Page 34 of The Songbird of Wychwood

“Thank you so much. I hope we can find a time and place to be alone again soon. I must confess I’m finding it painfully difficult to keep my hands off you.”

Percy sent me a boyish grin. “And I you. Did you get a letter about the event on Saturday?”

“I did and I shall inform Miss Georgette to be on her best behaviour this time! We can’t have no funny business!”

“What time do you finish working? I left early the last time and so have no idea what time the party ends at.”

“All members must be gone before two a.m. Sometimes there’s the odd straggler who falls asleep in one of the bedrooms, so we have to carry them downstairs and pour them into their carriage. I leave with Mr. Hugo and Mr. Joshua. The coachman drops Mr. Joshua off first, then me and then Hugo. I usually get back to Covent Garden at around three in the morning.”

“Ah, the Devils Hour! Do you think it would be safe for me to wait at the stage door for you to return?”

“Harold, our doorman, stays on later when I’ve got an event, so there’s always someone in the theater. If I tell him you’re going to be arriving and give him a few bob to keep schtum, he’ll let you in and you can go up to my room and wait for me. How’s that?”

“Is he trustworthy?”

“Harold’s part of the furniture. He’s worked at the Middlesex forever and there’s nothing he ain’t seen! He knows how to keep his mouth shut.”

“Very well. I’d like that very much. Does Mr. Grayson not get upset when you beg off on a show night to perform at another venue?”

“It’s surprising how affable he is when he gets sent an envelope with a few notes in it, in exchange of letting me have the night off.”

“Well, it seems the person who runs Wychwood has dotted their I’s and crossed all of their t’s!” Percy laughed.

“I swear, nothing is left to chance. Whoever they are they’ve got the planning skills of Napoleon!”

“It’s a date then. I’m very much looking forward to Saturday!” Percy smiled.

As was I!

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