Free Kathryn Kramer by Midsummer Night's Desire

with whatever you decide," Nicholas said with a slight bow .  He couldn't help but wonder that if he was called upon to act what that would entail. Surely he could handle it if need be.  How difficult could it possibly be to memorize a few sentences and move about a stage?  Besides, he intended to be with the players only as long as he needed to be.  Why should he worry?
    "Good.  The company will be doing two of my plays. A Midsummer Night's Dream and King John .  I will think on the matter of what to do with you.”
    The door be hind them creaked as someone entered the tavern.  Instinctively, Nicholas sought the shadows as he cast a furtive glance over his shoulder, fearing that he might be recognized.  He dare not forget that danger lurked in every corner of the city.  Much to his relief, however, it was only Murray.
    "Has Alandra introduced you to Christopher Nicholas, Will?"  The gray-haired man sauntered over to where the two men and his daughter stood.
    "She has." Shakespeare answered, raising his brows in Nicholas' direction.
    I n that moment Nicholas sensed that the playwright suspected he had a secret. The dark, meditative eyes seemed to be conveying a silent communication making Nicholas uneasy.  If the man suspected something could he be trusted not to be overtly curious?  Nicholas had to take that chance, for at this moment he had no other choice.  He only hoped that this Will Shakespeare would not prove to be a thorn in his side.

Chapter Eight
     
     
    A cloudless sky hovered above Kent like a bright blue canopy as the wandering parade of actors traveled along on the first stage of their journey.  The winding roads twisted and turned, crisscrossing through the countryside like a huge chess board.  It was a beautiful area of meandering brooks, rolling hills and meadows etched by watercourses, woodlands and pasturelands.  Cattle and thickly fleeced sheep grazed peacefully.  Along the North Downs,  villages were perched on hillsides and  the woods were packed with bluebells and primroses, already in bloom.
    Though only a few miles from London, it was a world quite apart from that city's sprawl.  There was a fresh country smell mixed with the scent of blossoms, so different from the fouled air of the city.  More than one member of the acting company could be seen breathing in the fragrance or appreciating the soft breeze which stirred through their hair.  These same light winds could grow tumultuous and at times swept across the weald to drive the many windmills which dotted the landscape.
    Despite the beauty of the countryside, however, Nicholas was in any but a contented mood.  The journey had been tiresome.  The rest of the theatrical company had arrived before the first cock's crow.  When all were assembled , they had left the Mermaid to pass along Weston Road on the outskirts of London and then beyond.
    It was a parade of gaudily decorated wagons, mo unted horsemen in brightly hued garments, and a laughing and jabbering throng of less finely attired men, walking beside the wagons.  Once again Nicholas was on foot, though in a better mood after his rest in Murray's wagon. In an effort to further disguise his appearance, he had hastily shaved off his beard, using a razor he found among the costumes. 
    Nicholas studied this group of actors, music ians and stage men with whom he would be journeying.  Most of them seemed to be a happy and lively group, even though touring was said to be not as comfortable or as profitable as playing in the large London theatres.  Only a few serious complaints had been made. As to Nicholas, it didn't matter where the procession headed or in which inn they stayed.  All he wanted was the strong, muscled flesh of a horse beneath him and he would be well satisfied.
    He thought of obtaining a mount, fantasized about his escape and when John Heminges rode up to him, he requested a horse.
    A stocky, seldom smiling man of strong opinions who seemed to have