One Night of Sin (Mansforth Chronicles Book 1)

Opening Night

As Lilliana had promised, every last seat in the theater was occupied, the crowd thrumming with anticipation of the opening performance of Le Papillon Majestueux. Even her parents—who seldom made an appearance in town at all—had made a point to come out to watch her grace the stage. Which was rather surprising to her, given how little they’d ever cared about her dreams. Her entire childhood had been riddled with ridicule and a never-ending litany of reasons why she should not choose such a profession most improper and unbecoming of a lady.

But that had been then.

And to think she was here now, ready to grace the stage with all her dazzling beauty!

It certainly had not been an easy road, nor had it been the road most traveled, but it was a path all the same, and a path that had led her to the greatest joys of her life, right into the arms of the man she would grow to love.

And the child growing inside her womb.

Lilliana bit her lip nervously as the opening notes began to play on the piano, tinkling through the air like delicate raindrops. It was, of course, far from her first performance. But it was her first performance to a wholly and completely filled theater, stuffed to the brim with excited onlookers.

Yes, some of them had arrived, if for no other reason than to see her fail in her new role with her newfound allies.

But fail, she did not. And by the time the crowd had finally ceased with their applause, a river of tears had run down her face—and everyone else’s on the stage. Lilliana had everything in the world at her fingertips tonight.

And it was all thanks to Braxton Cuthbert.