The “Next” Friday. Opening Night.

The bell to the door rang several times, urgent rings which rattled their way through the house. When Belle eventually got to the door and opened it, she found herself looking upon a very out of breath . He straightened up and straightened the small cap he wore when she finally answered the door.

“Miss Shardakov?” he said between gasps of breath which fogged slightly in the cool morning air. He handed her a slip of paper, which, when opened revealed a note written inside.


Miss Shardakov,

A terrible misfortune had befallen Madame Houston. Her husband was tragically found dead at the bottom of his stairs at their home on the outskirts of the city. It was an accident as Mr Houston had taken a shower moments before and slipped on the wet floor, falling down the stairs and tragically breaking his neck.

Mdme Houston is beside herself with grief and will now be unable to play the lead role in the play tonight.

However, as the saying goes the show must go on and I ask you Miss Anastasia to take on the role as Madame Houston‘s understudy you know all of the lines and the necessary actions and movements to make during the play.

I will wait outside by the actors entrance at 5 O’Clock sharp for you to arrive and will have you fitted for the dress, we will have to make do with what we had made for Madame Houston, and simply bring it in slightly for your thinner frame. But this doesn’t matter, so long as the show goes on!

Monsieur Du Brek, Le Directeur Apollo Theatre.

With that the messenger gave a slight bow. “Shall I run a message back to Mr Du Brek at the Apollo? He paid me to run a message back also, should it be required..”