upon the stage. I am a great admirer.”
“You are gracious, sir, and have not much advantage. For are you not the guardian Lucy talks so fondly of?”
“No guardian,” Lucy said, “but a friend. To my poor dead brother first and now to me.” Lucy took Sarah’s hand. “My dear, you look exhausted. Come sit. I will fetch you some cordial. What’s the news?”
Sarah regarded the captain. She did not want to discuss this business before a stranger, however dear to Lucy. So she settled for the common news. “I’ve been in St. Giles. There’re more red crosses than last week. Three more houses shut up with all their occupants on Brewer’s Lane.”
“Fie, sister,” replied Lucy, pouring out a glass, carrying it to Sarah. “I heard that the bills of mortality note only three dead of the plague in the whole City during April, and probably not many more in May. Did you not recently observe, William, that every year a few die of the plague?”
“I did.” He thought of the house he’d fled the week before. He had walked past it yesterday and it was boarded, his former neighbours, who had not been swift enough to escape, now trapped within, hanging from the barred windows, begging for extra food from the constables. “Though I fear the contagion may be a trifle worse this year.”
“Trifle?” Lucy replied. “Pah! I do not think even so much. Besides, that was not the news I was after. What of your husband?”
“I am sure the captain does not want—”
“Nonsense.” Lucy seized Sarah’s hand. “My friend here is seeking her husband, William. You must know him—John Chalker, our fellow player. Missing these three days. Could you not help her seek him?”
“Child, you cannot ask a stranger to undertake such a thing.”
Lucy continued over Sarah’s protests, “You said, sir, that you could not leave for a few days. And you know that there are places where a woman cannot easily go alone.” She turned. “Besides, my dear, William is no stranger. He is my most especial friend.” She leaped up and, while retaining Sarah’s hand, grabbed Coke’s. “And so he should be yours.”
Sarah went to speak again, but it was the captain who now interrupted Lucy—after he laughed. “Mrs. Chalker, it seems that today I am able to deny Mistress Absolute precisely nothing. Only now I have agreed to undertake another quest on her behalf. Indeed, business will delay me in town a few days more. And she is alsocorrect. There are some who are persuaded to talk more readily to a man than a woman.”
“Persuaded—exactly!” agreed Lucy.
“Do you believe your husband will most likely be found within the boundaries of St. Giles in the Fields, since that is where you recently were?”
“I cannot say why, sir, but yes, I sense that he is.”
“Then let me inquire of some people I know there. And since I have indeed seen John Chalker perform upon that same stage where I have so enjoyed you, I believe I would recognize him, or could describe him.” He held up his hand. “Mrs. Chalker, I promise nothing. Except that in the little time I have, I will try.”
Sarah opened her mouth to protest again but then closed it. She was desperate. She knew she needed both sleep and help. “I am most grateful, sir.”
“Yes, thank you, dearest William,” said Lucy. “If Sarah were not present, I would kiss you again.”
“Dear heart, I live in the theatre. I have seen everything.”
They all laughed. All stopped as suddenly. “I’ll take my leave. Ladies.” Tucking both Lucy’s letter and the invitation to the king’s touching into a pocket within his cloak, Coke bowed and left.
For a moment, the two actresses gazed at each other in silence. Lucy, as ever, broke it. “Did you like my captain?” she asked.
“I did. His eyes …”
“A unique grey, are they not?”
“They are, but it was not that.” Sarah stared above her friend. “There is such pain in them.”
“Only you would look beyond their
“You are gracious, sir, and have not much advantage. For are you not the guardian Lucy talks so fondly of?”
“No guardian,” Lucy said, “but a friend. To my poor dead brother first and now to me.” Lucy took Sarah’s hand. “My dear, you look exhausted. Come sit. I will fetch you some cordial. What’s the news?”
Sarah regarded the captain. She did not want to discuss this business before a stranger, however dear to Lucy. So she settled for the common news. “I’ve been in St. Giles. There’re more red crosses than last week. Three more houses shut up with all their occupants on Brewer’s Lane.”
“Fie, sister,” replied Lucy, pouring out a glass, carrying it to Sarah. “I heard that the bills of mortality note only three dead of the plague in the whole City during April, and probably not many more in May. Did you not recently observe, William, that every year a few die of the plague?”
“I did.” He thought of the house he’d fled the week before. He had walked past it yesterday and it was boarded, his former neighbours, who had not been swift enough to escape, now trapped within, hanging from the barred windows, begging for extra food from the constables. “Though I fear the contagion may be a trifle worse this year.”
“Trifle?” Lucy replied. “Pah! I do not think even so much. Besides, that was not the news I was after. What of your husband?”
“I am sure the captain does not want—”
“Nonsense.” Lucy seized Sarah’s hand. “My friend here is seeking her husband, William. You must know him—John Chalker, our fellow player. Missing these three days. Could you not help her seek him?”
“Child, you cannot ask a stranger to undertake such a thing.”
Lucy continued over Sarah’s protests, “You said, sir, that you could not leave for a few days. And you know that there are places where a woman cannot easily go alone.” She turned. “Besides, my dear, William is no stranger. He is my most especial friend.” She leaped up and, while retaining Sarah’s hand, grabbed Coke’s. “And so he should be yours.”
Sarah went to speak again, but it was the captain who now interrupted Lucy—after he laughed. “Mrs. Chalker, it seems that today I am able to deny Mistress Absolute precisely nothing. Only now I have agreed to undertake another quest on her behalf. Indeed, business will delay me in town a few days more. And she is alsocorrect. There are some who are persuaded to talk more readily to a man than a woman.”
“Persuaded—exactly!” agreed Lucy.
“Do you believe your husband will most likely be found within the boundaries of St. Giles in the Fields, since that is where you recently were?”
“I cannot say why, sir, but yes, I sense that he is.”
“Then let me inquire of some people I know there. And since I have indeed seen John Chalker perform upon that same stage where I have so enjoyed you, I believe I would recognize him, or could describe him.” He held up his hand. “Mrs. Chalker, I promise nothing. Except that in the little time I have, I will try.”
Sarah opened her mouth to protest again but then closed it. She was desperate. She knew she needed both sleep and help. “I am most grateful, sir.”
“Yes, thank you, dearest William,” said Lucy. “If Sarah were not present, I would kiss you again.”
“Dear heart, I live in the theatre. I have seen everything.”
They all laughed. All stopped as suddenly. “I’ll take my leave. Ladies.” Tucking both Lucy’s letter and the invitation to the king’s touching into a pocket within his cloak, Coke bowed and left.
For a moment, the two actresses gazed at each other in silence. Lucy, as ever, broke it. “Did you like my captain?” she asked.
“I did. His eyes …”
“A unique grey, are they not?”
“They are, but it was not that.” Sarah stared above her friend. “There is such pain in them.”
“Only you would look beyond their
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