Sonnet to a Dead Contessa Read Free

wonder what Shakespeare would say to that.”
    As the play unfolded, Stephanie kept her eye on Dylan Tremayne mostly because of what Helen had told her. She had been prepared to dislike him, for as a rule, pretty men, overly handsome ones, were rather hollow on the inside. But as Dylan Tremayne moved across the stage, there was virility and a strength in his motions, and when he turned to look out over the audience, his eyes were the bluest she had ever seen. Indeed, he was handsome, but as Helen had insisted, Tremayne was more than just a fine-looking man.
    There was one intermission, and both Lady Helen and Lady Stephanie were uncomfortably warm. It was the beginning of summer, and there were no windows to admit a breeze, so each of them had brought a handkerchief to mop her brow.
    “Well, what do you think now?” Helen asked, turning to give Stephanie an enquiring look. “Isn’t he everything I said he would be?”
    “I give you this, he is fine-looking—and he does have a certain flair.”
    “A certain flair? Come now, Stephanie, admit it. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, could you?”
    Stephanie suddenly laughed. “He does have whatever it is that some people have. Women have it sometimes. Men can’t take their eyes off of them. There can be twenty women in a room, but when a woman with this quality appears—every man turns to stare at her.”
    “That’s exactly the way it is with Tremayne, only it’s the women staring.”
    “What do you know about him, his private life, I mean? He’s very successful, isn’t he?”
    “Not really,” Helen said quickly. “Not until recently. Hamlet was his first leading role, and that was awhile back. Before that he was only in minor roles. Of course, he also has an interesting back-ground.”
    “What sort of background?”
    “He was a coal miner in Wales, then he ran away from his master and came to England. He joined the army and served well, I understand, and when he came out he had no profession, so he somehow became attracted to the theatre. He took what he could get, of course, and Hamlet was his first real opportunity, which led to Macbeth . He can have any role he pleases, Stephanie. The city is mad about him.” She turned and whispered, although there was no need for it. “Look down the row in front of us at the end. Do you see that woman?”
    “Yes. Who is she?”
    “She’s the Viscountess Serafina Trent.”
    “I’ve heard of her.”
    “She’s gained
quite a reputation as a detective.”
    “A detective?” Stephanie leaned forward and stared at the woman. “Whatever can you mean, Helen? Women aren’t detectives.”
    “Well, she’s not like most women. Her father is a very famous scientist—Septimus Isaac Newton, very well-to-do.”
    “Is he a nobleman?”
    “Oh no. Serafina married a viscount, Charles Trent. It was a short marriage, for he died rather shockingly. There’s some scandal about it.”
    “What sort of scandal?”
    “Well, I shouldn’t say this, for you know how I hate to gossip.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Some say his death wasn’t entirely natural and that his wife had a hand in it.”
    Stephanie turned and studied the face of the woman in question. She was, indeed, an attractive woman with strawberry blonde hair, and when she turned in Stephanie’s direction, it became obvious that she had a wide, sensuous mouth and a squarish face. There was a look of determination on her features that one did not often see in a woman.
    “What does she have to do with Tremayne?”
    “He’s her protégé, you might say. As I say, she’s done some work helping the police solve some crimes, and Dylan Tremayne worked for her. They’re very close, so my information tells me.”
    “Very close? Does that mean they’re having an affair?”
    “Oh, no one actually has any evidence of that, but she’d be a fool if she didn’t,” Helen said, laughing and shaking her head. “And he’d be a fool if he turned her down.