Free Death and the Black Pyramid by Deryn Lake Page B

and intelligent man and if anybody could locate the wretched creature it would be him.
    The play being performed was Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth and John was astonished to see that Paulina Gower was playing the Lady herself. Thinking she had had scant time for rehearsal, he realized that Paulina must have studied the part before and come down to Exeter almost at the last moment, which made him wonder whether she was a stand-in who had been called upon at the very end.
    Taking his seat in a box, sitting between Elizabeth and Lady Thackeray, John looked at the Playbill programme which informed him that the part of Macbeth was to be played by Thomas Roundell, rather a mediocre actor in the Apothecary’s opinion. The rest of the cast were unknown to him but John had the feeling that he was about to see a performance that was slightly under par. Yet Paulina surprised him, making him literally quiver with fear in her spellbinding mad scene. In fact he clapped enthusiastically when the curtain, raised and lowered only at the beginning and end of the performance, finally came down.
    John turned to the two ladies. ‘Lady Thackeray, Elizabeth, would you forgive me if I absent myself for a few minutes. I would like to call on Paulina Gower and congratulate her.’
    Lady Thacheray raised a large quizzing glass which snuggled comfortably on her voluptuous bosom and peered at him through it. This magnified one of her eyes to four times its size so that John had a momentary illusion that he was being regarded by a Cyclops.
    â€˜Do you know her?’ she boomed.
    â€˜I met her in the coach travelling to Devon.’
    â€˜A somewhat superficial acquaintanceship.’
    â€˜Be that as it may,’ John replied evenly, ‘I think I will go and pay my respects.’
    Elizabeth waved an airy hand. ‘I will await you in the coach.’
    Realizing that he had little time the Apothecary hurried through the audience as best he could and out into Water Beer Street, then turned down into a little alleyway that ran beside the theatre. But here he enountered a problem. A crowd had already gathered and if he were to linger and speak to Paulina he would keep Elizabeth and her formidable companion waiting an unconscionable amount of time. Searching in his pockets for a piece of paper he found an old bill and scribbled on the back of it, ‘Dear Miss Gower, I thoroughly enjoyed your performance. Do you remember me from our coach journey to Devon? I would like to talk to you about an important matter. Please meet me tomorrow morning at ten . . .’ John scratched that out and wrote eleven. ‘. . . o’clock at The White Swan in High Street.’ He added his signature and, pushing his way through the throng, handed it to the stage door keeper. That done he scurried round to the front of the building and joined Elizabeth in her coach, Lady Thackeray already having left.
    â€˜Did you see her?’ Elizabeth asked.
    â€˜No, the company was too great. I would have kept you waiting.’
    In the darkness the Marchesa took his hand. ‘You are going to investigate that murder, aren’t you? The one that happened in the inn.’
    John raised her fingers to his lips. ‘I am doing so already,’ he answered with a smile.

Eight
    Paulina Gower was wearing far more face paint that John remembered. With her carmined lips and her cheeks painted a becoming pink, to say nothing of the kohl applied to her eyes, she looked very charming and quite different from the pallid creature who had been travelling in the Exeter coach.
    â€˜Madam, may I compliment you on your appearance,’ John said gallantly, and rising from his chair kissed her hand as she sat down opposite him.
    â€˜Thank you. But you said you wanted to see me on a matter of some urgency and I am afraid I have little time,’ she answered, her Welsh accent audible once more, though it had been greatly modified during