The Phantom Of Drury Lane: The Scandals and Scoundrels of Drury Lane - Act V by Kate Bateman & Drury Lane

Author:Kate Bateman & Drury Lane [Bateman, Kate & Lane, Drury]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798987329153
Published: 2023-10-02T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

With a huff of resignation, Lucy followed him. Above them, the sound of shuffling feet and muffled voices indicated the evening’s performance was well underway.

Arden led her to a set of narrow wooden stairs, which ascended to a small backstage room full of wigs and costumes.

“You can’t use any of these,” he said quietly. “They’re for later in the play. We’ll have to go up to the store rooms in the attic. That’s where all the extra unused costumes and props are kept.”

Lucy’s shoes were so wet that she left dark footprints on the boards as they sneaked past the dressing rooms and started up another set of stairs. Her sodden skirts weighed twice as much as usual, and she bit back a complaint as she followed Arden upward.

“I suppose, between your months in the rainforest, and that shipwreck, you’ve spent an inordinate amount of time being wet.” Arden’s amused voice floated back at her down the stairs.

“It’s not a sensation I enjoy,” she grumbled. “Which is ironic, because it rains so much here in England that being damp is almost a permanent state. We should have settled somewhere warm and dry, like the Sahara.”

“Ah, but then you’d be complaining about the heat,” he chuckled. “If travel has taught me anything, it’s to appreciate the comforts of home.”

Lucy grunted.

After what seemed like an endless ascent, Arden stepped through a darkened doorway. The scrape of a flint was followed by a mellow glow as he lit an oil lamp, and she gazed around in wonder at the cavernous loft that was revealed.

Exposed wooden beams ran along either side of the vast room, where several distinct areas had been created; woodworking tools on one table, paints and brushes on another. An even larger area had been set aside for the storage of costumes and props.

“This is as big as a ballroom!” Lucy breathed. “I had no idea this existed.”

Arden sent her an indulgent smile over his shoulder. “We’re right above the auditorium and stage. The space runs almost the entire length of the building.” He waved toward the far end. “Further back, over there, is above the flies—where the scenery is pulled out of sight by a series of ropes and pulleys.”

The area was clearly a dumping-ground for all manner of unwanted items. Tall shelves overflowed with hats and canes, teapots, globes and vases. Larger items created a bizarre forest of obstacles; towering stacks of chairs, huge pillars painted to look like marble, cardboard trees, and rolled oriental carpets.

In the flickering shadows, everything seemed fantastical, like a bizarre dream world.

Arden beckoned her forward, and she skirted a gaudily-painted wooden carousel horse and dipped a mocking curtsey to a dressmaker’s mannequin in a shimmering opera gown.

“Here you go. Take your pick.” He swept his arm in a grand gesture to indicate row upon row of costumes, all hanging on rails. “We both need to get out of these wet clothes. I refuse to have survived four separate battles in France just to succumb to an ague here in England.

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