The Duchess of Drury Lane Read Free Page A

money to Blanche for Lucy? There are doctors to pay, medicine to buy.’ Lucy was failing, and this was a cause of great distress to poor Mama. We had to do all we could to save my little sister, no matter what the cost.
    I kissed her soft cheek. ‘Do not fret, dearest Mama, I will find the money for Lucy.’
    One of my fellow actors was a Richard Daly. He was tall and rather dashing, an elegant dandy who was always impeccably turned out, ruffled, beribboned and curled, pea-green being his favourite colour. He might even have been classed as handsome were it not for a cast in one eye, which was really rather off-putting when he looked at you. He was a member of the Fire-eaters’ Club and an avid duellist. It was said that his opponents could never be certain whether or not he was focused on them, which was apparently why Daly didn’t have a scratch on him. He generally wore a somewhat battered looking brooch pinned to his chest which was said once to have saved his life by taking the bullet.
    I didn’t much care for the fellow myself, as there was an arrogance about him, and a flirtatious insincerity which I did not entirely trust. He was forever under my feet when I came off stage, would lurk in the wings so that I’d be obliged to squeeze past him as he made no effort to move.
    ‘When will you allow me to take you out to dine, or to walk by the river?’ he would whisper in my ear as I slithered by.
    I might have said when I was old and grey and had lost all common sense, but instead I confined myself to a polite smile or a little giggle. He was, after all, an actor of some renown in the company who frequently played the lead, while I was a mere newcomer. He was forever bragging about his time studying at Trinity College, so was undoubtedly a gentleman. Rumour had it that he’d been obliged to turn to the stage having gambled away much of a personal fortune, although his skills in acting were not particularly well thought of. Nevertheless, he would readily dip into his ample pockets to help tide over his fellow cast members, particularly the young ladies of whom he was rather fond, so perhaps there was some good in him, I thought.
    Today he offered to help me with my lines.
    ‘I thank you kindly, sir, but Mama does very well at that task. She was once an actress herself, if you recall.’
    ‘Ah, but we need to rehearse our love scene. It is vitally important that we get it right.’
    I gave him a doubtful look, wary of this offer since I knew his reputation as a skirt-chaser. Yet I was badly in need of a small loan, not only to see us through the week but also for Mama to send money for Lucy’s treatment. ‘Perhaps we could quickly run through it this afternoon, before the evening performance,’ I agreed.
    ‘Gladly. What a delight you are, Dolly.’
    ‘Dora. Dolly is the name my family use. My stage name is Dora, or Miss Francis.’
    ‘Ah!’ His eyes glinted as his gaze roamed over me, allowing it to linger on my breasts as men so often did. ‘Excellent choice, Miss Francis,’ and he flourished a bow as if I were a courtly lady. ‘We will foregather at one o’clock precisely in the props room where we might hope to find some peace and quiet.’
    I took my sister Hester with me. ‘Do not,’ I instructed her, ‘on any account leave me alone with this man. I do not trust him an inch.’
    ‘You’re a fool even to agree to this,’ she said, in her usual scolding way.
    Hester had no time for men, a prejudice presumably caused by a neglectful father. And in this instance she may well have been right, as I could see at once that Daly was displeased by her presence. Giving him no time to object I handed Hester the script, announcing that she would act as prompt. ‘Now we can concentrate on the action without worrying about forgetting our lines.’
    He frowned at me, but then of a sudden put back his head and laughed out loud. ‘Keep your chaperone if you must, dearest Dora, for now. But I am not fooled by