AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Splendid, Miss Bannister. You are a pearl amongst seamstresses. I always recommend you to my friends. We will leave you to collect your things together. Come, Nancy, we will partake of refreshment in the drawing room.’
Nancy cast a pitying glance at Miss Bannister, who was struggling to sort out the chaos of crumpled swatches, magazines and fashion plates that Felicia had left in her wake, not to mention the pins scattered about the floor.
‘Do hurry, Nancy,’ Felicia stood by the door waiting for Nancy to open it for her. ‘I will expect you to be by my side at all times, unless, of course I say otherwise.’
‘Yes, Mrs de Marney.’ Nancy followed Felicia across the entrance hall, where a young housemaid was almost buried beneath a huge bouquet of flowers that had just been delivered.
‘How lovely,’ Nancy said, inhaling the heady scent of hothouse lilies.
‘Another gift from one of my admirers,’ Felicia said casually.
‘Don’t you want to read the card, ma’am?’ Nancy accepted the folded sheet of card from the maid.
‘No, that’s for you to deal with. You will be expected to write letters of acceptance for all the gifts I receive, and answer my correspondence. It’s all part of your day-to-day duties.’ Felicia mounted the stairs, leaving Nancy no option other than to follow her to the first-floor drawing room, where a tray of tea and dainty cakes awaited them.
‘You may pour, Nancy.’ Felicia arranged herself on the sofa. She selected several cakes, considering each one as if it were the most important decision of the day. ‘One has to be careful of one’s figure. I try to eat in moderation or I fear I might become corpulent, like some of the Continental divas. My downfall, unfortunately, is cake. However, I ate very sparingly at breakfast.’
Nancy poured the tea into delicate bone-china cups, passing one on its matching saucer to Felicia, who drank thirstily.
‘Am I to attend rehearsals with you, ma’am?’
‘Of course you are. You will also make sure that my costumes are in perfect order. I understand that you used to help Mrs Lake in the wardrobe when you were with Patricia.’
‘Yes, I did. I am quite good with my needle.’
‘Excellent. I’m afraid Violet is not so talented. You and I will get along splendidly, Nancy. Just do as I tell you and everything will be perfect.’
Nancy’s return to the theatre was like coming home. Garson Thorne not only remembered her but he welcomed her with open arms, planting a whiskery kiss on her cheek. Mrs Lake was equally pleased to see her and Nancy promised to help out in the sewing room when Mrs de Marney had no need for her services. However, Felicia was a demanding mistress. They arrived early each morning and Nancy sat down at the piano to accompany Felicia when she rehearsed her arias before the rest of the cast began to wander into the auditorium. Nancy enjoyed playing the piano again and sometimes they had an audience of cast members or the people who worked backstage. In between running errands and keeping a diary of events for Felicia, Nancy had very little free time. Even that was curtailed by visits from Miss Bannister, who was desperate to finish the elegant ice-blue ball gown that Nancy was to wear to the Dorringtons’ grand mansion in Piccadilly. Nancy gave her all the encouragement she could, even volunteering to sew a few seams herself so that Mrs de Marney could find no fault with Miss Bannister’s work. Nancy discovered that Bertha Bannister was the sole support of her aged invalid mother. They lived in a room above a butcher’s shop in Clare Market and it was no surprise to discover that the butcher was Jedidiah Wilkins. Apparently he had a soft spot for Miss Bannister and had been courting her for years, but seemingly had never had the courage to propose. Nancy made up her mind to have a word with Jedidiah when she could get away from John Adam Street.
As with everything, Felicia wanted to have her own way, and she was adamant that Nancy’s dinner dress made by Meggie Brewer in Exeter was outdated and unsuitable for such a grand event. Nancy took some of the sewing up to her room in the evenings, keeping it away from prying eyes. She did not trust Violet, who told her mistress everything. Molly was a source of information as to events below stairs and she did not like Violet. The feeling apparently was mutual.
Eventually, having sewn until her eyes were sore into the early hours of Saturday morning, Nancy finished her part of the gown. When Bertha arrived mid-afternoon, they were able to use the final fitting to make a few adjustments and the shimmering creation was finished and ready to wear. Molly helped Nancy to dress and she took extra care when arranging Nancy’s hair in a coronet of curls studded with rosebuds from Reuben’s father’s garden.
Molly had used the excuse to visit the Academy at a time when she knew that Reuben would call with the cart laden with fruit, vegetables and flowers. She had returned with a big smile on her face and a posy of white rosebuds. Nancy had a feeling that Molly had ordered these a few days ago on her evening off when Reuben had called to take her out. Their romance was blossoming and Molly had never looked happier. Nancy was delighted for her, but she knew she would soon lose her maid and old friend. Reuben was a nice young man and Molly deserved someone who would love and take care of her. That led to thoughts of Tamara, and Nancy decided that she would visit the Academy herself at the first opportunity. She missed Tamara and she worried about how she was coping without someone to encourage and comfort her.
A knock on the door startled Nancy out of her reverie and she jumped to her feet. ‘Who is it?’
Molly opened the door. ‘What is it, Violet?’
‘Mrs de Marney is ready to leave. She don’t like to be kept waiting.’
Nancy grabbed her velvet mantle, gloves and fan. ‘I’m coming.’ She slipped past Violet and hurried downstairs to the entrance hall where Felicia was standing by the door with Claude.
‘I shouldn’t have to send for you, Nancy. You ought to be ready before me in case I need something at the last minute.’
‘I’m sorry, ma’am. I wanted to look my best. It won’t happen again.’
‘I’m sure it won’t,’ Claude said, smiling. ‘You’ve settled in very well, Nancy.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Nancy stood aside as Claude opened the door and proffered his arm to his wife. He handed her into the waiting cab. ‘After you, Nancy, my dear.’
It was a short cab ride to Piccadilly, but Claude kept them entertained with stories about Lord Dorrington’s escapades as a young man that made Nancy laugh outright. She wondered how she would keep a straight face when she met the gentleman.
When the cab drew to a halt, the street was lit by flambeaux on the pavement outside the mansion and lights spilled from the open door and the tall windows. As they stepped inside, the heat from hundreds of wax candles made it feel like a summer day instead of a cold early November evening. Servants rallied to take their outer garments and they joined the crowd of guests milling around as they waited to mount the stairs to the grand ballroom where Lord and Lady Dorrington were receiving their guests.
When it came to their turn, Lord Dorrington made a fuss of Felicia, who was clearly delighted. She blushed and simpered like a young girl, totally ignoring Nancy, who stood beside Claude, hoping that she could get into the ballroom without being noticed. Felicia acknowledged Lady Dorrington, who did not seem impressed with the diva, and Claude shook hands with Lord Dorrington. Nancy found herself largely ignored, which gave her time to observe their host, who was short, rather stout and with a dangerously florid complexion. It was hard to equate the middle-aged nobleman with the young roué that Claude had described. They should have moved on but Claude gave Nancy a gentle nudge forward.
‘My lord, may I introduce a member of the Devonshire Carey family, Miss Nancy Sunday, who has been good enough to act as my wife’s accompanist and social secretary.’
