Under The Moonlight

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

How does one decribe pure torture? What could possibly compare to something so undeniably bad, it causes one to pull out one's own hair? The play of Romeo and Juliet that was currently taking place before Lord Huntindon's eyes.

Why did Jasmine find this enjoyable? he thought. It made no sense whatsoever.

"I promise to never throw frogs at you again, Jasmine," he whispered to her. "Please can we leave?"

"It's almost over," she said, not taking her eyes off the stage. "Just be glad we're not seated with Charlotte and Rosaline or you would be feeling a lot worse."

Andrew slumped in his seat. How much longer would this last?

"Don't sulk, Andrew," she grinned, still facing the stage. "It's unbecoming of a gentleman."

"I can see why your brother does not wish to be a gentleman."

"Come now, it's your fault for not acting like a gentleman that you're in this mess."

"You mean," he leaned closer to her. "being with you at a theatre? The play is terrible but as long as you're here with me I don't feel the need to pull my hair out."

She momentarily glanced at his 'aunt' sitting next to her, chatting away with some other woman. "Well... you should be pulling your hair out because... because..."

"Because?" he smirked when she sucked in a breath at his close proximity.

"B-because Charlotte will come up with another evil plan and you won't like it at all."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." 

They were interrupted by the crowd cheering and clapping as the play ended and the actors bowed before them.

"You made me miss the end," Jasmine frowned at him.

"But everyone knows they both die in the end." Andrew told her, holding his arm out to her when he stood to leave. "And you've seen it before, haven't you?"

"I have, but it's a classic love story. It's sad, and unfortunately, they took their own lives," she shuddered. "But it was all in the name of love."

"I fail to see how wonderful it is when it has such a disturbing ending."

''It's a tragedy," she explained.

"Indeed,"

"That's not what I meant by that statement,"

"I know," Andrew helped her into the carriage and hopped in after her.

Jasmine frowned. "Aren't you going to help your aunt as well?"

He'd completely forgotten about James.

"Oh, right," he was about to step out when James hoisted himself in.

"I'm so glad you remembered me, Andrew," he said sarcastically.

Lord Huntingdon only hoped that Jasmine wouldn't be suspicious, but her furrowed eyebrows told him otherwise.

The carriage gave a lurch as it started moving and Jasmine hadn't once taken her eyes off of James.

"You look very familiar, Mrs Higglebottom," she stressed every syllable of the name.

"I imagine so, my dear," James pulled off his wig and bonnet.

Jasmine shrieked and buried her face in Andrew's arm.

"What did you do that for?" the earl glared at him, not so much because Jasmine was clinging to himfor dear life but because the investigator had revealed himself to her in such an unexpected way.