Chapter 1 #2
When Lord Archer still hadn’t appeared by the end of the fourth week, she knew he wasn’t coming back.
The thought weighed far more heavily on her than it should have.
It was pure folly for her to waste her time mooning over him.
It wasn’t as if Lord Archer had been hers, and she’d promised herself she’d cease worrying about things she couldn’t change.
Still, it made for a long month. She was grateful when it ended it last, but she soon discovered the next disaster was already bearing down on her.
The first sign of trouble came after the final performance of the week.
Penelope made her way backstage and plopped down into a chair at the dressing table she shared with her friend Dinah, one of the other minor actresses in the company.
Dinah, who was also cursed to spend every night dressed as a whore, was dabbing at her sweaty décolletage with a cloth.
She nudged Penelope with her elbow. “You’ll never guess what—”
She was interrupted by a high-pitched scream of fury, then the sound of shattering glass, as if something had been hurled against a wall.
The sounds of destruction were coming from Florentina’s dressing room.
Penelope turned to Dinah, eyes wide. “What in the world was that?”
“My guess is a vase. Perhaps a picture frame.” Dinah smirked, hardly able to contain her glee. “Florentina’s in a bit of a temper, you see.”
Another muffled shout came from behind Florentina’s closed door, then Penelope heard Silas Bragg, the Pandemonium’s theater manager, speaking to Florentina in soothing tones.
Silas didn’t put up with any nonsense from his actresses, unless that actress happened to be Florentina Fernside.
She was his star, and he’d do whatever he must to keep her happy.
Keeping Florentina happy took up a great deal of his time.
“What’s happened this time? Has she misplaced her favorite face powder again?” Florentina was always in a snit about something. Penelope didn’t pay much attention to her tantrums.
“Oh, no. It’s much more delicious than that.” Dinah leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Lord Archer disappeared from London without a single word to her. Well, he’s sent her a note at last, and what do you think? He’s broken with her!”
Penelope stared at Dinah, her throat closing. “What, you mean he’s left London, as well?” It was one thing to disappear from the Pandemonium. Given the choice, she’d disappear herself, and never look back. But to vanish from London altogether?
“He has indeed. He’s packed his brothers and sister off to one of his country estates, but no one knows which one they’ve gone to, or why.” Dinah sighed. “It’s too bad of them, really. London will be dreadfully dull without the Tainted Angels here to entertain us with their mischief.”
Lord Archer’s two younger brothers had followed in his rakish footsteps.
The three Angels had been scandalizing the ton with their shocking behavior ever since Lord Archer inherited the earldom a year earlier.
Gaming, brothels, duels, mistresses—even Penelope, who did her best to ignore gossip, knew of their exploits.
“Lord Archer’s servant brought round a note for Florentina tonight,” Dinah whispered. “Perhaps his lordship has decided to reform, and cast his sins aside. Goodness knows Florentina’s as wicked as—”
“Where the devil is Penelope Hervey?”
The women in the dressing room were all chattering and laughing, but everyone fell silent when Silas’s harsh voice echoed throughout the room.
Penelope shrank down in her chair and turned her stricken gaze to Dinah.
Dinah stared back at her, eyes wide with alarm. “Oh, no.”
Oh no, indeed. No good ever came from being summoned by Silas Bragg.
Silas’s oily gaze slid around the room until he spied Penelope, then he jerked his head toward the hallway. “In my office, Miss Hervey. Now.”
Penelope shot Dinah one more desperate look, then followed Silas’s retreating back.
“Shut the door behind you and sit down.” Silas leaned back in the chair behind his desk and rested his hands on his bulging belly.
Penelope sat, sucked in a quick breath, and braced herself for the next disaster.
“All you had to do was stay out of her way, and you couldn’t even do that, could you? I took you for one of the smart ones, but you’re as pea-brained as the rest of them.” The legs of Silas’s chair hit the floor with a thump. “You’re out. Get your things and go.”
Penelope stared at him. “Out? But why?”
Silas shrugged. “You’re a pretty little bit of stage dressing, and you do well enough playing whores and bar maids and the like, but Miss Fernside wants you gone, so you’re gone. Simple as that.”
For one awful moment, Penelope couldn’t squeeze out a single word. She’d never fit in at the Pandemonium. She’d been expecting this day to come for the past year, but now it had, she was stunned. “Please, Mr. Bragg. I’ll apologize for whatever it is I’ve done to offend Miss Fernside—”
“Won’t do a damn bit of good. She says it’s your fault Lord Archer’s buggered off to the country.” Silas shook his head in disgust. “You silly chits never learn, do you? Stay out of Miss Fernside’s way, or your days are numbered. She says you were flirting with Archer, or some bloody nonsense.”
Flirting with him? Oh, certainly she had been! What could be more fetching than nearly catching fire? Why, all the most accomplished flirts in London commenced a seduction by setting their skirts aflame.
Good Lord, she was a fool. She would have been better off letting the theater burn to the ground than to speak to him.
As soon as Lord Archer took notice of her, he’d sealed her fate.
Anger sparked in Penelope’s chest, but what use was there in defending herself? The truth didn’t matter here. All that mattered was Florentina, and Florentina wanted her gone.
Dear God, what was she going to do? She had no family and no money. Dinah would insist on helping her, but she wasn’t any better off than Penelope was. Both of them were scraping to get by as it was.
Silas’s sly brown eyes flicked over her face. “Maybe there’s one thing you could do for me. A job, of sorts.”
Penelope regarded him warily. Silas looked awfully pleased with himself, and when Silas was pleased, it meant something sinister was afoot. “What sort of job?”
“Lord Snedley is having a Christmas party at his country house in Essex. He wants two girls for a, ah…Christmas theatrical, of sorts. He mentioned he’s taken a fancy to you and would be gratified if you’d attend his party. You’d go at once and stay until Twelfth Night.”
Penelope smothered a snort. Lord Snedley fancied everything in skirts. He was a lecherous old bounder, and she doubted he’d be satisfied with only a Christmas theatrical. If she agreed to go he’d assume she was encouraging his advances, and that was the last thing she—
“He’s offered twenty pounds.”
Penelope’s gaze shot to Silas’s face, her mouth dropping open. “Twenty pounds!”
Silas smirked. “Ten pounds for me, five for each girl, and Snedley’ll send his carriage, so you don’t have to take the stagecoach.
A trip to Essex will keep you out of Florentina’s way for a bit, and she might forget her grudge against you.
You do well for Snedley, and maybe I’ll consider keeping you on here, after all. ”
Five pounds each? God in heaven. To have such a sum tucked away would be an unimaginable luxury. She couldn’t refuse five pounds, or the chance to keep her place at the Pandemonium. As miserable as she was here, she hadn’t anywhere else to go.
Penelope swallowed. It was a house party, nothing more. She wasn’t obligated to fall into Lord Snedley’s bed, regardless of what he might expect. She’d take Dinah with her. Together they’d be safe enough.
“Well, Miss Hervey? Do we have an agreement?”
Penelope forced herself to look Silas in the eyes. “Yes.”
“Good.” Silas’s lips stretched into a leering grin. A chill rushed over Penelope at the sight of his sharp canines.
He looked like a wolf with one tooth already sunk into its prey.