The Vaudeville Star

“Yes. Durrants.”

“I have a town house in Mayfair. It’s close to Hyde Park. It has six bedrooms with a morning room and everything else you could wish.”

“It sounds quite nice.”

“I purchased it years ago before I married. I entertained there and used it as my base when I was in London. Half the time it stands empty. Damned shame.”

“An empty house is lonely.”

“I would like to ask a great favor of you.”

“Please do,” she said unsure of his question.

“I will need to entertain once I settle in. Small dinner parties and such. For business. I would like you to act as a hostess with me. Greet the guests. Mingle. I have servants, but a beautiful woman is essential.”

“King—I’ve never done anything like that.”

“Surely you had parties back home?”

“Yes. But my mother and sister were the center of attention. Not me. I was still young.”

“Exactly. Now you can be. Don’t say no. You will meet influential people. I’ll schedule them around your performances. I’ll buy you the finest gowns, and all you need do is smile and be yourself.”

His hands gripped hers, and she felt him tightening his hold on her. She felt obligated. Suffocated. Once again, she knew that his generosity came at a price.

“Of course. Of course I’ll help you.”

King leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You’ll see. You’ll enjoy it. It is the life you were meant to have, Ruby.”

King puffed on his cigar while Ford twirled the brandy in his glass across from him. They sat together in the library waiting for dinner to be announced.

“She’s agreed to act as hostess for the London parties. It will be perfect,” King announced to him.

Ford was miles away. He had dreamed again of Ruby last night. She had been naked and wet in the watering hole, but not as a girl. She was a woman grown, and he had taken her. He had woken with a fine sheen of perspiration all over his body and his seed in the bedsheets.

He hadn’t done that since he was a young boy. He vaguely heard King speaking, and he turned to him.

“I’m sorry. Who will act as hostess?”

“Ruby. It’s perfect! Can you imagine her as hostess to the Mayfair parties? It will only be a small step toward her becoming Ruby Parker. Although she’ll have to give up this ridiculous stage business.”

“Will she?” Ford said wryly, thinking of Ruby’s stubborn will.

“Of course, man! I can’t have my wife onstage, leered at by every man. It’s indecent. That’s why I’m allowing her this tour. Her last tour. She can go out on top!”

“Very generous of you,” Ford said drily.

“He’s asked me to act as a hostess for him in London,” Ruby told Bessie as they strolled along the promenade deck.

“Hostess?” Bessie turned to her.

“Yes.”

“Won’t you be too busy performing?”

“He said he’ll schedule entertaining around the performances.”

“Oh, I see.”