‘Thank you, Mabel.’ Kitty couldn’t stop smiling. Last night after the show, Richard had taken her for supper to a very swish restaurant before driving her home, and when they said goodnight he had kissed her lightly on the lips, making her tingle all over.

Mabel had poured her a cup of tea but now Kitty was keen to see the report in the newspaper so she merely gulped at it then flung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her robe.

‘I haven’t got time to get dressed just yet,’ she told Mabel with a radiant smile and before the girl could say a word she had disappeared off through the door faster than a rabbit down a rabbit-hole.

Ruby raised an eyebrow at her state of undress when she erupted into the day room, but Max smiled indulgently as he passed her the newspaper. And there it was on page three, in big bold letters:

The Nightingale Enchants Her Audience

Miss Kitty Nightingale wooed the audience with her debut performance at the Palm Beach Club in Soho last night. Great things are forecast for the young singer. Her agent Max Thomas has said that she is a star in the making, and after her performance last night no one is doubting it.

Kitty gasped and by the time she had finished reading she was beaming from ear to ear.

‘That’s all well and good, young lady, so long as you don’t let it go to your head,’ Miss Fox commented sourly.

‘Now then,’ Max chided. ‘Don’t go spoiling it for her. Success is sweet, let her savour every minute. I’ve already been approached by one of the managers from a theatre in Drury Lane this morning and I’ve no doubt he’ll be the first of many. You’ll go far if you follow my advice, Kitty.’

‘Oh I shall, Mr Thomas,’ she said excitedly.

It was at that moment that the maid tapped on the door to bring Ruby her mail. The postman had just called by, and for the first time, Kitty didn’t even think of checking through it to see if there was a letter for her. She had more important things on her mind now, like becoming famous!

‘So what will happen now?’

‘Well, I shall wait to see what offers we have, then choose the one I think best,’ he said. ‘But this means you will need another stage gown. It doesn’t do to be seen in the same one too many times. It’s a pity you and your aunt aren’t the same size as there are any number she could have lent you, but I’m afraid they would all be far too big for you.’

Ruby struggled to keep her smile in place at the reference to her weight. It was a touchy subject just lately. But then, as she kept insisting, ‘I am not fat, I am merely rounded, and men prefer women with curves!’

‘What I can say is I’m fairly confident you will have bookings coming out of your ears from now on,’ Max went on. ‘It’s just a matter of setting them all up now, so bear with me. I want your next performance to be well publicised in order to pull the audiences in, and I’m sure our reporter friend Guy will help us with that. He was quite smitten with you – but then so were half of the men there, from what I could see.’