The moment I stepped onto the stage, the crowd broke out into wild cheers and rose to their feet.
“Titania! Titania!”
The crowd whistled and clapped.
I looked toward Kai. He smiled, looking genuinely happy, then bowed to me. My eyes fixed on him, I curtseyed in return. Looking over the crowd, I noticed that the fair foreign gentleman in blue was gone. And still, John was nowhere to be found.
We made our final bow then the curtain closed for the last time. We all headed away from the theatre to the tent behind it which served as our backstage dressing area. I linked my arms with my fellow actresses, Lizzie and Amy. “Well done, fair mortals,” I told the girls.
“Oh, Elyse, we are sure to lose you from the company after that performance. Did you see who was in the crowd?” Lizzie asked.
“The foreign gentleman in the blue coat? The fair one?”
“Who? No. I didn’t see any fair gentleman, did you?” Lizzie asked Amy.
“Only Elyse’s friend, Doctor Murray,” Amy replied with a laugh, referring to Kai.
They both giggled.
I shook my head. “Who was here?”
“The stage manager from the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden,” Lizzie exclaimed excitedly.
I gasped. “I missed a line in act four!”
Lizzie shook her head. “Surely no one noticed. They were too busy watching you be Titania, not just act her. Elyse, I dare say, you’ll be on the stage at the Theatre-Royal in no time.”
“Come now, girls. We all have our gifts. The two of you did an excellent job tonight. Your argument became so heated I thought you might truly scratch each other’s eyes out.”
Lizzie laughed. “Elyse,” she said then shook her head.
Amy patted my arm.
“Miss Elyse, a gentleman is waiting at the front for you. He sent these,” said Skippy, one of the stagehands, pressing a bouquet of flowers toward me. They were roses, but they were the oddest blue color. Their tips were covered in crystalline frost.
“Frost Fair roses,” Amy exclaimed. “A Spanish ship frozen in the river is selling its cargo. They were lavender, or so someone at The Frozen Mermaid said, but the cold turned them blue. Look at the tips. They’re so beautiful.”
John. Sweet John. Thank you.
I pulled two roses from the bouquet and handed them to each of the girls.
“Oh no, we couldn’t,” Lizzie objected, but she and Amy took the roses all the same, smiling at them in admiration.
“Couldn’t what?” Marion, who’d played Hippolyta, asked, coming up from behind them.
I forced myself not to frown. Marion was one of the senior actresses in our company. She was very talented, and she knew it. But she was also very grim and had no love for anyone else in our troupe. She was already redressed in her regular clothes. Had she even come on stage for curtain call?
“Someone sent Elyse Frost Fair roses,” Amy explained.
Marion scrunched up her nose. “Frozen roses. They’ll wilt the moment you take them inside.”
“Don’t be rude, Marion,” Lizzie said, glaring at her.
I tried not to let her rough manner unnerve me. “For Hippolyta,” I said, handing one of the blossoms to her. “For your excellent performance.”
She rolled her eyes and took the blossom absently. Without another word, she left.
“Cankerblosson,” Amy snarled playfully in Marion’s wake. “Now, who are they from?”
“Lord Waldegrave, of course,” Lizzie replied.
The girls giggled.
“Perhaps I should go find out,” I said, arching my eyebrows playfully.
They nodded in agreement.
We all headed into the tent to change out of our costumes. I went to my section of the tent which had been partitioned off. Inside, straw had been laid on the floor. My trunk of full of costumes waited. A mirror sat on a barrel, a box with my makeup inside. Shivering in the cold air, I changed quickly.
I must have overlooked John in the crowd. There were so many people, so many faces there. A fleeting thought passed through my mind that perhaps the roses had come from the manager of the Theatre-Royal. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes and envisioned myself on such an elaborate stage. Certainly, Struthers Theatre was a fine enough venue, and I’d been there since my grandmother had introduced me to Marve almost five years ago, but it wasn’t the Theatre-Royal. I envisioned the well-dressed lords and ladies in their boxes. Everywhere, and everything, in that theatre glimmered under the massive crystal chandelier. I envisioned myself center stage in a proper ballet costume with my pink slippers shimmering under the theatre lights. No, that dream was too big. Winning a lord with my pretty face was far more likely.
Sighing, I slipped on my coat then headed out.
“Goodnight, Elyse,” Marve said. He was standing between the dressing tent and the stage lighting a pipe. “Very well done.”
“Thank you. Are you spending the night on the ice?”
He nodded. “Hobbs, Robert, me, and my pistol.”
The Frost Fair was certainly festive, but also highly unregulated. By now the city would have assigned some officials to keep watch over the festivities, but still, it didn’t pay to take chances with the Struthers Theatre’s goods.
“Can I go get you some dinner, something to drink?” I offered.
Marve shook his head. “I sent Skippy along. It was a good show. You played very well tonight.”
“Like an angel?”
“Exactly like an angel.”
I laughed. “Goodnight, Marve.”
“Night. See you bright and early tomorrow, right?”
“Of course.”
I waved then headed toward the front of the theatre. The moon was high in the sky, but the Thames was anything but dark. Torches and braziers illuminated the ice with orange light. As I turned the corner, I eyed the small crowd gathered there. Where was John?
Suddenly, a boy ran up to me. “Miss McKenna?” he asked, tugging on my arm.
“Yes?”
“A message,” he said, handing me a slip of paper.
Confused, I opened the paper to find a note. The message was from John. He’d been called away on urgent business. He had to miss the show but promised to return tomorrow afternoon.
“Elyse?” Kai’s voice pulled me away as I read the hastily-written lines for the fourth time. “Elyse?” he asked again, his voice softening. He set his hand on my arm. “Ah, good. You got the roses.”
I looked up at my old friend. In light of the nearby torch fire, his hazel-colored eyes shimmered green.
“The…the roses?”
Kai studied my face then frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I suddenly felt embarrassed. “Nothing. I’m fine. The roses are from you?”
“Did you like them?”
I smiled down at the bundle in my arms. “They’re beautiful. But they’re so very expensive. You shouldn’t have wasted your money on me.”
Kai looked perplexed. He shrugged. “I’m glad you liked them. Your performance was…Elyse, you were wonderful. This was your best show yet.”
“Better than my Ophelia?”
“By far. Ophelia is too sad for you. A half-fey thing yourself, Titania fits you better. Now, come on. I’ll buy you dinner. Or, at least, I’ll try. I think half of the men at the Frost Fair are in love with you.”
I laughed. “Then let’s go to The Frozen Mermaid and see how many pints my pretty face can win us.”
Kai smiled then looped his arm in mine. “You really were wonderful.”
“Flatterer.”
“When have you known me to flatter anyone?”
“Never.”
“Then that should tell you something,” he said, then led us toward the pub.
I smiled at him. As we stepped away from the theatre, I noticed something lying on the ground. I looked down to see a single Frost Fair rose lying there, the pale blue petals crushed and scattered on the snow-covered ice.
&nb
sp; “Pity,” Kai said, following my glance.
I frowned but said nothing even though I knew where the discarded blossom had come from: Marion.
I cast a glance back at the theatre. John had missed my best performance. Well, there would be others. I hoped he was all right. Something important must have pulled him away. Otherwise, why would he leave like that? A pang of doubt wracked my heart, but I pushed it away. There was no room for doubt in love. I turned my attention back to the moment and smiled up at Kai who was beaming down at me.
“Truly, a wonderful performance,” he said, patting my hand. Then we turned and headed toward the festivities.
Chapter Three
The thoroughfare between the tents, dubbed Freezeland Lane, was crowded. It seemed like all of London had come out to play on the frozen Thames. It had been years since the river had frozen solid, but this winter had been exceptionally cold. The water running under London Bridge moved so slowly that the ice had jammed, allowing the rest of the river to freeze. Out of inconvenience, an impromptu carnival on the ice was born.
“Do you want some ice cream?” Kai asked, motioning to a stand where a woman whipped cream and currants together. Several drums of the ice cream in all flavors sat on the ice keeping cool. A crowd of children gathered around.
“Honey,” one called.
“Lemon,” another shouted.
The workers spooned the frozen confections into small bowls.
I shook my head. “I’m already cold enough. You?”
“The same. Oysters?” he asked, pointing to another stall.
I wrinkled up my nose, catching the briny scent on the breeze. “I’ve been dreaming of a glass of mulled wine since act three.”
Kai grinned. “The tavern it is then.”
We moved down the icy path toward the tavern. Rowdy laughter abounded. We passed vendors selling roasted nuts, hot oil cakes, coffee, and hot chocolate. People pushed past, many of them on ice skates, pulling sleds heaped with goods. Gaming tents thronged with people playing dice or taking their chance at the Wheel of Fortune.
“Look,” I said, grabbing Kai by the arm as we passed a group of artisans carving sculptures out of ice.
“Ah, yes. They’ve been working since this morning on their creations. See,” Kai said, pointing to the tent which housed the makeshift tavern called The Frozen Mermaid. Sitting just outside the tent door was a mermaid carved entirely of ice.
I smiled. “I’m freezing. Let’s go get some wine.”
Kai nodded, and we headed inside.
“Titania!” one of the patrons called when I entered.
His attention stirred the rest of the crowd who looked at Kai and me. The crowd erupted in whistles and cheers.
I waved to them, feeling my cheeks redden with pride. It was one thing to get applause at the theatre, but being recognized out of costume was surely a sign of some skill, I hoped. My stomach knotted with butterflies.
“See, you’re the most famous actress on the ice,” Kai teased.
I rolled my eyes at him. “There,” I said, spotting a table for the two of us at the back.
Even though there were braziers inside to ward off the chill, it was still desperately cold. I slipped into my seat and rubbed my hands together, blowing on my fingertips.
“Your nose is red,” Kai said.
“You’d think I’ve been swimming in wine all night.”
Kai smiled. “Then we best get you started.”
The barmaid came to our table. “Drinks?”
“Let’s begin with two mulled wines,” Kai told her.
The girl smiled coquettishly at him. “As you wish, sir.”
I rolled my eyes. It had almost become commonplace to see the girls flirt shamelessly with Kai. Of course, he was handsome, but the physician’s bag also worked as bait. He was an excellent catch. But what they didn’t know was that he seemed to have no intentions of marrying. Though women always flirted with him, I wasn’t sure if he even noticed.
“How did the rest of the performers do? Did you like the play?” I asked.
Kai nodded. “The Rude Mechanicals were amusing. Hippolyta, however, was far too serious. You did a very fine job, but they didn’t let you dance enough.”
“There’s hardly any dancing in Shakespeare.”
“I thought, perhaps, Lord Waldegrave would come see you perform,” Kai said. I couldn’t help but hear the stiffness in his voice.
John and I had, albeit covertly, been seeing one another for the last two months. He’d spotted me in a showing of Hamlet and was, at least per his own accord, enchanted at once.
“He was there before the performance but was called away at the last moment,” I said, pulling the note from inside my sleeve where I’d stashed it. I handed it to Kai.
Kai read the note—twice—then slid it back across the table to me. Hooking his thumb under his chin, he curled his finger on his lips and looked pensive.
“Don’t say anything,” I told him. “It’s not what you’re thinking. John isn’t like that.”
“Like what?”
“A rake.”
“Elyse, you are beautiful and talented. And despite the fact that you are also stubborn and relentless, I am sure many young men will see beyond those flaws,” he said, trying to lighten the mood before he added, “but as much as I esteem you, you are also below Lord Waldegrave’s station. Even a hint at an inappropriate association with you would tarnish his reputation. Surely you must—”
“That’s not true. Actresses marry above their stations all the time. Last year, Miss Prynn, an actress from the Lyceum Theatre, married Lord Roberts. And two years back, an actress at the Adelphi caught the eye of a Bohemian gentleman. They, too, were married.”
“I’m not bringing this up to hurt you. I just want you to be caut—”
“Here you are,” the barmaid said, setting down our cups. She lingered an extra moment to smile at Kai before walking away, swinging her hips in an obvious fashion. She looked back over her shoulder at Kai, frowning when she saw he was not looking in her direction.
“You were saying?” I bit my lip. Kai was right. John had asked me to keep our liaison a secret—for now. But it still hurt to hear it, and especially to hear it from Kai whose opinion mattered most to me.
“I just want to protect your heart. Forget I mentioned it. Now, let’s toast. Cheers to your excellent performance,” he said, lifting his cup.
I clinked my mug against his. “And to your health.”
We both drank. I let the warm wine slip down my throat. It eased the ache that lingered there after a performance. The wine had been spiced beautifully. I tasted orange, anise, and cinnamon brewed into the dark red liquid.
“The girls said the stage manager from the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden was in the audience,” I said after I swallowed.
“Excellent. Did he come backstage?” Kai asked.
I shook my head. Kai was right to ask. If the stage manager had seen something he liked, he would have inquired with Marve. But he hadn’t.
“No matter. I’m sure he’ll be back,” Kai said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
Just then, a man rushed into the tent. “I need a surgeon. Someone said Doctor Murray came in here. Doctor Murray?” the man called, looking around the tavern.
The patrons went silent.
Kai rose. “What’s the matter?”
“Are you Doctor Murray?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve found a man in the river. We thought he’d drown. But, sir…well, you should come.”
Kai dropped two coins on the table, grabbed his bag, and looked at me. “I need to—”
“I’m coming.”
Kai nodded then we both turned and followed the man back into the frozen night.
Chapter Four
The young man who’d come to fetch Kai led us from The Frozen Mermaid to a spot on the Thames away from the tents. We rushed across the ice toward a group of men who stood with torches in hand.
“Someone noticed a stick poking out of the ice. It had a cravat attached to it. A bank of ice concealed him, but his head and shoulders were just above the water.”
“How long ago?” Kai asked.
“About fifteen minutes. By chance, one of the lads remembered seeing you enter The Frozen Mermaid with Miss McKenna. Sir, I’m not sure he’s alive. His skin…” the man said then paused to look back at me.
“Don’t worry, she’s quite used to medical ministry,” Kai said.
While Kai was the one who’d taken the formal training as a doctor, he never shied away from showing me what he had learned. At this point, if my career as an actress or a dancer faltered, I’d make a good physician’s assistant.
“His skin was blue in the manner of death. We thought he was gone, but then he took a breath.”
“Any heartbeat?”
“We couldn’t tell. Some of the lads were trying to give him some Scotch to revive him.”
“Fools,” Kai muttered then hurried his step. I followed quickly behind him.
Kai rushed forward as we drew close. Five men stood around another man who lay on the ice. His skin had paled to an ashen color tinged with the same blue as the Frost Fair roses. The man’s black hair was washed back in straight lines; the damp hair at the base of his neck appeared to be frozen to the river’s icy surface. His lips were blue. The man, I noticed, wore an expensive suit. He was a gentleman of some distinction. How odd that he would be found in this condition. Kai dropped to his knees as he pulled his instruments from his bag. He did it with so swift a motion that it seemed natural. Mixed emotions of worry for the frozen man and pride in my oldest friend swelled in my heart. For many years I had watched Kai study, advancing from apothecary to surgeon, then his years in service as an apprentice until he became a doctor. I was fairly sure there was no man in London as brilliant as Kai.
“Quickly, gentlemen. Your coats,” Kai called to the others. At once, each man pulled off his jacket and laid it on the frozen man as Kai pressed his ear to the man’s chest, searching for a heartbeat.
Shaking his head, Kai grabbed the man’s shirt and ripped it open down the front. The silver buttons snapped off the garment. They flew through the air, shimmering like diamonds, then fell on the ice, twinkling dimly in the torchlight. The effect of it enraptured me so that I stared at the brilliant pieces. A moment later, a swirl of snow rose off the surface of the Thames. It glimmered crystalline as it swept toward the buttons. The light must have struck the powdered snow just right because amongst the frozen powder, I could have sworn I’d seen something thumb-sized and brilliant blue zipping to and fro. Perhaps the moonlight was being reflected in the swirl of snow? A moment later, however, the snow settled. When I looked once more, I realized that the silver buttons were gone. Had they been blown away?
Ice and Embers (Regency Redezvous Book 10) Page 2