Gruff’s furious barking woke me. I heard footsteps outside, and a man’s voice yelling firmly, ‘Down!’
I seemed to recognize the voice, but I dozed off again.
The next thing I knew was the key turning in the lock, and my mother saying, ‘Billy, come downstairs. Now.’
I sat up. She looked hot and flustered.
‘What is it?’
‘Come now!’
I followed her downstairs.
Who should be sitting beside the fire, stroking Hoppy, but William Shakespeare!
‘Good evening, sir,’ I said, for I could tell by the light that it was getting late.
While Mother lit some candles, I whispered to Master Shakespeare, ‘Did Dippity—’
He put a finger to his lips and nodded, then said aloud, ‘When you did not turn up today, I wondered if you were ill, Billy. I am glad you are not.’
‘No I—’
‘I have persuaded your mother to forgive you for running away to join the company. She knows that I was minded to do the same thing once.’
I looked from one to the other. I swear my mother blushed.
‘Will and I knew each other when we were young,’ she said softly. ‘He married another, then disappeared for a while, and I – I married his closest friend.’
My eyes nearly popped from my head. Was my mother once in love with William Shakespeare?
As he accepted a cup of wine from her, Master Shakespeare said, ‘I remember what it was like to want to go on the stage so badly that I would do anything to achieve it – even leave home.’
Mother cleared her throat. ‘Will tells me that you, Billy, are a promising young actor, and the keenest he has known for years. But I cannot have you hanging around the Globe waiting for parts between sweeping and fetching and carrying for people.’
To my dismay, Master Shakespeare said, ‘I agree.’
‘Oh,’ said I, feeling sick and hopeless.
‘So,’ he continued, ‘with your mother’s blessing, you will be apprenticed to one of the finest players in the company. You will learn to—’
He talked on, but I barely heard a word, I was so full of joy. I hugged my mother. ‘Oh, thank you!’ I hugged my dog. I only just stopped myself from hugging Master Shakespeare!
I saw Nelly’s eyes as big as frying eggs, peering through the stairway, but I cared not a jot for her. I was to be a player!
But what was Master Shakespeare saying?
‘…there is one condition. If you do not agree to it, the King’s Men cannot accept you.’
My stomach turned over. ‘What is the condition, sir?’
‘Hoppy must join the company, too. We have not seen so comical and clever an animal since Will Kempe and his dog left, years ago. There is a part for Hoppy as Launce’s dog, Crab, in Two Gentlemen of Verona. Can you teach your signals to the man who plays Launce?’
I laughed. ‘I can indeed, sir!’
I had heard of Will Kempe and his dog. When Master Kempe left the Chamberlain’s Men, he danced all the way to Norwich – more than a hundred miles – and called his dance the ‘Nine Days’ Wonder!’ He didn’t dance it all in one go, of course, but rested between each of the dance days.
While Will Shakespeare and Mother talked awhile of things past, I stared into the fire, thinking of the wonderful future before me.
Eventually, Master Shakespeare stood. He looked down at me. ‘Well, Billy-Odd-Job, we must call you by your proper name now. William Watkins, apprentice player!’
That sounded so good! But it wasn’t exactly what I wanted.
‘If you please, sir,’ I said. ‘I would like to be known as Will. Will Watkins.’
He laughed and clapped me on the back. ‘It is a fine name – Will!’
*
Mother was the guest of William Shakespeare at my first performance. She had an honoured seat in the lords’ room, and old John Merry was to sit beside her, so that no one should bother her.
She told me there would be a surprise for me after the performance, but I was too excited to take much notice. I was to be in the first scene of Act Three as well as in Act One, and I would be on stage again at the end when the audience would cheer us. And so it happened. The only thing that concerned me was that when I glanced up at my mother, old John Merry was not beside her – I could not see his white beard gleaming in the shadows. I could barely make out my mother’s features at all, but she seemed composed.
When the play was over and it had been as wonderful as I had dreamt, Master Shakespeare came to me in the tiring house.
‘I wish you a long and successful career, Will Watkins,’ he said. ‘And by the way, I noticed that the letter you sent with Mistress Dippity was written with charcoal. I would like you to have this, to bring you luck.’
He took from his little table his ink jar and a quill.
I caught my breath. ‘Thank you, sir. Is this your own quill?’
He nodded. ‘It is my second best. It writes well. And now, your mother is outside, waiting to congratulate you. She has a surprise for you.’
I had thought that the ink and quill were my surprise. I went outside and ran down the steps to hug Mother. But she was not alone. There was a man with her, a sun-browned man with long curling dark hair and an untidy beard.
I could not believe my eyes. ‘Father!’ I cried. ‘Oh, Father!’
He held out his arms.
‘When did you get home?’ I asked, my voice shaking.
‘This morning,’ he replied, hugging me close.
I clung to him, smelling the sea on him. Then my tears began to fall. ‘Father, I did it,’ I sobbed. ‘I followed my heart!’
I have never been so happy.
