Frostbitten Fairy Tales

by Melanie Karsak

  I smiled. “How could I ever leave you? Why don’t you amend Puck’s epilogue and invite them to visit us at Struthers after the thaw?”

  Marve raised his eyebrows and nodded excitedly. “Excellent idea,” he said then hurried off to find Anderson.

  I tiptoed to my spot just off stage. Hermia was in the midst of an impassioned plea to King Theseus that she be able to wed Lysander. Hippolyta glared at her betrothed from stage right. Well, at least Marion played the defeated Amazon queen very well.

  I peered out through the slat in the wood then suppressed a gasp. The crowd extended to the very edges of the audience boundary, and others watched through the open entrance. Seated at the front, the gentry glimmered in their fine gowns and suits. They were out en masse. I scanned the rows for John but didn’t see him.

  My eyes then flicked to the pole by which Kai had been standing sentinel.

  He wasn’t there either. I searched the crowd for his familiar brooding face but didn’t see him anywhere.

  Sighing, I looked away and closed my eyes. No more Elyse. Now I was Titania. I was Titania. My husband and I were in the midst of a quarrel. I had come to see King Theseus wed and only encountered Oberon here by chance. I let myself slip into the role of Titania, so lost in my thoughts that when I took the stage, Elyse had disappeared.

  Out of sight, Skippy and Marve worked their wonders, creating a crack of lightning and the roll of thunder as I entered stage left.

  As if working in tandem, a sharp wind blew across the frozen Thames. The gust carried crystals of ice. Under the moonlight, they shimmered like prisms of colorful light. From my position on the stage, I saw the wind whip across the crowd. The audience murmured quietly as they held onto their caps. The timing of the effect was perfect.

  Oberon, already on stage, scowled angrily at me.

  “Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania,” Robert growled.

  “What, jealous Oberon?” I seethed at him, turning to the audience so they could see my frustrated expression. When I did so, I noticed the foreign gentleman standing just behind the gentry at the center of the audience in his regular spot, his hands resting on his walking stick. Surely he had not been there earlier. Such a striking figure, I was amazed to think I could have missed him.

  He nodded to me, just the slightest of movements.

  I pulled my attention away before Elyse’s interests came too much to the surface. I was not Elyse, I was Titania.

  I turned back to the faeries who carried the long train of my dress. “Faeries, skip away. I have forsworn his love and company.”

  Oberon laughed ruefully. “Rash woman. Aren’t I your lord?”

  “Then I must be your lady,” I said with a sardonic smirk.

  And then, I was lost to the faerie queen’s devices.

  I kept my focus on my lines, my moves, and my mood. I was Titania. My only concerns were that of Titania’s. More than once I had to redirect myself as I sought Kai in the crowd, but he was not there. And more than once, I had to force away a blush of pride when the foreign gentleman smiled, laughed, or looked moved by the way I’d tossed a line.

  Out of breath, when my final act came once more, I could scarcely believe it. Again, the three pairs of lovers lay on stage. I prepared my pouch of faerie dust and waited for Oberon to signal my cue.

  “Sing and dance,” Oberon called to the faeries assembled.

  I pirouetted onto the stage then stopped and turned to my faeries.

  “Hand in hand, faeries, let us spread our grace

  We shall sing and bless this place.”

  With that, I moved again through the sleeping pairs, twirling on the tips of my toes until it hurt, casting Titania’s blessings on all the lovers.

  When I was done, the faerie train retreated once more, leaving wily Puck on stage to deliver the final speech.

  We waited backstage and listened.

  I mouthed the words along with Puck. His lines were my favorite in the entire play. I smiled, listening as Puck’s final lines came to a close and he called the fine crowd to meet us again:

  “Give me your hands, if we be friends,

  And Robin shall make amends

  And if you delight in our players

  Meet us in London at the theatre Struthers”

  At that, the crowd broke into applause. We waited for several moments, reveling in the hearty applause, before we all went back on stage to accept our reward. Hand in hand with Robert, I approached the front of the stage and curtseyed. No Kai. No John. The foreign gentleman, however, removed his top hat and bowed to me.

  I smiled at him.

  After that, we headed to the tent backstage.

  “Elyse,” Lizzie said, rushing up toward me. “Who is that handsome man with the pale blond hair? Is that the one you mentioned earlier?”

  “The rich one,” Amy added, joining her.

  “His eyes never left you,” Lizzie added.

  I nodded to Lizzie. “I don’t know. I spoke with him but didn’t catch his name. He’s not an Englishman.”

  “A foreign lord,” Amy said, her eyes looking soft and dreamy. “Maybe his ship is trapped in the Thames.”

  “I thought the same,” I told her.

  “But you didn’t get his name?” Lizzie asked.

  I smiled. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will ask.”

  “Oh, Elyse. You have all the luck with the gentlemen,” Amy said with a sigh.

  “It only takes one,” I said, setting my hand on her shoulder. “The right one.”

  Marve arrived backstage. He looked pale. “I’m going to close down the Ice House. I don’t care how much I’m making,” he said, shaking his head.

  “What is it?” Amy and Lizzie asked at once.

  Marve looked down at his hand. Therein, he had two slips of paper.

  “Robert?” he called.

  Robert, who must have already been on his way to see what the matter was, came from the right of the tent where his changing area was located. “Drury Lane,” he said, handing a note to the actor.

  I looked at the paper in Marve’s hands. My stomach shook with excitement. Surely there was a note for me.

  “Amy,” he said, passing her the other note. “Covent Garden.”

  Amy gasped then took the paper.

  “And for Miss Hannah,” Marve said, passing her a bouquet of Frost Fair roses. “There is a gentleman outside who’d like to make your acquaintance.”

  I smiled at my friends. A terrible sense of jealousy swept over me, but I pushed it down.

  “Congratulations,” I told Amy and Robert.

  “Elyse, tomorrow, surely, someone will—” Lizzie began, but I raised a hand to stop her.

  “Someone has to look after Marve,” I said. “I can’t leave him all alone with Marion.”

  “Speaking of, where is she?” Robert asked.

  “She stormed off right after the play finished,” Hannah said.

  “I let her know she would not play Persephone tomorrow,” Marve explained. “She was angry.”

  “Forget her. How exciting for you both,” I said. “But now, I need to get dressed and find Doctor Murray. He’ll want to check on his patient who fell through the ice.”

  The others nodded then let me go, knowing I was more upset than I let show. I headed back to my area then began pulling off my wardrobe. What did it matter? If I was to wed John, I would likely leave the theatre anyway. It didn’t really matter. Maybe I wasn’t as talented an actress as I thought I was. I slipped off Titania’s gown and opened the trunk to lay it inside when something odd caught my eye.

  My pink satin slippers were inside the trunk, but they looked…wrong. I lifted one of the ballet slippers to inspect it. The stitches at the side had frayed apart. When had it worn so thin? But then I looked more closely. No. It was not frayed. Someone had cut a massive hole in the side. I looked at the other slipper. The pink satin ankle sash had been ripped off.

  No. Oh no.

  I hugged the slippers to my ches
t.

  No.

  Marion.

  It had to have been Marion.

  How could she be so jealous about something so small? To ruin something so precious to me was just…unthinkable.

  I tossed the rest of my wardrobe into the chest and locked it. Slipping on my regular clothes and a coat, and pulling on a pair of boots, I got ready to go. I slid my slippers into my bag. They could be repaired, but the toe would never hold steady now. How could she?

  I blinked back my tears. On the other side of the tent, Lizzie and Amy were gushing excitedly. I steeled my heart, forcing myself not to envy them, then headed outside. There, I spotted Hannah on the arm of a handsome looking gentleman. From his dress, he looked to be a tradesman of some sort, a man of means but also the kind of man who could marry an actress without any shame, and walk about with her in public without fear of being spotted.

  My stomach churned. I headed toward the front of the theatre to look for Kai. There was no one there. I gripped my bag then walked down Freezeland Lane toward The Frozen Mermaid.

  The crowd on the Thames was merry. Everyone seemed joyful. Laughing couples, families, groups of young people together, everyone was having fun.

  And what about me? Who did I have?

  A lover who was ashamed of me.

  A friend who was missing.

  And no family.

  I was an orphan and a Cheapside actress with no talent and no future.

  I stopped at the entrance to The Frozen Mermaid and looked inside.

  “Miss McKenna?” one of the serving girls said, seeing me linger at the entry.

  “Is Doctor Murray here?”

  The girl shook her head. “I haven’t seen him today.”

  I nodded politely. “Thank you,” I said, and with a frown, I turned and headed in the direction of Captain Behra’s ship.

  Chapter 13: Ill Met by Moonlight

  The scene outside the ship would have rivaled a festival to Bacchus. All around, the sailors danced with pretty girls while others played the strange assortment of instruments. The music was unlike any I had ever heard before. Torches lit the area surrounding the ship, and wine was being passed around in plenty.

  I balked as I neared the scene. It was a rowdy sight. The dancing couples were certainly not keeping within the bounds of propriety. The sailors’ hands roved across their partners’ breasts and backsides. In the shadow of night amongst the casks, I saw two lovers in the throes of passion. Their soft moans carried on the wind.

  “Miss McKenna,” a soft voice called.

  The young boy, Robin, bounded off the ship toward me. He’d been playing a pan-flute. He was still holding it when he rushed over to me. The glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes.

  “Robin,” I said with a smile. “I am sorry to bother your…crew.”

  “Troupe.”

  “Sorry?”

  “We’re a troupe. What did you need, Miss McKenna?”

  “I was planning to head back into the city, but I’m trying to find Doctor Murray. Do you happen to know where he went when he left Captain Behra?”

  “Left? Why, he never left. He’s still inside. Shall we check on him?”

  “He…he never left?”

  Robin smiled mischievously then took my hand. “Come on,” he said, leading me back up the plank.

  The others gathered there smiled happily at me but kept to their merrymaking. Robin led me on deck to the captain’s quarters.

  “Captain?” he called, opening the door ajar just slightly. “Miss McKenna wants to see Doctor Murray.”

  From inside, I heard what sounded like a muffled laugh.

  “Send Miss McKenna in,” I heard the captain call.

  Inside the captain’s quarters, the lamps had been dimmed. It was very warm.

  “What can I do for you, Miss McKenna?” the captain asked.

  It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light. When I finally got a fix on her, I saw that she was lying on her cot. I was shocked to see that she was topless. She smiled at me then reached out for a fur coat lying on the floor.

  I averted my eyes as she rose, seeing from the periphery that she had, in fact, been entirely naked. She wrapped the coat around her then went to her desk.

  “I…I was looking for—”

  “Wine?” she asked. She poured a goblet then handed it to me. She had the oddest expression on her face. Though she was smiling, there was so much anger buried behind that smile that I couldn’t quite understand how the two emotions could be contained on one visage.

  “I…no…is…was Doctor—”

  “Kai?” the captain said, turning back toward her cot.

  I turned then to see Kai lying there nestled under the blankets. His coat was off, the front of his shirt undone. He was fast asleep.

  “Kai?” I whispered.

  “He’s not used to our wine,” the captain said, setting down the goblet she’d offered to me. “He’ll need some sleep, I think. He’s quite worn thin.”

  I could feel the flush on my cheeks, anger and embarrassment mixing together.

  “Kai,” I demanded. “Have you lost your mind?” Fury swept over me. What was he…what had he done?

  “Elyse?” he called sleepily, but he didn’t rise. He sounded confused.

  “Best let him sleep it off,” the captain said. “Unless you might like to stay as well,” she said, letting her coat slip casually from her shoulder, giving the briefest glimpse of her breast. “I suspect he might enjoy that.”

  I gasped. Furious, I turned and stormed out of the captain’s cabin. Outside, the revelry continued, but Robin was nowhere to be seen.

  Behind me, the captain laughed.

  My cheeks burned. I headed down the plank and back onto the ice. As I walked back into the darkness, hot tears trailed down my cheeks.

  Kai had a right to his own life. He could do whatever he wanted, but still. It was…I was…I felt sick. I moved quickly through the crowd, tears wetting my cheeks. My emotions tumbled over themselves. How could Kai just bed that woman like that? Apparently, I didn’t know him at all. I’d always thought he was too fine a man for something like that. And for that woman to ask me to join them…well, I could barely believe what I had heard. Fury and sorrow racked me. I gripped my bag, the ruined slippers inside, then headed back toward town. At the very least, I could make some use of myself and attend to his patient. Clearly Kai had been unable to do so. At that moment, I was so very sorry that I didn’t know how to reach John. I needed him. I needed someone.

  My eyes wet with tears, I walked blindly. My mind was reeling so feverishly that I was lost to myself. I came to a sharp halt, however, when I walked right into someone.

  I staggered backward, more mortified than ever.

  “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry. I was—” I began, but then stopped when I realized who I’d crashed into. The foreign gentleman was there, steadying me by the arms so I wouldn’t fall.

  “Miss McKenna,” he said, looking surprised. He looked closely at my face, seeming to take in my distress. “What’s happened?”

  “I…” I began, looking back in the direction of the ship. “Nothing,” I said, dashing the tears from my cheeks.

  The foreign gentleman followed my gaze. He frowned hard. “Are you hurt?”

  “Oh, no,” I said with a gasp. “Just a bit upset. My friend…” I said, looking back once more. “It’s nothing.”

  “You’ve had an argument with your friend?”

  “Just…a misunderstanding. It’s nothing. I’m terribly sorry.”

  The foreign gentleman glared at the ship once more then offered me his arm. “Miss McKenna, I believe I failed to make an introduction. I’m Baron Moren,” he said. “And it would be my pleasure to escort you home.”

  I took a deep, shuddering breath. A baron? The girls were right, I was swimming in gentlemen…all the wrong gentlemen.

  “Thank you. I…I was planning to visit some friends who live along the Thames. It’s not a fa
r walk. Would you mind?”

  “Not at all. I’m sorry to see you in such a state, Miss McKenna. Especially after your fine performance tonight.”

  I took the baron’s arm. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I said, trying to calm myself. The last thing I needed to do was make any more of a fool of myself.

  “You play Titania very well. Her words evoke sympathy when coming from your lips. A trick unfamiliar to most Titanias. You play her earnestly.”

  “I try to imagine her sorrow at the quarrel between her and her king.”

  “Does she feel sorrow? I always thought her argument to be petty.”

  “Oh, no,” I said. “At the end of the play, she professes her deep love for Oberon. I think she appears so angry because she loves him so deeply and their quarrel wounds her. In my mind, she wants nothing more than to be with him but is too prideful to find a way.”

  “I never considered it from that point of view.”

  “Of course, Oberon is no better. He loves her as well. His spite hurts them both.”

  The baron nodded thoughtfully but said nothing.

  “Do they enact much of the Bard’s work where you live?” I asked, hoping my ignorance of his barony wasn’t completely obvious. I still had no idea where, exactly, the gentleman was from.

  “No,” he said with a smile. “But we are quite familiar with Titania.”

  I nodded, unsure what to make of his comment.

  “Perhaps we shall see you as Persephone tomorrow?”

  “Yes. In the morning,” I said, gripping my bag once more. “Assuming the river is still frozen,” I added, trying to soften the mood.

  He smiled. “She’ll hold at least another two days, I believe.”

  “And will you return home then or do you have more business in London?”

  “We shall see.”

  It was clear then that I’d found the limit of that conversation.

  We turned off the ice and walked down the cobblestone road toward the Hawkings’ workshop. I cast a look out at the Frost Fair. The whole river was alive with excitement. Laughter, music, and lights danced across the frozen Thames.

  “It is a lovely scene,” I said, casting my hand toward the river.