you?”
“I suppose so.”
But I felt she was particularly concerned with Roderick Claverham.
Then it happened again. It was about three o’clock in the afternoon. My mother was resting, as she often did, in readiness for the evening’s performance. I went in to see her.
She was lying on her bed, and the moment I entered the room, I could see that something was wrong.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’ve got that silly queasy feeling coming on.”
“Oh no!” I cried, alarm creeping over me.
“It’ll pass. When something like that has happened you imagine it’s going to repeat itself. That’s all it is. Imagination.”
“Lie still, then, and perhaps it will pass.”
“I hope so, darling. I think it might just be nerves. This maddening countess has been part of my life for too long.”
“Oh, it hasn’t been all that much of a long run yet.”
“I get like this after a while … unsettled… I keep thinking of something new. I’m restless by nature. I’ll be all right. Did you want something? Was that why you came in?”
“No, nothing special. I just wanted to see whether you were asleep. Do you feel any better now?”
“Not really, dear. I’m becoming afraid there’s no doubt that it is that silly old thing again.”
“Shall I send for the doctor?”
“No, no. He’ll only say it’s something I’ve eaten.”
“What have you eaten?”
“Nothing much since the dinner last night and the milk I had after the show. I just had coffee and toast for breakfast and a little fish for lunch.”
“Fish again?”
“I often have fish.”
“It’s very strange. I’m worried about you.”
“Oh, my darling, you mustn’t be. I’ll be all right. Strong as a horse, that’s me.”
“What about those attacks? They are getting too frequent.”
“Darling, I think there’s no help for it. Dolly will have to be told.”
I was really worried now. This was the third time over a fairly short period. Something would have to be done.
Dolly was in despair. He had got away with it twice, and now here it was again. It looked as though it were becoming a habit.
At five o’clock that afternoon my mother was certain she could not go on that night. By this time Dolly was really frantic. What was the audience going to say this time? People would think it was no use booking. You never knew what you were going to see. The press would have a field day. They were already hinting that Desiree’s troubles were due to intoxication. That sort of thing did an actress no good with the public. Who was going to believe in these bilious attacks?
That was the trouble. I did not believe in them either. I was terribly afraid that there was some reason for them other than that they were due to something she had eaten.
Martha felt the same. She averted her eyes and muttered something to herself.
“Tomorrow,” she said, “I’m going to get another opinion. No more of that dithering old Green.”
The immediate concern was the night’s show.
Lisa was in a nervous state. Like all actresses in a similar position, she had hoped for fame overnight. She had scarcely had that. I was not sure whether her performances had done her more harm than good. But she was always hopeful. This would be her third attempt and I knew she was practising the leading role all the time.
My mother said to me: “Do go tonight. I think it helps Lisa to know you’re there. Robert is in town. He’ll go with you.”
I did not want her to know how anxious I was about her, so I agreed. The next day Martha and I would put our heads together and decide what should be done. We would call in a specialist and try to find out if there was anything seriously wrong.
Just before Lisa left for the theatre I had a word with her.
She was pale and tense.
“I’ve done a bold thing,” she said. “I don’t know what made me. I wrote a note to Roderick Claverham and asked him to come to the theatre tonight as I’m playing the lead.”
I was
“I suppose so.”
But I felt she was particularly concerned with Roderick Claverham.
Then it happened again. It was about three o’clock in the afternoon. My mother was resting, as she often did, in readiness for the evening’s performance. I went in to see her.
She was lying on her bed, and the moment I entered the room, I could see that something was wrong.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’ve got that silly queasy feeling coming on.”
“Oh no!” I cried, alarm creeping over me.
“It’ll pass. When something like that has happened you imagine it’s going to repeat itself. That’s all it is. Imagination.”
“Lie still, then, and perhaps it will pass.”
“I hope so, darling. I think it might just be nerves. This maddening countess has been part of my life for too long.”
“Oh, it hasn’t been all that much of a long run yet.”
“I get like this after a while … unsettled… I keep thinking of something new. I’m restless by nature. I’ll be all right. Did you want something? Was that why you came in?”
“No, nothing special. I just wanted to see whether you were asleep. Do you feel any better now?”
“Not really, dear. I’m becoming afraid there’s no doubt that it is that silly old thing again.”
“Shall I send for the doctor?”
“No, no. He’ll only say it’s something I’ve eaten.”
“What have you eaten?”
“Nothing much since the dinner last night and the milk I had after the show. I just had coffee and toast for breakfast and a little fish for lunch.”
“Fish again?”
“I often have fish.”
“It’s very strange. I’m worried about you.”
“Oh, my darling, you mustn’t be. I’ll be all right. Strong as a horse, that’s me.”
“What about those attacks? They are getting too frequent.”
“Darling, I think there’s no help for it. Dolly will have to be told.”
I was really worried now. This was the third time over a fairly short period. Something would have to be done.
Dolly was in despair. He had got away with it twice, and now here it was again. It looked as though it were becoming a habit.
At five o’clock that afternoon my mother was certain she could not go on that night. By this time Dolly was really frantic. What was the audience going to say this time? People would think it was no use booking. You never knew what you were going to see. The press would have a field day. They were already hinting that Desiree’s troubles were due to intoxication. That sort of thing did an actress no good with the public. Who was going to believe in these bilious attacks?
That was the trouble. I did not believe in them either. I was terribly afraid that there was some reason for them other than that they were due to something she had eaten.
Martha felt the same. She averted her eyes and muttered something to herself.
“Tomorrow,” she said, “I’m going to get another opinion. No more of that dithering old Green.”
The immediate concern was the night’s show.
Lisa was in a nervous state. Like all actresses in a similar position, she had hoped for fame overnight. She had scarcely had that. I was not sure whether her performances had done her more harm than good. But she was always hopeful. This would be her third attempt and I knew she was practising the leading role all the time.
My mother said to me: “Do go tonight. I think it helps Lisa to know you’re there. Robert is in town. He’ll go with you.”
I did not want her to know how anxious I was about her, so I agreed. The next day Martha and I would put our heads together and decide what should be done. We would call in a specialist and try to find out if there was anything seriously wrong.
Just before Lisa left for the theatre I had a word with her.
She was pale and tense.
“I’ve done a bold thing,” she said. “I don’t know what made me. I wrote a note to Roderick Claverham and asked him to come to the theatre tonight as I’m playing the lead.”
I was
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