Ice and Embers (Regency Redezvous Book 10)

by Melanie Karsak

  “What in the world?” Hobbs whispered to me as we both looked backstage. “Part of me is dying to know what the matter is. The other half of me is filled with dread.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better,” I agreed. Too curious to wait any longer, Hobbs and I headed back.

  Outside the tent, Marve was shouting at Marion, his hand full of some odd bits of straw and string. Lizzie was holding my ballet slipper. Marion had turned an odd, ashen shade. She was so pale that I wondered if she was ill.

  “What’s happening?” Hobbs asked.

  “Marion is leaving,” Marve said then turned to me. He held out his hand. In it, intermingled with straw, I saw pink strings and a bit of silk. “Lizzie told me about your ballet slippers. I found this amongst the straw in Marion’s section. It is very clearly from your slippers though Marion denies it.”

  “You cheap adder,” Hobbs spat at Marion.

  “There is no proof save a handful of string that could have fallen off any of our costumes,” Marion retorted, but there was no heat behind her words.

  Robert emerged from the tent and dropped a bag at Marion’s feet. “That’s all of it,” he told Marve.

  Marve nodded. “Leave. Now.”

  “Marve, I have been with this company for—”

  “And all that time, jealous of every actress who has come and gone. But this is a new low, even for you. Do not even ask for a recommendation. I don’t want to see or hear from you again.”

  Marion looked around at the assembled crowd who was glowering at her. When her eyes rested on me, she sneered. “This is your fault,” she hissed.

  “My fault? Did I tell you to reward my kindness with ruining the single most important possession I own?”

  “You have no proof!”

  Marve threw the straw at her feet. “Leave. Now!”

  Marion glared at me. “You will pay for this,” she seethed then grabbed her bag and left.

  For a moment, we all stood there, none of us breathing.

  At the front of the theatre, a chime sounded. Five minutes until curtain.

  “Good lord, I’ve forgotten all about the play. Elyse, can you play the role of the faerie godmother again?” Marve said.

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  “Quickly then, get in costume. Let’s just put this behind us for the moment, and we’ll go for a pint afterward. We are professionals. Marion’s unprofessional behavior cannot touch my troupe. Let’s go out there and give them a great show,” Marve said.

  We all grinned at one another then dispersed.

  I stopped by Marion’s section and grabbed the faerie queen costume. As I exited the space, I looked down at the ground. There, just under the corner of a trunk, I spotted a scrap of pink ribbon. Part of me wondered if I had been paranoid, but the truth was evident enough. She had ruined my slippers. Well, it hardly mattered now. Marion was gone. The thought sent a wave of relief through my body.

  I washed Persephone’s makeup off then slipped on the silver faerie godmother costume. Digging through my trunk, I found an old silver wreath we’d used in a Christmas show. I didn’t have enough time to redo my hair, but with just a few pins, I was able to affix the wreath and give myself an entirely different look. I then grabbed my wand and headed back toward the stage.

  Marion was finally gone.

  Good.

  Justice had been served by those who loved me and were loyal to me. And they had also saved countless young actresses the burden of having to deal with her in the future. Despite the fact that Marion had, on occasion, treated me decently, it didn’t excuse her petty behavior. I was sorry that she was unhappy, but it was not my fault. Marion had not settled into the parts of the middle-aged women with grace. It was too hard for her to let go the illusion of her own youth. And we had paid the price. But no more.

  Rushing quickly, I found myself backstage once more.

  The play had already begun, but my part was still some time away. I took my spot against the wall. As I did up the final ties on my gown, I looked out at the audience.

  No John.

  No Kai.

  No baron. This was the first day he’d missed a performance. Perhaps the scolding from his wife had dulled his appetite for the theatre. That was a good thing. With their quarrel settled, the captain wouldn’t have reason to toy with Kai any longer.

  I frowned. Unless, of course, Kai wanted to be played with. No. He wasn’t like that. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him become attached to Miss Hawking, but a lusty ship captain? No. That was too much.

  All I could do was hope was that John had already taken Kai home and that Kai was in his own bed in his little garret apartment nursing a headache and a healthy sense of shame.

  After all, Lady Justice was being very good to me today.

  If only she could work for me a little longer.

  Chapter Twenty

  The performance of the Glass Slipper Girl seemed to fly by. When the show had ended, we all headed backstage to change.

  “Elyse? Are you still going to come with us to the crowning?” Lizzie called from the opposite side of the tent.

  “Crowning?”

  “The Frostiana event, for the Frost Fair Queen,” Amy answered.

  “Say yes!” Hannah added.

  “I thought we were going for a pint,” Hobbs called from the gentleman’s section.

  The girls laughed.

  “Stay out of this. We’ll go after,” Lizzie called. “Please, Elyse. Please come.”

  “Sure. I’ll come.” It had been an odd day. I started the morning in a fit of rage and fear, made a startling discovery about the baron, was now affianced and planning to elope, saw my nemesis fired, and now I was on my way to a Frost Fair Queen crowning.

  The girls cheered.

  “But we are going for a pint afterward,” Hobbs insisted.

  “Of course, of course,” Lizzie called to him in reply. I could hear the smile in her voice.

  A short while later, our troupe met at the front of the Ice House.

  “Gentlemen,” Marve said, turning to the men in our troupe, “the ladies will see about the Frost Fair Queen crowning, then they will join us at the City of Moscow for drinks. Lizzie was kind enough to permit us to go on ahead without them.”

  “Oh, Marve,” she said, playfully squeezing his arm. “It’s almost as if you don’t want one of us to win a case of tripe.”

  Marve laughed.

  At that, the gentlemen headed in one direction while the ladies headed in the other.

  “Elyse,” Lizzie said then, taking my arm. “Please forgive me for telling Marve about your slippers. I was so angry I couldn’t control my tongue. Sweet and forgiving as you are, I knew you would never say anything. I had to bring the matter to Marve’s attention. Marion, the witch, needed her due.”

  “Marion deserved what she got,” Agnes said with stern authority. “I have been acting for thirty years, and I have never seen a less gracious performer in all my life. Add to that, she was not very good.”

  Everyone laughed.

  I patted Lizzie’s hand. “Don’t apologize. I should thank you.”

  She smiled warmly at me.

  “I do worry for Marve, though,” Amy said. “If we are all hired off, he’ll have no company left.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Agnes said. “He’ll always have a crone in the troupe. But this morning, all eyes were on Elyse. Was there a letter for you after this morning’s show?” she asked.

  In all of the excitement, I hadn’t even thought of it. “No. I don’t think so.”

  “No worries, my girl. Soon enough,” Agnes said with authority.

  “I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been thinking of something new, something different, like a ballet academy for girls.”

  “An academy?” Lizzie asked excitedly. “That would be amazing.”

  “It would be a proper place for young women to study the craft, like the schools they have in Paris,” I said.

 
Agnes nodded. “That is something much needed.”

  “Such a charming idea,” Lizzie said. “And a very respectable trade,” she added with a knowing wink. “Suitable for a lady,” she whispered in my ear.

  “Do you think so?” I asked her, my voice low.

  “Absolutely.”

  I hoped she was right. And I also very much hoped to win over John’s mother. I would be in desperate need of guidance once John and I were married. I knew that our marriage was not that desirable, but, perhaps, when they got to know me, when they learned of my character, John’s family would change any pre-conceived notions they might have of actresses and see that I was a very sensible and moral young lady. Or so I hoped.

  We turned off Freezeland Lane toward a section of the fair I had not yet visited. Here, someone had carved the massive sheets of ice jutting sideways out of the Thames into a frozen wonderland. Mermaids, water sprites, and seahorses had been carved as if they were arrested in motion, leaping from the magical kingdom below the ice. A strange ship with elaborate carvings sat trapped in the ice behind the display. In front of the ship where the ice had jammed, the artisans had chiseled a massive palace out of ice. Pillars carved into arching designs and faux stone walls surrounded two high thrones made of ice.

  “It’s nearly noon,” Lizzie said. “Let’s push through.”

  “I’ll be fine right here,” Agnes said, pausing to rest against a wine barrel.

  Lizzie, Hannah, Amy, and I headed toward the front of the crowd. There, the tavern girls and shopkeeps, presumably the other contestants, waited for instruction. Their hair pulled back in neat coifs, lips stained red, looking as pretty as they could, they were ready for the competition.

  “Maidens, maidens, gather around. Ladies, come this way,” a merry lad in a bright blue coat said, motioning for the women to come forward. I noticed a familiar soft lilt in his voice, and his long yellow hair waved in the wind.

  “Is that…” Lizzie asked, turning to me.

  I looked the man over then shook my head. It was not the baron though he looked very much like him.

  Nearby, musicians played unusual stringed instruments. They rang silver bells, causing a sweet tune to carry across the ice. Someone had hung a garland of colorful cloths between the arches of ice.

  A few moments later, the London marshall who was keeping watch over the Frost Fair came to the front of the crowd. From the red of his nose and cheeks, one could see he’d been deep in his cup.

  “Ladies of the Frozen Fair,” he said, his voice slurring. “Join us here in this palace of ice so we may delight in the treasures the Thames. We shall deliberate on your beauty, and in a few moments, your thoughts on this winter splendor. Our Frost Fair Prince, who has generously provided the awards for this debacle—debate—debut—pageant—will judge which maiden is the fairest in our frozen kingdom,” the marshall called.

  “How ridiculous,” Hannah said with a snort.

  “He’s completely sauced,” Lizzie added with a laugh.

  “Doesn’t matter. Come along, ladies. We have tripe to win,” Hannah replied, pulling us into line with the other girls.

  At that, we all laughed.

  Lizzie, Hannah, Amy, and I joined the line of girls standing before the icy throne. When the ladies queued up, a cheer erupted from the crowd. The men called loudly when one of the tarts from The Frozen Mushroom lifted her coat to show off a very attractive leg.

  “Come on, that’s not fair,” Lizzie called good-naturedly to her.

  “Use what God gave you, marionette,” the tart yelled back with a laugh.

  “She has knobby knees anyway,” Lizzie told me.

  “I suspect it wasn’t her knees they were looking at. Her arse was half-hanging out,” Amy replied.

  I giggled. Hannah was right. This was ridiculous. No one seemed to know what was going on. Regardless, we ladies waited patiently for the pageant.

  I scanned over the crowd as the marshall and the strangers finished organizing the ladies. Quite a throng had assembled. I recognized many of them as attendees at the Ice House Theatre. It seemed like the audience on the ice simply moved from wonder to wonder.

  And the scene around me was, in fact, a wonder. The artisans had carved an elaborate castle. The sharp contrasts of crystalline ice shot with flecks of blue, glowing golden on the edges under the sun, was a sight to behold. On the upper peak, someone had carved a dragon clutching to the roof of the castle. I couldn’t help but notice the water dripping off its wing as the sun beat down on the fierce creature.

  Movement on the ship behind me caught my attention. A moment later, three men made their way from the ship, through the ice palace, to the judging area where we ladies waited.

  “And here is our Frost Fair Prince,” the marshall called.

  Rather than a blast of trumpets, a lovely chime announced their arrival. Two of the men, each of whom carried wooden chests, held back allowing the third man, in his fine blue suit trimmed with ermine, walking with his cane, to come forward. His pale yellow hair shimmered almost incandescently surrounded by the icy palace of wonders. He turned to the crowd and bowed. Then he turned to us and made a similar bow. After that, he sat down on his throne of ice.

  I locked my eyes on the baron.

  When he met my gaze, he smiled.

  My expression went hard.

  In return, a look of worry crossed his face.

  “Elyse?” Lizzie whispered, looking at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I replied. Remembering myself, I pulled on a serenely sweet false face. Lady MacBeth could not have done better.

  The baron’s surprised expression eased, but I saw his forehead furrow with confusion.

  I looked away.

  “Now, ladies, let us begin. As I come around, please tell us your names and give us a spin so we may observe your finery,” the marshall called with a naughty laugh, raising and lowering his eyebrows.

  “Finery, indeed!” Hannah said with a giggle.

  At the sound of a gong, we began.

  First, there was Elizabeth. The buxom girl, who I’d seen at the fishmonger’s tent, stepped forward and curtseyed first to the foreign gentleman and then to the crowd. “My name is Elizabeth Adams,” she said. Taking her skirt by her fingertips, she bowed to the crowd, giving her ample bosom a shake.

  “She’s about to pop out,” Lizzie whispered.

  “Then she’ll win for sure,” Hannah added, causing us all to suppress a laugh.

  The crowd roared with delight.

  The baron merely smiled, nodded to her, then motioned with just the slightest gesture of his hand for the next woman to come forward.

  There was Daphne, Lara, Mary, Claudia, another Mary, Beth, Charlotte, Rosie—the girl who’d shown her leg—Katie, Poppy, Penny, Jane, and Frances. In turn, each lady had stepped forward, shared her name, and gave the loveliest, or bawdiest, turn. Rosie, who introduced herself as a tart from The Frozen Mushroom, treated the audience with a shimmy of her backside, and accidently exposed her knickers, as she showed off her finery.

  As she clowned, I glanced at the baron. He had a slightly bored expression on his face. His eyes darted toward me, and he raised an eyebrow. The sudden expression of concern melted my anger. After all, it was not his fault that his wife was a jealous whore. In fact, more was the pity. Nor was it my fault that Kai decided to run amok. I was simply an actress, and like so many others, the baron was simply an admirer. Captain Behra was a very jealous and petty woman. The quarrel was not between the baron and me. I had no right to be angry with him. And more, with John’s help, the problem was done. By now, John had pumped Kai full of coffee and good advice.

  I smiled softly at the baron then turned my attention to the marshall. He’d finally reached us.

  “Come along, young lady,” he said, motioning to me. This close, I could smell the stench of wine wafting off him.

  Even before I said a word, the audience broke into applause.

  “Titania! Ti
tania!” several people in the audience called.

  I smiled and dropped a nice curtsey. Once they fell silent, I turned to the crowd and put on my best smile. “I see I am known to many of you as Titania. We are all players at the Ice House Theatre, the temporary home for the players at Struthers Theatre,” I said, motioning to my friends. “While I play Titania, my real name is Elyse McKenna.”

  Moving carefully in my winter boots, I took my long skirts in one hand, and raised my other arm above me in the most graceful pose I could, bending with the arch, and then moving deftly, I gave the crowd the nicest fouetté spin I could manage in winter boots and a long coat.

  A hush fell over the crowd for a moment and then they broke into a cheer.

  “A case of tripe for Elyse for sure,” Amy said with a laugh.

  “Show off,” Rosie called, sticking her tongue out at me.

  I bowed to her, winking playfully, then stepped back in line. My eyes quickly darted to the baron who nodded to me.

  After me, Lizzie was introduced.

  “Cinderella! Cinderella!” the audience called.

  I smiled, pleased for Lizzie that she too was so well-recognized. Lizzie made her introduction with Amy and Hannah following thereafter.

  “What lovely, lovely girls. Such finery as the Thames has never seen before. Wouldn’t you agree?” the marshall called.

  The crowd cheered.

  “Now, ladies, before we have a final judging, let’s see how well you can answer a question. Your lordship,” the marshall said, turning to the baron.

  “Ladies, let us hear your thoughts,” he said, leaning forward on his walking stick that was braced between his legs. “Describe for us the wonder of the frozen Thames. Give us your verses.”

  Once more, the marshall worked his way down the lines.

  Elizabeth said, “The Thames has been transformed to mountains of frozen cream.”

  “Tasty image,” Lizzie said as she clapped.

  “Fish-flavored ice cream?” Hannah asked.

  “The Thames is shimmering like the clouds of heaven,” Daphne, a tavern wench at The Frozen Mermaid, said.

  “Not bad, not bad,” Lizzie said, clapping.

  “Nice turn of a line,” Amy agreed.