Anna opened her mouth to speak, hoping to bolster her cousin’s spirits as her doom approached. Instead, Alicia fixed her with a desperate look.
“You could do it,” she murmured, gripping Anna’s hand tighter.
Anna’s eyes widened. “I… I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, Anna!” Alicia leaned forward in her seat and pulled Anna into a hug. “Yes, it’s perfect. You’ll go on stage instead of me, and no one will be any the wiser. We look so similar, and you sing so well—but we have to hurry!”
Her world started to spin as Alicia rushed around the room, grabbing her costume from the hook. Her hands were all over Anna then, beginning to undress her and take down her hair.
The music roared above them, making Anna feel sick. She clutched onto her dress before it could fall from her shoulders, jumping out of Alicia’s eager grasp.
“Alicia, stop!” she cried. “I can’t perform in front of all those people! I’ve scarcely sung for anyone in my life. The part of Isaura… I’m not even a contralto. The range is much too low for me, and?—”
“Mezzo, contralto? Does it really matter?” Alicia reached for Anna again, steadying her on her feet. “So long as you can sing in tune, you’ll be fine. Iknowyou’ll be fine. Your voice is beautiful, Anna. You studied the music I sent over, didn’t you? You know the part?”
Anna tried to come up with a lie, but she knew Alicia would see the truth in her eyes. She nodded, recalling the arias she had sung to the trees of the Yorkshire Dales.
“Then everything will be perfect. The costume comes with a mask, something the stage designer implemented for our London shows.” Alicia stepped around Anna, rummaging in her bag. She pulled out the most beautiful mask Anna had ever seen. Black, white and red, with golden gems inlaid around the eyes. “Put this on, and the dress, and show London what it means to be a real Walford woman.”
“I can’t…” Anna’s head started pounding. “I can’t do this. It’s beyond me. And if Father finds out?—”
“But youcan, Anna. Please, you must.”
There were minutes left before the overture ended. The look in Alicia’s eyes grew more desperate with each second that passed.
“I can’t go out there and make a fool of myself by spewing all over the stage. All I’m asking of you is to sing in the first scene. Hopefully, I’ll be well enough to take over after that. I know you will do me proud, cousin. Believe in me if not yourself.”
Still not convinced, Anna took the mask from Alicia and held it close to her chest. The bottle of brandy glimmered out of the corner of her eye.
Maybe this is my chance, terrified as I am, to finally take control of my life.
Unhappy Anna, she bemoaned silently, bastardizing the text.What a beautiful day for you!
CHAPTER4
“Look here, Philip. She should be arriving any moment now.” George’s voice reached Philip over the male singer on the stage.
Philip didn’t consider himself a man of culture, but he had attended enough operas with his family to know what to expect.Tancrediwas a newer work from that Italian, Rossini. Thumbing through the program during the overture had given him a brief overview of the plot. A duke forming an uneasy alliance with a rival to defeat their common enemy.
Food for thought,Philip mused, looking over the sea of faces below them.Perhaps that was George’s intention. What deals could be struck between old friends?
The overture left him unaffected. George, of course, had watched the entire time on tenterhooks. Simon snickered beside him at their friend’s expectant expression, clapping languidly with the rest of the audience as the first piece ended and the actors filed onto the stage.
Philip reached into his pocket for his snuffbox—a habit he had brought home with him from the war. His attention piqued, he took out the box from his waistcoat, wondering whether he could excuse himself from Alicia’s first performance.
Simon’s earlier teasing had touched a nerve. Philip had no intention of pursuing Alicia—nor anyone, for that matter. His friends would be waiting avidly for his reaction all the same. George, hoping to see interest spark in his eyes so he could matchmake his cousin. Simon, looking for anything he could use to cause trouble.
Gathering his courage, Philip rose from his seat, ready to make his exit…
At the very moment she appeared.
Walking between a divided chorus, theSeconda Donnaentered the stage. George poked him in the ribs, and he sat back down—admittedly enthralled by the sight of her.
It didn’t look like Alicia from afar. Her features were barely distinguishable behind the mask she wore, except for her delicate lips, which were painted red. Her long brown hair fell down her back in waves.
Something about her seemed different. Philip reminded himself how long it had been since the last time they had seen one another. He had changed indelibly since his youth. Why not her as well?
She began her performance, beseeching the military men around her to heed the compassion in their hearts. Philip had heard Alicia perform once or twice. He had always found her lacking. She was technically brilliant. Even he could tell how talented she was. But her voice had never moved him the way it moved others.
