Nor it appeared had there been any sight of her. As the Prince of Wales was settling himself in, Daisy managed to get the ear of her son before he also took his place.
‘Where – is – May?’ she hissed.
‘How should I know, Mother?’ Harry answered indolently and from his manner Daisy knew at once that he was drunk. ‘There are an awful lot of people here so naturally I thought—’
‘I don’t care tuppence for what you fink, Harry – not now!’ Daisy stage-whispered back. ‘You surely must have spoken to her, at least to make sure of your ground, you fool!’
‘How could I speak to her, Mamma, when I haven’t even seen the girl? God knows I’ve tried to find her, but I mean look. Look at all these people. I mean – God.’
Daisy was indeed looking at all the people in the great banqueting hall, but she was doing so not to assess their numbers but to try to catch sight of May and her parents who she assumed must have found their way to the wrong seats. As she did so, a gentleman-in-waiting coughed discreetly behind her in order to engage her attention.
‘Lady Evesham,’ he said. ‘Pray excuse me, but his Royal Highness requires to know the whereabouts of his immediate neighbour at table, for it seems he is sitting beside an empty chair and is not best pleased.’
‘Of course not,’ Daisy replied. ‘Please convey my humblest apologies to his Royal Highness and pray tell him there must have been some misadventure or mishap for at the moment we seem unable to locate the young lady in question. In the meantime I will call our steward who has a full list of everyone in attendance so that we may confirm that her party has indeed arrived.’
By now all eyes were beginning to focus on the top table and in particular on the Prince of Wales and the empty chair beside him. Those who knew the prince knew how impatient and restless he could become if there was even the slightest hiatus in proceedings, besides his insistence that protocol and formality be observed at all times. An empty chair seen beside him at an occasion as grand and celebrated as this would only be tolerated for a very short space of time indeed.
Daisy was more than aware of this but did her very best not to panic yet, not at least until she had learned from her steward whether or not the wretched Danby family had arrived. But she was spared the trouble and delay of sending for him because no sooner had she given instructions to a footman than the great doors at the end of the hall opened and in he came, dressed in full medieval court regalia down to and including a staff of office. His unexpected appearance also brought Daisy a stay of execution for with great relief she heard the Prince of Wales remark to his wife that perhaps the fatal empty chair and the arrival of this courtier were all part of the pageant. She was doubly relieved when she then saw him settle back in his throne to enjoy what was to come.
At the approach of her steward Daisy too began to believe that whatever was happening was indeed in keeping with the theme of the event, for the steward, after bowing deeply to the royal couple, then asked for leave to approach the throne to speak. The Prince of Wales, now convinced this was all part of the charade, at once assumed the role of the king whose costume he was wearing and bade the man approach and tell of his tidings.
‘Sire,’ the steward began. ‘We crave your Majesty’s pardon but a messenger has arrived at the gates, an emissary who begs leave to approach and speak with your hostess on a matter of great import. He asks me to inform your Majesty and in particular your hostess, sire, that he is sent from the House of Danby.’
While the Prince of Wales roared with approving laughter at the performance of the steward, rewarding him with two or three handclaps, an accolade which was at once taken up and copied by the entire ‘court’, Daisy looked down the length of the hall where she could indeed see a tall distinguished-looking figure awaiting permission to enter, a right which was immediately granted by the still highly amused Prince of Wales.
All eyes now turned to the Emissary of the House of Danby who upon receiving permission from the steward to approach the throne began the long walk to the top table, a walk which he carried off with magnificent bearing, treading with a perfectly measured pace and never taking his eyes off the monarch whom he was slowly approaching. He was superbly attired in the costume of an early Tudor ambassador, clothes made entirely of the richest and finest velvets and silks, including a superb feathered velvet hat which he doffed and flourished before him as he bowed before his monarch.
‘Good,’ the Prince of Wales said, still enjoying the part he was playing. ‘Rise now and state your business, for we have a feast to attend to and we wait on your words.’
‘We will not delay your Majesty, and I thank you for your Highness’s indulgence in receiving me,’ said the emissary, who underneath his magnificent costume and makeup was an actor called Barrington Payne, hired and rehearsed for this one performance only. ‘As your steward has informed you, I bring news not for you, sire, but for the Lady Evesham, a message from milord and milady Danby, which with your permission, sire, I will convey to her as briefly as I can.’ At this, still enjoying his role as monarch, the Prince of Wales waved one hand at him and nodded his royal agreement. ‘Thank you, sire,’ the emissary replied, producing a scroll which he then slowly unrolled and studied for a moment before proceeding to read it out clearly in his fine actor’s voice, which could be heard right down the Great Hall even though the performer had his back to most of his audience. ‘Milady Evesham,’ he began. ‘This missive comes to you in our own hand and with our seal. It concerns the proposed betrothal of our beloved daughter May to your son the Lord Lanford, a match proposed by your son and having the approval of yourself and your husband Lord Evesham.’
‘This is infernally good,’ the Prince of Wales was heard to mutter. ‘We do so thoroughly enjoy this type of charade.’
‘We have naturally given the proposed betrothal our fullest consideration, yet despite noting the distinction of the Earl of Evesham himself and of Lord Lanford’s family we are nevertheless unable to consent to the engagement.’
At this a great gasp went up from the assembled company followed by a low buzz of shocked conversation. The Prince of Wales leaned forward from his throne to stare at the messenger standing before him while the steward banged his staff on the floor to call for silence.
‘Is this part of the charade, good fellow?’ the prince enquired when silence fell. ‘We most sincerely trust that it is.’
‘Alas, sire, it is not,’ the emissary answered gravely. ‘This message is being delivered thus since it was milady Evesham’s wish that all that should be done here this evening must be in keeping with the times, but the message this scroll contains and which I have been employed to deliver is the truth, sire. So perhaps if you would grant me the right to conclude my task, then I may take my leave and you may then enjoy your feast.’
‘Very well,’ the prince said, sitting back but with his mind entirely changed. ‘We will hear you out since this is a matter of some import. Since, after all, it is why we are gathered here.’
‘Thank you, sire.’ The emissary then cleared his throat once more, turning back to Daisy whose complexion had turned snow white. ‘We have also taken good and due note of the history of the Countess of Evesham and it is upon her account that we have based our refusal to give our consent.’
Immediately another gasp of horrified delight arose from the assembled company, to be silenced almost at once by further drumming of the steward’s staff.
‘Signed this day the 28th of July 1895 by Charles and Alice Danby and sealed with our seal.’
His business almost done, the Emissary of the House of Danby then allowed the scroll to re-roll itself, and with a deep bow to the prince handed it to Daisy who for a moment stared at it as if it were red hot, before taking it and laying it before her.
‘With permission, sire, I do also bear one other personal message for milady Evesham,’ the emissary said, taking an envelope out of his pocket and holding it up in one velvet-gauntleted hand. The Prince of
Wales, his good mood now entirely gone, gave another one-handed wave at him.
‘Yes, yes,’ he said. ‘And then begone.’
The Emissary of the House of Danby bowed deeply, and then handed the envelope to Daisy who this time took it with the gravest of suspicions. Once she had it in her hand, the emissary bowed again, and then backed himself out the entire length of the Great Hall, still bowed from the waist.
After he had successfully executed this treacherous manoeuvre and the huge doors had been closed on him, the guests remained silent, waiting for a lead from the top table where now sat their prince in what appeared to be the very darkest of his moods.
‘Well, madam?’ he finally said to Daisy who was sitting stock still with the unopened envelope in her hand. ‘What does your letter say that cannot be said in front of him who is to be your king?’
‘I do not know, sir. For I have not opened it,’ Daisy replied in a voice barely above a whisper.
‘Then open it and see what it contains, for our patience is now quite exhausted.’
Daisy hesitated, but knew it could not be for long because when the prince demanded something his demands must be met. So picking up a silver fruit knife she slit the envelope open and unfolded the single sheet of paper which was within. She stared at what it said, and then refolded it, putting it back on the table.
‘Are you not to tell us what the message contains, Lady Evesham?’ the Prince of Wales enquired.
‘Vare is no point, sir, for I fear you would not understand it,’ Daisy replied. ‘I fink it is intended as some sort of joke.’
‘We would still like to know what it says.’ The prince put out one hand and Daisy was obliged to pass him the folded sheet of paper, which the Prince slowly unfolded, stared at blankly, and showed his wife who stared at it equally blankly before turning her gaze back onto Daisy, as did her husband.
‘No, Lady Evesham, you are right,’ the prince concluded. ‘We do not understand it, nor do we appreciate the humour of this little charade. You have embarrassed us, madam, and for that we regret we must now take our leave.’
As the prince stood up so too did the entire room. A footman pulled out his throne-like chair as another removed the seat behind the Princess of Wales, allowing them free passage from the top table. They then progressed down the length of the Great Hall with the gentlemen all bowing and the ladies all sinking to a full court curtsey. After they had gone there was a momentary silence as if everyone was waiting to see who would make the first move, but they did not have long to wait, for without even a look in his wife’s direction the Earl of Evesham picked up his ebony and silver walking stick and made his way slowly out of the room.
In half the time it had taken the guests to find their seats they had all left them, leaving the Great Hall peopled only by servants, by those employed for their entertainment and by their hostess, a tragic little figure who was now sitting back in her seat with her head bowed low over the letter which had finally completed her disgrace.
When everyone was gone and the entertainers and musicians were beginning to pack up their belongings and drift away, Daisy took one last look at the fatal words which had helped seal her fate before screwing up the letter and consigning it to burn to ashes in the flames of the candles before her. There were only three words and they were written in capital letters slap bang in the middle of the large sheet of paper. The three little words which had spelt her fate were simply:
EE BAH GOOM
CURTAIN CALLS
The main players had long left the stage by the time Society’s caravan rolled back into the capital. The Park Lane house had been shut up and its staff dispersed, either back to their previous positions within the Forrester domain or to new employment. None was summarily dismissed without the guarantee of further work. This was not done only out of philanthropy, although that was at root of the care Herbert Forrester took of those who worked satisfactorily for him. It was also to shore up the security of the entire enterprise by keeping those he employed loyal to both him and the Danbys. Thus if and when anyone should come and try to look for traces they would find none.
Captain Charles Danby was rewarded for the part he had played in the enterprise by a further promotion with Forrester and Co. Again this was not inspired primarily by altruistic motives on the part of his employer but because Captain Danby had more than proved his worth. Charles Danby was a far-sighted and intelligent man, as well as one who remained popular with those under him while never losing their respect. Thus instead of placing him in joint charge of the London offices as had previously been the plan Herbert Forrester gave him sole charge of the new offices in the cathedral city of Worcester where the company provided him with a splendid Queen Anne house in the heart of the city, enabling the family to keep up their much-loved small lakeside estate in Westmorland. Effectively thus the Danbys were removed from London Society, a move which was very much to their liking. Not that they were held to blame for the Petworth débâcle by anyone of import, not even by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the prince having allocated the blame for what he considered to be nothing more serious than an unnecessary social embarrassment fairly and squarely on Daisy Evesham’s shoulders. Many close to the throne said that the prince in fact exploited the situation because tired of Daisy Evesham and her constant machinations he was more than happy to be given such a cast-iron reason for dropping her from his set entirely. Indeed the wags let it be known that had Charles and Alice Danby decided to remain in London they would have been the toast of Society and in all probability would have ended up elevated to the peerage by a more than grateful Edward upon his ascent to the throne.
Only one problem arose as a result of the adventure, or the Danby Stunt as it came to be called, and the difficulties that surrounded it were in no way mitigated by the fact that Alice Danby had foreseen them and already discussed them with her husband. Naturally he had reminded her that the matter would have to be referred to their mentor Herbert Forrester before any decision could be made one way or the other, and although Alice argued that, since they had legally adopted May, as her parents by rights they surely had the final say, Charles insisted that it was only courteous that Herbert Forrester be consulted in consideration of everything he had done for them.
‘Frankly, my dears,’ Charles had said when the matter was finally discussed in full between the three concerned parties, ‘many men once they had achieved their purpose would be only too happy to drop the likes of us entirely when we had served our use. After all, we haven’t done badly out of it and were we of a mind to exploit our situation I doubt very much that we should encounter any difficulty in making a niche for ourselves in Society, and as a consequence I am equally sure I would find it as easy to secure gainful employment. But since Mr Forrester has offered me a permanent position within his company he therefore continues to be our benefactor – even more so, perhaps – so I think it only proper we should refer the matter to him and at the very least hear what he might have to say.’
This they did in London over dinner at the Danbys’ Park Lane house, May being deliberately excused from attending since it was her future which was to come under private discussion. Thus once the Danbys had recounted the entire sequence of events to the delight of their host and hostess, they then turned the conversation to the problem which was now vexing them greatly.
‘She is utterly determined on it,’ Alice said in conclusion. ‘I thought it might just be a passing fancy, but the longer she has been in London the more fixed has become the idea. I blame myself entirely of course. I should never have encouraged the interest in the first place, I’m afraid.’
‘No, you mustn’t do that, Mrs Danby,’ Herbert Forrester replied. ‘Gracious me, when May first come and saw me that was what she said she wanted to be there and then. An actress, she said. I want to go on the stage. So it comes as no surprise, nor can you in any way be held responsible.’
‘So what are we going to do?’ Charles asked. ‘Because as my
wife has just told you, May is quite determined on it.’
‘You’re her parents,’ Herbert replied. ‘So what is your attitude? Because it in’t for Jane nor me to say, you know. You’re her legal parents and whatever you decide your daughter must abide by that decision. At least till she’s of age she must.’
‘We are both set against it, Mr Forrester,’ Charles Danby said. ‘We feel it would be an utter waste. May has had an astounding success during the Season and she has everyone at her feet, everyone eligible that is. There would be no difficulty whatsoever in her making the best possible match.’
‘Aye,’ Herbert Forrester said. ‘And that is what you want for the lass, is it? That she should make the best possible match?’
‘With respect, Mr Forrester, wasn’t it what you yourself wanted for her?’
‘Aye, Captain Danby, you’re quite right. Course it were. But for very different reasons. I’m not saying mine were any better ‘n yours, sir. In fact I was lucky not to come unstuck and I owe that to you two for your skill and forbearance. But after all May’s done don’t you think we might think of the lass herself? After all, if it’s what she wants—’
Herbert smiled at his friends and accepted some more wine from the butler.
‘I respect what you say, Mr Forrester,’ Alice said after a moment. ‘But Charles and I are trying to think more of what would be best for May. As you say, we are her parents so it is our duty to guide her. And neither of us considers that the theatre is the best life for someone of May’s great quality.’
‘You don’t think that if you let her alone, as ’twere?’ Herbert suggested with a twinkle in his eye. ‘You know, like the old nursery rhyme. She’ll come home, sooner or later, draggin’ her tail behind her.’
‘We wouldn’t like to take that risk, Mr Forrester,’ Charles said. ‘May is a very determined young woman, and she would not give up the struggle easily.’
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