Alfie glanced up from the newspaper with an apologetic grimace.
“That’s all it says.”
Still seated on the edge of his desk, Monty had turned a rather interesting shade of red.
“My theatrical talents appear to be somewhat limited?” he spluttered. “My performance lapses into caricature? How dare he!” Monty snatched the paper out of Alfie’s hands. “I’ve got a good mind to pay a visit to the offices of the Illustrated London News to set this fellow straight.”
From his desk at the back of the office, Wigram glanced up from his ledger with a warning look.
“Mr Maples, I would suggest that you don’t rise to the provocations of the press. Such behaviour would not befit Montgomery Flinch.”
Monty glowered in reply, whilst his grumbling continued under his breath.
Penelope sighed. It was time to tend to Monty’s pride again.
“I wouldn’t worry yourself, Monty,” she began. “After all, you have already proved the man a fool.”
Monty knitted his brow in a puzzled frown.
“What do you mean?”
“If your theatrical talents are really so limited,” she replied, “then how do you manage to make the world believe that you are actually Montgomery Flinch?”
At this, Monty’s eyes immediately brightened, a broad grin spreading across his face.
“By Jove, you’re right,” he declared. He cast the newspaper aside as he sprang to his feet. “I think that a drink is in order to celebrate!”
“And I think you will need a clear head tomorrow,” she reminded Monty sharply, “when you take your turn in the witness stand.”
Monty sank back down, deflating slightly as he contemplated the next day. Edward Gold was appearing before the magistrate, on trial for numerous counts of fraud, forgery and miscellaneous deception. Counterfeit contracts, obtaining goods without payment, the unpaid hire of a motor car – the list went on – but the star witness for the defence was Montgomery Flinch.
Penny had gone against her guardian’s sternest advice in convincing Monty to take the stand, but in some strange way she felt that they owed Edward Gold this favour. It had been her story that had inspired his twisted scheme and she couldn’t shake the memory of Gold’s tear-filled gaze as he stared into the space where Amelia had been. Besides, with the rights to The Daughter of Darkness back with The Penny Dreadful once more and the Véritéscope destroyed, she knew that he couldn’t do any more harm. They could afford to be magnanimous.
Penny’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her guardian’s voice.
“I meant to tell you, Penelope,” Wigram began, rustling through his in-tray to pick out a sepia postcard. “We received this telegram from Monsieur Le Prince this morning, sent from Southampton before his ship set sail for the United States. He wanted to thank us again for our generosity in paying for his fare and let us know that he has managed to track down his mother and brother at last.”
At this news, Penelope smiled. At least there was the prospect of one happy ending as a result of this strange adventure. Jacques had promised her that he would leave all thoughts of the Véritéscope behind. Start a new life with his family, away from the darkroom and the cinematograph.
“Where are they?” she asked.
“They are living in California,” Wigram replied. “A small village ten miles west of Los Angeles.” He peered down at the telegram again, squinting as he tried to decipher the name. “Somewhere called Hollywood.”
Copyright
For my mum
SHADOWS OF THE SILVER SCREEN
First published in the UK in 2013 by Nosy Crow Ltd
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This ebook edition first published in 2013
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Text copyright © Christopher Edge, 2013
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictiously. Any resemblence to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978 0 85763 053 7
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Shadows of the Silver Screen Page 17
