page3 (1/2)
In the theater a person could forget who he or she was, at least for a while Actors could turn themselves into anyone they wished to be That hat she wanted for herself She would live as Jessica Wentworth, and bury all traces of Julia Hargate—and the secret that had haunted her all her life
“I told you so,” Nell Florence said, her wrinkled face breaking into a rare and beautiful san Scott I admire his work at the Capital Despite his youth, he's a capablecompany than you would have at Drury Lane” Her frail shoulders moved in a shudder, and sheruined by that American impresario Stephen Price and his freakish taste for spectacle You should have been born a half-century ago and worked for David Garrick—he would have known exactly what to do with a girl of your talents To think of how you could have played opposite him in The Wonder…”
“Then you approve of Mr Scott?” Julia asked, gently prodding her back to the subject before Mrs Florence could lapse into one of her long reminiscences
“Oh, yes His productions have wonderful style, and his devotion to the art of acting is unquestionable”
They sat together drinking tea in Mrs Florence's parlor, with its musty furniture upholstered in rose silk, and walls covered with ancient theater mementos Julia had met the elderly woman only a few months before, when Mrs Florence had accepted a small part in a production at the Daly Theatre Normally an appearance at the Daly would have been beneath such a great actress, who had acted at Drury Lane for more than thirty years However, Mr Bickerston had paid Mrs Florence a fortune, knowing that her name would fill every seat in the theater
After a successfulrun of the play, Mrs Florence had left Bickerston and the Daly—but not before she had taken Julia aside and given so wasted here,” she had told Julia “You et so”
Julia had been flattered alreatly admired the elderly woe and impoverished family on the east end of London, Nell Florence had profited froe and also froh her legendary beauty had faded with age, her rich red hair now streaked with silver, she was still a handsome woman
Several years ago Mrs Florence had retired to a London townhouse with a s actor or actress took her fancy, she would occasionally give acting lessons Although Julia couldn't afford to pay her high fees, Mrs Florence had decided to take her under her wing regardless
“I can afford to teach for pleasure, if I wish to,” she had said “I believe our association will do us both soood I will help you to achieve the success you deserve, and you will brightenones around…and you are very e”
Once a week Julia would visit Mrs Florence in her cluttered parlor, drinking tea from painted china cups as she paid rapt attention to the elderly woman's instructions Now that Julia had been hired as a member of the Capital Theatre, Mrs Florence seemed as pleased by Julia's success as if it were her own
“I knew Scott wouldn't hesitate to hire you, once he saw you act,” she remarked “You have a quality, ive everything of yourself when you're onstage…but you withhold just enough to , Jessica, or you'll be taken for granted” Settling back in an overstuffed chair, the elderly woht eyes “Now tell me…hoas it to play a scene with an actor of his caliber?”
“Thrilling,” Julia said instantly “He al I've never met anyone who could make a scene from a play seem more real than life”
“So it is with the great ones,” Mrs Florence replied reflectively “But beware, Jessica…after reaching the heights that are possible in the theater, real life can see to find that your profession has stolen precious years from you And you'll be no better off than I, surrounded by faded artifacts and portraits, with nothing but memories to sustain you”
“I would love to be exactly like you,” Julia said fervently “You've made your mark in the theater, you're respected and co better than that”
For a moment Mrs Florence's eyes were filled with sadness “I haven't always ht choices, child I've had to live with the consequences for a very long time”
“Do you ret not having married?”
“I only wanted to marry one man in particular,” the elderly woman informed her, with a itch of her lips “Unfortunately he didn't mix with the theater He wanted esture of helplessness “I let hio How I envied other women who didn't have toway, as if it were a certainty that Julia would someday face the same painful dilemma Julia wished she could tell Mrs Florence the truth…that she would never need to choose between Jove and her profession…that she was in fact already married, and her husband was no obstacle at all
Quietly Julia made her way to her ate Hall The luxurious gothic estate was dark and stalwart, with tall chi, narros Set in the hamshire hills, it was connected to the ed for decades Hargate Hall was dis covered ebbed fan vaulting
Being inside the hoave Julia an unco Resolutely she cli fro that at anyher to get out
Aside fros from a few servants she had known since childhood, no one dared speak to her It was known to everyone at Hargate Hall that she was not a welcome visitor—her father had forbidden her to set foot on the property—yet no one would stop her fro mother, Eva
Wrinkling her nose at the stale air in Eva's bedroom, Julia went to the curtains, drew them apart, and opened ato ad beneath the covers on the bed, and Eva's weak voice
“Who is that?”
“Your prodigal daughter,” Julia replied lightly, and went to the bed, bending over to kiss her mother's pale brow
Eva blinked rapidly and tried to sit up, her face stiff with consternation She was a small, slie brown eyes She seereat deal in the past two years, her colorless skin etched with tiny lines and the bones of her face more proerous!”
“It's all right,” Julia said quietly “You wrote to one today Don't you remember?”
“Oh, yes,” Fretfully her s slip frohed and let her shoulders press back into the pillow “I've been ill, Julia…”