eyes moist. ‘I feel ashamed that I was not a better daughter.’
Elizabeth studied the young woman’s strained face, astonished by this sudden intimate revelation. She was forming an impression of Miss Kaye as a shy, awkward girl who had experienced little friendship or appreciation; perhaps this was why she was attaching herself so quickly to someone that took an interest in her.
‘I should return to my party,’ she said.
‘Of course.’ Miss Kaye’s face fell, and she continued mechanically, ‘It was good of you to talk with me.’
Elizabeth rose. ‘I’ll look out for you during the next interval if you like.’
Miss Kaye’s eyes came to life again, and she smiled as Elizabeth took her leave.
As Elizabeth re-entered the Beaumonts’ box, Bridget thrust a glass of wine into her hand and pointed to the door.
‘The performance is about to restart,’ Elizabeth protested.
‘You and I are going to talk.’ Bridget grabbed her arm and pulled her a few yards into the corridor. ‘Why are you consorting with Helena Kaye?’
‘Calm down, for heaven’s sake. I saw Miss Kaye standing on her own, and on impulse decided to find out whether she was approachable.’
‘In other words you hope to infiltrate the enemy camp and discover intelligence that might help your Mr D.’
‘For now I’m just feeling my way. Probably it will come to nothing, but there can be little risk, since they have no reason to connect me to the gentleman just mentioned—who by the way is not my Mr D.’
‘On the contrary, you are undertaking a deception that might get you into serious trouble.’
Elizabeth looked down sadly. ‘I do feel bad about deceiving Miss Kaye, who is almost certainly blameless. Perhaps you are right and there is some risk to me too.’ She looked up to meet Bridget’s eye. ‘But why should a woman not take risks to aid someone she cares about? We allow men to endanger their lives in fighting for their country, or protecting their families. Why not women too, if we aspire to be their equals?’
Bridget touched her arm. ‘I’m afraid for you , Elizabeth. I would feel the same if you were my brother, for instance.’
Elizabeth nodded slowly, then became aware of the glass in her hand and took a gulp of wine. ‘We’re missing the scene.’
‘I insist you stay away from her. Promise?’
‘No!’
‘Apart from anything else, it is not pleasant to invite a friend to the theatre and have her desert you for someone else.’
‘Then you had better not invite me again.’
‘I probably won’t.’ With a pout Bridget turned away and returned to the box.
During Act III, Elizabeth was no longer able to concentrate on the language or plot of the play; even when George Frederick Cooke—suspiciously red-faced after the interval—delivered the famous soliloquy ‘ To be or not to be, that is the question ’, she scarcely noticed the words, so shaken was she by her sudden brush with the Kaye family. Struggling to ignore the proximity of Lord Harbury’s box, she fixed her stare on the centre of the stage, following the comings and goings of the actors as if they were flames dancing in a fireplace, with her mind elsewhere.
By the end of the act Elizabeth had resolved to seek out Helena Kaye again, Bridget’s warnings notwithstanding; she had also refilled her glass from the wine bottle and was feeling decidedly light-headed. As the curtain went down Bridget met her eye in silent interrogation, Elizabeth signalled her intention to return to the corridor, and with a shrug Bridget turned away and talked to her husband.
Since no meeting-point had been arranged, Elizabeth decided to take up a position midway between the boxes, and await developments. For a few minutes the corridor was crowded, and she observed the comings and goings nervously in fear of encountering someone she knew. Was Miss Kaye perhaps waiting for her in Lord Harbury’s box? She rounded the bend in the corridor, and came face to face
Elizabeth studied the young woman’s strained face, astonished by this sudden intimate revelation. She was forming an impression of Miss Kaye as a shy, awkward girl who had experienced little friendship or appreciation; perhaps this was why she was attaching herself so quickly to someone that took an interest in her.
‘I should return to my party,’ she said.
‘Of course.’ Miss Kaye’s face fell, and she continued mechanically, ‘It was good of you to talk with me.’
Elizabeth rose. ‘I’ll look out for you during the next interval if you like.’
Miss Kaye’s eyes came to life again, and she smiled as Elizabeth took her leave.
As Elizabeth re-entered the Beaumonts’ box, Bridget thrust a glass of wine into her hand and pointed to the door.
‘The performance is about to restart,’ Elizabeth protested.
‘You and I are going to talk.’ Bridget grabbed her arm and pulled her a few yards into the corridor. ‘Why are you consorting with Helena Kaye?’
‘Calm down, for heaven’s sake. I saw Miss Kaye standing on her own, and on impulse decided to find out whether she was approachable.’
‘In other words you hope to infiltrate the enemy camp and discover intelligence that might help your Mr D.’
‘For now I’m just feeling my way. Probably it will come to nothing, but there can be little risk, since they have no reason to connect me to the gentleman just mentioned—who by the way is not my Mr D.’
‘On the contrary, you are undertaking a deception that might get you into serious trouble.’
Elizabeth looked down sadly. ‘I do feel bad about deceiving Miss Kaye, who is almost certainly blameless. Perhaps you are right and there is some risk to me too.’ She looked up to meet Bridget’s eye. ‘But why should a woman not take risks to aid someone she cares about? We allow men to endanger their lives in fighting for their country, or protecting their families. Why not women too, if we aspire to be their equals?’
Bridget touched her arm. ‘I’m afraid for you , Elizabeth. I would feel the same if you were my brother, for instance.’
Elizabeth nodded slowly, then became aware of the glass in her hand and took a gulp of wine. ‘We’re missing the scene.’
‘I insist you stay away from her. Promise?’
‘No!’
‘Apart from anything else, it is not pleasant to invite a friend to the theatre and have her desert you for someone else.’
‘Then you had better not invite me again.’
‘I probably won’t.’ With a pout Bridget turned away and returned to the box.
During Act III, Elizabeth was no longer able to concentrate on the language or plot of the play; even when George Frederick Cooke—suspiciously red-faced after the interval—delivered the famous soliloquy ‘ To be or not to be, that is the question ’, she scarcely noticed the words, so shaken was she by her sudden brush with the Kaye family. Struggling to ignore the proximity of Lord Harbury’s box, she fixed her stare on the centre of the stage, following the comings and goings of the actors as if they were flames dancing in a fireplace, with her mind elsewhere.
By the end of the act Elizabeth had resolved to seek out Helena Kaye again, Bridget’s warnings notwithstanding; she had also refilled her glass from the wine bottle and was feeling decidedly light-headed. As the curtain went down Bridget met her eye in silent interrogation, Elizabeth signalled her intention to return to the corridor, and with a shrug Bridget turned away and talked to her husband.
Since no meeting-point had been arranged, Elizabeth decided to take up a position midway between the boxes, and await developments. For a few minutes the corridor was crowded, and she observed the comings and goings nervously in fear of encountering someone she knew. Was Miss Kaye perhaps waiting for her in Lord Harbury’s box? She rounded the bend in the corridor, and came face to face
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