Emmy Lou was nervous and yet not nervous. She had worked so hard, loved her part, knew she was good in it. She knew also that this was an important chance for her. That made her nervous and yet exhilarated at the same time. She never thought any more that she was playing someone ‘old’ – she was playing Alice, she had become Alice. In the tiny cramped dressing room where the men and women all changed and made up together, bumping into each other as they tried to put on socks and make-up, she pushed her hair down under her hat, rubbed dirt into her face.

Milton Werner, in the audience, was looking slightly perplexed. This was not Stratford-upon-Avon obviously, yet people had clamoured to get in. It was so cramped, the seats were extremely hard, Frances had insisted they sit down early as the seats weren’t numbered and she wanted a good place. He felt particularly uncomfortable in his cream business suit. He had come straight from the Wise Insurance offices as the press night started at 7 pm; the commercial was finished. He would now be going back to Switzerland. He would have to tell Frances and he was sensitive enough to feel that she might mind. He also knew that to his surprise he might mind himself. If anybody had been watching Milton Werner they would have seen him look strangely at Frances Kitson’s low-cut dress, at her breasts.

Frances and Harry were talking across him so that Frances’ breasts were quite dangerously near. By unspoken agreement they didn’t talk about Michael, the death of Michael, the upsetting funeral they’d both attended.

‘Harry,’ said Frances, but quite quietly, ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you think Molly’s still having an affair with Anthony?’

Harry looked surprised. His eyebrows raised in his rather lugubrious face gave him a comic look. ‘I wouldn’t think so, you mean after all these years? Why?’

‘She was at Stratford by herself to see him when Milton and I went. She said they had business to talk about.’

‘Perhaps they had?’

‘Listen darling, I know Anthony, I’ve known him for over thirty years. He was – looking at her. He got rid of us double quick didn’t he Milton?’

Milton nodded but he had actually appreciated Anthony’s style: Milton often had to get rid of people quickly and politely in his own business. ‘I thought he did it chivalrously nevertheless,’ he said firmly.

‘But –’ Harry didn’t want this to be true, for Pauline’s sake ‘– Molly has her toyboy, she’s been with him for years.’

‘Yeah I know. Well – maybe I’m wrong, there was just – something in the air. Oh look there’s Izzy Fields and her husband, good God they’ve both got bicycle helmets they must be mad, Izzy! Izzy!’ and the two women waved across the small space.

Then Frances turned back to Harry.