“Keep Moll occupied as we leave, and I shall owe you a favor.”
“It would be easier to keep the plague out of London in September.”
“It was not a request, Arlington, no matter how kindly delivered.”
The two men exchanged a glance as Moll Davies clamped onto the king’s forearm and gazed up adoringly at him from his other side.
“I need a moment, lovely. Arlington here shall see you safely to my coach.” He stood, and she stood as well, still holding on fast to his arm.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Nature calling, my lovely girl, is a largely private matter.”
Nell was just coming off the stage, her face glowing with triumph, her skin bathed in perspiration, when she heard a voice break through the shouts of applause. “Nelly! Where are you, love? Un’and me, sir! Nelly Gwynne’s me own daughter, she is! Nelly! ”
“Oh, good lord,” said Mrs. Knepp beneath her breath. “I’ve one of those creatures myself to taunt me when I least expect it.”
“As do I,” said Beck Marshall, shaking her head in camaraderie as each unlaced the stays of the other’s tight, high corset. “But I wasn’t ever likely to tell her about the life I’d made here or I’d never have seen a shilling of my own.”
“I didn’t tell her,” said Nell on a sigh. “She smells money like a huntin’ hound.”
“There you are, Nelly! Be a love, then; tell these gents your poor Ma’d only like a word?”
Helena Gwynne, as usual, was drunk. Her dress was stained with mud, food, and perspiration, as if she had fallen into the street on her way to the theater. Quite likely she had. Stout and ungainly, Helena grabbed onto the doorjamb to steady herself. Her eyes were bloodshot. Nell felt her heart seize. She had not seen her mother in nearly three months. The urge to say she had never seen the woman before in her life was overwhelming. She was embarrassed by her, afraid of her, and felt far more shame in her company than anything close to affection. “’Tis all right, William,” she nodded. The men who stood guard after the shows, in order to protect the girls, lifted their brows in surprise.
Helena smiled a gap-toothed smile, and ran the back of her hand across her face as the two men turned to leave. “My, don’t you look ever the lady! Such is the stage life, I suppose; magic at turnin’ a sow’s ear like you into a right proper silk purse for an ’our or two.”
The other actresses went to one of the dressing tables to give Nell a moment of privacy. Nell lowered her voice. “What do you want, Ma?”
“Actually, I’d ’ave thought to see you in one of these plays by now, properlike. I’d ’ave thought you’d ’ave bought me a seat.”
“You don’t care about the theater, or me. So what do you want?”
She shrugged. “Only a penny or two, then, hmm? ’Tis all.”
Nell went to her handbag and pulled out two coins. Before she could say anything, they were interrupted by the shouts of Richard Bell. “The king comes! The king is coming here!”
Nell did not believe it—for how unlikely such a thing seemed!—but she could take no chances with her mother. Pressing the coins into Helena’s hand, she led her to the back door personally to be rid of her swiftly. As those around her stood, only to fall into deep curtsies, Nell turned and saw him in the doorway. This close, she saw that he was handsome, and so amazingly tall. Tall…great God in His heaven, it is…
She quickly dropped into a low curtsy herself.
“Mrs. Gwynne, your performance was most entertaining.”
Oh, ballocks, smile, you fool! a silent voice urged. Smile like you couldn’t care a whit! She looked up and managed a disarming smile. “So long as Your Majesty ’as found it so,” she said, as though she had been speaking to him all of her life, “I shall do my best to disregard the critics, should they not find the same favor in my performance.”
Charles indicated that all present should rise. Then he replied, “I
“It would be easier to keep the plague out of London in September.”
“It was not a request, Arlington, no matter how kindly delivered.”
The two men exchanged a glance as Moll Davies clamped onto the king’s forearm and gazed up adoringly at him from his other side.
“I need a moment, lovely. Arlington here shall see you safely to my coach.” He stood, and she stood as well, still holding on fast to his arm.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Nature calling, my lovely girl, is a largely private matter.”
Nell was just coming off the stage, her face glowing with triumph, her skin bathed in perspiration, when she heard a voice break through the shouts of applause. “Nelly! Where are you, love? Un’and me, sir! Nelly Gwynne’s me own daughter, she is! Nelly! ”
“Oh, good lord,” said Mrs. Knepp beneath her breath. “I’ve one of those creatures myself to taunt me when I least expect it.”
“As do I,” said Beck Marshall, shaking her head in camaraderie as each unlaced the stays of the other’s tight, high corset. “But I wasn’t ever likely to tell her about the life I’d made here or I’d never have seen a shilling of my own.”
“I didn’t tell her,” said Nell on a sigh. “She smells money like a huntin’ hound.”
“There you are, Nelly! Be a love, then; tell these gents your poor Ma’d only like a word?”
Helena Gwynne, as usual, was drunk. Her dress was stained with mud, food, and perspiration, as if she had fallen into the street on her way to the theater. Quite likely she had. Stout and ungainly, Helena grabbed onto the doorjamb to steady herself. Her eyes were bloodshot. Nell felt her heart seize. She had not seen her mother in nearly three months. The urge to say she had never seen the woman before in her life was overwhelming. She was embarrassed by her, afraid of her, and felt far more shame in her company than anything close to affection. “’Tis all right, William,” she nodded. The men who stood guard after the shows, in order to protect the girls, lifted their brows in surprise.
Helena smiled a gap-toothed smile, and ran the back of her hand across her face as the two men turned to leave. “My, don’t you look ever the lady! Such is the stage life, I suppose; magic at turnin’ a sow’s ear like you into a right proper silk purse for an ’our or two.”
The other actresses went to one of the dressing tables to give Nell a moment of privacy. Nell lowered her voice. “What do you want, Ma?”
“Actually, I’d ’ave thought to see you in one of these plays by now, properlike. I’d ’ave thought you’d ’ave bought me a seat.”
“You don’t care about the theater, or me. So what do you want?”
She shrugged. “Only a penny or two, then, hmm? ’Tis all.”
Nell went to her handbag and pulled out two coins. Before she could say anything, they were interrupted by the shouts of Richard Bell. “The king comes! The king is coming here!”
Nell did not believe it—for how unlikely such a thing seemed!—but she could take no chances with her mother. Pressing the coins into Helena’s hand, she led her to the back door personally to be rid of her swiftly. As those around her stood, only to fall into deep curtsies, Nell turned and saw him in the doorway. This close, she saw that he was handsome, and so amazingly tall. Tall…great God in His heaven, it is…
She quickly dropped into a low curtsy herself.
“Mrs. Gwynne, your performance was most entertaining.”
Oh, ballocks, smile, you fool! a silent voice urged. Smile like you couldn’t care a whit! She looked up and managed a disarming smile. “So long as Your Majesty ’as found it so,” she said, as though she had been speaking to him all of her life, “I shall do my best to disregard the critics, should they not find the same favor in my performance.”
Charles indicated that all present should rise. Then he replied, “I
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