‘I mentioned both you and your brother,’ admitted Ackford, ‘but only to praise your skills. Where is Paul, anyway? He should be here by now.’

‘He sent word that he’d be late today, Gully. There was trouble at the theatre last night. It appears that my brother came close to witnessing the assassination of the Prince Regent, if that’s what it really was. Paul is having doubts about it now.’

‘Why?’

‘The letter he sent by hand didn’t go into details. All I know is this.’

He told them about the incident outside the stage door and how his brother had been able to save Hannah from the attentions of an unwanted royal admirer.

‘Charlotte and I saw the first night of the production and, as usual, Hannah was sublime. Beauty like hers, however, always inflames a certain species of gentleman. In this case, mind you, I’d have thought that her devotees might be diminished in number.’

‘Why is that?’ asked Huckvale.

‘Lady Macbeth – the role taken by Hannah – is a monster. When the King of Scotland is a guest at their castle, she urges her husband to kill him in order to be crowned in his place. After the murder, Macbeth is afflicted by guilt and fear, but his wife is cold and callous, ordering him to steady his nerve and handling a pair of bloodstained daggers without batting an eyelid. Would such a woman have an appeal to either of you?’

‘She’d terrify me,’ confessed Huckvale.

‘I’d think twice about wanting to meet her in the flesh,’ said Ackford. ‘But, then, she’s not a real person, is she? Lady Macbeth is just a part in a play.’

‘Hannah made her seem so real,’ said Peter. ‘She was spine-chilling, yet dozens still rushed to the stage door for a glimpse of her.’

‘They were obviously disappointed last night.’

‘Yes, Gully. It was a case of life imitating art. A king was murdered inside the theatre and a Prince Regent was almost assassinated outside it. At least, that’s what my brother believed at first. I’ll be interested to know what really happened.’

‘When will he be coming to the gallery?’

‘That depends on how long it takes him to calm Hannah down. When she’s really upset, it can be the work of a whole day. I don’t envy Paul. Restoring her equanimity is in the nature of a Herculean labour.’