Rescue Operations (29)

A tactical retreat

Leda had a deal of matters upon hand the day, that required her to be dressed in womanly fashion rather than as Larry Hooper. But sure, the earlier part of the day in Seven Dials, she did not anticipate any great bother, and she was in very plain style. La, they might even take her for some evangelist, come to save sinful souls!

The cloak, though so plain, was exceeding snug, as one would desire as autumn became to strike with chill foreboding of winter. O, indeed matters was very different from when she was used to strut these same streets as Bet Bloggs.

She glanced in upon Grigori, that was writing up his ledger at the counter. Said he had kept by for her some pieces of good Dresden-ware, that he went fetch so that she might examine 'em. And they was indeed good, so she asked him to hold those two shepherdesses for her, did not like to carry 'em about with her about her business. He nodded, and wrapped 'em and put 'em by with a note. Added that there was still some remarkable pieces of jewelery coming to his notice, and was there really no outcry or reward offered with no questions asked?

Leda shook her head and said, 'twas quite the mystery, but was the agency not commissioned to investigate, was not sure how to come at it.

Grigori made a gloomy mouth. Am in some concern that should trouble come 'twill fall on those that are by no means the principals in the business.

Very like! – I tell you what I will do, I will go convoke with Mr MacDonald, that is give out very cunning indeed at sounding out mysteries requiring the greatest discretion. For she was coming about to be, if not entirely on easy terms with MacDonald, on conversable terms. But there had been rather a long period during which she had felt him expecting her to levant with Clorinda’s jewels.

That is a sound notion!

Next she went to meet with Lil and Joan at the coffee-house they favoured. Sure they was looking very well these days!

Don’t she look a proper lady, exclaimed Joan to Lil, you’d never think, would you?

She commented on their own looks – la, a summer at the seaside will set a lady up! by which she apprehended that they had once more spent a period at Dolly Mutton’s by the sea – and presented 'em with a packet of Euphemia’s cakes and a pot of jam, to a few jests about hoisting in a fine grocer’s.

Proceeded to gossip about how matters went in Seven Dials, and that Lil and Joan were now more in the capacity of bawds than walking the streets – looking after a 'commodation house, does very well.

Leda grinned and said, why, these nobs that come about here to see low life, I must suppose they had rather not see bed-bugs.

Her friends snorted with laughter and said, was about the way of it.

All going well under Nat Barron’s hand?

Lil and Joan looked at one another and nodded but then Joan said, except –

Except? said Leda, that had some notion.

Lil sniffed and said, this fat flaxen German wench that takes up with him, makes as if she was a maiden-pure until then.

Shows very disdainful to us other girls, added Joan. And rubbing herself all over him –

Was one of the girls that Schmidt fellow was running afore Nat put a stop to that. Hear he took some of 'em, and is working Soho these days.

Hmmmm, said Leda, that had been apprized by Molly Maurice that he fancied there might be somewhat beneath the surface with the fair Franzie. Soho, hah. Had a notion that Dumaine knew more than most about what went forth there. Well, will see what I can discover.

At this moment came past the coffee-shop door Jem Bell, that, spying Leda within, entered in order to greet her and make civil, and hope there was no bother she was here about.

Leda grinned and said, fie, was she not permitted to take coffee with old acquaintance without 'twas supposed some matter must be afoot? So happened that she had a call to make at the theatre, that brought her in this general direction.

'Twas true enough, and was, indeed, time she was off.

Desired Jem to convey her regards to Nat, was a prudent civility.

Once she had arrived at the theatre she found Amelia Addington already in her dressing-room, sitting down to a substantial nuncheon that had been brought in from a neighbouring chop-house. She looked up and said, sure required sustenance, for the morn’s rehearsal had been quite disastrous. Invited Leda to sit down and take a plate, and pour herself a glass.

For it was quite the finest thing, Leda came about to be on terms of the greatest amiability with the actress. Miss Addington had been a firm friend of Clorinda’s this entire age, and had shown friendly to her protegée – inviting her along with Clorinda to parties after first-nights &C. But what had quite turned it into a friendship was when Leda visited the Knighton’s estate in Hampshire in the capacity of Clorinda’s secretary-companion when she went about on summer visits, and Clorinda had suggested that dear Amelia might convey Leda a little instruction in her own art as very material to covert investigations.  

Then Miss Addington had desired Leda to demonstrate to her certain aspects of low-life, in case she was ever required to present, or direct other company members to present, characters of that like. And somehow the revelation came about that Lady Jane’s fondness for the actress was by no means entirely admiration for her art but a somewhat warmer passion, and that set them on common ground. With a confession that, la, Amelia still had a certain wistfulness for what might have been with Clorinda – but O! I was such a foolish young girl and very vapourish in those days.

So they were entirely on informal terms, and Leda helped herself to a cutlet, and listened to Amelia bewailing the disasters of the rehearsal – 'tis this play by Charley Darcy – had to have Tom go over it and as 'twere English it because 'twas writ for a Yankee audience – still needs working on –

But in due course they concluded their meal and Maggy came flouncing in to take the crockery away and say was there aught else?

And when she had gone – Amelia sighed and said, Maggy had give it as her intention to die in harness, that would probably be at some most inconvenient time during a play with a deal of complicated changes – she got up, and took from a drawer a locked casket and placed it before Leda.

She looked down at it. Tom Tressillian found this in a hidey-hole behind the mirror in the dressing-room that Orlando Richardson used to occupy. And before that, dear Hywel Jenkins. So I am not sure whose box this might be – am not disposed to dispatch it to New South Wales without I ascertain that it does belong to Orlando and that is somewhat he would wish sent on. Might you unlock it?

Leda looked at it and grinned and took a hairpin from the dressing-table. Fie, this is the kind will open do you blow on it in the right way! She lifted the lid.

Amelia groaned. Letters, she said in her most tellingly tragic tones, letters. Letters from the numerous married ladies that he was rogering all over Town. The young fool. If these fell into the wrong hands – scandalmongering rags – those that would endeavour extortion – jealous husbands – We must burn 'em at once.

Fortunately, at this season of the year, there was a fire in the dressing-room, and they sat beside it, feeding the indiscreet epistles into the flames, Leda with an occasional start when she recognized the author, and in some cases the crest on the paper. Law, the ladies that had succumbed to the charms of the young actor! And showed so exceeding indiscreet!

When they had finished, and were dusting their ashy fingers, Amelia sighed and said, hoped the wretch was behaving with some caution in the antipodes – fancied that affronted husbands would be about taking more direct measures than instigating a crim. con. suit.

Very like, Leda agreed, just as, as if conjured by the word antipodes, Maggy showed in Lady Ollifaunt, that looked exceeding put about to see Leda so cozy there.

Amelia jumped up to embrace her visitor, and to ask did she know Miss Hacker?

Lady Ollifaunt made the very smallest of bows, and said in icy tones that Miss Hacker had already been made known to her.

Amelia groaned and said, la, Bess, do not tell me that you go take a pet over the matter? How can it be that a loving heart will not find itself loving again? Did you suppose Clorinda would be the like of a mourning dove perched in a willow-tree the rest of her life?

Lady Ollifaunt plumped down in a chair and said, came as somewhat of a shock. Had been known to her as filling the capacity of secretary to Lady Bexbury afore they sailed – but sure, they had had a deal on their minds at that time, did not ponder particularly – and then to come back and find, here is this young woman entirely an intimate of the household –

Leda stood up and said, had other business to be about – for indeed she planned to call upon Dumaine at what was a quiet time of day for him, to discuss any requirements he had for Babsie Bolton, and to open the matter of Schmidt – if they might excuse her.

What, she fancied, her dearest love would call a tactical retreat.

A seasonal treat

A small treat for Lady B- and her friends' fans, downloadable for elecktronical devices: The Cathcart Apocrypha Volume 5: Frost Festival, or, Clorinda on Ice:

There are no longer such harsh winters that the River Thames freezes over and a Frost Fair may be held, as in Clorinda’s younger days: but there are hard enough frosts that the Serpentine in Hyde Park freezes sufficiently to permit of skating and other winter revelry.