It was not an easy task. Charles saw her as an extension of her cousin Reginald, and it took all of Butterfield’s conniving to keep Victoria from going back to London in a rage. The banter between Charles and Victoria was reminiscent of the verbal swordplay between Nick and Nora in The Thin Man series. It was fast paced and very witty. But Butterfield was determined. If she couldn’t get the British to rule America, she could at least get a British woman to rule this house again.
The closing act was fast paced and frenetic as Butterfield tried to force Charles’s hand. Help came in a very unexpected way. Victoria came into the den and interrupted a bumbling thief played surprisingly well by Angelo. She shamed him into giving himself up and had him eating out of her hand, providing great comic relief. She was in the middle of helping him plan his reform when the rest came in. Startled, Victoria turned and lost her balance, falling back into Angelo, who brought his arm around her to steady them both. Still holding his crowbar, he raised it as he went off balance. The others stopped dead, thinking Victoria a hostage. Seeing Victoria at risk, clearly illuminated what Charles felt for her. Butterfield tripped Charles as he ran across the room to free Victoria. Rough began barking and running around in circles. He and Victoria went down in a tangle of arms and legs as Angelo was attacked by the relatives and domestic staff. In the melee that ensued, Charles and Victoria crawled under a table (stage front) and declared their true feelings. The others engaged in a madcap fight scene in the background, forming a tableau of chaos to the declaration of love. The scene culminated on everyone exhausted and lying around the room. It’s the fourth of July and Charles and Victoria moved to the window to watch the fireworks. Butterfield was overjoyed as Charles declared that it might be the day of American “independence,” but this home and his heart would forever be ruled by the British.
“Bravo, bravo!” Everyone was on their feet, clapping wildly.
The cast came out and took their bows. They would never admit it out loud, but each one of them knew they had nailed it. Relief flooded all the actors except Mrs. Gage. She was used to playing roles.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Mrs. Gage threw a small party after the dress rehearsal. There were lots of backslapping and laughter as each recalled their favorite scenes. Once again, Carter found himself standing back, observing the comradery before him. Mrs. Gage silently appeared at his side.
“They probably won’t tell you, but they know you hit the mark on this plan.”
“I don’t need them to like my plans…or me.”
“Liar.”
Carter turned to her, feeling the hot anger surge forward. She met his gaze with serenity and the confidence of knowing she was right. He could not resist the force of her. “Oh, okay. So I do want some of what they have. But I am not going to lose any sleep over it. It is what it is, Gabrielle, and I am who I am.”
“Be patient, John.”
He continued to watch the crowd, but he smiled.
“And stop being an ass.” Mrs. Gage said.
His head jerked toward her again, but with a smile; she was gone.
* * * *
Danny Mac had captured Kenann and taken her to a quiet corner of the room. The intimacy surrounding their conversation kept others away. Rough was at their feet, as he was always welcome in their intimate circle.
“You were great, Kenann.”
Using her best Bogie imitation, she said, “You weren’t so bad yourself, sweetheart.” They both laughed.
“Rehearsals are one thing, but being in costume and with the spotlights and all, it felt different. I can’t believe how much fun it was. Is that lame?”
Kenann laughed and thought how young and carefree he sounded at that moment. She realized she had never seen that side of him. He had always been so full of purpose or dealing with something heavy. “No, it’s not lame. It was fun. And as much as I hate to admit it, just what we needed. Carter may not have meant it for that purpose, but it is the relief from stress we have all needed.”
Kenann curled into him on the settee and they surveyed the room. Everyone seemed relaxed and relieved that it had gone so well. The next hurdle would be performing before royalty and major power brokers at the Kennedy Center.
Danny Mac felt more carefree than he could remember. He leaned in and whispered, “I think Charles has designs on Victoria tonight.”
Using her onstage British accent, she replied, “Well, Victoria has a few things in mind for Charles.”
She saw the look change in Danny Mac’s eyes and turned further into him as he bent to kiss her. The kiss deepened as they both silently communicated how happy they were to be living this life together.
If anyone one noticed the lover’s interlude, they politely turned away.
* * * *
The woman paced the hotel room. The man sat and waited. He shared the room and her bed. That had become part of their unholy bargain. He cursed himself for desiring her even while despising her. He was a powerfully built man and handsome. She used him for her own physical needs. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We have got to find a way to get close to her. Find out what she is doing.”
“It looks like they are putting on a play.”
She turned her eyes to him with disgust. He applauded himself for not withering under that steely gaze.
“I was told that she holds the key to my power,” the woman said. “And I will not let that slip away. You’d better find a way to get close to her.”
“Why me?” countered the man.
“Do I really need to answer that, you fool?”
A knock at the door interrupted them. She nodded toward the door and he hated himself for doing her bidding. He took the envelope the concierge handed him. He handed it to her.
She tore it open and read. The look on her face was guarded. She tapped the paper against her lips as she considered its contents. “They want me to report in. I’ll stall, but we need results and soon.”
* * * *
The man got a job at the Kennedy Center as a stage hand. That was the closest he could get to them. He was there for their last two days of rehearsals. He positioned himself so he could listen in anytime he found the cast backstage and engaged in conversation. They had all been schooled in saying nothing outside of safe places. So he was able to report back only a few tidbits of information to she-devil. He knew they were headed to London and then on to the Continent after that. She would just have to follow her across Europe if that was what it took.
As a testament to the man’s character, he was able to make friends with Rough, who looked forward to the ear scratches and belly rubs backstage.
* * * *
The big night finally came. Each of the actors had their own method to get into the right space in their head. They respected each other’s process, so there was little to no conversation those last few hours. They met as a group backstage. The curtain going up was minutes away. Danny Mac pulled them into a huddle and offered a prayer. Rough sat in the middle of the circle with his head bowed as well.
“Dear God, we honor you above all things. We are here for your glory and yours alone. Help us to do your will and be with us in this endeavor. Give us wisdom and strength to complete the tasks you have set before us. Be with us tonight, Holy Father. Give us ready recall of our lines and help us to not feel fear. We give you all the glory. In and through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that we call upon your power. We love you, Lord, and we all say…”
“Amen,” they chorused. Rough yipped his assent.
“Break a leg.” Mrs. Gage grinned to the other actors around her. They returned her smile and responded with a corresponding chorus to “break a leg.” The deep, abiding affection that permeated this group cast out all sense of opening-night jitters. They felt jubilant and ready to take on the world. When the curtain call came, they were ready.
The man in the shadows marveled at these people. Who were they?
* * * *
The crowd was on
their feet with raucous applause. Carter had been allowed to sit in the private box of the duke and duchess of Cambridge, who were applauding with fervor. William leaned over and said, “It will not take any effort to endorse this play. It is delightful.”
“I am so glad you enjoyed it, Your Highness.”
“I hope you can accomplish what you desire from this effort.”
“Time will tell, Your Highness.”
“Is there anything I can do beyond endorsing this play?”
“I do not want to presume.”
“I am asking, Carter. What else can we do to aid you?”
The sound of the ongoing applause provided significant cover for Carter to outline his plan.
* * * *
Smiles beamed all round. The cast had transformed from their characters into the glamorous stars it appeared they were becoming. Because of the presence of the duke and duchess at the premier, there were famous and exotic people from all walks of life at the performance. Carter wasn’t kidding when he said they would be thrust into a different world with this play…and his plan.
Mrs. Gage glided past Carter. “Bravo, John.”
He only smiled as she moved on to greet an actor with whom she appeared well acquainted.
Kenann had a death grip on Danny Mac’s arm. The smile pasted on her face did not reveal the terror she felt being in this room with these people.
“Breathe, Kenann.” Danny Mac laughed under his breath.
“How? I am looking at Hugh Jackman.”
Danny Mac continued to chuckle under his breath. “Should I be jealous?”
“If I thought I had a snowball’s chance in hell, you should.”
He laughed out loud at this. Some heads turned in their direction but only smiled bemusedly. Everyone knew that Danny Mac and Kenann were married in “real life” and found their onstage and offstage relationship endearing.
Judy and Andy joined them at that point. They all breathed a collective and comradery sigh of relief.
Judy gasped, “Can you believe this?”
Kenann added, “I am about to hyperventilate here.”
Andy tried to calm them. “They are only people.”
Judy snapped, “Oh, be quiet. Half these people know you by name!”
Even Danny Mac turned to look at Andy at this revelation.
Andy looked chagrined. “It is no big deal.”
The small group continued to stare at him incredulously.
When no one spoke, he sighed. “I grew up in this crowd. My mother was determined that I meet all the ‘right people.’”
As if on cue, his mother joined their circle. “Andrew, I don’t believe you have introduced me to your friends.”
Everyone felt the ice cracking off each word.
Andy seemed immune to the cold in her words. “Mother, this is Danny Mac…Kenzie.” The pause was indiscernible. “And his wife Kenann.”
Mrs. O’Hanlon turned to each of them with a nod, including Judy. “Judith.”
“Mrs. O’Hanlon.”
“I must say I was delighted by the play and the response of the audience, especially the duke and duchess. However did you pull this off, Andrew?”
“I had nothing to do with it, Mother. But if you would like, I know someone who could make introductions.”
She practically drooled. He led her off with a backward wink at his friends. He knew how to play his mother.
Judy spoke first. “Can you believe he came from that?”
Danny Mac added, “I can’t believe I never knew about this part of his life.”
Kenann said, “It is obvious he wants no part of her world. He has suffered at that woman’s hands.”
Danny Mac and Judy looked at her. She was lost in her own thoughts. She finally looked at them. “Well, that is his story to tell, not mine.”
Danny Mac was only half jesting when he said, “Are you getting fey like Moira?” He took note that she only smiled.
Judy interrupted his thoughts. “I am getting the nod from Carter to mingle.”
Kenann squeaked, “We have to mingle?”
Judy got perverse pleasure from her discomfiture. “Oh, yes, that is part of our government paycheck. We have to get ‘amongst them’ and find out what they know.”
Danny interjected, “There is a learning curve to this, Judy. If Kenann is not ready for that, it is okay.”
“Well, I have gotten my instructions from Andy and Carter, so off I go.” And she did.
“Since when did she become the social butterfly?” Danny Mac wondered out loud.
Kenann watched her go. “She has turned on the ice in her veins, and when she does that she can do anything.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, Danny Mac, let’s get to work.” She put on her brightest smile. She had her own places she could go in her head to get the job done.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The council of war had a celebratory feel. They were back at Mrs. Gage’s home in D.C., and still riding high on the accolades they had received from their opening-night reviews. Carter was pleased at the progress of his plan thus far. But he continued to defer to Mrs. Gage for control of this group. At his imperceptible nod, she got everyone’s attention.
“Oh, dear ones, we are triumphant. Such a wonderful beginning to our next adventure. But now it is time to bring our heads from the clouds and reconnoiter. What have we learned?”
Everyone seemed to shift gears from laughter and joviality to the business at hand. Mrs. Gage gave them the time they needed.
Moira spoke first. “I’m not sure the wait staff were not spies.”
This took everyone by surprise. Mrs. Gage still held the floor. “Why do you say that, dear?”
Moira replied, “It was in the eyes mainly. They were too watchful and, well, calculating.”
Mrs. Gage knew all too well the intense training professional staff underwent. “Moira, in many cases that is what they are trained to do. Did you notice anything else in that regard?”
“Did the royal family have anyone on the wait staff assigned to protect them?”
Carter weighed in. “Not that I am aware. Why?”
“It was the way they watched them. Not with admiration or awe but with…calculation and at times malice.”
“All of them?” Carter continued to probe.
“No, only certain ones.”
“I have the profile of all staff who worked that night. Could you identify these people?”
“Most definitely. I made my way among them and chatted them up. Got their names, or at least the names they were using.”
“Good work, Moira.” Carter nodded and made a semblance of peace in that momentary exchange.
Mrs. Gage continued. “I know there was a disproportionate number of celebrities there due to the duke and duchess being in attendance. I suppose we cannot exclude them from our list of evildoers, but did anyone else stand out or say anything noteworthy?”
Kenann spoke next. “I overheard a woman. I do not know who she was. We can figure it out later from the guest list, but she made a reference to a shipment. She said it very quietly to another man.”
Carter asked, “Small woman, short red hair?”
“Yes.”
“She is under investigation for narcotics trafficking. I am more interested in the other man.”
Kenann described him and Carter took notes. “I’ll get some photos and have you identify him.”
“Okay.”
Judy spoke up. “Is this going to be our routine? Go to parties and listen in on conversations?”
Mrs. Gage moved to respond but Carter intervened. “That will be part of it, absolutely. And hopefully one or all of us will be invited to join in on other outings or gatherings during our stays in various cities. We need to make connections.”
“This seems a silly way to make a living,” Judy said, although her comment held none of its earlier rancor.
Mrs. Gage responded to this in her languid Greta Garbo accent. “You are a spy, my
dear. Embrace it.”
There was a moment of absolute silence. Then everyone burst into laughter.
* * * *
The team continued to discuss various things they had heard or witnessed throughout their first night as they made their way into dinner. It was served in the formal dining room, as it was the only place large enough to accommodate them. Despite the grand surroundings, it had the feel of a large family having a casual meal. Danny Mac completed the tableau by throwing a hot roll across the table to Andy. Both Kenann and Judy admonished him at the same time while Mrs. Gage looked on indulgently at the head of the table. Their seating arrangements had become routine now. Kenann thought it was like having your pew at church. It became identified as “your spot.” Mrs. Gage sat at the head of the table, and rightly so, as she was always the hostess. Jake was on her right, Carter on her left. Granny James sat beside Jake. The only alteration in the routine was the seat beside Carter had once been occupied by Angelo. Not knowing the unofficial seating arrangements, when Blade had arrived he commandeered the seat beside Carter with a look of adoration. Carter appeared quite uncomfortable with this, to everyone’s extreme delight. He would answer Blade’s incessant questions with one-word answers and grunts, but this did not stem the onslaught. Leticia would finally take pity from farther down the table and make her son be still and eat.
Angelo, having moved down a seat, was followed by Andy, Judy, and CJ. Across from them, respectively, were Danny Mac, Kenann, and Leticia. Angelo was conscientious not to watch Kenann for too long. He noticed Jake watching him at times when he was looking at Kenann. He relished the time he was with her onstage and longed to continue their brief embrace during that last scene. He hoped his desire for her was not noticeable to anyone. He knew Jake pitied him, but he also knew he would not betray his confidence. It was his burden to bear and bear it he would. These people were his family now. His life. He would not do anything to bring them hurt.
This meal lasted longer than was customary as they lingered over coffee and dessert, which was usually “taken in the drawing room.” They never lacked for stimulating and sometimes combative conversations. The last several weeks had brought them closer in a different way than their previous adventures together had afforded. Mrs. Gage did not know if Carter sensed it, but he was slowly being accepted to their number. He had been forgiven for disrespecting Moira and had hopefully learned a very dear lesson in the bargain.
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