Miss Chermonde’s performance tonight outstanding.’
‘I’m sure she would be delighted to hear you say so,’ Victoria said. Then, caught up in her enthusiasm and joy, said, ‘Perhaps you and Miss Wright would like to meet her?’
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Victoria realised she had made a dreadful mistake. She felt both Alistair’s and Laurence’s gazes on her and knew she should not have spoken, but the look of excitement on Miss Wright’s face was not to be denied. ‘You mean … we could actually go backstage and meet Miss Chermonde and Mr Trumphani?’
‘That’s what I was thinking, but it is up to Mr Devlin, of course,’ Victoria said hesitantly.
He was watching her with narrowed eyes, his expression thoughtful. Victoria, who anticipated a quelling set down, was considerably relieved when all he said was, ‘The offer is a generous one, Miss Bretton, but I do not think it would be a good idea. My sister and brother-in-law would not be pleased to hear that Isabelle was associating with … such people.’
Victoria felt the warmth start in her neck and travel upwards until her entire face was engulfed. Of course they wouldn’t be pleased. In the afterglow of her success, she had lost sight of the fact that actors and actresses were not suitable company for people like Alistair Devlin and Isabelle Wright. To introduce Isabelle to Signy Chermonde would not have been to elevate Signy’s standing. It would have been to lower Isabelle’s. ‘Yes, of course. Forgive me. I only thought—’
‘No apologies are necessary,’ Alistair said gently. ‘I know your offer was well intentioned and I’m quite sure Isabelle would love to go backstage. However, there is a good possibility that someone would see her and that would not be good for her reputation. London may be a big city, but news like that makes the rounds very quickly.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Victoria said, biting her lip.
‘We could, however, pay our respects to Uncle Theo,’ Laurence suggested. ‘Surely there could be no objection to Miss Wright meeting him in the privacy of the Green Room. He does, after all, move in very good society.’
Victoria looked up and saw Alistair watching her, the look in his eyes one she hadn’t seen before. ‘I don’t think that would go amiss,’ he agreed. ‘Though it would be better if it were to take place in the vestibule rather than anywhere backstage.’
‘Then I shall go and seek him out,’ Laurence said. ‘And ask him to meet us at the foot of the grand staircase.’
‘Oh, yes, that would be lovely,’ Miss Wright said, clapping her hands. ‘Then he can confirm that I really did see Valentine Lawe in the theatre tonight.’
Victoria blanched. ‘You saw him? Where?’
‘In the first row of boxes. I noticed him when he came in. He walked in a very slow, dignified manner and he was dressed all in black and white.’
‘As were most of the men in the theatre,’ Alistair pointed out.
‘Yes, but when he turned, I noticed that he was wearing a single red rose in his lapel! And I saw a number of the performers glance in his direction. It must have been Valentine Lawe!’
‘Fine. While you speculate as to the likelihood of the playwright being in the audience, I shall go and speak to Lord Gavering,’ Alistair said.
‘And I shall search out Uncle Theo,’ Laurence said with a pointed glance at Victoria. ‘I think I know where he’s likely to be.’
Left alone with Miss Wright, Victoria pointed to the red banquettes lining the wall. ‘Shall we sit down while we wait for the gentlemen to return?’
‘Yes, by all means.’
When they were comfortably seated, Victoria said with a smile, ‘So, are you enjoying your stay in London, Miss Wright?’
‘I am having the very best time, Miss Bretton. Cousin Alistair has been so good to me. Taking me around, making sure I see all the sights and meet all the right people. It has been terribly busy, but very exciting. I shall be quite bereft when I return home. Of course, everyone is anxious that I meet a suitable gentleman and get married. I know that’s why Mama agreed to let me come,’ Isabelle said. ‘But I’m quite happy to visit the shops and go to the theatre and experience all that London has to offer.’
‘How do you like living with Lord and Lady Kempton?’ Victoria asked in a casual voice.
‘Oh. Well, they’re very nice, of course,’ Miss Wright said, blushing. ‘And I know they mean well …’
‘But?’
‘But they are rather boring,’ the girl admitted. ‘It’s not that they mean to be, and I suppose it is terribly ungrateful of me to say so, but it’s just that … the way they carry on is so painfully …’
‘Correct?’ Victoria supplied helpfully.
‘Exactly! Lord Kempton is very strict, and Cousin Julia and her husband even more so. But then I suppose an archdeacon and his wife must be more mindful of the proprieties than most.’
‘Yes,’ Victoria allowed grudgingly, ‘which is why Mr Devlin has to be very careful about how you go on while you are here.’
‘I suppose. Still, I should have loved to go backstage and meet the cast of A Lady’s Choice,’ Miss Wright confessed. ‘If Cousin Alistair is allowed to involve himself with orphans, I don’t see why I can’t—’
‘Orphans?’ Victoria interrupted.
‘Oh dear, I don’t think I was supposed to say anything about that,’ Miss Wright said. ‘But I suppose it’s too late now. And I really don’t see why he doesn’t want to tell anyone. It’s not as though he was doing anything wrong.’
‘What exactly is he doing?’ Victoria asked.
‘Well, I don’t know all the details, but I overheard him talking to Lord Valbourg the other evening and I think he’s bought a house with a view to turning it into an orphanage. Apparently he already has a place in town that he uses for the purpose, but it’s not big enough any more, so he bought a larger house and plans to renovate it. I think Lord Valbourg is going to help him.’
‘I had no idea,’ Victoria said, trying to imagine Alistair Devlin in such a benevolent role. Instead of squandering his wealth on prostitutes and gambling, he was using it to help children whose circumstances had forced them to find a living on the streets. To think she had accused him of being selfish. ‘I wouldn’t have thought him the type to get involved in such a cause,’ she whispered.
‘He doesn’t talk about it much,’ Miss Wright admitted. ‘I’m not even sure my aunt and uncle know, but I don’t think they would be terribly pleased if they did.’
And then, Victoria had another disturbing thought. Was that where he had been going the day he had come upon her at the Gryphon? Was that the stop he had been intending to make? He’d made it sound as though he was on his way to visit a woman—and she had left him in no doubt as to how she felt about his doing so. But if he had been planning to visit an orphanage, why hadn’t he told her? Why had he let her believe his destination was somewhere else, with an entirely different purpose
