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Lil gave her a sharp look. “Lord, you’re an innocent Theodora, love.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re telling me, Henrietta spent all those weeks finding her way home from Paris? And still not married the whole time? He grew bored of her love, once she’d succumbed. She didn’t have the arts to keep him once he’d had his way. Stands out a mile.”

“Lil!

“Maybe there’ll be some consequences she don’t fancy facing on her own in nine months’ time,” Lil continued. “Vinnie might do then, at a pinch.”

“Lil!” Theo was shocked. “Hetty would never … You think that Hillingdon lied to her? That he gave her false promises and then when she was away from the protection of her family—” She choked on the words.

“Lied to, or your sister thought she could persuade him to do the right thing by her. She wouldn’t be the first, Theo.”

“No,” Theo said decidedly. “Hetty would never have eloped with anything less than a promise of marriage.”

“Maybe so,” Lil agreed. “But Hillingdon’s name’s been linked with a lot of actresses, Theo, and he ain’t never married a single one of ‘em.”

Theo swallowed, thinking of Rhonda Bettinew who danced in her petticoat at The Royal George. At the look on her face, Lil jumped up from her seat, bustling about her. “Now, don’t go looking like that, Theo. You’re right of course. You know your sister better than anyone. Don’t mind me, love. I’m a jealous old cow with a suspicious, nasty mind. I’ll get used to sharing you again. Eventually. Now come on, look lively. We’ve got an audience to prepare for.”

With some effort, Theo managed to put such alarming thoughts from her head. It turned out that Lil’s family were not the only family members in the audience that night. Though she did not know it at the time, Felix also attended the same performance. He appeared in the parlor doorway in his velvet smoking jacket as Theo and Clem arrived home.

“Saw the show,” he said, clearing his throat.

Theo’s footsteps halted so fast, Clem nearly walked into the back of her. “You did? What did you think?”

A strange expression passed over Felix’s face. “Never knew you had it in you,” he admitted, casting a fleeting look at Clem.

“Well, now you do know,” Clem responded coolly.

Felix coughed. “I daresay you know what you’re about.” He scratched his ear. “You pack the place to the rafters like that every Wednesday night?”

“Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night,” Clem confirmed.

“And afternoons too on a weekend,” Theo added proudly.

“That headline act is really something,” Felix said with an odd tone to his voice. “Florence Foss, I think her name was.”

Theo regarded her brother with interest. “Isn’t she just,” she agreed.

“We’d better go up,” Clem said, taking her elbow. “Dora has to do it all again tomorrow night.”

As if on cue, Theo found herself yawning. “Goodnight Felix.”

“Neither of you fancies a nightcap then?” Felix asked, looking disappointed.

Glancing past his shoulder, she could see he had set out the decanter and glasses including a small sherry glass for herself. She was touched in spite of herself. “I’d love one,” she said quickly, seeing a refusal trembling on Clem’s lips, and sailed past her brother into the parlor. “You should have bought Hetty along with you,” she said brightly as she flung herself into a chair. “She was only saying earlier today that she wanted to come and see my act.”

Felix, she thought, looked rather horrified at the notion, though he swiftly tried to rearrange his expression. “Er—I thought—her health considered—better not,” he mumbled as he bent over the drinks.

“She’s looking a good deal better, I think,” Theo said as Clem lowered himself to sit on the arm of her chair. He looked resigned to exchanging chit-chat with her brother for a few minutes, though clearly not ecstatic at the prospect.

Felix passed her a glass of sherry and Clem a whiskey and soda. “Saw your drawings earlier, Dabney,” Felix said abruptly to Clem. “Rather good, I thought.”

Theo purposely did not meet the accusing glance Clem threw her way. “You’re too kind,” he said without expression, tossing back his whiskey.

“Not at all,” Felix responded. “We’re—er—a creative family. Always have been.”

Theo took a hard look at him. Was her brother nervous about something?