‘That’s so generous of you.’

‘There’s very little you need to be taught about acting but you must have another string to your bow. When work onstage becomes scarce, you can offer yourself as a singer. First, of course, you must build up a repertoire. It’s what I did. When managers realised how well I could sing,’ said Hannah, ‘I began to be given roles in plays that had songs and music in them.’

She was about to go on when she realised that Dorothea was no longer listening. Eyes fixed on some imaginary object, the young actress was staring up at the ceiling as if in a trance. Hannah watched her for a couple of minutes before she touched her on the shoulder. Dorothea was jerked out of her reverie. Guilty and flustered, she began to apologise profusely. A gesture from Hannah silenced her.

‘I’d much rather have an explanation than an apology,’ she said. ‘What’s going on, Dorothea? Earlier on today, you couldn’t say a sentence without Orsino’s name in it, yet you haven’t said a word about him since I’ve been here.’

‘I know.’

‘Has it begun to hurt when you mention him?’

‘Yes, it has.’

‘That will pass in time.’

‘I’m not sure that it will,’ said Dorothea. ‘What hurts me is that I’ll never know the truth. Did he really love me or didn’t he?’

‘Of course, he did. You showed me his letters.’

‘When I first read them, I was transported. But now I have doubts.’

‘I don’t see why.’

‘It was when I said my prayers earlier, Miss Granville. I prayed for Orsino’s soul and hoped that he’d find solace in heaven. I remembered all the wonderful things he said to me then I recalled something that was very different.’

‘What was it?’

‘We were talking about why we wished to have a career in the theatre,’ said Dorothea. ‘I told him that I’d been inspired by the example of people like you. I had this uncontrollable urge to be up onstage in front of an audience.’

‘All actresses have felt that urge.’

‘Orsino told me that he didn’t idolise other actors because he knew that he was better than them. He couldn’t understand why others were employed when he was always turned away. Then, all of a sudden, his mood changed. He shook with anger. The theatre was his birthright, he shouted, and he’d beg, borrow or steal to become a leading figure in the profession. Nothing would stop him,’ she recalled. ‘He was adamant, Miss Granville. It frightened me.’

‘I can see why. Dedication is one thing but what you’ve just described is an obsession, and that can be destructive.’

‘It was the only time I saw Orsino behave like that.’

‘Did he apologise for his outburst?’

‘No, he didn’t.’

‘Then he meant what he said.’