Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Henry’s anger fuelled as he watched the goings on behind the scenes of I puritani. Vernon Shaw commanded and controlled the cast as if he owned them. All looked upon him as if he had a knife to their throats and all they could do was obey him so that their jugulars were not sliced.

Ebony was the worst of all. When she emerged from her dressing room in her ‘Elvira’ costume, she looked as though she were a corpse. There was no life in her.

“Smile,” Vernon barked as he pushed her up the few stairs towards the stage. “The audience isn’t paying to see your ugly scowl.”

Henry would have intervened. He would have challenged the vile man to a duel and shot him for being so disrespectful but he needed to remain on his good side. If he wasn’t then he would never be permitted backstage. If Vernon liked him then he could smuggle food into Ebony and anyone else who needed it and find out what Vernon was holding against them. He was a solicitor, after all, so he had a lot of experience in negotiating.

Just as he was about to turn away and find a seat to watch the performance, he saw Vernon pull Ebony by her hair so that he could crash his lips to hers. She didn’t fight him, she just stood before him until he had finished kissing her. Henry felt physically ill. He came to the realisation that perhaps Vernon took more than just food and freedom from his cast … he took their innocence as well.

Henry’s hands curled into fists as he tried with all his might to keep calm. He was not ordinarily a violent man but Vernon Shaw could well be the exception.

When they separated Henry could a few tears rolling down Ebony’s cheeks.

“Now, now, dear, there are worse things.” Vernon chuckled. “Keep that in mind next time you decide to indulge on sweets. Unlock your door for me tonight.”

Ebony’s eyes hardened as she nodded. Vernon had just threated her but with what, Henry wasn’t sure. He then recalled how Vernon had been prattling on about motivation and how his star had the best motivation of all. It had to be terrible. He was blackmailing her somehow.

Henry heard the orchestra begin to play the music for the first act and the cast took to the stage. Vernon turned around with a satisfied smile on his face and came over to Henry as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“It does get quite hectic around here now that the performance has started. I’d suggest you go and find a seat, m’boy,” Vernon advised merrily, gesturing for Henry to leave out the door he had come in through.

“Would you mind if I come again tomorrow, Mr Shaw?” Henry asked, doing his best not to sound as if he were speaking through gritted teeth.

“Certainly not. In fact, how about I come by your establishment and collect you. I’d like to see your mother. It has been so many years,” Vernon replied. “I shall come by at around three o’clock tomorrow. Perhaps she will set out a little tea for us?” Vernon suggested.

Henry knew his father would not like it at all. But he needed to keep Vernon on side. “Of course,” Henry complied. “Do you know where Ethridge Manor is?” he asked.

“Doesn’t everyone? I hadn’t realised like Miss Em Wentworth had married so highly.” Vernon laughed lightly. “Tell your mother I am very anxious to see her. Now go, young man, and watch the opera. Good night.” Vernon bowed his head casually before retreating back towards the dressing rooms. Henry would be certain to tell his mother one thing – her old friend was a cruel man.

Henry turned in the opposite direction and came out the side door into the foyer. The doors to the theatre were closed but a subtle coin into the pocket of the usher was no issue. Henry did not have a seat so his only option was to watch from the back of the theatre.

He watched as Ebony pranced about the stage in a wedding dress, singing about her love for Arturo. Her voice carried to the very back of the theatre and one could not tell from her passionate performance that she had just been made to feel as though she were two inches tall by the manipulative producer who commanded the opera.

Once again, her voice completely captured him as she hit impossibly high notes with perfection. She was incredible.

When the curtains closed on the finale, Henry didn’t want to leave her but he knew he had to. He could no get Vernon’s last comment to her out of his head. ‘Unlock your door for me tonight.’ There was no way Ebony would do that willingly. He could tell that from her expression. She was no whore. Henry hated to even think the word.

Reluctantly, he turned to leave and silently bid her farewell and good luck. He would return the next day with a promise of help and a decent meal.

As soon as he opened the front door the drawing room door adjacent to the foyer also opened. His mother emerged with a bright smile on her face.

“How was it?” she asked excitedly, securing Henry’s hand and pulling him into the drawing room. The lamps were lit and there was a tray of tea and biscuits on the table along with a novel that Emilia had most likely been reading while she waited. Emilia was dressed in her night things and her hair was out in their natural golden curls.

Henry pursed his lips. “Mama,” he said seriously. “Your friend is not who you remember him to be.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

“I mean that Vernon has threatened each cast member and holds them under his control with no way out. Mama, he is evil!” Henry said exasperatedly.

Emilia looked taken aback. After a few moments of silence, she burst into fits of giggles. “Oh, darling, you didn’t need to make up a silly story. If you couldn’t talk to the poor girl all you had to do was say so.” Emilia tapped his cheek and then kissed it.

Emilia thought he’d simply choked in front of Ebony. She didn’t believe him. Nevertheless, he didn’t need her belief to help Ebony. Once he’d freed her from his grasp she could tell her tale to the papers so that all knew not to trust Vernon Shaw ever again. His shows would not sell and he would be laughed out of London.

“He’s coming to tea tomorrow at three,” Henry called after his mother.

He’d caught her on the stairs. “Vernon?” she asked before smiling. “Excellent! It will be wonderful to see him.”

“Papa won’t be happy,” Henry said knowingly.

Emilia rolled her eyes. “Your father has nothing to worry about. Vernon and I are old friends. And don’t you fret, I won’t mention your lady to him either.”

The next day, after Henry had delivered the contracts he had been writing up the previous day, he spent the better part of the afternoon gathering food from the larder to take to Ebony and the rest of the cast.

When he’d managed to fill a satchel with a few loaves of bread as well as some biscuits and cake, the Ethridge cook, Mrs Norris, interrupted him.

“Master Henry?”

“Mrs Norris.” Henry had jumped in surprise and had hit his head on one of the shelves. “Forgive me.”

“Not at all, sir, do you need some help?” she asked. “Are you hungry? All you had to do was ring the bell …”

“No, it’s not for me. I’m taking it to someone,” Henry mumbled.

Mrs Norris peered into the satchel. “Perhaps I could make up some sandwiches and make that a little more interesting as plain bread is not very appetising.”

Henry agreed and handed over the satchel to the old cook. He went into the kitchen with her and she pulled the bread out and began to slice it. On the bench he saw that she and the kitchen hands had already laid out afternoon tea ready for Vernon Shaw to arrive. Mrs Norris placed sliced meat into the sandwiches and then made a few others with egg and salad. “These won’t keep,” she warned him. “So I’ll keep them here until you need them. But make sure they are consumed before tonight. My cooking has never made anyone sick and I don’t plan on it starting now.”

“Thank you, Mrs Norris,” Henry said gratefully. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone.”

Mrs Norris had been the family cook since before he could even remember. He knew he could trust her to keep quiet.

“Of course, sir,” she agreed. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” he assured her, at least it would be.

Mrs Norris smiled. “You’re a good boy, Henry. I’ve always thought so.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. He then left her to finish preparing the food. He would come back down to the kitchen to collect it when Vernon was ready to leave.

When he went back upstairs, he walked past the open doors of the library. Clearly there was no much work to occupy James as he was lying down on the settee with all three of his children sitting on top of him. Henry found it amusing to contrast the old James with the new James. The old James would have laughed at him, but Alice had changed him for the better.

Henry entered the library to join them. He liked being an uncle. He was one fourteen times over, but Jack, Juliette and Madeleine were the three that he saw every day.

“Uncle Henry!” Jack exclaimed when he noticed Henry walked in the room. His three year old nephew reached up his arms waiting for Henry to scoop him up.

“Hello, little brother.” James chuckled as Henry lifted Jack up into his arms.

The girls crawled up onto James chest and began to play with his face, not minding that they were sticking their fingers in his mouth or up his nose. Children didn’t seem to comprehend that such an act was quite horrid.

“Say ‘hello’ to Uncle Henry, girls,” James instructed between fingers being in his mouth.

“Hello, Uncle Henry,” both Juliette and Madeleine said in their sweet, angelic voices. Both the girls had obviously been dressed by James as their dark hair was fixed in untidy pigtails. James had not the talent for hairstyling.

Henry bounced Jack on his hip and he seemed to enjoy it. Jack liked attention.

“What time do you expect Alice home?” Henry asked.

James shrugged and he pulled Juliette, who was dressed in her usual pink, away from his nose. “Not papa’s nose, sweetheart,” he scolded. James sat up on the settee and secured both his young daughters on his lap. “I don’t know. Most likely dinner time. She’s trying to get home in time to put the children to bed. We both don’t like it but you know Alice. She can’t not help someone in need.”

Henry lifted Jack up onto his shoulders and his nephew began to play with his straight, dark hair. “Haven’t they hired a new girl?”

James nodded. “Emma … Emmy? Perhaps it’s Emmeline. I’m not sure. But yes. I’m hoping that means that she won’t need to go in every day. She’s missing out on them. Jack, show Uncle Henry what you can do,” he instructed. “He showed me this earlier this morning.”

Henry put Jack down on the ground and the young boy immediately placed his hands on the carpeted ground and threw his legs up in the air. He was holding his weight up with just his arms. Henry hadn’t done that since he was a young boy.

Henry applauded to give Jack praise and then surprised him by grabbing him by the waist and lifting him up. The three year old let out an excited giggle.

“You disappeared this morning,” James commented. “I never got to ask you how last night went.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Mama’s guest today keeps his cast in line by blackmail and threats. Ebony has it the worst – he’s using her for himself.” Henry have his brother a look that told him exactly what it meant so that he did not have to say the words

James stiffened and his eyes widened. “As in…?”

Henry just nodded.

He pressed the heads of Juliette and Madeleine together and then covered their ears. Henry subsequently did the same thing to Jack. “Bastard,” he said quietly. “And he’s coming here?”

Henry nodded again. “Right. These three aren’t going to be anywhere near him. There is no way I want a man like that near my children. Does mama know?”

“I tried to tell her last night but she thought I was making up a story because of my awkwardness around women.”

James smirked. “I can understand where she is coming from. No matter. She will know after this odious man visits.”

At that precise moment, Mr Carter knocked on the already open door and cleared his through. “Pardon me, Master James, Master Henry, but a Mr Vernon Shaw has arrived. Lady Ethridge is to receive him in the drawing room and requests your presence.”

Both James and Henry nodded. “Mr Carter, could you please see to it that Master Jack, Lady Juliette and Lady Madeleine are cared for somewhere else. I won’t have them near that drawing room,” James instructed intensely to demonstrate his seriousness.

“But of course, sir,” Mr Carter nodded.

Henry placed Jack on the ground and James let the girls off his lap so that they could go with Mr Carter.

“Also,” Henry added just as they were about to go and meet Vernon. “He was mama’s childhood sweetheart.”

James made a disgusted face. Henry knew exactly how he felt.

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