by Mary Nichols
‘They have never let us down before,’ she said. ‘I fear something must have happened to them. Perhaps you would do us the honour of reading Lysander’s part and Miss Graham will stand in for Lady Rattenshaw. This is Miss Graham.’ She held out her hand to draw Constance forward.
‘Oh, Lavinia, I could not,’ the young lady protested, looking nervously from Lavinia to Lancelot.
‘Of course you can, my dear,’ Lord Haverley said. ‘You have been prompting us all along. You know everyone’s part.’
Lavinia, surprised by his familiar address, looked sharply at Constance, who blushed scarlet. So, her friend might be going to have her wish after all.
‘Then let us begin,’ Mr Greatorex said.
Lancelot was a master, not only of his craft, but in dealing with people. He seemed to know exactly how much censure each could take, those who would improve by being berated and those who needed sympathetic encouragement to give their best. His own performance as Lysander was a model of how to play Shakespeare. At the end of the session, the hostility that had been evident at the beginning was gone and everyone’s enthusiasm had been renewed, not least Lavinia’s, but there was still the problem of the play within the play.
‘Mr Greatorex,’ she said, almost timidly, ‘you have seen what we can do, and have been kind enough to praise our efforts. I wonder if I can prevail upon you to allow some of your players to take the part of the entertainers? It would ensure the success of our venture and Mama’s orphans will reap the benefit.’
‘I would be delighted, my lady, but when would you need them? I am committed to The Rivals for the next two weeks and then we are to do Romeo and Juliet, though that need not be an obstacle. We have performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream many times and would need only one rehearsal with your friends.’
‘So many of the cast are peers and are obliged to attend Westminster for the trial,’ she explained. ‘And we would have no players and certainly no audience while everyone is in such a ferment over it so, if everyone is agreeable, I think we should aim for Friday, the twenty-eighth of September. It should all be over by then.’
‘I do hope so,’ Lord Haverley said. ‘Eliza should be back in the schoolroom, you know. And Sophia has been promised a visit to her aunt in Hertfordshire. I had no idea when we began that it would go on so long. I have affairs of my own which I am anxious to pursue.’ He looked across at Constance as he spoke, making Lavinia wonder if Lord Wincote was not the only one who was waiting for the answer to a certain question.
‘The prosecution case is so damning, I cannot believe the defence will have anything to say in rebuttal,’ Sir Percy put in. ‘It will all be over in a week.’
Duncan, standing just behind Lavinia, bent to murmur in her ear, ‘I heard that Lord Wincote has evidence, but it is so shocking no one dare use it.’
She twisted round to face him with her back to his lordship. ‘Where did you hear that?’
‘Oh, it is the latest on-dit.’
‘It is nonsense.’ She kept her voice low. ‘What can Lord Wincote know of it? He has been living in seclusion in Cumberland for years.’
‘I am only telling you what I heard, Sis. But I tell you this, if his name is being bandied about in connection with the Queen, then you would do well to think twice before accepting his offer.’
‘And I thank you to keep to your own business, brother,’ she hissed. Aloud, she said, ‘Mr Greatorex, is the twenty-eighth convenient to you?’
‘Quite convenient,’ he said. ‘But what of the missing members of your cast? Are you sure you can rely on them?’
‘I am sure they will be at the next rehearsal.’ Although she spoke firmly, she was not at all sure. If it had been either one, she might have been able to dismiss it as of little importance, but both at once was more than a coincidence, surely?
‘James, are you positive you know nothing about their whereabouts?’ she asked him, after Mr Greatorex had gone and everyone was leaving.
‘Vinny, I have no idea, I promise you.’
‘What about you, Sir Percy, do you know why they were not here? Lady Rattenshaw is your friend, after all.’
‘She is, my dear, but I am not her keeper. She is free to come and go as she pleases.’
‘But she has always been so reliable. And so has Lord Wincote. I cannot think why he should decide not to come today.’ But she had a horrible feeling she did know.
‘No doubt his lordship will explain,’ Sir Percy said, discounting the lady’s absence. ‘It is nothing to worry about. He will be here next time.’ He smiled and patted her hand. ‘Now, I must be off. You coming, Corringham?’
James looked at Lavinia, wondering if he could resume the conversation they had been having before everyone else arrived. ‘Go on, I will catch you up,’ he said, then turned to Lavinia and took her hands in both of his, cupping them as if he were holding a wounded bird. ‘Don’t worry, Vinny, everything will turn out for the best, you’ll see.’ He raised her hands and turned them over, kissing the palms one by one.
His lips, softly caressing her skin, sent a current racing through her, until her whole body was a quivering mass of desire. Even her legs were shaking and deep in the pit of her stomach something stirred, something so strong, she found herself reaching out towards him, wanting to be enfolded, not only in his arms, but by every part of him. It was a shocking revelation.
Suddenly she realised it was more than loneliness which had made her miss him. She had always loved him, but now it was more than that; she had fallen in love with him. Head over heels. How could it have happened? When had a sister’s love changed into the love of a woman for a man?
It must have been before he went away, which was why she had been so miserable when he left. But it had taken until now to realise it. Had he realised it before she had and been so appalled at the idea that he had to get away? She felt hot with shame. Sisters did not become lovers.
He looked up and saw her gazing at him, her mouth half-open, her eyes wide in shock, and realised he had overstepped the mark. Disgusted with himself, he dropped her hand and smiled crookedly. ‘Sorry, Vinny, didn’t mean to startle you. Forgot myself.’
She did not understand. He was apologising; he was sorry he had done it. The bright hope in her breast died; he still thought of her as his little sister, to be teased and pulled out of scrapes, to laugh with but not to love as a man loves a woman. And she would rather die than allow him to see how she felt. ‘Oh, go on, James, go after Sir Percy and stop playing the fool, will you?’
He gave her a sardonic smile, turned on his heel and left her.
She sank into a chair, too weary to do anything, but it was a weariness of the heart, not the body. She had not imagined that sudden surge of desire which filled her whole being, the wild pounding of her heart, the tingling in her limbs, the longing to be kissed properly by him, mouth on mouth, as if that would prove what she already knew: that she loved him.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined falling in love would be like this; elation and despair, fury at his blindness, for it was obvious he did not feel the same way about her, and impatience with herself. He was a lightweight, or affected to be, no doubt so that he could remain heart whole. On the other hand, Lord Wincote had made no secret of his serious intentions and was waiting in the wings with every appearance of patience for the answer to his offer. He took her very seriously indeed. Or he had done, until a few days ago. But he was second best.
She really ought not to let him go on thinking she might accept him, but she could hardly expect him to come to rehearsals if she turned him down. The play had become an obsession. Everything took second place to that, even the ordering of her life. She knew it was a kind of defence, a bulwark against having to think about her future.
She shook herself and left the ballroom with its half-constructed stage and its unfinished scenery and made her way across the wide hall to the stairs. Halfway up them was a small landing and a long window which gave a view of the str
eet. James and Sir Percy were walking side by side in animated conversation, towards the crowds gathered about number eighteen where the Queen was staying. What did they have to say to each other that was so absorbing?
‘You know why they didn’t turn up?’ James asked.
‘No, but I am heartily glad they did not. I had no idea Lady Lavinia was going to bring Lancelot Greatorex into it.’
‘What difference does that make?’
‘Everything, dear boy. He cannot be allowed to come face to face with Marianne.’
‘Marianne?’
‘Lady Rattenshaw.’
‘I thought her name was Emma.’
‘No, her name is Marianne Doubleday. I believe she has trod the boards with Greatorex in the past. He is almost certain to recognise her.’
An actress! He might have known it. The woman was too good in her part of Helena to be an amateur. ‘What do you propose we should do?’
‘Abort the whole scheme. Have to.’
‘And what do we tell Lavinia? And the rest of the cast, come to that? And perhaps it is too late. They may have gone off together.’
‘No, she would not do that without telling me.’
‘I hope you are right because, if what I have learned is true, she might be in danger.’
‘How so? The man is not violent, is he?’
‘He could be.’ He went on to explain what he had learned and ended, ‘If he is prepared to kill for money…’
‘I had better go and see her.’
‘And if Wincote is with her?’ He paused. ‘Better to send her a note. Tell her to come to Corringham House, no chance of anyone else listening in there.’
‘Very well. What time shall I suggest?’
‘As soon as possible. Tonight. Seven o’clock.’
Marianne Doubleday answered the summons promptly and was offered refreshment, which she accepted gracefully, still every inch the lady. On being told by Sir Percy that Lord Corringham knew who she really was, she suddenly dropped her pose and laughed. ‘What do you think of my little performance, Lord Corringham?’
‘Very good, though I am not convinced it will achieve anything, except to make Lady Lavinia very unhappy.’
‘Oh, so I am brought here to be rung a peel over, am I? Then you should know it was not my idea. If you want someone to blame, then I suggest you talk to Percy.’
‘Oh, I have. I do not question his motives or yours, only the outcome. However, that is not why we have asked you here. We have hit a stumbling block. Lady Lavinia has prevailed upon Lancelot Greatorex to help with rehearsals of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
‘Really? That is a coup. It would be fun to meet the old poseur again, but I can see the difficulty. He will know me at once. We were once like that.’ She laughed and held up two crossed fingers.
‘Is that so?’ Percy asked in surprise. ‘You never said.’
‘You never asked.’ She turned back to James. ‘So, what do you propose to do?’
‘You must drop out of the rehearsals, of course. It is a pity because Lady Lavinia has worked so hard and she will feel terribly let down.’
‘But she is going to feel that anyway, is she not? I thought that was the whole point.’
‘Yes, let down by Lord Wincote, not by anyone else.’
‘We have gone too far to back out now. It is only a matter of bringing it forward.’
‘Bringing what forward?’
‘Lord Wincote and I will run away together, cause such a scandal that he will never be received in Society again, certainly not at Stanmore House.’
‘Nor will you.’
She laughed. ‘No, but then I do not aspire to be anything more than a good actress and, once it becomes known how I bamboozled his lordship, you may be sure it will do my reputation nothing but good. I thought if he was prepared to let Lady Lavinia down over the rehearsal, it would give me some idea of how far he was prepared to go, so I invited him to come for a drive into the country with me.’
‘And called at Hatchard’s on the way,’ James put in.
‘Yes, how do you know?’
‘Lady Lavinia saw you.’
‘Oh.’ She paused. ‘I bought him a book of love poems. I wanted to set the scene, to make him think I loved him, assure him I had money enough to keep both of us in luxury.’
‘And how did he react?’
‘How do you think? Eagerly, of course. I am an actress and a good one.’
‘And then what? You are not wealthy, are you?’
‘No, what I appear to have is almost all down to Sir Percy. The rent of the house, clothes, jewellery, the lot.’ She sighed. ‘I shall miss it dreadfully when it is all gone.’
‘Oh, I think I can allow you to keep a knick-knack or two,’ Sir Percy said. ‘For services rendered, don’t you know.’
‘But that still doesn’t explain what you intend to do with Lord Wincote when you have him,’ James said, impatient with them.
‘Oh, I shall take him somewhere nice and quiet and tell him the truth. It will be fun to watch his face.’
‘I doubt it will be fun at all,’ James said. ‘I believe he could be dangerous.’
‘Why?’
James told her. She was silent for a few moments. ‘As I understand it, if you cannot prove him a murderer, then you want him discredited?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Then we have to go on. If I suddenly grow cold towards him, he will smell a rat and who knows what he might do?’
‘That is exactly my point, Miss Doubleday.’
‘I have his confidence; we must work on that.’
‘I forbid it!’ Sir Percy put in. ‘I am as fond of Lady Lavinia as anyone, but I cannot permit you to put yourself in such danger.’
‘There is no danger so long as he does not suspect I know the truth,’ she said.
‘No,’ James said. ‘It is too risky.’
‘Have you a better plan?’
‘Only to prove he took Lady Willoughby’s diamond clips.’
‘But perhaps he did not; I have seen no evidence to suggest he did. If he is innocent of that, then you have nothing. Oh, do let me do it. I am very fond of Lady Lavinia. She is so talented and plucky and I should hate to think of those virtues being ruined by an evil man.’
James felt exactly the same; the thought of Lavinia being incarcerated in that mausoleum of a house in Cumberland, being made miserable, the chattel of a man who wanted her only for the wealth she could bring, was more than he could stomach. And once the marriage settlement had been paid over, he might even dispose of her, as he had his brother.
‘I will agree,’ he said. ‘But only if you do nothing without informing either Sir Percy or me first.’ He went to a drawer in his desk and extracted a tiny pistol. ‘Do you know how to use one of these?’
‘I have used one on stage, with blanks in it, of course. Is it any different?’
‘Only in its effect.’ He took her reticule from her, loosened its tie and dropped the weapon inside, before drawing the cord up again and handing it back. ‘Just in case. But I shall have Major Greenaway watching you. Come back here tomorrow so I can introduce you to him and he will tell you what to do.’
‘I hope you know what you are doing, Corringham,” Sir Percy said, as he prepared to escort Marianne home.
‘So do I,’ James murmured, sinking into a chair as soon as they had gone. He was drained of all energy, full of apprehension mixed with rage; rage at Wincote, rage at fate which denied him the love he wished for more than anything. Whatever the outcome, Lavinia was going to be hurt and angry and he would have to tread very carefully indeed not to be seen as the villain.
Chapter Nine
‘Your Grace, Lord Wincote is here. Will you receive him?’
Frances turned towards Lavinia, who was sitting by the withdrawing-room window with a copy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on her lap, murmuring her lines. She looked startled, as if his lordship was the last person she expected to see. ‘Vinny,
do you wish me to receive him?’
‘I do not see why not, Mama.’
The Duchess nodded to the footman, who went off to conduct the visitor to them. Full of confidence, he strode into the room, carrying an enormous bunch of flowers, which he offered to Lavinia, before making a flourishing leg to them both. ‘Your Grace. My lady.’
Both women smiled, though Lavinia’s was a little fixed, as she thanked him for the bouquet.
‘My lord, good afternoon,’ Frances said, indicating a chair. ‘Do sit down.’ Then to the hovering footman, ‘Dobson, please put the flowers in water and bring in the tea tray.’
Edmund flung up the skirts of his dark green frock coat and seated himself, before addressing himself to Lavinia. ‘My lady, I owe you an abject apology. I should have been at the rehearsal yesterday.’
‘Yes, my lord, so you should.’ She was surprised how cool she sounded. ‘You missed the excitement. Lancelot Greatorex, the actor-manager, joined us. He was most helpful. I am sure everyone gained from having him with us.’
‘I am most sincerely sorry. I should have liked to meet the great man, but I was called away on urgent business just as I was preparing to come and I was unable to let you know. I pray you will forgive me.’
She was reminded of Duncan’s comment that he had evidence concerning the trial and wondered if that was the business which had prevented him from appearing. She was intrigued, but not enough to question him; she did not want him to think she was troubled by it. ‘As it happens, you were not the only absentee. Lady Rattenshaw did not come either.’
‘Really?’ he queried. ‘Her ladyship has always been most conscientious. Do you know why?’
‘No. I thought you might.’
‘Me?’ He appeared startled. ‘I do not understand.’
‘Oh, it is of no consequence,’ she said airily, aware that her stepmama was looking at her questioningly. ‘I saw you leaving Hatchard’s together and wondered if she might have told you then that she would not be coming.’
‘No, she gave no hint of it. But then we only met by chance. Her carriage pulled up beside me as I was walking along Piccadilly. She wanted my opinion about a book she was thinking of buying and, as I was also going to the bookshop, she took me up and drove me home afterwards. We parted at my door. I had no idea she would not be coming to the rehearsal and am doubly sorry that you should have been incommoded.’
