Page 35 of The Songbird of Wychwood

GEORGE

The trial of Alfred Grayson was moved to the Old Bailey, such was the public interest. And before the penny rags could invent nonsense about what had occurred at the music hall, I gave an exclusive interview to Percy for The Daily Gazette to ensure the truth was made public. The trial itself became quite the hot ticket, with the public gallery jam packed each day with coves desperate to be first to hear the evidence against Alfred Grayson.

After a week, where I’d given my witness account, along with the other acts who discovered their songs had been stolen, the verdict was finally read out. Alfred Grayson’s fate was grim indeed. He was found guilty on the charges of copyright infringement, theft, and grand larceny. The high court judge, Lord Justice Cecil Fortesque sent him down for ten years. He was also to be sent on a convict ship to Australia to serve out his time doing hard labour. One thing was certain; Alfred Grayson would not be troubling me, the Duke, or merry old England again!

I began to have weekly dinners with my father at his club. I discovered that I liked him. Despite us being strangers, we had a lot in common. He was charming, kind and generous, and so I understood what my ma saw in him. I also accepted my father’s offer and the Middlesex Theater was legally signed over to me to do with as I wished. Publicly, the story in the press was that I’d purchased the theater and the Duke of Bedford had offered a sizable investment to ensure the building was safe. And with such a large investment it took just three months to redecorate. I did away with the supper tables and had rows of luxurious seats fitted so we could comfortably get more bums on seats and increase the takings!

When the Middlesex reopened, it was for the grand premiere of a new musical show I’d written called ‘The Impresario’s End”. It involved all of the regular performers from the music hall. The story made a comic mockery of Alfred Grayson’s scam, his trial, and his eventual end which involved being chased around the stage by coppers and getting kicked up the arse. The audience howled with laughter.

Percy and I went from strength to strength. He made his business dreams come true by setting up Dancie we linked arms as we strode to where Evangeline Harcourt stood, now stony faced beside my father, Victor, who was grinning with self-satisfaction.

“Mother, I’d like to introduce you to my partner and dearest friend…Miss Georgette D’Ancie.”

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The End

The third book in the Wychwood Trilogy is

The Keeper of Wychwood