Man Behind the Façade. June Francis

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СКАЧАТЬ had returned with loaves of bread and something savoury smelling in a napkin. One was the youth who had passed round the hat last evening and was called Jack and he looked a little wan. The other appeared to be slightly older than Phillip and was named Ned. They nodded in way of greeting. Then Ned handed up the food to Tabitha before going to the horse’s head, whilst Jack had a low-voiced conversation with Phillip before helping Frederick up into the wagon. Phillip mounted the other horse and gave the signal to walk on. As the other two men were on foot, they kept the horses reined in.

      For a while Phillip and Rebecca had not spoken. She was pondering on the duplicity of men, when he said abruptly, ‘No doubt you have noticed that Tabitha does not wear a wedding ring, even though she has a child.’

      ‘You do not have to explain. You made it quite clear that it was no business of mine.’ Rebecca’s voice was cool and she did not look at him.

      ‘Even so, I do not wish you to draw the wrong conclusion. It isn’t at all what you might think.’

      Rebecca’s hand tightened on the reins. ‘I deem it a shameful situation for a young unmarried woman with a baby to have no proper home to raise that child. You mentioned the troupe having no winter quarters. Could you not ask your brother, Christopher, to take her and the child into his household when the weather worsens?’

      ‘I would if the father did not object to it,’ said Phillip.

      His words took her unawares and she spoke without thinking. ‘Aren’t you the father?’

      He shot her a glance and snapped, ‘You really shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Ned is Edward’s father, not me.’

      She felt her cheeks burning. ‘I do beg your pardon.’

      ‘At least I know what you think of my morals,’ said Phillip in a hard voice.

      Her colour deepened. ‘I admit I was wrong to judge you. Your private life really is none of my business.’

      ‘No, it is not.’ He felt deeply hurt that she should think ill of him. What had he ever done that she should think so badly of him? Surely that one passionate kiss he had pressed upon her earlier was not the cause? Suddenly he remembered what she had said last even about seeing him at court surrounded by ladies. Perhaps she thought he had set one or even two of them up as his flirts as well! If only she knew how he never knew what to say to them when he was just simply Pip Hurst, playwright, and not Phillip Hurst, actor. Suddenly he noticed that her hands trembled on the reins and instantly knew he had to take the sting out of their exchange and searched for the right words. He cleared his throat. ‘Yet I suppose by my offering to help you, I have invited you into my world and left myself open to your judgement. You do seem to care about Tabitha and her baby, but I am presented with a dilemma.’

      ‘Are you wondering how to bring pressure to bear on Ned to marry her and provide them with a home?’

      Phillip shook his head as if in despair. ‘You’re doing it again. Jumping to conclusions. Tabitha and Ned married once the child was on its way, but he cannot afford to buy her a wedding ring. Its lack matters to them both. I offered him the money to buy her one, but met with a refusal.’

      ‘I see,’ said Rebecca, feeling mortified. ‘Again I beg your pardon for reading the situation wrongly. I wish I could help.’

      ‘As it stands, all the money he makes goes on living expenses and putting a little by for winter. Soon he’s going to have to decide whether, with a wife and baby, he can continue the life of a travelling player. Yet I know it will break his heart to give up acting. I wonder…’ He hesitated.

      ‘What do you wonder?’ asked Rebecca.

      ‘Whether your sister-in-law has room for a serving maid and if she would hire Tabitha and be prepared to accept the baby as well? Just for a short time whilst I sort lodgings out for the winter?’ His blue eyes met hers.

      Rebecca thought that here was a way for her to make amends for misjudging him. ‘I am certainly willing to put the idea to Jane. At the moment she is not the easiest person to live with, but, as she is with child, allowances must be made. Have you spoken to Ned about it?’

      ‘I have only just thought of it.’ Phillip’s brow knitted. ‘It’s possible he will refuse to allow it, even if your sister-in-law agreed. Let us hope we make a decent sum this evening. Now the nights are drawing in, there won’t be many more performances, unless some lord asks for the troupe especially. It is different for me. Not only do I have my writing, but I can always return to shipbuilding. I am not short of ways to make money.’

      ‘You are fortunate in your brothers,’ she said earnestly. ‘And this year it has been a good year?’

      ‘For me, aye. If it were not that I was worried for Nicholas’s safety, I could almost be happy.’ He paused before adding, ‘If I receive news of him when next I visit the shipyard, then I will find a way of letting you know.’

      She thanked him, thinking that Phillip still seemed to be of a mind that she cared for his brother. She should never have agreed that she had been in love with him when they were younger.

      They both fell silent.

      An idea suddenly occurred to her, but it remained unspoken. Rather she wanted it to come as a surprise and she thought he might prevent her from acting in a way that he might consider foolish in the light of her own situation. In the meantime she must consider what to say to Jane, to persuade her to hire Tabitha and allow her to have her baby with her. Maybe she might also be willing to hire Ned, temporarily, to do all those tasks around the house and in the garden that were more suited to a man.

       Chapter Three

      ‘Will you be in the audience this evening?’ asked Phillip, passing a sleeping James up to Rebecca. They had reached Oxford, the wagon coming to a halt on one of the vacant plots just inside the city walls, close to the North Gate, the other side of which was St Giles Street.

      ‘I shouldn’t think so, although I would like to watch another of your performances. I assume you’ll still be here on the morrow if you’re visiting the property in which the Raventons are interested?’ she said, carefully settling the boy into the crook of her arm.

      ‘Aye, but I won’t be putting on another play. I must make for Greenwich soon.’ He noted her softened expression as she gazed down at the slumbering child and wondered how she felt about not having a child of her own when she had the task of caring for her nephew. For the first time ever, he wondered what it would be like to have a son.

      Rebecca glanced at him and the expression in his eyes caused her to feel slightly breathless. ‘What is it? Is there something else you wished to say to me?’

      ‘Will you mention Tabitha’s situation to your sister-in-law?’

      ‘Aye. I am certain I can persuade her to meet her,’ said Rebecca, an idea occurring to her which she decided to keep to herself.

      ‘Thank you.’ He suddenly appeared to feel awkward. ‘I don’t have your direction and I will need it if I am to visit you with news of Nicholas.’

      ‘Of course, your brother,’ she said, her voice subdued, ‘I do hope you have good tidings of him soon.’ She gave Phillip directions to the Caldwells’ house and added, ‘I must have a word with Tabitha before I go. If I don’t see you again, I pray that СКАЧАТЬ