions now, so she had to pay attention.

“Nice to meet you,” Theodosia said politely to Delaine’s date. He’d been introduced as Renaldo Gilles, an import-export agent.

But Delaine had gossip on her mind. She dropped her voice low and said, “You remember, Theo, you were asking me the other day about Sabrina and Luke Andros?”

“Yes?” Theodosia said. She’d been having such a wonderful time, she’d almost forgotten about them. Now, with just those few words, Delaine had spread a dark cloud over Theodosia’s evening. Still, she leaned forward to listen. Maybe this was something important she should know about.

“I found out a few things about Sabrina and Luke from Tookie Carmichael,” Delaine said. “You know her, she comes into Cotton Duck all the time and is on the Spoleto committee this year?”

“Okay.”

“Anyway,” Delaine said, “Tookie told me that the Androses used to live in Miami. Or at least that’s where their yacht business was originally based.”

“I wonder why they moved to Charleston?” Theodosia said. “Or is their move permanent? Maybe they still have an office in Miami, too?”

But Delaine was shaking her head. “No, no. Apparently they felt there was just too much competition in Miami. Just too many yacht brokers and wannabe’s trying to elbow them out of the way.”

“But there’s so much money in Miami,” Theodosia said. “International money, too. You’d think they could make a go of it.” If they’re good, anyway. If they can figure out how to market themselves.

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