Margaret found Act II much less interesting for Anastasia did not come into it and it was full of long speeches about liberty and brotherhood. But she liked the end of the act. A man who worked on Anastasia’s father’s estate came running in holding a pigeon with a message attached to its leg. The man said the pigeon was exhausted. Her father took the message off the pigeon and read it. Then he said: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Parthenia is free.’ The directions said there was a slight pause for the news to sink in, then one of the men called out ‘God Save the King’ and as the curtain fell everyone knelt or curtseyed.

The third act opened in a hotel on the frontier of Parthenia. There were a lot of beautifully dressed people waiting to receive their new King and Queen and the Princess, and there were several long speeches about freedom, which again Margaret skipped. Then the stage directions said there were sounds of carriages and postilions outside the hotel, doors were thrown open, the bowing staff backed into the hotel lobby followed by the King, the Queen and Anastasia. This dignified procession is spoilt by one of the backing staff falling over his sword and landing flat on his face. Everyone is shocked and he is hurriedly picked up, but to Anastasia it is funny and she lets out a peal of laughter. In an icy voice her father says to one of the ladies:

‘Countess, will you take the Princess to her room.’

Anastasia is furious. ‘Such nonsense!’ she said. ‘He isn’t hurt. Why shouldn’t I laugh? And why should I go to my room? You said I’d got to come to your Coronation and I’ve come but I won’t be pushed away into my bedroom. And though I’m sure the Countess is a very nice lady it’s no good calling her my governess, all she can teach me is embroidery, she said so herself, and I hate sewing.’ Margaret was so carried away by this speech that she read it through twice and did not hear Sarah tapping on the door while she called out:

‘Margaret, it’s me.’

Sarah had brought the supper in with her. It was jellied eels, something which Margaret had never eaten before but she thought delicious. Margaret told her about the play, reading to her the speech in which she lost her temper.

‘No wonder you said Sir John Teaser said it might be a good thing for you losing your temper,’ said Sarah. ‘I can see now Lou and me was right, he doesn’t want a pretty little thing all curls and that, he wants a child with spirit. Oh, I do hope you get the part, dear.’

After supper Sarah made Margaret go to bed.

‘I’ll lay out Lou’s supper for when she comes in but you get a good night so you’re fresh for the morning. Did you tell me you had a petticoat and drawers with lace on them? Better let me run an iron over them for you’ll need them for trying on little Miss Teaser’s things.’