Venus Read Online Free PDF

truckle bed, massaging her feet. “Then, if you do not wish to continue being my patron, once I am established I will find someone else. It is usually so, is it not?”
    Nicholas felt his jaw drop. It was not as if the plan was extraordinary. Since the king had decreed three years ago that only women should play female parts in the theatre, the young and attractive, talented and not so talented, had chosenthe stage as offering the shortest path to a noble husband or a wealthy keeper. There were men aplenty, both rich and noble, eager to pay whatever was required, not excluding marriage, for the attentions of the most desirable of these frail creatures. Nicholas was in little doubt, also, that one look at this ravishing girl, once she had acquired a measure of polish, and Thomas Killigrew, who managed the king’s company, would not care whether she was accomplished or not—and neither would the audience. Indeed, it was not inconceivable that if she played her cards aptly, this erstwhile tavern wench from Botolph’s Wharf could find her way, via some nobleman’s bed, into the intimate circles of the court of King Charles.
    And then the idea hit him—brilliant in its simplicity. What if she could be steered into one particular circle—into Buckingham’s circle, to be precise—where she would hear certain things, things that she could be encouraged to divulge to Nick’s own faction? Could they possibly make an unwitting spy out of this exquisite vision who had materialized so serendipitously out of the fetid fogs of the back slums? A frown buckled his forehead. He would need to tread very carefully. She would have to be groomed for the part and maneuvered in the right directions. He would put it to De Winter and the others, but in the meantime she could not be permitted to move prematurely.
    “It is possible that we may be of service to each other,” he said carefully. “However, if you wish for my assistance, you must agree to put yourself in my hands. You may have to do things that you do not care to, at first, but you must promise to trust me, and do as I bid.”
    Polly looked puzzled. “I do not understand why there should be difficulties. You have only to introduce me to Master Killigrew in the morning. I will do the rest myself.”
    “No,” he said, firmly and decisively. “It is not as simple as that.” His eyes narrowed as he saw that beautiful, sensuous mouth harden. “Do you know your letters?”
    A tinge of color touched the high cheekbones. She shookher head, dropping her eyes to her lap, “Books and teachers have not come my way, sir.”
    “Hardly surprising,” he replied matter-of-factly. Learning was an unusual accomplishment for most women, and unheard of for either sex in the world where she had dwelt hitherto. “But how can you expect to become an actor if you cannot read a part?”
    “I have a good memory,” she said a little truculently. “If someone reads the lines to me, I will remember them.”
    “And you imagine that someone is going to be prepared to devote that amount of time to an inexperienced slip of a wench?” He allowed a faint note of derision to creep into his voice and saw her flush deepen.
    “Then I will teach myself. If you will lend me a book, I am sure I will be able to learn.” The note of confidence rang true, and Nicholas wondered if this was another of the actor’s tricks, or if she genuinely believed it.
    “It will be quicker and easier if you have a tutor,” he pointed out mildly. “I will undertake the task in exchange for your agreement to abide by my decisions.” It would also give him the opportunity to assess the quickness of her wit, he reflected. If she was as intelligent as he suspected, the task ahead of them, in all its manifestations, would be greatly facilitated.
    “What is it that you wish me to do for you in return?” Polly asked with slightly unnerving directness. “You said we would be of service to each other.” Slipping his coat