1

“What do you mean, we can’t adopt Catherine?”Sarah asked the attorney.

Michael Hicks gave her a look that told her he shared her frustration.“I’m sorry—”

“I thought Mr. Wilbanks settled all of this in his will,”Sarah’s husband said. Frank Malloy reached over and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. They’d come to Michael’s office today expecting good news. Plainly, they were going to be disappointed.

“I thought David had settled everything, too,”Michael said.“And I know he certainly intended to as well. My father-in-law was a very careful man, but you see, I didn’t draw up his final will. Estates are not my area of expertise, and it would be unethical for me to prepare a will for a family member in any case, so I referred him to a colleague of mine, Bill Jonson.”

“Are you saying this colleague made a mistake?”Malloy was angry now but trying not to take it out on poor Michael. Sarah understood completely.

“Not a mistake .”Michael was being very diplomatic.“My father-in-law was careful but also very private. He didn’t believe he needed to tell Mr. Jonson all the sordid details about Catherine’s birth.”

“Which ones did he leave out?”Malloy asked.

Michael winced.“I, uh, I’ve asked Mr. Jonson to join us, if you don’t mind, so he can explain it all to you.”He got up and went to his office door to admit a man who had obviously been waiting for this summons.

Michael introduced Mr. Jonson, who was a distinguished-looking man of middle age wearing a conservatively cut, tailor-made suit and immaculate shirtfront. When they were all seated again, Michael said,“Bill, I have informed Mr. and Mrs. Malloy that they cannot adopt Catherine, but I haven’t explained exactly why yet. I thought you could do that better than I.”

“Of course.”Mr. Jonson gave them his best reassuring smile.“You see, Mr. Wilbanks told me that Catherine was the illegitimate child he had with his mistress, an actress named Emma Hardy. However, he didn’t think it necessary to explain that Emma Hardy also happened to be married to a Mr. Parnell Vaughn at the time of their affair. He probably thought it was none of my business.”

“But what difference does that make?”Sarah asked.“Even Mr. Vaughn admitted he couldn’t possibly be Catherine’s father because he and Emma were separated when she met Mr. Wilbanks.”

“Which is why Mr. Wilbanks didn’t think it necessary to mention Mr. Vaughn at all,”Jonson said.“Unfortunately, the law is rather unforgiving when it comes to matters of paternity.”

“What does that mean?”Malloy asked.

“It means that the law considers a woman’s husband to be the father of her children, regardless of any evidence to the contrary.”

“But that’s ridiculous,”Sarah tried.

“In some cases, yes, but it is nevertheless the law.”

“So you’re telling us that the law considers Parnell Vaughn to be Catherine’s father?”Malloy asked, no longer bothering to hide his anger.

“Yes,”Michael said,“and that’s one reason why David decided to leave part of his estate to Frank rather than directly to Catherine.”

“You mean he knew about this paternity law?”Sarah asked.

“No, I’m sure he didn’t,”Mr. Jonson said.“And I certainly didn’t explain it to him because I had no idea Miss Hardy was ever married to Mr. Vaughn. Rest assured, I would have made sure to settle the matter prior to Mr. Wilbanks’s death. Even without knowing about Mr. Vaughn, I was already very concerned that if he left Catherine a great deal of money in her own right, she’d be a tempting target for any greedy family members Emma Hardy may have had or anyone willing to pretend to be her family member. A large inheritance would also make her a target for fortune hunters later in life.”

“But after seeing how much you loved Catherine, Frank,”Michael said,“David decided you were the man who could and would protect her from both of those dangers.”

Malloy winced and glanced at his wife.“He should have left the money to Sarah.”

“I’m afraid David was also old-fashioned. He would never trust a female with so much money, and besides, Sarah had already told him she wouldn’t accept it.”Michael smiled slightly.“I must also tell you that Mr. Jonson did not approve of David making you one of his heirs, Frank.”

“I certainly did not,”Jonson said.“Even though Mr. Wilbanks’s will instructed you to become Catherine’s legal guardian, there was no way to compel you to do so. Such a provision causes an attorney great concern.”

“Yes, it does,”Michael said.“Bill was almost apoplectic about it.”

“So was I,”Malloy said.“I wish I’d suspected he was going to do it so I could have threatened to refuse it like Sarah did.”

“Which is why he never informed you, I’m sure,”Michael said.

Mr. Jonson still looked distressed.“You see, after you received your inheritance, you could have abandoned Catherine completely, and even now you have no obligation to share any of the money with her.”

“But we would never abandon Catherine,”Sarah said.

“David believed that, I know,”Michael said,“which is why he did what he did, but the fact remains that he has put you in a difficult position. You can’t adopt Catherine as long as Vaughn is legally her father.”

“You might get a judge to name you as her official guardian,”Jonson said,“but it would mean a court case and publicity you’d find distasteful and a scandal that could follow her all of her life. You’d probably win in the end, although there’s no guarantee of that, but even if you did, you still wouldn’t be able to adopt Catherine, and Vaughn would always be there.”

“You might never hear from him again, of course,”Michael said,“but whenever there’s money involved, people do tend to make nuisances of themselves. There’s no telling what he might do, and after what happened before ...”

“You don’t think he’d try to kidnap her?”Sarah asked in alarm, remembering the horror of her first encounter with Catherine’s blood relatives.

“It wouldn’t legally be kidnapping,”Michael said.“In the eyes of the law, he’s her father, so he could be entitled to custody.”

Sarah couldn’t help groaning.

“So what can we do about this?”Malloy asked impatiently.“I know you lawyers always have an answer for everything.”

Michael glanced at Jonson, who said,“We do try, but there isn’t always an easy answer for everything. In this case, you would need for Vaughn to relinquish his parental rights. I could have the documents drawn up and when he has signed them, you could then proceed with the adoption.”

“And Vaughn couldn’t come back later to reclaim Catherine?”Sarah asked.

“No, he couldn’t.”

“I wonder how much he’ll want in exchange for his signature,”Malloy said.

“Uh, that’s another thing we need to discuss,”Michael said uneasily.“It’s illegal for you to pay him to give up custody.”

“What?”Malloy nearly shouted.“Why would that be illegal?”

“Because it’s considered selling a child, and selling human beings is illegal in the United States, I’m happy to say.”

Sarah wanted to weep.“So we’re supposed to convince Mr. Vaughn to sign Catherine over to us out of the goodness of his heart?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“And if he doesn’t have any goodness in his heart?”Malloy asked.

Michael and Mr. Jonson exchanged looks again.“Let’s just hope he does.”

• • •

“What are we going to do?”Sarah asked Malloy the moment Michael’s office door closed behind them.

“We’re going to find Parnell Vaughn and convince him to sign Catherine over to us.”

“What are the chances he’ll do it?”

Sarah didn’t like Malloy’s expression one little bit.“Very small, I’d guess.”

Sarah wanted to weep again.“He’d do it if we paid him, I’m sure.”

“I know, which is why I think we’ll have to pay him.”

“But Michael said that’s illegal!”

“Which means we’re stuck either way.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when Vaughn finds out he’s legally Catherine’s father, he’ll probably decide he’d be a fool to sign her over. He’ll know that as long as he has the right to claim her, we’ll be willing to keep paying him off to keep him from doing so.”

“But if he signs the papers ...”Sarah said.

“Which he won’t do unless we pay him, and if he knows that’s illegal, he’ll always have that over us, too. If we don’t keep paying him, he’ll accuse us of‘buying’Catherine and try to get her back again.”

“So, we’re back to my original question: What are we going to do?”

“I’m going to find Vaughn. We can’t decide anything until we’ve talked to him.”

He was right, of course.“He’s probably touring in some theater company, though.”Vaughn was an actor, too, which was how he’d met Emma Hardy.“How will we track him down?”

“Same way we did before, and with any luck, we’ll find out he drank himself to death since we last saw him.”

“Oh, Malloy, we don’t really wish him dead,”Sarah said, although she couldn’t help thinking how Vaughn’s death would make everything so much simpler.

• • •

“Mr. Malloy is right,”Maeve said.“If Vaughn was dead, that would make everything so much easier.”

Sarah gave her nanny a look meant to chasten her, although she was sure such efforts were wasted on the girl.“We do not wish Mr. Vaughn ill, Maeve. We simply want him to sign some papers.”Sarah had gone straight home after their meeting with Michael Hicks, while Malloy had gone to find out what he could about Parnell Vaughn. Maeve had just returned from the Lower East Side, where she was supervising the workmen who were turning the old house Sarah had purchased into a maternity clinic that would provide services free of charge to women in need. She’d wanted to tell Sarah how she’d outsmarted the workmen yet again and terrorized them into doing exactly what she demanded, but she’d forgotten all that when Sarah told her about their meeting with the attorney.

“Oh no, I don’t wish Mr. Vaughn any misfortune,”Maeve assured her with just the right amount of sincerity.“But I’m afraid your lawyer is right. People act strange when money is involved.”

“Then we’ll deal with that when we must. In the meantime, tell me how the clinic is coming along.”

“Women are still coming to the door every day wanting to know when we’re going to open,”Maeve said.

“I know. You’ve told me that before. I’m sure everyone knows the midwives have moved in, too, so that probably doesn’t help.”

“Those two women you hired are going to be perfect, and having them move in to make sure the place is occupied at night was a very good idea. They’re already making home visits, and Miss Hanson delivered a baby last night.”

“She did?”Sarah couldn’t have been more delighted.“Oh, I do miss those deliveries.”Sarah had made her living as a midwife for years before her marriage.

“I already told them they’ll need to let you deliver a baby every now and then.”

“Thank you,”Sarah said with a grin.

“Oh, and I almost forgot, you’ll never guess who I saw today.”

Sarah didn’t particularly care, since her mind was still focused on Catherine and their situation, in spite of Maeve’s best efforts to distract her.“Who?”

“That fortune-teller, Serafina Straface.”

“Serafina? Really?”Sarah asked in surprise.“How long has it been since we saw her?”

“A couple years, I think.”

“What did she want?”

Maeve gave her a pitying look.“The same thing all the other women want.”

“Oh!”So Serafina was expecting.

“Yes. Apparently, she’s still telling fortunes or whatever it was she did.”

“She’s a medium.”

Maeve rolled her eyes at such a notion.“So she says. Then I guess she’s still a medium, but I gathered she’s looking for a private place to have her baby.”

“I suppose she married her young man, Mr. DiLoreto.”

“You can suppose that all you want, but when she told me her name, she said it was Straface.”

“Oh dear.”The world was not kind to unwed mothers. Then she remembered.“In Italy, women don’t take their husband’s name.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“That’s interesting. But I guess in America, actresses don’t either. Emma Hardy didn’t.”

“You’re right, she didn’t. So Serafina is interested in using the clinic?”

“I think she was just interested in using you as a midwife. She said she went to your old house, and they sent her to the clinic to find you.”

“Our neighbors have been very good about not telling people where we live now,”Sarah said.

“Yes, they have, and it sure cuts down on the number of people coming here looking for a handout,”Maeve said with a smirk.“She didn’t tell me when, uh, she’ll need the clinic, but she seemed glad to hear it should be ready in a few days.”

“Do you think so?”Sarah asked in surprise.

“If I have anything to say about it, it will. I have those workmen terrified of Mr. Malloy, especially after they tried to pretend they didn’t know they were supposed to fix the wall in the back today.”

“Maeve, you missed your calling.”

“I know. I should’ve been a man. I would’ve been good at it, too. Better than most men, anyway.”

Sarah couldn’t help laughing, in spite of everything, which she guessed had been Maeve’s intention.“I didn’t mean that. I meant you should have been a ...”

Maeve waited a few seconds while Sarah tried in vain to think of some profession to which a woman could aspire that would use Maeve’s talents.“See? You can’t think of anything. I was right. I should’ve been a man.”

“But instead you’re going to help other women.”

“I suppose, and maybe someday Mr. Malloy will let me work for him.”

• • •

Finding Parnell Vaughn turned out to be much easier than Frank had anticipated. As an actor, Vaughn often worked for touring companies, and he might have been anywhere in the country. The last time they’d tried to locate him, he’d just been returning to New York from a tour. Frank tried the theatrical agent who had helped him then, only to discover that agents represented shows, not actors, and Vaughn was no longer appearing in any of that agent’s shows. Frank had to visit only a couple more agents, however, before he found his quarry.

“Oh yes, Parnell Vaughn,”Mr. Dinsmore said with obvious distaste.“He’s having quite a successful run with Mrs. Hawkes at the Palladium Theater.”

“Mrs. Hawkes?”Adelia Hawkes was one of the most famous actresses in the country.“Are you sure? It’s Parnell Vaughn I’m looking for. Maybe you have him confused with someone else.”

Mr. Dinsmore smiled grimly.“I see you know Mr. Vaughn.”

“We’re acquainted, yes.”

“Then you probably know that he has always been a very talented performer.”

“I’ve, uh, never actually seen him on the stage,”Frank admitted.

“Well, then, let me assure you that he is.”Oddly, Mr. Dinsmore didn’t seem pleased to admit this.“But like many creative individuals, he has a serious problem with, uh ...”

“Yes, he drinks,”Frank said, sparing Mr. Dinsmore from finding a polite way of saying it.

“Or rather, he did. It seems he’s turned over a new leaf in the past year or so. He met a lady who has been a stabilizing influence on him, and his career has prospered as a result.”

So much for Vaughn drinking himself to death.“I’m glad to hear it. He’s performing at the Palladium, you say?”

“That’s right. I’m sure you can find him there Tuesday through Saturday evenings and on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for matinees.”

“Would you happen to know where he lives? He might not want to discuss our business at the theater.”

“I wouldn’t have any idea. Actors are notoriously migratory.”

“How do you find them when you need them, then?”

“Oh, they stop by weekly when they’re in town. They check in with all the agents, just to let us know they’re available. Then when we have a need, we send them to audition.”

“That doesn’t sound like a very efficient system,”Frank observed.

Dinsmore did not seem to appreciate Frank’s opinion.“Perhaps not, but it works.”

Frank thanked him for his time and made his way back to the street. Like most of the agents, Dinsmore’s office was in a building just off Union Square, which was the central location for theaters as well. He couldn’t see the Palladium Theater from here, but he knew where it was. He wondered if Sarah would like to see a play tonight.

• • •

“I thought she was supposed to be his mother,”Malloy said in disgust as they waited in their seats for the crowd to disperse when the show was over.“And then he started making love to her.”

“Everyone knows Mrs. Hawkes always plays the romantic lead,”Sarah said.“I thought Mr. Vaughn was very good.”

“He’d have to be good to make people believe he was in love with a woman twice his age.”

Sarah glanced around and was relieved to see no one was close enough to have overheard. Most of the audience had gone and the remaining few were moving toward the exits. It hadn’t taken long, since the crowd hadn’t been large to start with.“I don’t think she’s twice his age.”

“She’s got at least fifteen years on him, though.”

He was right, so she didn’t bother to dispute it.“I think we could head backstage now.”

They rose from their seats and made their way to the front of the theater. A few generous tips to crew members bought them directions to Parnell Vaughn’s dressing room. The door stood open and the sound of laughter spilled out into the hallway. Two young women emerged. Sarah recognized them as minor characters from the play. They gave Sarah and Malloy a curious glance before making their way to their own dressing rooms.

Sarah stepped up to the open doorway and saw a comfortable but cluttered room. Vaughn sat in a slipper chair, his back to the mirrored dressing table littered with pots and jars, and a young woman lounged on a worn love seat nearby. They both looked up in surprise. Sarah recognized the young woman from her role as the maid in the play. Vaughn got to his feet. He obviously didn’t know who Sarah was, and of course he wouldn’t since they had never met. Then Malloy came in behind her, and Vaughn’s expression changed instantly.

“Mr. Malloy, isn’t it?”he said, putting out his hand. He’d stiffened ever so slightly, but he was a good enough actor that his expression revealed only pleased surprise at his visitor. They had not parted on the best of terms at their last meeting.

“Yes. It’s nice to see you again, Vaughn. May I introduce my wife, Sarah?”

Vaughn took her outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it, he sketched a little bow and gallantly kissed it. He was a strikingly handsome man with soulful dark eyes and a mane of dark hair artfully styled. He was even more impressive up close than when he was on the stage. When he raised his head, Sarah realized why women fell under his spell.

Then his expression, designed to charm, changed slightly to recognition.“Sarah, did you say? Are you by chance the little girl’s, uh ... ?”

“Foster mother? Yes, I am.”Couldn’t he even remember Catherine’s name?

His gaze darted from her to Malloy and back again as he put the clues together.“And you and Mr. Malloy have married.”

“Yes, we have,”Malloy confirmed.

Having overcome his initial surprise, Vaughn now eyed them both more critically, taking in Sarah’s expensive gown and Malloy’s tailor-made suit.“And you’ve obviously prospered in the meantime.”

Sarah blinked in surprise. They’d assumed Vaughn would know what had happened and that Malloy was now a wealthy man, but it seemed he did not.

Fortunately, Malloy also realized this. He smiled broadly.“Yes, we have. I’ve started my own detective agency.”He pulled out a card and handed it to Vaughn.

“Nelly, who are these people?”the young woman on the love seat demanded crossly.

“Oh, pardon me, my dear. May I present Miss Eliza Grimes? Eliza, Mr. and Mrs. Malloy.”

Eliza rose gracefully from her seat and offered Malloy her hand quite regally. Malloy made a point of not kissing it, Sarah noted fondly.

“His fiancée,”Miss Grimes informed them, slipping her arm through Vaughn’s possessively.

Did Vaughn wince a tiny bit? Sarah wasn’t sure, but she found it odd he hadn’t identified her as his intended when he introduced her. Seeing them together, Sarah couldn’t help thinking they probably shared about the same age difference as Vaughn and Mrs. Hawkes, or nearly so. Eliza Grimes certainly hadn’t reached her twentieth birthday yet.

“Congratulations,”Malloy said without much enthusiasm.

“You also seem to have prospered, Mr. Vaughn,”Sarah said quickly.

He brightened at that.“Did you see the show?”

“We did indeed and enjoyed it very much. We thought you were excellent.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Malloy. It’s a great honor to work with Mrs. Hawkes.”

“I’m sure it must be. She’s legendary.”

“But much too old, of course, to continue playing the romantic lead,”Eliza said.

“Now, Eliza,”Vaughn said gently.

“And you are an actress, too, Miss Grimes,”Sarah said.

Eliza lifted her chin.“Yes, I am. I’m Mrs. Hawkes’s understudy.”

And much more suited to the role, age-wise, but Sarah didn’t say that.

“Eliza has a bright future ahead of her,”Vaughn said.

“I’m sure she does,”Sarah agreed.

No one had a reply to that, and an awkward silence followed. Finally, Eliza said,“Now, who are you really, and what do you want with Nelly?”

Vaughn patted her hand where it was wrapped around his arm.“You remember I told you about Emma’s little girl.”

Eliza rolled her eyes.“Oh yes, Emma .”

“Yes, well, Mrs. Malloy is the lady who took her in.”

“Then he must be the copper who arrested you,”Eliza said, unimpressed.

“And I’m also the copper who let him go,”Malloy said with a small smile.

“But that doesn’t explain what you’re doing here now,”Eliza said.

“No, it doesn’t,”Malloy said.“We need to discuss something with you, Mr. Vaughn.”

“About the little girl?”he asked with a frown.

“About Catherine, yes,”Sarah said, unreasonably annoyed that he couldn’t say her name.

“But maybe you’d like to meet at my office tomorrow,”Malloy said.“Since it’s a private matter.”

“No,”Eliza said before Vaughn could answer.“You’re here now, so you might as well get it over with.”

Malloy looked at Vaughn, who reluctantly nodded. Plainly, he didn’t want to talk to them at all.

Malloy glanced at the girl.“Is it all right to speak in front of Miss Grimes?”

“Of course it is,”she replied for him again.“We’re going to be married. We have no secrets.”

Sarah doubted that very much, but she said,“We should at least close the door. I’m sure you don’t want anyone else knowing your business.”

Malloy, being the closest, did the honors. Vaughn found a straight-backed chair half-hidden by the rack of costumes along one wall. Malloy took it while the two women sat on the love seat, and Vaughn sat back down in the dressing table chair.

“You make this sound ominous, Mr. Malloy,”he said with a strained smile.

“Not at all,”Malloy said.“Now that Sarah and I are married and Catherine’s parents are both dead, we would like to adopt her legally.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“But why are you telling us about it?”Eliza asked, still suspicious.

Malloy cleared his throat.“It has come to our attention that, even though you and Miss Hardy weren’t living together at the time, because you were married to Emma Hardy when Catherine, uh, came along, the law still considers you Catherine’s father.”

“What?”Eliza cried, turning on Vaughn.“You swore to me that child wasn’t yours.”

“She isn’t,”Vaughn assured her. He turned to Frank.“I can’t take care of a child. Surely you can see that.”

“That’s not what we’re asking, Mr. Vaughn,”Sarah said quickly.“In fact, it’s just the opposite. We do want to take care of Catherine. We want to adopt her as our own, but we can’t because of this legal technicality. However, our attorney assures us that it’s possible for you to relinquish your parental rights by simply signing a paper. That would free you of all responsibility for Catherine and allow us to adopt her.”

Vaughn needed only a moment to consider.“Oh well, in that case, I’d be more than happy to help you. I don’t suppose you’ve got the paper with you?”

“Wait a minute,”Eliza said, and all of them turned to her.“What’s in this for Nelly?”

“I’m doing them a favor, Eliza,”Vaughn said.

“Yes, you are, so they should do something for you in return.”

This was exactly what Sarah and Malloy had been afraid of.“What did you have in mind, Miss Grimes?”Malloy asked. He wasn’t using his friendliest tone, but Eliza didn’t seem intimidated.

“You want this little girl, but you can’t have her without Nelly’s help, so I think you ought to give him some token of appreciation.”

Vaughn sputtered a protest, but Malloy stopped him with a gesture.“How big of a token would you consider appropriate?”

Plainly, Eliza had not expected to succeed so easily. For a moment her mouth hung open in shock, but she recovered quickly. Without so much as a glance at Vaughn to confirm her decision, she said,“A thousand dollars.”

Equally plainly, from the requested amount, neither of them had an inkling of just how wealthy Malloy had become. For his part, Malloy managed to wince, probably because it hadn’t been too very long since such an amount would have been impossible for him to raise. A thousand dollars probably equaled Parnell Vaughn’s annual income as an actor, but only if he worked regularly.

“But we can’t—”Sarah began, but Malloy stopped her with a gesture.

“That’s a lot of money, but Catherine means a great deal to us.”

“Really, Mr. Malloy, there’s no need ...”Vaughn said faintly.

“You’re entitled to it,”Eliza insisted.“You could refuse to sign their paper and then where would they be?”

“We appreciate your help in this matter, Mr. Vaughn,”Malloy said, his expression suitably grave.“Our attorney can have the papers drawn up by Wednesday. Can I meet you here before your matinee and get your signature?”

“And we’ll get our money, too?”Eliza said.

“Of course,”Malloy said.

“Then yes, we’ll meet you here on Wednesday afternoon, won’t we, Nelly?”

Parnell Vaughn looked far from committed.“I ... I suppose so.”

Before anyone could reply, the door burst open.

“Parnell, darling, I’ve been wait—”Adelia Hawkes stopped mid-word at the sight of Vaughn’s visitors. She did not appear to be pleased by it.“I didn’t realize you were having a party.”

Frank and Vaughn had risen to their feet. Sarah had to resist the urge to do the same. Adelia Hawkes seemed to fill the room with her presence and demand obeisance. She’d changed from her costume into an ensemble most would have considered outlandish. Her lavish brocade coat glittered with gold threads and an intricately wound turban of patterned silk completely covered her hair and sported a peacock feather that trembled with her every move.

“It’s hardly a party, Adelia,”Vaughn said. How odd. He sounded a little defensive.“These are some ... old friends who came to see the show tonight and wish me well.”

“Old friends?”She eyed Frank and Sarah much the way Vaughn had done earlier.

“We were so impressed when we heard Mr. Vaughn was appearing with you that we had to come,”Sarah said.“You were absolutely fantastic in that role, Mrs. Hawkes.”

Her disapproval vanished.“Did you think so? How lovely. One can never judge one’s own performance.”

“Oh yes, and Mr. Vaughn was just telling us how honored he was to be cast as your leading man.”

Mrs. Hawkes cast Vaughn a fond look before turning back to Sarah.“Perhaps your friends would like to join us, Parnell. A few of us usually have a little supper together after the show,”she added to Sarah.

“Thank you, but I’m afraid we’re committed elsewhere,”Sarah said. It wouldn’t be a good idea to get too cozy with these people. Someone might figure out who they really were and tell Vaughn. Or worse, tell Eliza.

“A pity. Perhaps next time. Parnell, are you ready?”

“Almost,”he said.

“Good. We’ll go on ahead, then. Lovely to meet you,”she added to Sarah, and then she was gone.

For a second she seemed to have taken all the air in the room as well, but they recovered quickly.

“I’m afraid I must go. Duty calls,”Vaughn said with forced brightness.

Eliza made a rude noise, and Sarah realized Mrs. Hawkes had not even acknowledged her. For her part, Eliza had sat perfectly still, almost as if frozen, during Mrs. Hawkes’s brief visit.

“You know you’re welcome to join us, Eliza,”Vaughn said.

“Oh yes, so the great Mrs. Hawkes can subtly insult me all during the meal. No thank you. I’ll see you later.”She rose and started for the door, but she stopped when she reached Malloy.“Don’t forget to bring the money when you come. Otherwise, you can go whistle for your signature.”

When she was gone, Vaughn tried a conciliatory smile.“She’s very young and hasn’t learned the art of discretion yet.”

Malloy nodded.“Mr. Dinsmore—do you know him? Wylie Dinsmore, the agent?—he told me you’d met a lady who had been a good influence on you and that your career had flourished as a result.”

Vaughn didn’t seem pleased that Dinsmore had shared confidences about him, but then his expression cleared.“Yes, Eliza has encouraged me, and she wants me to succeed. I don’t think Emma ever did.”

“We’re very happy for you, Mr. Vaughn,”Sarah said.“And I know you want to stay in Mrs. Hawkes’s good graces, so we’ll be on our way now. Thank you for being so understanding about the situation with Catherine.”

“I’m happy to help. I have nothing to offer a child, especially one who isn’t even my own.”

“We understand completely,”Sarah assured him.

“And, Mr. Malloy,”Vaughn added a little sheepishly.“I couldn’t take a payment for helping you, so just ignore what Eliza said.”

If Malloy was surprised, he didn’t show it. They arranged a time to meet next Wednesday before the matinee.

Sarah and Malloy took their leave, and one of the stagehands escorted them out a side door into an alley where the other actors were making their way to suppers or entertainments of their own.

“Why do you suppose she calls him Nelly?”Malloy asked when they were out on the sidewalk and away from anyone who might be interested in their conversation.

“I think it must be a nickname for Parnell, at least in her mind.”

Malloy shook his head.“When Dinsmore told me Vaughn had found a woman who helped him, I was picturing somebody like you.”

Intrigued, Sarah said,“Like me in what way?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Somebody sensible, I guess. And nice, at least. Instead, she’s just like Emma except she’s convinced Vaughn he’s a good actor instead of convincing him he’s not, just to keep him in line.”

“Do you think that’s what Emma did?”

“She never had a kind word to say about him, as far as I could see, and she encouraged him to drink. Why would a woman do that if not to keep a man under her control?”

Sarah couldn’t imagine doing that to someone she loved, but then, she wasn’t Emma Hardy, either.“You’re probably right. At least Miss Grimes’s influence has had good results.”

“She’s still trying to keep him under control, though. Did you notice the way she answered for him?”

“Of course, and did you notice she’s the one who said they’re engaged?”

“And he didn’t look too happy when she did,”Malloy said.“I wonder how long it will last, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“You couldn’t see Eliza’s expression when Mrs. Hawkes came in. She might have inspired Vaughn’s success, but she’s jealous of it, too.”

“Oh, I understood that perfectly,”Sarah said.“Those remarks about Mrs. Hawkes being too old for the part were telling.”

“They were also perfectly true. I can’t imagine Mrs. Hawkes likes having Eliza around to remind her that she’s getting a little long in the tooth.”

The image surprised a laugh from Sarah.“You don’t think Eliza says that to her face, do you?”

“No, she’s too smart for that, but she doesn’t need to say anything. She just needs to sit there and smile.”

Sarah sighed.“She won’t be smiling if we don’t pay Vaughn the thousand dollars.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have it with me just in case.”

“But if we pay Vaughn to sign the papers—”

“I said, don’t worry. I won’t be paying Vaughn. If Eliza insists, I’ll give the money to her, not him. That way, if they come back later and try to blackmail us, I’ll remind her of that.”

“Do you think that’s all right legally?”

“I think it’s legal enough to convince them. And if Vaughn continues to be successful, he probably won’t need to come back to us anyway.”

“I hope you’re right. He really does seem to be a good actor.”

“He is if Eliza can keep him from drinking.”

“And he’ll have to help her become successful, too.”Sarah shook her head.“That’s a lot of uncertainty.”

“I think all actors live with uncertainty, so he’s probably used to it.”

“I suppose so, and if he’s willing to sign that paper, I will wish him all the best.”

Malloy smiled.“So will I.”

• • •

The next morning, Sarah and Maeve took the elevated train down to the Lower East Side so Sarah could see for herself how close they were to opening.

The two midwives were out doing home visits. After Maeve and the foreman had taken Sarah on a tour, the two women settled down in the newly completed kitchen for a cup of tea.

“There doesn’t seem to be much left to do, and all the furniture is here. How soon do you think we can open?”Sarah asked.

“A few days, I’d say. They’re just finishing that last room and they’ll have to clean up, although the midwives and I have been doing a lot of that ourselves. I’ve already had to turn people away, but they know they can return as soon as we hang out the sign.”Maeve nodded to the neatly painted board leaning against the wall by the back door.

“Should we have some sort of event to announce that we’re open?”

Maeve smiled.“I don’t think that will be necessary. Everybody in the neighborhood knows we’re here and what we do.”

“I guess they’re as anxious to get started as we are. My goal is to never turn anyone away.”

The sound of footsteps drew their attention, and they looked up to see a young woman standing in the doorway.

“Mrs. Brandt, I was hoping you’d be here,”she said.

Sarah rose and looked more closely, not quite trusting her eyes.“Serafina, welcome. Maeve told me you’d stopped by.”

They had met the beautiful Italian girl a few years earlier when a séance she’d been conducting had ended in murder. Serafina stepped into the room. Even though the September weather was still pleasant, she wore a cape and had buttoned it closed in front. Then Sarah remembered what Maeve had said about the girl, and she knew what Serafina was hiding.

“I’m afraid we haven’t opened the clinic yet, but if you need a place to stay ...”

“Oh no, I do not need a place to stay. I am still living in the same house on Waverly Place.”

“Still doing séances?”Sarah asked.

“Of course. I have some very loyal clients, and I have done well for myself even after ... Well, since I saw you last.”

“Is Mr. DiLoreto still helping you?”Sarah asked, deciding that was the most tactful way to inquire if Serafina and the young man she had been in love with were still together.

But Serafina’s polite smile vanished and her eyes filled with tears.“No, I ... Nicola has died.”

“ Died? ”Sarah echoed in surprise.“I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Please, come over here and sit down and let us get you a cup of tea.”

When the girl was settled, still wearing her enveloping cape and sipping her restorative tea, Sarah said,“Was Mr. DiLoreto ill?”

“Yes, he ... He was very sick. We called in a doctor, but there was nothing he could do. We were planning to marry, but I was so busy with my clients and we did not think we needed to hurry ...”She shook her head.“After he was gone, I found out about the baby.”She opened her cape to reveal her swollen stomach.

“And you’ve continued with your work?”Sarah asked, wondering how she had explained her condition and the absence of a husband to the society people who came to her for help contacting dead loved ones.

Serafina smiled sadly.“I wear robes now. Flowing robes. And I have stopped going out.”

“Except to come here,”Maeve reminded her.

“My time is getting close. I cannot give birth at my house. Everyone will find out and my clients will stop coming.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I have told my clients that I will be going on a holiday soon. I had hoped to come to you and stay until the baby is born. Then I found out you were opening this clinic. If I could come here, no one would know. I would pay you, of course. I do not need charity. Then, when I am well again, I will return to my home. I will hire a servant who has an infant that she will bring with her into my house.”

“Oh, Serafina, that is such a wonderful plan. I was afraid you were going to give your baby away.”

“Never. And did Maeve not tell you? I have changed my name. I am Sarah now, too. Sarah Straface. I want to be completely American.”

“It’s a lovely name,”Sarah said.

Serafina smiled, but her smile quickly became a grimace, and she clamped a hand to her side.

“What is it?”Sarah asked.“Is the baby kicking?”

“No, I ... I have been having pains. I know you are not ready yet, but I could not stay at home.”Her lovely dark eyes were pleading.

“Oh dear!”Sarah said, but she wasn’t thinking“oh dear,”not at all. Excitement skittered through her at the realization she was going to deliver a baby again after all these months.“Maeve, can we get a room ready?”

Maeve’s eyes were like saucers.“Of course. I’ll go make up the bed.”

• • •

On the appointed Wednesday, Frank got to the theater just after noon. Early enough, he hoped, to be in and out before most of the cast arrived to prepare for the matinee. He entered through the side door the cast used. The door was unlocked and although a stool stood nearby, obviously for a guard who would monitor who went in and out, no one was around. In fact, the halls were eerily quiet, in stark contrast to the busy bustle he’d encountered after the performance the other night. He caught a glimpse of a woman disappearing into one of the dressing rooms at the end of the hallway, but he saw no one else before he reached Vaughn’s dressing room.

Frank hadn’t noticed the other night that the door bore Vaughn’s name and a small wooden star had been nailed beneath it. Frank knocked and waited, but no one responded. He tried again, more loudly. Still nothing. He glanced up and down the hallway to see if Vaughn was in sight, but he still saw no one. He tried the door and the knob turned easily. Thinking he’d simply wait for Vaughn inside, he pushed the door open.

The first thing he noticed was the sharp metallic odor, and then he registered the body crumpled on the floor. And the blood. So much blood. Vaughn stared up at him, his eyes wide with terror and a silent plea for help. Frank went to him instinctively, kneeling down, heedless of the blood pooled around Vaughn’s head. But Vaughn’s gaze didn’t move. He still stared fixedly up at the door, and when Frank felt for a pulse, he found none. The body was still warm, though, which meant the killer might still be nearby. They should seal off the theater in case he was hiding somewhere.

Frank pushed himself to his feet and started toward the door. Just as he reached it, Eliza Grimes appeared in the doorway.

“Mr. Malloy,”she said with some satisfaction.“I hope you don’t think you’re finished with your business. I know what Nelly said, but—”

“Miss Grimes, we need some help. Can you go find a guard or someone in authority?”

“A guard? What for? What’s going on? And don’t think you can trick me into leaving you alone with Nelly!”

“Miss Grimes, please,”he tried, reaching out to her, but that was a mistake. His hand was covered in blood.

“What’s that? What’s happened? Nelly!”she shouted, and tried to push past him.

“Don’t go in there!”He did his best to hold her, but she wrenched free and managed to get her head around him enough to see.

“No! Nelly!”she cried, and began to scream.

In moments people appeared from every direction. Actors still in street clothes and stagehands still carrying their tools and an officious-looking man in a suit who demanded to know what all the fuss was about.

Before Frank could tell him, Eliza threw herself into the man’s arms.“Oh, Mr. Hawkes, he’s killed Nelly!” Jj8kOBghh6TfVA8Xy8tLDth52e4WTY8OyxOPdNQ/gC03LJWuSDiEsIvtL2WT2+wp