The encircling touch on his wrist reminded him too much of... He jerked his arm away from whomever had grabbed him. Enigma, he guessed belatedly. She probably had the best intentions in mind. And she had sung beautifully tonight. He would forgive her, this once.
He heard both answers that his ladies gave Lois and shook his head to each - for different reasons. He'd spent so much time training them to perform that he'd neglected to train them for the performance offstage. Before, it hadn't mattered. Now that the opera house was his, however...
He would not make the same mistake twice.
Then his Christine was making her excuses, and much to his surprise, reached for him with a simple request. No one had ever desired to dance with him before. Growling out a brusque, utterly surprised few words to excuse himself as well, he took that hand and drew her out into the clearing where others had begun to waltz.