Her Vixen Actress: A Lesbian Regency Romance (Ladylike Inclinations Book 2) by Violet Cowper

Author:Violet Cowper [Cowper, Violet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2022-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter nine

Chapter 9

In retrospect, Frances should have realized something was wrong. On the other hand, taken alone, those things didn’t seem to signify anything terrible. The fact that Mr Sheridan had been absent from the theatre for more than a week did not trouble her; he had been known to be often busy with the parliamentary matters, after all. This time could have easily been one such case.

She did notice a careworn expression upon his face when she entered his office, too; however, her relief at finally catching the proprietor of Drury Lane in what should have been his natural habitat, but wasn’t, blinded her to these signs.

‘Mr Sheridan, I have splendid news for you,’ Frances started.

‘I would be very glad to hear it,’ he replied crisply. ‘We are all in a dire need of good news.’

This was nearly a confession, and yet still she continued, brushing it off as a mere expression of perpetual worry that plagued any owner of any theatre in those uncertain times.

‘I have an idea for a play that, I think, you are going to like.’ Frances could never quite play at coyness. Caution, yes, but not coyness. She could not tease and withhold; her manner of speech and action was a continuation of herself, straight as a blade. Therefore, she leapt into the explanation scarcely after finishing the sentence.

Her blood was singing. Here, finally, was her salvation – the kind of play or, rather, the kind of heroine that would secure her place at Drury Lane and please Mr Sheridan in one fell swoop. She had the kind of play he was looking for. The kind of play that grew from the very marrow of the bone of human passion instead of merely touching the froth above.

Frances explained it all – the fiery monologues, the cautious placement of the heroine in question into the second line, the antique setting. She explained it all and looked into his eyes, almost giddy at the prospect of a favourable verdict, as though the dizziness of the masquerade ball, the one that happened more than a week ago, still hadn’t washed off her.

When she finished, Mr Sheridan said, ‘It all sounds very interesting, Miss Smythe, but I am afraid I have other concerns on my mind right now.’

‘Other concerns? What do you mean?’

‘I mean that you should read the papers as often as you read the Bard,’ he snapped in an uncharacteristic flare of anger. ‘Haven’t you heard what happened yesterday? The East India Bill had been defeated with a majority of nineteen.’

‘Defeated?’ Frances recalled all those long evenings over the pamphlets. ‘But how?’

‘Very easily, Miss Smythe. The interests of the juggernaut that is the East India Company collided with the interests of another juggernaut that is the Crown. Neither, as it turned out, likes being controlled by an outside force in the slightest measure. I’ve told Fox that this is exactly what’s going to happen.’

‘There would be another opportunity—’

‘No, there won’t be. Today, His Majesty sent Fox a message requiring him to send in the seal of his departments.

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