CHAPTER TWOBeau Bardsley sank back against the cushions of the hired carriage and closed his eyes.
His cloak was wrapped over the black velvet suit that he had worn in the last act of the play, but he had removed the make-up from his face and, in the flickering lights from the linkmen’s lanterns, Shimona could see how pale he was.
They drove for some way in silence, before she enquired tentatively,
“Will you be – able to do what the Duke – asked?”
“I should imagine it would be quite impossible to find the sort of woman he requires at such a short notice.”
Her father’s voice did not sound too exhausted and after a moment Shimona said,
“We need five hundred guineas, Papa.”
“I know that, but playing a part off the stage is very different from playing one on it.”
“Why?”
“Because actor
