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“And Clem, I just know you’re going to make this dream come true for me too,” she said with utter conviction. “Just like you made all my other dreams come true.” She nodded her head. “We’re going to put Shakespeare on the stage at The Parthenon and people are going to come and see it. People from all walks of life, not just the titled or the monied but everyone.

“I don’t want a life performing just for the privileged few,” she continued passionately, “and let me tell you, that would be truly throwing away my talent because being born with a silver spoon in your mouth does not make you any cleverer or more compassionate or more worthy of being entertained and transported away from the constraints of the role you were born to in life. If anything, someone born to less privilege deserves my talent more, for they have more they need to escape from!”

Clem blinked and made a sound of cautious agreement in his throat. She nodded her head, seemingly satisfied that he was still on board, and wrapped her arms about his neck. “Believe me, I’m going to play the roles I want in life, Clem. And you are going to help make it so. Shakespeare will play at The Parthenon, but first,” she said briskly, “we are going to produce Felix’s play.”

“Felix’s play?” he repeated blankly.

“Yes, The Maiden’s Dilemma.”

“So, you’re telling me your brother’s a better playwright than William Shakespeare?” he asked. That silenced her a moment. “Here’s the thing, Dora. We both know if I march into that house and tell your brother and sister you’ve been offered a chance to star in a first-class production of Shakespeare at The Princess Royal, they will both say you would be crazy to turn it down. Even against their own best interests. Because they know it’s true.”

She took a moment before answering this. “Maybe Felix and Hetty would agree with you that I should take Mr. Howard up on his offer,” she admitted judiciously, “but that is because they are both a little bit snobbish at the end of the day and hanker for acceptance in certain circles. Let me tell you they will also be vastly relieved that I have no intention of taking him up on it, for though they both love me, they do not love me with one-tenth of the unselfish devotion that you do, and they most assuredly do not put me first and foremost in their lives as you do.”

Clem swallowed at this. “Dora,” he said raspily, but she interrupted him, keen to make her point.

“First you try to tell me music hall isn’t good enough for me, and then you tell me that light entertainment pieces aren’t worthy of me, and I just don’t believe in that way of thinking, Clem. I tell you, I get the same rush, the same satisfaction for performing for the crowd at The Eagle and Sun as I ever would at The Parthenon, and that’s nothing but the truth. Do you really think I mean to abandon the likes of Mrs. Warrender when they need me to bring a little bit of joy into their lives?”

“Mrs. Warrender?” he repeated blankly.

“Vincent’s neighbor,” Theo explained. “And let me tell you, I honestly believe that Felix has written something that has the potential to run and run,” she continued earnestly. “Particularly if we could persuade Harold to write a few numbers to intersperse throughout. We can produce it in-house at little expense. Hetty can play the beauty and I”—she drew in a deep breath—“I want to play one of the male roles, Clem.” She felt the excited flush climbing her neck. “Felix may take a little persuading,” she admitted with a wince, “but—”

“We’ll persuade him,” Clem interrupted her grimly. “After all, you’ll be the one bringing in the crowds, Dora. No one else.”

“I just know we can do it,” she enthused. “I can feel it in my bones! There’s even a role in it that would be perfect for Florrie Foss,” she admitted, biting her lip. “If she can only be persuaded to take it!”

Clem’s eyebrows climbed. “What role?”

“A vulgar, social climbing widow,” Theo admitted. “She would be fantastic in the part. I bet Felix would love that too. She made quite a conquest of him the other night.” Clem snorted. “In any case, I have no intention of abandoning The Eagle,” she told him squarely. “Even when we are performing The Maiden’s Dilemma, I can still appear there a couple of times a month at the very least. Do you think I am going to let them forget me?”

“You would not manage that in a hurry,” he said with a brief smile that faded fast. “Did I really make your dreams come true, Dora? Even though my motives were far from noble when I put you on that stage?”

“Yes, you did, you wicked man,” she said fondly, laying her hand against his stubbly cheek. “And not just my dreams of stardom either. I also mean your falling madly in love with me. I never expected anyoneto do that, Clem. I dreamed of the successful career I wanted allthe time. My life was one long daydream before I met you. But I never dared to dream of falling in love with a husband of my own who wanted a family and a future with me.”

“Dora,” he breathed.

“Yes, my love?”

“I don’t think I ever dreamed before I met you. Not my entire life.”

“And now?”

He nodded. “I want a place in your dream,” he said softly. “At your side.”

EPILOGUE

Six months later, The Parthenon

It was the opening night of The Maiden’s Dilemma andClem’s attention was glued to the stage. To his surprise, Dora had not demanded the part of the romantic lead in the play. No, that role had gone to Lionel Greenfinch, an actor who was a favorite of his brother-in-law’s. Neither, to Felix’s relief, had she requested the part of the debonair second suitor; that role had gone to another actor friend of Felix’s, James Fitton.

Instead, the role that Theo had requested and ultimately won had been that of the youngest and third of the suitors. Clem had secretly read the play and had been baffled by her choice. He could not see what had attracted her to the role of Ralph Bixby, who had arguably the least dialogue out of the three principal male parts.

In rehearsals, Dora kept her performance low-key. She recited her lines, marked her spots, and listened with grave attention to everything her brother and Symes, the assistant stage manager, said. But Clem had not been fooled; Dora had a vision, and he could not wait to find out what she was going to do with it.

Night after night he had watched her scribbling on her copy of the script, underlining things, circling things, and jotting notes in the margins. He had tried his level best not to give into his rampant curiosity, but finally, the night before, as they had lain on their bed together side by side, he had snapped. “Alright, that’s it,” he had said flinging down his own notebook and turning toward her.

Dora lowered her pencil. “What is?” she had asked, clearly bewildered.

“I can’t stand it anymore,” he’d admitted. “Just put me out of my misery and tell me.”