You know, some actors have requests like cold wine or fresh fruit,” said her director, when Lola spoke to him around 8:00am. He had intended to come in to work on next year's budgets. However, it appeared that Lola had other ideas as to how to spend their morning. He already had raised an eyebrow when she had sauntered in at the crack of dawn with a scraggly looking fellow at her side. He knew that Lola was a titled lady, and the past few years, she hadn't entered the theater with anyone who didn't have an estate to their name. “Instead of asking me to run a private detective service.”
“I promise you I will never ask for those things if you do this for me.”
“Mm,” Chester smiled. “You're asking me to go after new patrons, which we desperately need, and just not yell at them for being their normal nosy selves.”
“Excellent,” Lola said. “We can help. This is Morgan Ouiseau; he works with the Bamber family. He's happy to help out here, whatever you need.”
“Oh?” Chester raised an eyebrow. “Do you have experience working in the theater?”
“More with the nobles,” Morgan said, which made Chester look him up and down. “I'll handle them.”
“Is that what you want, Lola?” Chester asked.
“It is,” she said. “But we do have to keep this...quiet. My husband doesn't want me involved in this, he thinks it's dangerous.”
“If they are after your title, then yes, it's dangerous,” Chester said. “Why do you have to be the one on stage?”
“Because I can't just do nothing,” she cried out, half in frustration.
“Love, you aren't doing nothing,” Morgan assured her. “You're the one who is going to save us all.”
She smiled at him, painfully. It was dramatic, and not true, but it did make her a feel an ounce better.
“So,” Chester tried to gather his wits about him. “We'll invite them as patrons, learn their motives by getting them very comfortable, and hear their anger about your scandal on stage.”
“Yes,” Lola said. “And then you'll report back to me. But you won't breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“Who would I tell?” Chester answered, with a shrug. “They'd think I was just dreaming of another show. It will be taken care of, Lola.”
“You should show me around,” Morgan said to her. “So I know the ins and outs when I orchestrate my part.”
“Of course,” Lola said, taking her leave of Chester. Her mind was fluttering at the possibilities of what they could find, but she forced a smile on her face as they walked. “This theater is my second home. It's where I started playing and I doubt I could ever leave.”
“You did try?” Morgan asked. “You tried to leave for your Earl husband?”
“I did,” she said. “Or at least take fewer duties. It's difficult....but no matter how difficult this is, I wouldn't wish anyone dead.”
“Of course,” Morgan's face fell. “Death is the worst thing for a loved one.”
“I'm sorry,” she lay a hand on his arm. “I didn't mean...”
“It's alright, Miss Lola,” he said, with a painful smile. “I'm not the first man to become a widower and I certainty won't become the last.”
“It doesn't matter,” she said. “It was insensitive of me, and I'm not normally like that.”
“You have a lot on your mind,” he said. “Don't worry about me, love. I accepted my path long ago. Now, what's this?”
“That’s uh...” she paused. “That's a trap door. We haven't used it since the accident.”
“Accident?” Morgan asked.
“That's how Wesley and I met, actually,” she said. “Not through a trap door...but I was practicing a song for a show here out on the street, getting honest opinions. He thought I was a beggar and gave me a coin. When I found out he knew Aaron, we became friends, and then when ...” she took a deep breath. She had not told this story in a long time. “When my former fiancé started murdering my co-stars out of jealousy...one here and one there...” her breath caught in her throat. “Wesley came to the theater to investigate. Despite the fact that his title caused him pain, he lent it to the investigation and we got my former fiancé behind bars.”
“A romance made in chaos,” Morgan said with a smile.
“What about your wife?” Lola wanted to know more about him and his story; curious about this man who might have once been in a similar position to her.
“She was known as the Chaotic Duchess,” Morgan said. “A free spirit.” His eyes took a faraway look as he spoke, and Lola could see that his soul was transported back to the place they had existed in happiness. “We had a large home in the country, and mostly stayed away from Court. She didn't hate it, but we preferred our country life, holding our own court, our lives were our own...” Morgan's face softened. “I know what you have to go through, the appearances, the responsibilities, the life you are trying to live. And then she got sick and...” he shook his head. “I said I'd never go back.”
“I'm so sorry,” Lola said.
“That life is long over,” he said. “Now I'm just a pirate sailing the high seas. And helping another noble lady who is deserving, which would have made Marin happy.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I do appreciate it.”
“Show me the backstage,” he said. “I always wondered what happened to the magical actors when they go back to transform.”
She led him backstage to show him the rest of the theater. His brain was already turning, and she could see a plan formulating in front of his eyes as they walked.
By the time he was ready to take his leave, Lola was confident that everything was going to work out.
“I'll see you at home tonight?” he asked and she smiled.
“Of course. You can come see the show tonight, if you like.”
“Might be interesting,” he grinned and she could see how some found him so handsome.
This was the type of man everyone had expected her to end up with, a ruggedly handsome, slightly reckless man. No one would have held any controversy over their heads if Morgan and Lola had been the ones walking down the street.
She shook herself free of those thoughts, bidding him goodbye at the door and went back into the theater. Her understudy had been there the night before, and she checked her dressing room for notes of any changes. Finding none, Lola settled down to answer some fan mail, and tried to concentrate on the day ahead.
She was putting her colleagues in danger, asking such a thing, and she knew it. Her colleagues would do it, but she wished danger on no one. She would live on baited breath until everyone had safely exited this plan, including herself.
A knock came on her door just after noon, when the rest of the cast was starting to arrive for the matinee.
“Chester,” she said in surprise. “You're normally in meetings now.”
“I just wanted you to know that I sent a message to your two...problems,” he said. “And the answer came back right away. They will be at the show tonight, and are flattered by the attention.”
“Tonight?” Lola asked in surprise. “Tonight isn't enough time to get everything done. Tonight isn't...”
“Lola, I can't very well write them back and say please come another day, we aren't ready to spy on you.”
“God,” she covered her face. “I didn't expect things to happen this fast.”
“Let's get everyone through the matinee,” he suggested. “And then we can divert their minds.”
“Right...” she took a deep breath. “Do you still have a messenger? I will have to tell Morgan, so he can be ready.”
“Write it fast,” Chester said and then paused. “Lola...” his face contorted and she knew a difficult question was coming. “Is there any other scandal I'll have to cover up?”
“What?” Lola asked, confused.
“You and ...this pirate you befriended,” Chester said. “You seem very close.”
“Oh, I---” she was about to say something to the contrary, and then stopped. If Chester thought it, other people would think that as well. A scandal like that would be exactly what Wesley would need to leave her. Her heart broke nearly in two, and she looked away so Chester didn't see the tears in her eyes. If it came down to that, she needed a backup plan. “Maybe. I don't know.”
“Oh,” Chester said and her eyes darted back to him.
“Make no mistake, though,” she said. “I love my husband, and I always will. This is for him.”
“Right,” Chester replied. “Love can be complicated.”
“Isn't that what we play every day?” she said with a half smile. “Don't worry about it for now. If anyone asks, there is nothing.”
“Of course,” Chester replied. “Break a leg.”
“Yes,” she turned back to her makeup mirror, wiping away the few traces of tears that remained.
This wasn't going to be easy, but she had to be strong.
It was made slightly easier by the fact that her colleagues met the news with excited energy.
“I always wanted to be a spy, a double agent,” Christina said, Lola's normal understudy. “We could disguise ourselves and...”
“There will be no disguises,” Chester said. “You are all to be your normal charming selves, make them comfortable, and get as much information as you can, do you understand? Nothing more, nothing less. Lola's future depends on this.”
“Of course,” Christina smiled. “But who's to say we couldn't have a little fun while we are at it? At least let me use a fake name.”
“All your names are on the posters,” Chester said. “Everyone be yourself. I know that's difficult when you are used to being someone else...but be yourselves. Is that clear?”
“No fun,” Percival called, and Chester rolled his eyes.
“Does anyone have any questions? Or can we start going over a plan of how this will work?”
“No, sir, no questions,” came the half disappointing response.
“I just want to thank you all,” Lola said. “For this. For making allowances for my schedule when my noble duties take me away. To accepting any scandal that comes your way...”
“Lola,” Christina said. “This is the theater. We love scandal.”
“Still, thank you,” Lola said. “My home has changed nearly daily, but I know I can always come back here.”
“I can juggle to entertain them in the lobby.” Percival answered, and everyone laughed. Chester dismissed them to the stations they were assigned to. Lola took a deep breath as she soon found herself on the empty stage, staring out into the audience that would once again be filled with people. Whatever was going to happen tonight, she knew she could likely find peace within these walls. She had plenty support, and she would figure out a way to survive, as she always did.
Even if it ended with a broken heart.
She shook her head, taking a deep breath. That was not going to be the case, she told herself. These people were professionals at deceptions. They would find out what exactly Gilles and Tannoy knew, and they would use their natural creative talent to find a way out of this; they had to. Her very heart depended on it.