We stood face to face, both spitting angry. I could see from the glare in Ellen’s eyes there was nothing I could say to convince her. And maybe it wasn’t even about me. I’d been ready to punch Crillick before things went any further that day in his office, but she knew what he was like, she’d seen how he looked at me. I hovered in the doorway, knowing I should leave but unwilling to walk away. There had been good times between us, I didn’t forget that. But maybe we hadn’t been as close as I’d thought. I was sorry we couldn’t still be friends, but I couldn’t say the word to her, not when she’d take it as a confession. Ellen returned to her stretches, her red hair falling forward to hide her face as she bent to touch her toes. She began humming to herself, pointedly ignoring me. I watched for a minute more, then left her to it.

There were still fifteen minutes before the show was due to start. I took up my usual spot in the wings and peeped out from behind the curtain for the final time. The front rows were already filled, with the women on one side and the men on the other as usual. It looked like there’d be an especially big crowd in tonight. All the better. With what I’d planned they’d more than get their money’s worth.

A man in waistcoat and flat cap shuffled down the main aisle on his way to his seat. He had his hands full balancing three pints of beer. Lily, one of the dancers, made a bit extra by selling the sweetmeats and show pamphlets. She was doing a roaring trade, but I noticed her glance up at the clock that hung over the bar knowing that it was time for her to be backstage. Come on, where are you? I muttered. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman wave. It was Ethel. That meant that Crillick had received her note and come to the theatre expecting to meet an admirer. The first part of our plan – to get him away from Northumberland Avenue and into his box – had succeeded. After my performance he’d have to stay here to deal with the mess I’d unleashed, but there was more to it than that. Amazonia had been his idea, after all. He should be there for her final turn. Time to get ready, Zillah. But I lingered to watch the audience for a minute. There was a part of me that had thought I might miss it – the bustle of the audience, the anticipation in the air – but now I’d come to see the damage that my act was doing, I knew it would be a long time before I set foot inside another theatre.