Read Online Beloved Scoundrel by Clarissa Ross - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Clarissa Ross
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“Good night, Sweet Prince!”
“I shall carry out your instructions, madam,” the old man said. “And may I suggest gray and black marble in a combination?”
“That sounds very good,” she told him.
Then she lingered alone a moment alone at the grave as Nancy and the old man moved away conversing in low tones. At this moment she felt amazingly close to David. And she now understood what her feelings of melancholy had meant, they had been a premonition of this great loss. Her sorrow was as deep as ever but she resolved to channel it into making the name of Cornish famous in the American theatre.
“I will do it, David,” she murmured. “You have my promise!”
Her next great challenge was her first rehearsal with the company. All the same faces were at the theatre to greet her with the exception of Lester Loft who had also lost his life in the railway wreck. Now it was Peter who saw her through the difficult moments of working with the company for the first time since her accident. He had taken over the role of director and he calmly and without any undue fuss guided her through the new play.
She thanked him later as he sat with her in a nearby eating place. Offering him a grateful smile across the table, she said, “You were wonderful this morning.”
The handsome, young man looked embarrassed. “Not at all. Every member of the company is on your side and when you have cooperation like that it is not difficult.”
She sipped her tea and said, “I really know so little about you, Peter. How did you come to select the theatre as a profession and what about your family?”
The elegantly dressed Peter smiled ruefully, “I’m not an interesting person.”
“I say that you are.”
He stared at his plate. “My family are of Spanish origin. They occupy a great mansion in the mission house style. It has a view of the Pacific.”
She said, “Then you are rich?”
“I shall never want for money,” he said. “But I was not happy at home. My father is dead and my mother is a woman with a cold nature. She wanted me to be a priest. When I refused, she more or less lost interest in me.”
“But you are not suited for the Church,” Fanny protested. “You love the worldly life too much!”
“I tried to convince my mother of that,” Peter said. “But I wasn’t able to. My sister, who is much like my mother in having a cold nature, married a neighbor with an evil reputation where women are concerned. I do not think they have a happy marriage.”
“So you had no reason for remaining at home.”
“No. And yet no reason to have to earn a living. I had inherited enough to live well for the rest of my life. I began to wander about and met a group of players from the East. I took a liking to them and their way of life. I asked if I could join them.”
She smiled. “And you did?”
He nodded. “Yes. I’d really found something I liked to do. It gave me a purpose in life. Then the leading man left the company to return to Chicago and I took his place. I was lucky in that I soon became popular.”
“And then you decided to come to New York?”
“It is the theatre capital of America,” he said. “I had to make my name in the East to be truly a star.”
“You are doing much better work,” she said. “You are bound to become a name.”
“What about you?” he asked with a smile. “What is your story?”
She sighed. “I was very poor. I ran away from London and worked as a domestic in the household of a titled man, Lord Palmer. I fell in love with his son, George, his eldest son and the successor to the title. The father turned me out. I managed to make my way into the theatre.”
“You were bound to with your talent.”
“It wasn’t much developed then,” she told him. “And it was only while playing in a repertory company of which David was a leading member when I discovered my
“I shall carry out your instructions, madam,” the old man said. “And may I suggest gray and black marble in a combination?”
“That sounds very good,” she told him.
Then she lingered alone a moment alone at the grave as Nancy and the old man moved away conversing in low tones. At this moment she felt amazingly close to David. And she now understood what her feelings of melancholy had meant, they had been a premonition of this great loss. Her sorrow was as deep as ever but she resolved to channel it into making the name of Cornish famous in the American theatre.
“I will do it, David,” she murmured. “You have my promise!”
Her next great challenge was her first rehearsal with the company. All the same faces were at the theatre to greet her with the exception of Lester Loft who had also lost his life in the railway wreck. Now it was Peter who saw her through the difficult moments of working with the company for the first time since her accident. He had taken over the role of director and he calmly and without any undue fuss guided her through the new play.
She thanked him later as he sat with her in a nearby eating place. Offering him a grateful smile across the table, she said, “You were wonderful this morning.”
The handsome, young man looked embarrassed. “Not at all. Every member of the company is on your side and when you have cooperation like that it is not difficult.”
She sipped her tea and said, “I really know so little about you, Peter. How did you come to select the theatre as a profession and what about your family?”
The elegantly dressed Peter smiled ruefully, “I’m not an interesting person.”
“I say that you are.”
He stared at his plate. “My family are of Spanish origin. They occupy a great mansion in the mission house style. It has a view of the Pacific.”
She said, “Then you are rich?”
“I shall never want for money,” he said. “But I was not happy at home. My father is dead and my mother is a woman with a cold nature. She wanted me to be a priest. When I refused, she more or less lost interest in me.”
“But you are not suited for the Church,” Fanny protested. “You love the worldly life too much!”
“I tried to convince my mother of that,” Peter said. “But I wasn’t able to. My sister, who is much like my mother in having a cold nature, married a neighbor with an evil reputation where women are concerned. I do not think they have a happy marriage.”
“So you had no reason for remaining at home.”
“No. And yet no reason to have to earn a living. I had inherited enough to live well for the rest of my life. I began to wander about and met a group of players from the East. I took a liking to them and their way of life. I asked if I could join them.”
She smiled. “And you did?”
He nodded. “Yes. I’d really found something I liked to do. It gave me a purpose in life. Then the leading man left the company to return to Chicago and I took his place. I was lucky in that I soon became popular.”
“And then you decided to come to New York?”
“It is the theatre capital of America,” he said. “I had to make my name in the East to be truly a star.”
“You are doing much better work,” she said. “You are bound to become a name.”
“What about you?” he asked with a smile. “What is your story?”
She sighed. “I was very poor. I ran away from London and worked as a domestic in the household of a titled man, Lord Palmer. I fell in love with his son, George, his eldest son and the successor to the title. The father turned me out. I managed to make my way into the theatre.”
“You were bound to with your talent.”
“It wasn’t much developed then,” she told him. “And it was only while playing in a repertory company of which David was a leading member when I discovered my
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