Once a Thief Read online

  “That’s not necessary. It’s still daylight, Blake.”

  “Nevertheless.” He put his hand on her arm, and they walked up to the porch. “I’ll be over after dinner to help you run through your lines. If that’s all right?”

  “Oh, I don’t think so, Blake. I’m awfully tired. Can’t we skip one night? After all, Mr. Bosley said I was quite good. Did you hear him?”

  “Yes, but you do know the new backer will be there tomorrow. We want it to go the best it can.”

  She sighed. “All right. One run-through. But that’s all. I want to wash my hair and go to bed early.”

  She went inside and, not seeing anyone, went up to her room to rest before she had to change for dinner. She loved acting, but it was tiring. A lot more so than she’d have thought.

  She sat at her dressing table and rubbed cold cream onto her face. The motion and the feel of the coolness relaxed her, and she closed her eyes.

  Immediately, Blake’s face flashed into her mind. Quickly she opened her eyes. She could no longer deny her feelings for him. Danielle had never been in love before, but she knew. She loved Blake Nelson with her whole heart. And she was almost certain he felt the same way. But her secret stood in the way of a true relationship between them. How she wished she had simply refused to allow Mrs. Kramer to take her home with her that day. She would never have fallen in love with Blake and wouldn’t be suffering like this now.

  Of course, she also wouldn’t have had the opportunity to buy hers and Jimmy’s freedom from Sutton. Her lips tightened. Somehow she must find a way to get Jimmy away from that house before Sutton carried out his plan, whatever it was. Once Jimmy was safe, then she could tell Blake everything.

  Cobb’s words screamed in her mind. “He’s saying he’s going to have you one way or another.”

  Danielle would rather go to jail any day than have Sutton ever lay his hands on her.

  Twelve

  The aroma of biscuits, ham, and eggs tantalized Blake’s senses as he walked down the stairs and into the dining room. He planted a kiss on his mother’s cheek and walked to the sideboard. Suddenly his stomach churned, and the food that had smelled so good a moment before didn’t appear very appetizing. He poured a cup of coffee, speared a slice of toast onto a plate, and sat down.

  “Blake,” his mother scolded, “you need to eat more than that.”

  Pop laid the morning paper beside his plate and grinned. “Don’t pester the boy, Katie. He’s too excited to eat.”

  “I’m afraid Pop’s right, Mother. But I promise to eat a hearty lunch.”

  “What’s so exciting about today?” She lifted her deep blue eyes and smiled.

  “Our new backer will be at the theater. Bosley is so nervous he’s decided to do a dress rehearsal this afternoon so the man can get into the theme of the play.” He shook his head. “I heard one of the members of the cast muttering about it being bad luck to have a dress rehearsal before the eve of opening night, but that, of course, is nonsense.”

  “I’m glad you’re sensible enough to know that, son. You just trust in the Lord to keep things right.”

  “I will, Mother.” He smiled across at her then turned to his grandfather.

  “You’ll be there, won’t you, Pop?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for anything. The afternoon rehearsal?”

  “That’s right. We’ll take a short lunch break. Then the cast will get into their costumes and be ready to begin when the backer arrives.”

  “Who is he, by the way?”

  “Some wealthy businessman. An acquaintance of one of the other patrons.” He shoved his chair back and stood.

  “I’ll be praying,” his mother said, lifting her cheek for his goodbye kiss. “And tell Danielle I’ll be praying for her, too.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  “Oh, and Blake, why don’t you invite Danielle to Thanksgiving dinner?”

  He grinned. “Good idea. Thanks, Mother. She may have plans with the Kramers, but I’ll ask.”

  A stable boy had brought the buggy around and stood holding the reins when Blake walked out of the house.

  “Thanks, Tommy. Cookie’s looking mighty spruce today. Did you do the grooming?”

  “Yes, sir.” The boy stood straighter and handed him the reins.

  “Here. I think you deserve a bonus.”

  Tommy caught the coin Blake tossed him and then waved and grinned again as Blake drove away.

  Danielle was waiting on the porch as he pulled up in front of the Kramers’. She huddled against her side of the buggy, silent and pale, as they drove to the theater.

  Blake reached over and took her trembling hands. Even through the gloves he could feel the cold. “Your hands are like ice. You shouldn’t have waited for me outside.”

  Her teeth chattered as she spoke. “I was too nervous to wait inside.”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do what you’ve been doing. It’ll be fine.”

  “What if it isn’t? What if you made a big mistake and I’m not right for this part at all? What if this backer hates me?” Her hands trembled beneath his.

  “He won’t hate you. He’ll love you, just like everyone else does.” Especially me. He wondered what she’d do if he voiced those words. For a moment he was tempted. Then he shook himself free from the thought.

  “Look, you won’t even have to see the man while you are performing. This will be as much like an opening night as possible. The theater will be dark except for the stage lights.”

  “But he’ll see me.”

  Blake laughed. “Well, of course he’ll see you. That’s the point of having him there.”

  They arrived at the theater, and he gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll do fine. Try not to worry.”

  She gave a tremulous smile and headed for the dressing rooms.

  He sighed with relief as Rhonda walked into the lobby. “Rhonda, Danielle has a bad case of stage fright today. Will you see what you can do?”

  She flashed him a bright smile and patted him on the shoulder. “Go sit down and stop worrying. I’ll take care of her.”

  Knowing he’d done all he could to help her for now, he headed for his seat in the first row and waited for the curtain to rise on the first rehearsal of the day.

  Danielle stumbled over some of the words in the last scene, but otherwise the practice went perfectly.

  Blake couldn’t help but notice the worried little pout on Danielle’s face as he escorted her down the sidewalk to the café on the corner. When they were seated, he picked up his menu, determined not to mention her slip-up and to get her mind off it as well. “I think John Turner got a little too amorous in the romantic scene.” He looked over the top of the menu to see her reaction.

  “Don’t be silly. He played it exactly the way you wrote it.”

  He smirked behind the menu. So far so good. “I’m not so sure. He hugged you pretty tightly.”

  She inhaled deeply. “Blake, John didn’t hug me. Alan hugged Peg. Whatever is the matter with you?”

  He continued the tactic with a loud huff. “I’m not so sure of that. And was that a real kiss he planted on you? He’s not supposed to do that.”

  She flung her menu on the table, raised her eyes, and frowned. “Blake Nelson, I can’t believe you’re behaving this way. You know very well it was only acting.”

  He raised his menu to cover the grin he couldn’t prevent, but not fast enough.

  “Oh, you.” She burst out laughing. “I see what you’re up to. And it worked. I almost forgot how awful I was. Blake, I was terrible.”

  “Nah. Everyone gets the jitters when they know a lot is at stake. You’ll do fine this afternoon.”

  She sighed. “I hope so.” She picked up her menu again, but this time she seemed to really see it.

  ❧

  “You’ll knock ’em dead, kid. I promise.” Rhonda patted Danielle on the arm then scurried to get into her costume.

  “But what if you’re wrong? What if
I freeze and forget my lines or something?” Danielle fumbled with her hair and attempted to work the strands together into one thick braid. The smooth locks kept slipping from her fingers, and she was about to burst out in tears.

  “Here, let me do that.” Another actress, fully costumed, shoved Danielle’s hand away from the strands and began to weave them into a smooth braid.

  “Thanks, Mary. I don’t know what I’d do without all of you.”

  Rhonda stepped away from the mirror, giving a last-minute pat to her hair. “Sweetie, we’ve all had our moments of panic. Still do sometimes. But when you step out on that stage, you’ll be fine. You won’t even think about the new guy.”

  Oh, how I pray she’s right.

  She bit her lip and followed the others to the wings. The starting characters took their places. The music began and the curtain went up.

  When she heard the opening bar of Peg’s theme, her cue, she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage. She became Peg. Lost in the part, she spoke her lines and moved from one scene to another as though she was born on a dairy farm, among the rolling hills of Missouri. She was loving, teasing, and filled with laughter as she played the part of little sister, friend, and beloved daughter. Then, she became shy when the leading man appeared.

  When the curtain came down on the last scene, she heard clapping and a murmur of voices from the small unseen group of watchers.

  She stumbled, almost numb, into the dressing room and flopped onto a settee, trying to still the wild pounding of her heart. All around her, laughter and satisfied comments about the show filled the room.

  Rhonda leaned over and gave her a hug. “See? I told you you’d knock ’em dead.”

  Danielle smiled. “If anyone knocked them dead it was you and Hannah. In fact, everyone was wonderful. I forgot about everything except the life of Peg in Dreamland.”

  “Honey, you did very well,” Hannah said with a smile. “I’ve no doubt the new man will be willing to put up the rest of the money for the show. In fact, I’m so sure I think it calls for a celebration. How about we all go out for a milk shake?”

  The door flew open. Martha, a prop girl, pushed her way in among the flurry of actresses changing into their street clothes. Her eyes found Danielle. “Mr. Bosley and Mr. Nelson want you in the office at your convenience. But I think what they really mean is get there lickety-split.”

  Danielle stared at Martha, her pulse jumping in her throat. “Thanks. I’ll be there as soon as I’ve changed.” With a heavy heart, Danielle slipped out of her costume then went to work on removing the makeup. What did they want with her? Did the new backer hate her performance? Did he refuse to back the show? Blake would try to let her down easy, if they had to let her go. She only hoped the show could be salvaged with or without her. Blake was a wonderful writer and composer, and he didn’t deserve to fail because of her.

  Fifteen minutes later, Danielle stood in front of the office door, gathering her nerves. When she tapped, the door flew open and she was surrounded by Blake, Bosley, and two of the early backers.

  “Young lady, you did it.” Arlin Greene, beaming from ear to ear, bowed over her hand.

  “Great job, Miss Gray.” Bosley patted her shoulder and smiled.

  She glanced from one to the other, her eyes resting on Blake. “Does this mean. . . ?”

  “Yes, it means. . .” Blake laughed, his eyes sparkling. “You did it, Danielle. He’s not only willing but very enthusiastic about investing in the show. In fact, he’s so enthusiastic he’s gone to the bank now. But he specifically asked us to have you here when he returns. He wants very much to meet you.”

  Bosley laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so enthralled. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you from the moment you stepped onto the stage.”

  Danielle blushed. “But the others did well, too.”

  “Of course they did,” the manager agreed. “But you are the star, Miss Gray. Without you, this great ship would have been left standing in the harbor.”

  She looked at Blake, who met her glance with an encouraging smile. “He’s right, Danielle. You are the star.”

  “But. . .it was your wonderful show that impressed him. I’m sure of it.”

  Bosley cast an amused smile at Blake then turned his attention back to Danielle. “Of course the show is wonderful and to Blake goes the credit for that. But it takes more than words and music on paper to make a great show. Someone has to bring them to life. And you’ve done just that, my dear.”

  Someone knocked and Mr. Greene headed for the door. “That must be James now.”

  He opened the door and a giant shadow fell across the room and rested on Danielle’s face and heart.

  Mr. Greene bowed. “Miss Gray, allow me to introduce you to our new backer and business partner, Mr. James Sutton. I’m sure you’ll be getting to know each other over the next few weeks.”

  Sutton’s tall form stepped forward and took the hand that hung limp by her side. “Delighted, Miss Gray. Imagine my surprise when I arrived today to find such a lovely, talented young woman before my eyes. I’m sure as the days go by we’ll get to know each other very well.”

  The tall form was all too well known to her already, from the amused smile on his rugged face to the eyes that could sear a small child with one sharp look.

  She stood frozen, unable to move or even hardly to breathe. This had to be a dream. Or some cruel joke.

  God, please. . .let me wake up from this nightmare.

  Thirteen

  Danielle stood frozen for a moment. Forcing a smile, she slipped her hand from Sutton’s and gave a nod. “How do you do?”

  Amusement flickered deep in his eyes. “Very well, thank you. How charming you are, my dear.”

  Wanting to scratch his eyes out, she continued to smile. “Thank you for deciding to back the show.”

  Before he could answer, she glanced around the room. “I’m feeling a little tired from all the excitement. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go lie down in the dressing room for a while.”

  With their murmurs of concern trailing after her, Danielle left the room and hurried down the hall to the side door. Slipping through, she fell against the wall of the building. Her breath quickened as anger and panic fought within her. How long had Sutton known? Had he been toying with her emotions all along?

  Dear God, please don’t let him know where I’m staying. Please don’t let him harm the Kramers or Nelsons in any way.

  She started as the door opened. Sutton stalked toward her then grabbed her arm. “Well, my little sweet, did you think you’d put one over on me?”

  Wincing from the pain, she yanked her arm free. “What do you mean? I told you I was in a show and would pay you each week.”

  “Ah yes, you did mention a show. But you led me to believe you were a chorus girl.” He gave a menacing grin. “This isn’t quite the same, is it? How did you manage it, my dear? And don’t hold out on me or you’ll be very sorry.”

  Danielle calmed her breathing. Perhaps he didn’t know everything after all. “I heard they were auditioning for several parts and thought I’d try out. I never thought I’d get the lead, though.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’d better not be lying to me.”

  “I’m not. Why would I?” She’d simply left out a few facts. Such as Blake’s part in getting her the role.

  He straightened, and a calculating look crossed his face. “Very well, my dear. I think I do believe you. And there might be grand opportunities here. Let me think about it and I’ll let you know what I want you to do.”

  Danielle shuddered as Sutton walked away. He had appeared surprised to find she had the lead in the show. Could it be coincidence that he’d happened to be the new patron, or was he manipulating her again?

  One thing she knew. No matter what evil deed he thought up for her to do, she’d not steal for him. Nor do anything else to harm others. Not even for her own safety. Tears formed in her eyes. Not even for Jimmy’s. Peace was
hed over her. She knew, somehow, God watched over her and Jimmy. She’d have to trust Him to take care of this new situation.

  The door opened and Blake rushed to her. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you all right?”

  She wiped a remaining tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. “I’m fine. The excitement was a little overwhelming. I needed to be alone for a few moments.”

  Relief crossed his face. “Let me take you home so you can rest. You’ve been so tense waiting for this showing for James Sutton, I’m sure your rest has been sporadic at best. Besides, you’re shivering from the cold. Why didn’t you get your coat before coming outside?”

  She realized he was right. Her hands were like ice and the tips of her ears tingled. Gratefully, she allowed him to escort her back to the empty ladies’ dressing room, where she retrieved her coat and hat.

  They walked outside to where Blake’s carriage had already been brought around. Blake took her arm to help her into the buggy, and at the gentleness of his touch, she felt herself relax.

  As the horse’s hooves clattered on the street, Danielle turned to Blake. “What do you know about this man Sutton?”

  “Oh, not much. He’s some sort of businessman and filthy rich.”

  Danielle couldn’t help the smile of wry amusement that tipped her lips. Blake’s family was surely one of the wealthiest in Chicago. However, she’d noticed he didn’t seem to care all that much. Of course, he’d been wealthy all his life and probably thought little about it. He had no idea what it was like to stumble down a cold street shivering in a ragged dress and threadbare sweater, with a little brother clutching tightly to your legs.

  She shoved the thought away. That had been long ago. And even though Sutton hadn’t bought them fine clothes, they’d had enough for their needs.

  They said goodbye at the Kramers’ front door. As she was about to go up to her room, Mrs. Parker stepped into the foyer from the direction of the kitchen. She smiled, her eyes bright with anticipation. “Danielle dear, come into the parlor and tell me what happened.”