Margaret was incapable of imagining her friend Lavinia’s life in Ireland. When she had known her she had been a kitchen maid. Now she lived in a castle and there were a governess, a tutor and ponies. However, she was not going to admit she did not know.

‘I expect so. One day, without anything being said, there’ll be a knock on my dressing-room door and there she’ll be.’

Chapter Eleven

REHEARSALS

Rehearsal was called for eleven o’clock. For this first day it was to be a reading of the play, but though it was only a reading, Margaret was in such a state of nerves that poor Sarah found it hard not to become impatient. First Margaret argued about what she should wear.

‘But you chose the pink yourself, dear, you said it was ever so pretty – which it is – so I ironed it special.’

‘But you haven’t given me my lace underclothes. It isn’t Sunday but I’m sure Hannah would think it was a day for lace.’

That made Sarah cross. ‘Everything put in your chest of drawers is washed and ironed ready to wear, you can’t say different. Put on your lace if you feel like it.’

That made Margaret ashamed. Sarah kept her clothes beautifully and she knew she was being horrid but somehow she couldn’t stop.

‘Well, I think you might have guessed it would be a lace day.’

Sarah bit back what she felt like saying and walked out of the room.

It had been arranged by Sarah that Margaret should come down to breakfast in her old skirt and jersey so there would be no risk of marking her frock. Now, as she started to put them on, Margaret felt a revulsion against them. Would Sarah understand why she wouldn’t put them on? She went to Sarah’s room and knocked on the door. Sarah thought she had come to apologize so she gave Margaret a kiss.

‘It’s all right, dear, it’s only natural you should feel in a state meeting all the other actresses and actors for the first time.’

Margaret returned Sarah’s kiss, but then she held out the jersey and skirt. ‘I can’t wear these, even though you’ve washed them. I always remember that awful Matron at the orphanage touched them and I think they smell of her and I feel it would be unlucky to wear them today.’

Sarah had of course heard all about the orphanage, but she had never quite understood Margaret’s detestation of the place.

‘Well, put on one of your pinnies, that’ll keep you clean. But you know, dear, it doesn’t do to brood on what’s behind you. I dare say it seemed terrible in that orphanage at the time, but if you were to go there now I expect you’d find it was not one half as bad as you remember.’

‘I’d find it worse than I remember,’ said Margaret. ‘Much, much worse.’

Tommy Smith introduced Margaret to the cast. ‘Can you manage a curtsey?’ he asked her. ‘Not deep, just a bob.’