nod and cuddle her son more tightly. ‘I shall miss you too,’ she managed, after a while. ‘Never mind, though, perhaps we shall be together again once Robert's better and we can rejoin the company.’
Roxanne fiddled with the lace on her bodice. ‘Yes, well, that's what I came to tell you. I'm thinking of leaving the theatre. As I shall be selling my share of it to Miles Barker, the company will probably re-form after Bristol. And - well, you know he doesn’t get on with Robert.’
Helen swallowed her disappointment. ‘Oh? I - didn’t know you’d saved enough money to retire.’
‘I haven’t. But my gentleman friend has offered to set me up in a house of my own and settle some money on me. It's a generous offer and I’d be a fool not to take it.’ She smiled grimly, ‘At least, I’m going to take it if our lawyers can agree. I’m not doing anything till it’s signed and sealed.’
‘Oh.’ Helen tried not to look disapproving.
Roxanne smiled wryly. ‘I knew you wouldn't like it, love, but I'm not getting any younger, am I? I do have something saved, but not enough to live on in comfort for the rest of my life if I stop working.’ She laughed. ‘I've not been a great success as an actress. Oh, I'm competent enough, but I'm past my prime and I know now that I'll never be famous.’
‘I think you're a wonderful actress,’ Helen said stoutly.
‘Thanks, love,’ Roxanne's face softened as she looked at her young friend, ‘but you're as bad a judge of acting as you are of husbands. Anyway, my Jack's well-heeled. He'll look after me for a while, and when he's gone, well, I’ll still have the house he's buying for me. So - I reckon you'd better tell Robert,’ she jerked her head towards the bed, ‘to find himself another company when he gets better.’
‘Oh.’
Roxanne lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘If he doesn’t get better, if he dies and leaves you in trouble, come to me. That’s a bad cough.’
Helen knew what her friend wasn’t saying. She too had heard coughs like that before and knew what they could mean. No, not Robert.
‘Oh, he’ll probably be all right. His looks should last a good few years yet, but be sure you make other plans for later on. He's not got a great deal of talent, so when his looks fade, he'll be out of a job.’
Helen nodded. After over a year in the theatrical world, she did not need to be told that. ‘Yes. I see.’
‘Is that all you can say?’
‘I - don't know what to say.’ Helen picked up Harry, who had put his thumb in his mouth and stopped crawling around. She cuddled him and concentrated on not weeping all over her friend.
‘Well, you could start by saying that you won't disown me, and that you'll come and see me when you're in London.’ Roxanne tried to smile, but looked more like a woman about to cry. ‘You know, love, you're like the daughter I never had.’
Helen set the baby down in his cradle and flung her arms round the only friend she'd ever known.
‘Of course I won't disown you! You've been more like a mother to me than my own ever was, and you’ve taught me so much. I hope you'll be very happy with your - with Jack.’
Roxanne wept a little more, dashed away the tears and insisted on taking Helen out for a farewell meal. After paying the landlady's daughter to keep an eye on the invalid and the sleeping baby, she swept Helen off to the nearest chop house. Over a nice plate of steak pie and boiled potatoes, she loaded Helen with as much shrewd advice as she could think of, and left her with the name of Jack's lawyer in London. He would know where to contact her.
When Helen got back, the baby was howling and Robert had taken a turn for the worse. Feeling very alone in the world, she tried to make her husband comfortable.
Somehow, during the next few weeks, Helen found the strength to cope with the baby and the needs of her husband, as well as the complaints of the landlady and the problems of making the money
Roxanne fiddled with the lace on her bodice. ‘Yes, well, that's what I came to tell you. I'm thinking of leaving the theatre. As I shall be selling my share of it to Miles Barker, the company will probably re-form after Bristol. And - well, you know he doesn’t get on with Robert.’
Helen swallowed her disappointment. ‘Oh? I - didn’t know you’d saved enough money to retire.’
‘I haven’t. But my gentleman friend has offered to set me up in a house of my own and settle some money on me. It's a generous offer and I’d be a fool not to take it.’ She smiled grimly, ‘At least, I’m going to take it if our lawyers can agree. I’m not doing anything till it’s signed and sealed.’
‘Oh.’ Helen tried not to look disapproving.
Roxanne smiled wryly. ‘I knew you wouldn't like it, love, but I'm not getting any younger, am I? I do have something saved, but not enough to live on in comfort for the rest of my life if I stop working.’ She laughed. ‘I've not been a great success as an actress. Oh, I'm competent enough, but I'm past my prime and I know now that I'll never be famous.’
‘I think you're a wonderful actress,’ Helen said stoutly.
‘Thanks, love,’ Roxanne's face softened as she looked at her young friend, ‘but you're as bad a judge of acting as you are of husbands. Anyway, my Jack's well-heeled. He'll look after me for a while, and when he's gone, well, I’ll still have the house he's buying for me. So - I reckon you'd better tell Robert,’ she jerked her head towards the bed, ‘to find himself another company when he gets better.’
‘Oh.’
Roxanne lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘If he doesn’t get better, if he dies and leaves you in trouble, come to me. That’s a bad cough.’
Helen knew what her friend wasn’t saying. She too had heard coughs like that before and knew what they could mean. No, not Robert.
‘Oh, he’ll probably be all right. His looks should last a good few years yet, but be sure you make other plans for later on. He's not got a great deal of talent, so when his looks fade, he'll be out of a job.’
Helen nodded. After over a year in the theatrical world, she did not need to be told that. ‘Yes. I see.’
‘Is that all you can say?’
‘I - don't know what to say.’ Helen picked up Harry, who had put his thumb in his mouth and stopped crawling around. She cuddled him and concentrated on not weeping all over her friend.
‘Well, you could start by saying that you won't disown me, and that you'll come and see me when you're in London.’ Roxanne tried to smile, but looked more like a woman about to cry. ‘You know, love, you're like the daughter I never had.’
Helen set the baby down in his cradle and flung her arms round the only friend she'd ever known.
‘Of course I won't disown you! You've been more like a mother to me than my own ever was, and you’ve taught me so much. I hope you'll be very happy with your - with Jack.’
Roxanne wept a little more, dashed away the tears and insisted on taking Helen out for a farewell meal. After paying the landlady's daughter to keep an eye on the invalid and the sleeping baby, she swept Helen off to the nearest chop house. Over a nice plate of steak pie and boiled potatoes, she loaded Helen with as much shrewd advice as she could think of, and left her with the name of Jack's lawyer in London. He would know where to contact her.
When Helen got back, the baby was howling and Robert had taken a turn for the worse. Feeling very alone in the world, she tried to make her husband comfortable.
Somehow, during the next few weeks, Helen found the strength to cope with the baby and the needs of her husband, as well as the complaints of the landlady and the problems of making the money
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