A Night of Gaiety (6 page)

“A smart and stylish girl you see,

The Belle of High Society,

Fond of fun as fond could be
—

When it’s on the strict Q.T.

Not too young, and not too old,

Not too timid, not too bold,

But just the very thing I’m told,

That in your arms you’d like to hold
...
”

Then suddenly, so suddenly that Davita started, the chorus crashed out, wildly, boldly, and noisily, and the first boom was accompanied by the bang of drums and a terrific crash of cymbals
which seemed almost to break the ear-drums.

Then, with one hand on her hip, the other waving her handkerchief, Lottie appeared to go mad.

Her voice and those of the chorus seemed to grow louder and louder:

“
Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay, Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay,

Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay,

Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay!”

The whole Theatre was filled with it, and as her hair streamed the hat bobbed, her short skirts whirled and showed her white petticoats. She was primeval, Bacchic, with all the fury of wild abandon that was associated with a Gypsy dance.

As Davita found it difficult to breathe and impossible even to think, and she could only stare in astonishment, the refrain grew wilder and wilder and the drums, the cymbals, and the wild dancing swept the audience off their feet.

There was a last “
Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay
” that finished with the whole audience shouting and applauding, the gentlemen shouting “Bravo! Bravo!” while those in the Gallery were screaming their heads off.

It was not what Davita had expected. It was not anything she could have imagined in her wildest dreams would occur at the Gaiety.

Only as the curtain fell and the applause gradually subsided did she look at the man sitting next to her. His eyes were still on her face and he was smiling as if at her surprise.

Because she felt he was waiting for her to speak, she said in a hesitating little voice:

“I ... I had no idea ... that ... anyone could ... dance like that.”

“Were you shocked?”

“N-not ... really.”

“I think you were,” he said with a smile. “Lottie is rather overwhelming when she lets herself go.”

“How ... how can she do that ... every night?” Davita enquired.

Lord Mundesley gave a laugh.

“That is what acting is all about. Come, let us go and see Violet. We are allowed to go behind during the interval.”

He led the way and they had to push through crowds of people moving from their seats and also a number of men who were walking in the same direction as themselves through the small door which led behind the scenes.

It took them some time to climb the staircase, and now in the dressing-room the eight girls who shared it were already holding Court.

Davita noticed there were dozens more bouquets than there had been before the performance began, and each beautiful Gaiety Girl, looking more attractive than the last, was receiving her admirers.

Violet was already talking to two gentlemen when Lord Mundesley and Davita joined her.

“What did you think of the Show?” Violet asked Davita.

Because she did not reply, Lord Mundesley answered for her.

“She was stunned and a little shocked!”

“Shocked?” Violet questioned. “Well, I suppose Lottie would seem a bit of a firebrand to anyone who’d just come off the moors!”

“Of course! Your friend is Scottish!” one of the gentlemen ejaculated. “I should have known it, with that colour hair.”

“It’s not out of a dye-bottle, if that’s what you’re insinuating!” Violet said sharply.

“I would never be so ungallant as to suggest anything of the sort!” the gentleman replied.

“I want to talk to Miss Violet alone,” Lord Mundesley said in a proprietary manner which made the two gentlemen who were there before him move off to speak to the other girls.

“Bertie, you’re being bossy, and I don’t like it,” Violet complained.

“I only want to ask you if Miss Kilcraig is coming to supper with us,” Lord Mundesley said. “In which case, I will have to find somebody to partner her.”

“No ... no, please,” Davita said quickly in an embarrassed tone. “You have already been kind enough to let me share your Box, but as soon as the Show is over I will go back to my lodgings.”

“There is no reason for you to do that,” Lord Mundesley replied. “In fact, I think as this is your first night in London it would be a great mistake. Do you not agree, Violet?”

Davita thought uncomfortably that Violet hesitated a moment before she said:

“Of course! I want Davita to come with us. She’s staying with me, isn’t she?”

“Very well,” Lord Mundesley said. “Shall I ask Tony or Willie?”

Violet glanced at him provocatively, Davita thought, from under her dark, mascaraed eye-lashes before she said:

“
How about the Marquis?”

T
he expression on Lord Mundesley’s face changed. “Do not mention that man to me!”

“
I heard his horse had beaten yours today.”

“Damn him! That is the third time, and it has made me hate him even more than I did before!”

There was something ferocious in the way Lord Mundesley spoke, and it seemed to Davita to be almost as violent, though in a different way, as the dance she had just witnessed.

Violet laughed.

“Why waste time hating him? He always seems to get the better of you!”

“You are deliberately trying to make me lose my temper!” Lord Mundesley said aggressively. “You know what I feel about Vange.”

“Well, for Heaven’s sake, don’t tell me,” Violet said. “I’ve listened to Rosie crying her eyes out all the afternoon.”

“Are you telling me he has broken off with her?” Lord Mundesley enquired.

“Chucked her out, bag and baggage, from his house in Chelsea, and told her she was lucky to be able to keep the jewellery.”

“He is intolerable!” Lord Mundesley ejaculated. “I loathe him, and a great many other people feel the same.”

“Rosie for one!” Violet said. “But it’s her own fault for losing her heart. I told her what he was like when they first started.”

“You were not the only one,” Lord Mundesley said. “Rosie is a silly little fool, but one day I will see that Vange gets his just deserts. Then we will see who has the last laugh!”

Davita knew by the expression on Violet’s face that she was about to make some mischievous reply, when there was a knock on the door and the call-boy’s voice chanting:

“Ten minutes, lidies! Ten minutes!”

There were cries from all the women, and the men moved towards the door.

Before they had even reached it, the dressers were undoing the elaborate gowns at the back and a change of clothing had begun.

Davita gave Violet a smile before she hurriedly followed Lord Mundesley out of the dressing-room and into the corridor, and only as they reached the Box again did she say to him:

“Please ... Lord Mundesley ... let me go back to my lodgings afterwards ... I do not want to be a ... nuisance.”

“You are certainly not that,” Lord Mundesley said, bending towards her, “and quite frankly, Davita—and I hope I may call you that—I find it entrancing to watch you experience for the first time the delights of London.”

He paused before he added softly:

“And there are many more delights I want to show you!
”

There was something in the way he spoke which made Davita feel shy.

She was not quite certain why, but she thought perhaps it was because he seemed so old, experienced, and worldly-wise, while she was exactly the opposite.

He was obviously Violet’s “young man,” if that was the right term, and because she had no wish to talk about herself, she asked:

“Who is the gentleman who has made you so cross?”

“
The Marquis of Vange!” Lord Mundesley answered. “A most unpleasant character, and a man you must studiously avoid.”

“In what way is he so wicked?” Davita asked.

Lord Mundesley smiled.

“That is the right adjective to describe him, and make no mistake, Davita, he is the villain in a plot which is unfolding before your young, innocent eyes! There is, of course, also a hero, and I hope you will realise, my pretty little Scot, that that is the part I wish to play.” Davita stared at Lord Mundesley incredulously, feeling she must have misunderstood what he said.

T
hen as once again the expression in his eyes made her feel extremely embarrassed, it was a relief when the lights went down and the curtain rose.

Chapter Three

Da
vita
looked
about
her with a feeling of excitement.

‘So this,’ she thought, ‘is Romano’s!’

It was not very far from the Theatre, and, as she had expected from all her father and Katie had told her, the moment they were bowed into the Restaurant by a dark, suave little man who was Romano himself, the atmosphere seemed to be filled with laughter.

It was an oblong room with dark red draped curtains and plush sofas, and most of the tables were already filled with women who, like Violet, appeared overwhelmingly beautiful.

The
décolletages
of their gowns were extremely low, their waists so small that a man’s two hands could easily meet round them, and they were as colourful as the flowers that decked their tables.

Suspended over some tables were blossoms fashioned like bells which bore the names of famous actresses.

Lord Mundesley was shown to a table for four, and Davita and Violet sat on the comfortable sofa while the two men sat opposite them.

Davita realised that Violet was not important enough to have her name on a flower-bell, but she could see one on which was emblazoned “Lottie Collins,” and two others with “Linda Verner” and “Ethel Blenheim,” who were also stars in
Cinder-Ellen Up-Too-Late.

E
verything was so glamorous that Davita told herself
she looked a positive country mouse beside the other women, and a Scottish one at that.

At the same time, she was thrilled at the chance of seeing Romano’s and was glad that after so much anticipation she was not disappointed.

People were arriving all the time, and while Lord Mundesley ordered supper, a bottle of champagne in an ice-bucket was brought to their table immediately.

Davita looked round wide-eyed, hoping that if she never had the chance of coming here again, she would always remember what it looked like.

The fourth member of the party was a fair-haired young man who, she thought as they were driving there in Lord Mundesley’s very comfortable carriage, seemed rather stupid.

However, she learnt he was the son of a Duke and his name was Lord William Tetherington.

He was obviously very enamoured of Violet and never took his eyes from her as she sat opposite him.

The next table was empty and it remained so until they had almost finished their meal.

Then as Lord Mundesley lit a cigar and sipped a glass of brandy, Romano escorted a tall, dark man to the empty table.

He was alone and therefore sat down on the sofa to look round him in what Davita thought was a somewhat contemptuous way, as if he thought the place was not good enough for him.

At the same time, he was extremely good-looking, and he had an air of authority which Davita somehow expected an important English gentleman would show, even though she had seen very few of them.

Then she realised that while she was staring at the newcomer, Lord Mundesley had stiffened and there was a frown between his eye-brows.

He had been very genial until then, making them laugh and paying Violet extravagant compliments, though at the same time Davita realised he was continually looking at her in a manner which made her feel shy.

T
hen she heard Lord William say:

“
Congratulations, Vange! I thought your horse would win, so I backed it heavily!”

D
avita gave a little start.

N
ow she realised that the newcomer was the Marquis of Vange, whom Lord Mundesley hated so violently and had disparaged several times during supper.

A
s if the Marquis was suddenly aware of who was at the next table, he replied to Lord William:

“
I am afraid you cannot have got a very good price, as it was favourite.” Then, turning to Violet, he said: “Good-evening! I was thinking tonight when I watched you on the stage that I have seldom seen you look lovelier!”

“
Thank you,” Violet replied.

D
avita was surprised to see that after all she had said about him, she showed no animosity towards the Marquis, and in fact she gave him her hand and looked at him coquettishly from under her mascaraed eye-lashes.

T
he Marquis turned towards Lord Mundesley, and, seeing the scowl on his face, he said with a mocking smile:

“
I suppose, Mundesley, you expect me to apologise for beating you by a head?”

“
I have my own opinions as to how that was possible,” Lord Mundesley replied disagreeably.

“
Are you suggesting that either I or my jockey was breaking the rules?” the Marquis enquired.

N
ow there was a hard note in this voice that was unmistakably a challenge.

A
s if he realised he had gone too far, Lord Mundesley said quickly:

“
No, of course not! I was naturally disappointed.”

“
Naturally!”

T
here was no doubt, from the expression on the Marquis’s face, that he was well aware of Lord Mundesley’s feelings.

T
hen he saw Davita, and she sensed that in some strange way his eyes took in every detail of her appearance and he was surprised that she was so badly dressed.

A waiter was at his side, waiting for his order, and he turned to take the menu in his hand.

“
Damn! He would be sitting next to us!” Lord Mundesley said in a low voice to Violet.

T
hen, as if he thought he had been indiscreet, he deliberately addressed Lord William in honeyed tones, as if to bridge over the uncomfortable moment.

T
o Davita it was all rather fascinating and like seeing a play at the Theatre.

A
s the Marquis sat alone eating his supper and making no effort to speak to them again, it was as if his very presence brought a feeling of constraint to their party.

V
iolet had just begun to point out some celebrities in the room when an extremely beautiful young woman, whom Davita realised she had seen in the same dressing-room as Violet, crossed the Restaurant to stand beside the Marquis.

F
or a moment she did not speak. Then as he looked up at her she said:

“
I want to talk to you. I
must
talk to you!”

H
e did not rise to his feet but merely looked up and said quietly but distinctly:

“
There is nothing for us to talk about, as you well know.”

“
I have a lot to say.”

S
he spoke with an hysterical tone in her voice, and Violet bent forward to say to her quietly:

“
Please, Rosie, don’t be stupid.”

D
avita realised that this was the Rosie whom Violet had been talking about to Lord Mundesley.

S
he looked so beautiful that Davita wondered how the Marquis could resist her. But Rosie ignored Violet and said:

“
If you won’t listen to me, I’m going to kill myself! Do you hear? I’m going to kill myself now—at once! Then perhaps you’ll be—sorry!”

A
s she finished speaking she burst into tears, and as they ran down her pink-and-white cheeks she repeated brokenly:

“
I—I’ll kill myself—I’ll kill—myself
!”
Violet jumped up from her seat and put her arms round Rosie, and as she did so she gave Lord Mundesley a frantic glance, imploring him to help.

“
You can’t make a scene here!” Violet said. “Come on, Rosie dear, it’ll be best if you go home.”

“
I don’t—want to go—home,” Rosie tried to protest through her sobs.

B
ut with Violet on one side of her and Lord Mundesley on the other there was nothing she could do but let them draw her away from the table towards the door.

O
nly as they moved away did Lord Mundesley say over his shoulder:

“
Order my carriage, will you, Willie?”

Lord William hurried to obey, and Davita was left alone at the table, wondering if she should follow them but feeling that she would only be in the way.

S
he was staring at their backs as they moved rather slowly towards the door of the Restaurant, since Rosie was obviously resisting being taken away, when the Marquis remarked:

“
I suppose I should apologise.”

D
avita realised he was speaking to her and turned her head to look at him, her eyes very wide and astonished at what had just taken place.

A
s if he understood her surprise, he said:

“
I can assure you, this is not a usual occurrence at Romano’s. I have the idea this is your first visit.”

“
Yes ... I only
...
arrived in London ... tonight.”

S
he thought it would be correct and would show good breeding to speak quite calmly and not to appear upset by what had happened. But her voice sounded very young and breathless.

“
Where have you come from?” the Marquis enquired.

“From ... Scotland.”

“
Then I can understand that for the moment everything seems strange, but you will get used to it.”

H
e did not sound as though he thought that was a particularly enviable prospect, and Davita, again trying to behave normally, replied:

“
I have always heard about ... Romano’s ... and the ... Gaiety ... but they are very much more ... exciting than I ... ever imagined they would ... be.”

“
That, of course, is a matter of opinion,” the Marquis said cynically. “They are certainly the best that London can provide.”

H
e spoke as if other countries could do better, and Davita felt that if he disparaged both the Theatre and the Restaurant, it would somehow spoil it for her. So she asked:

“
Have you had a great deal of ... success with your horses this ... season?”

“
I have been lucky,” the Marquis replied. “You sound as if you are interested in racing.”

D
avita smiled.

“
I am afraid I have never seen an important race, only those that take place in Edinburgh, and the Steeple-Chases which my father sometimes ... arranged when he had a good horse.”

A
s she spoke, she thought that the Marquis would certainly think this was not particularly interesting, and she added quickly:

“
But I think a Thoroughbred is the most beautiful animal in the world!”

“
I agree with you there,” the Marquis said, “and from the way you speak, I presume you enjoy riding.”

“
Whenever I have the chance,” Davita answered. “My father considered me a good rider, although of course he may have been prejudiced.”

“
One could hardly blame him for that.”

A
s the Marquis spoke, Davita thought that he looked her over in the way a man might take in the good points of a horse. His eyes seemed to linger for a moment on her hair. Then he said:

“
I see your escorts are returning, in which case I will bid you good-night, and hope that you will be sensible enough to return to Scotland as quickly as you can!” He rose to his feet as he spoke, and Davita was so surprised by what he had said that she could find no words with which to reply.

T
he Marquis moved away to speak to somebody on the other side of the Restaurant as Violet sat down beside her and Lord Mundesley took the seat opposite.

D
avita realised that Lord William was not with them, and, as if she had asked the question aloud, Violet said: “Willie’s taking Rosie home.”

“
I could have done that,” Davita said quickly. “Why did you not send for me?”

“
She’ll be all right with Willie,” Violet replied, and Lord Mundesley added:

“
We have no wish to lose you, my pretty little
red-haired
Scot!”

T
here was a note in his voice and a look in his eyes which now made Davita feel not only uncomfortable but that in some way she was being disloyal to Violet.

A
As we are now three,” Lord Mundesley said, “there is room for me to sit between you, which will be much more comfortable, and I shall also be extremely proud to be a thorn between two such exquisite roses!”

O
nce again Davita felt as if she were taking part in a Theatrical performance and that Lord Mundesley was over-acting.

W
hen he sat between her and Violet she felt as if he encroached on her, and although she tried to squeeze herself away from him, she was very conscious of his closeness.

O
nce or twice, as if to emphasize what he was saying, he put his hand on her knee and she could feel his fingers through the thin silk of her gown.

I
t was a relief when Lord William returned.

W
hen he did, he sat down in a chair opposite them and said before anyone could speak:

“
I want a drink—and a strong one! I must say, Violet, you make me do some damned uncomfortable things!”

“Is she all right?” Violet asked.

“
I left her with Gladys, who lodges in the same building, and she said she would look after her.”

“
I thought Gladys was away,” Violet said, “or I’d have suggested it myself.”

“
She has just returned,” Lord William replied, “but I gather she will not be staying for long. I think Sheffield intends to marry her.”

V
iolet gave a cry of delight.

“
Do you mean that? Oh, I
am
glad! It’ll be wonderful for Gladys if she pulls that off!”

“
Do not count your chickens,” Lord Mundesley interrupted. “Sheffield’s father will cut him off with the proverbial shilling if he marries an actress.”

“
If that’s true, it’s extremely unfair!” Violet said hotly. “After all, Belle married the Earl of Clancarty and they’re happy enough.”

“
After some ups and downs!” Lord Mundesley said.

“Every marriage has them!” Violet snapped. “What we’ve got to do is to find Rosie a nice husband.”

“
I can assure you it will not be Vange,” Lord William said.

“
He’s behaved abominably,” Violet exclaimed, “but then, he always does!”

“
I know what you feel about Vange,” Lord William replied, “but if you ask me, he should not have got involved with her in the first place. I know Rosie is beautiful, but the way she went on in the carriage when I was taking her home made me think she is a little unhinged.”

“
She is a bit hysterical,” Violet agreed.

“
Well, I cannot see Vange putting up with that sort of thing, and what is more, women, however beautiful, never look their best when they are crying.”

“
You are quite right,” Lord Mundesley agreed. “I like a woman to laugh.”

A
s he spoke, he turned his head to look at Davita and said:

“
I expect a great many people have told you that you have a laugh like the chime of silver bells, or perhaps like a little song-bird.”

“
Nobody has told me that before,” Davita replied with a smile, “but I am glad you do not think my laugh is like the sound of a grouse flying down the hill, or like the noise the gulls make when they come in from the sea in bad weather.”

“
I assure you that everything about you is entrancing!” Lord Mundesley said in a low voice.

D
avita felt his knee pressing against hers.

O
n the drive home, which was very late—in fact it was the early hours of the morning—she found it hard to stay awake.

T
hey did not have a long way to go, but Lord Mundesley insisted on sitting between her and Violet on the back-seat, and to her consternation he put his arms round both of them and said:

“
Now, my sweet girls, tell me if you enjoyed this evening and how soon we can repeat it.”

“
I reckon we ought to take Rosie out with us next time,” Violet replied.

D
avita had the idea that it was not something she really wanted but was an excuse to exclude herself.

T
hen she thought that perhaps she was being oversensitive, but she had noticed a cold note in Violet’s voice when they had gone to the cloak-room so that she could collect her wrap before they had left the Restaurant.

“
It has been a wonderful, wonderful evening!” Davita had exclaimed.

“
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself,” Violet had replied, “but you don’t want to believe everything His Lordship tells you.”

“
No, of course not,” Davita had answered, “but it was kind of him to be so polite.”

V
iolet had given her a rather sharp glance and asked: “Is that what you call it?”

N
ow as they drove along she suddenly said:

“
I’ve got an idea!”

“
What is it?” Lord Mundesley enquired.

“
It’s a way you can get even with the Marquis, if that’s what you want.”

“
Get even with him?” Lord Mundesley echoed. “I want to knock him down—annihilate him! I would shoot him, if it were not for the thought of facing the hangman.”

“
Then listen to me ...” Violet began.

S
he put her arm round Lord Mundesley’s neck to pull his head down so that she could whisper in his ear.

D
avita knew she must not listen, so she bent forward, trying to free herself from Lord Mundesley’s arm round her waist, and said to Lord William:

“
There are so many things I want to see while I am in London that I do not know where to begin.”

“
I will show you some of them with pleasure,” Lord William replied.

“
I did not mean that,” Davita said quickly. “I was just thinking that it would be very exciting to go sight-seeing, but first I have to find myself some sort of employment.”

“
Are you thinking of going on the stage with Violet?” Lord William enquired.

D
avita shook her head.

“
I knew tonight it would be something I could never do. To begin with, I have no talent, and for another, it would frighten me terribly!”

“
All you have to do is to look beautiful, and that should not be difficult,” Lord William said.

“
I have no intention of going on the stage,” Davita said firmly. “There must be other things I can do.”

“
My mother was saying the other day that there are
only two careers open to a lady,” Lord William replied, “either to be a Governess or a Companion.”

D
avita thought that was the same idea that Mr. Stirling had suggested.

“
There must be others,” she said.

“
I expect there are,” Lord William said vaguely, “but if you ask me, you would have a far better time if George Edwardes could find a place for you.”

Davita felt there was no point in reiterating once again that she had no wish to go on the stage, but before she could speak, Lord Mundesley exclaimed:

“
My God, Violet! I believe you have something there! It is certainly an idea!”

“
Well, think it over,” Violet answered.

A
s she spoke the horses came to a standstill and Davita saw that they were outside Mrs. Jenkins’s tall, dingy house.

“G
ood-night, Bertie,” Violet said to Lord Mundesley, “and thanks! You’re always the perfect host, as you well know.”

“
Good-night, my dear. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, and I will have a word with Boris. He’s the man we want for this.”

“
Yes, of course. The Marquis would never refuse one of the Prince’s parties,” Violet replied.

S
o they were back talking once again about the Marquis, Davita thought, as she followed Violet out of the carriage, and she had a feeling, although she could not be sure, that they were plotting something against him.

L
ord Mundesley kissed Violet good-night in the small, dark hallway, and Lord William also kissed her on the cheek.

“
You have been rather unkind to me this evening,” Davita heard him say. “Will you have supper with me tomorrow?”

“
I’ll think about it,” Violet replied.

S
he looked at Lord Mundesley as she spoke, but he was raising Davita’s hand to his lips.

“
Good-night, and thank you very, very much,” she
said. “It was the most exciting evening I have ever spent.”

S
he did not wait for his reply because when he had kissed her hand she had been half-afraid that he would try to kiss her cheek, and she knew she had no wish for him to touch her.

S
he had in fact hated the feeling of his lips on her skin.

A
s she reached the turn in the stairway she looked back to see that Violet had not followed her but was talking to the two men.

S
he was speaking in a low voice and very earnestly, and both
L
ord Mundesley and Lord William were listening to her intently.

D
avita could not be sure, but she felt that once again they were talking about the Marquis.

“
It is ridiculous for them to hate him so violently!’ she thought, and remembered how he had advised her to return to Scotland.

I
t was none of his business, but she went on thinking of what he had said even when she was in bed, and so tired after such a long day that she expected to fall asleep immediately.

I
nstead, in the darkness she kept seeing the Marquis’s handsome face, his cynical, almost contemptuous expression, and that penetrating look in his eyes.

T
o her surprise, when he had told her to go back to Scotland she had felt as if he was speaking sincerely and was really thinking it was the best thing for her.

T
hen she told herself quickly that there must be a very good reason for Lord Mundesley and Violet to dislike him so much.

R
osie obviously loved him, and he must have done something to make her fall in love with him so frantically.

T
hinking back, Davita remembered Violet saying that the Marquis had turned her out “bag and baggage.”

S
he wondered what that meant and why he should have done such a thing.

H
ad she been staying with him as his guest? And what had Violet meant when she said the Marquis had remarked that she was lucky to be able to keep the jewellery?

D
avita remembered her mother saying that no lady accepted presents from a gentleman unless she was engaged to marry him.

I
t was then that she understood.

O
f course! The Marquis must have asked Rosie to marry him, then perhaps because they had quarrelled the engagement had been broken off.

T
hat was why Violet had said they must find her a husband, and Lord Mundesley had said sarcastically that the one person who would not marry her would be Vange.

I
t struck Davita that Rosie must have been very stupid to have lost the Marquis once he had asked her to be his wife.

S
he was well aware that because actresses had such a bad reputation it was unusual for them to marry into the aristocracy.

But it had happened, as when her father had married Katie King, and, as Violet had mentioned this evening, another Gaiety Girl, Belle Bilston, had married Lord Dunlo, who afterwards had become the Earl of Clancarty.

K
atie had told her that they lived in Ireland and had twin sons, and she had laughed when she said it.

“
That’s something your father and I aren’t likely to have, so don’t worry that you might lose your inheritance.”