“Of course I won’t say anything.” Cecily shook her head. “I just hope he never finds out. He’ll never forgive you.”

“Oh, poop. Frederick never remembers anything longer than a few minutes.”

She didn’t sound too convincing, and Cecily hoped for her friend’s sake that the colonel never discovered the truth. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, “You mentioned children flying across the stage in your pantomime. I hope you didn’t mean that literally.”

Phoebe beamed. “Of course I did. I intend to ask Gertie if her twins would like to appear in the presentation, and several of the village children are eager to perform. My dance group will be on hand, of course. Deirdre is playing Peter Pan and Mabel is taking the role of Wendy.” Phoebe clasped her hands. “This is going to be the most spectacular event I have ever presented.”

Cecily was inclined to agree. Especially if the hefty Mabel hadn’t lost any weight during the last twelve months. It was a trifle hard to visualize a pudgy Wendy, not to mention the problem of heaving that much weight around on a wire. Cecily’s greatest concern, however, was for the children. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, using children on a wire? That could be quite dangerous.”

“I have complete faith in Clive.” Phoebe straightened her hat with a little tug that dislodged a hat pin. Tutting, she picked it up off the table and stuck it back in her hat. “He’s very good at building things, and he’s assured me that the wiring will be completely safe.”

Cecily privately vowed to have a word with her maintenance man before she allowed such risky maneuvers on her stage. “Isn’t there another pantomime you’d rather do?” she asked hopefully. “Perhaps one that doesn’t present such difficult construction?”