Barky shrugged his shoulders. ‘Can’t be nothing like that. If it were, I’d have known more about it. There’d be preparations to make. Set dressings and props to buy. Speaking of props—’

I held up a hand.

‘You’re going to tell me off for not being more grateful, I know. It’s just …’

What was it? I still couldn’t explain it.

‘Old Barky’s just keeping an eye out for you. If it helps, I don’t think he’d be buying things to improve the act if he was going to replace you.’

It was a good point. As usual, speaking to Barky had made me feel better. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and withdrew a slim silver case, just a little bigger than my palm and engraved with a tobacco leaf. He opened it and held it out to me, shrugging when I shook my head. He struck a match and twisted the end of his cheroot from side to side over the flame until it caught.

‘Important that they burn evenly,’ he said, noticing that I watched him closely.

‘Vincent smokes them. Your case is almost as nice as his.’

‘You’re not the only one with fancy friends, my girl,’ Barky said.

The dancers often gossiped about who Barky’s mistress might be. I suspected she was a rich widow.

‘You can’t keep her a secret forever,’ I said, wanting him to say more, but as usual he chuckled to himself and kept schtum.

Barky liked to know all about us but it was rare for him to give away anything about himself. I stored up the information to ask him about one day when he had his guard down. For now, I held out my hand and he gave me the cheroot. I sucked on the tip and he laughed as I exploded into a fit of coughing. Eventually he slapped me on the back.

‘I thought if you’d seen His Lordship smoke you’d know not to inhale.’

‘That’s vile.’

‘It’s all the rage among the quality. Got to keep up appearances, ain’t we?’

We watched the river for a little longer. There was something floating in it half-wrapped in a cloth and I forced myself to look away before I could make out exactly what it was.

‘Have you ever heard of Sierra Leone, Barky? It’s in Africa.’

‘Can’t say as I have. I know nothing of Africa. What about it?’

‘It’s just a place someone told me about, that’s all.’

Lucien had seemed so excited I wondered if everyone was talking about it and somehow I’d missed it, but apparently not. If Barky knew nothing, Ellen certainly wouldn’t and it felt wrong to mention it to Vincent, seeing as how I’d found out about it.

Barky hawked and spat into the river.