‘Hmm,’ I said. I was still too angry at Vincent for all that he’d withheld from me to acknowledge any debt.

‘I thought I would come in tomorrow, Barky. Not to perform – maybe I could look over my costume.’

It sounded lame. We had a seamstress to look over our things, but a plan was forming in my mind for how I might find out where Crillick’s Odditorium was located. He had an office at the theatre. If I could find a way to get up there, I could see if he’d left any information lying around. It wasn’t just the Leopard Lady and her son who needed me now. It was his other prisoners too.

Barky went into the other room to get changed before he headed back to the theatre. We carried on talking, the walls so thin we didn’t even need to raise our voices.

‘Crillick can’t have realised what made you ill, then. I’d thought Ellen would be the first to tell him. Still, glass houses and all that. And she won’t be doing too bad out of you being away for a night or two. You know she’s got top spot tomorrow night?’

‘She came and told me this morning. And she said I wasn’t your favourite any more.’

Barky snorted. ‘Twenty dancers I have in the ballet corps and yet I don’t get half the grief from them that I do with the pair of you.’

‘Everyone’s allowed one slip-up, Barky.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ He looked me over. ‘No bag, I see.’

‘It was all spur of the moment. This is all I’ve got with me,’ I said, pointing to my fancy outfit.

Barky shook his head. ‘And you say it wasn’t him that kicked you out? I’ll see if I can get a message to one of the servants, get your things for you.’

‘Don’t worry, Barky. It’s probably best that he doesn’t know I’m here.’

He pursed his lips but saw the sense in it. I wanted my sprigged muslin back. All the rest of the things were Vincent’s, really. If Barky would take the outfit I wore now to the fripperer’s I could exchange it for a whole week’s worth of things. And the balm I used on my hair, it would be easy enough to make some more. It was a shame that I’d lost the creams and bandages I’d taken for the Leopard Lady, though. They must have been stolen the night I slept at the docks.

‘I can make you a bit of dinner if you’ve got something in?’ I said.

I might not have enough money to pay Barky for my keep right now, but maybe I could look after him a bit.