Free A Victorian New York Romance by Celeste Rane

CHAPTER ONE

 
    The loud snow
crunched under the carriage wheels as it drove on the busy cobblestone streets.
The sun was setting and I was with my chaperone Aunt Matilda Swanson. She was
talking about something that I could not really pay attention to as she seldom
required a response. She would just ramble and I would nod my head every now
and then. I sat there in a gorgeous dark emerald green dress with embroidery
and glass beads with a large feathered bouquet in my hair. I was dressed
appropriately for a night at the theatre. We would be attending the opera,
sharing a theatre box with Aunt Matilda’s new neighbors who I had not met yet
as I had only moved in with her a week prior from St. Louis.
    “Margaret,
sit up straight. You slouch. No proper woman slouches,” she slapped me on the
leg.
    My back shot
up straight as an arrow.
    “Sorry Aunt
Matilda,” I said.
    The year was
1908 and I was still getting used to the illumination of the city at night. I
had moved from St. Louis and that city had yet to catch up with the
installation of electricity and the new streetlights. They hypnotized me.
    The carriage
pulled up to the large theatre and waited in line. We were not to step out
until directly in front of the door. Finally a footman opened our door and we
stepped out. It was bustling with elegant men and women and the gowns and top
hats were gorgeous. I smiled at it all and took a deep breath. My aunt took my
arm and we walked inside.
    First we went
to the refreshment room. I accepted a glass of champagne only after getting
approval from my aunt. She immediately started talking to her peers and I was
left alone to stand behind her. It was okay because I didn’t like the
attention.
    I was placing the rim of the delicate glass in my mouth,
when I felt like I was being watched. I froze. I looked around and only a few
feet away was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Our eyes locked. He was
wearing a dark well-fitted tuxedo and looked mischievous.
    His eyes were almost piercing through me. They were blue and
he narrowed them as he looked at me up and down. He was tall with dark hair,
and he was slow and calculated as he walked over to me. I still held the glass
in my hand, and I was still frozen. I felt like prey to a tiger. I couldn’t
believe he was coming over to me. The audacity of him was inappropriate. Though
I couldn’t move away.
    “Are you enjoying that?” he asked.
    “Yes.” I said uncomfortably knowing all to well what he
meant.
    He gestured at my hand, “May I?”
    “Yes.”
    I placed my hand in his and he bowed over it and said, “I’m
Mr. Bailey Wilcox.”
    “Ms. Tramown .”
    “That champagne must be delicious, the way you were drinking
it. Like you were really enjoying it,” he said.
    “You watched me?”
    His face lit up with a big smile, and then he laughed a
little.
    “I really couldn’t help myself.”

 
    I was stunned. This guy was obviously naughty and just put
it all right up front.   No beating
around the bush. It was appalling! Yet, my body was responding to him. I had
never been talked to this way.
    “Are all gentlemen in New York like you? Complete honesty?
You just blurt out what you’re thinking?”
    There was a long pause. I stared at him. Looking into his
sparkling dark eyes and at his full lips. I already wanted to lean in and kiss
him. I steadied myself, what was wrong with me?

 
    “I see. You are new to New York society. This is why I have
not seen you before. I would have remembered you.”
    “And I should not be talking to you. We have not been
introduced,” I said as I left his side and returned to my aunt’s side.
    A few moments later we were sitting in our theatre box. My
aunt looked around and said, “Where are the Wilcox’s? They are the ones that
offered this theatre box and they assured me they would be here.”
    I froze. Did she say Wilcox? That was the gorgeous
gentleman’s name. I felt a flush come over me.
    “Oh Mrs. Swanson! So good of