Page 41 of Love, Will

Chapter 10

“Thine eyes I love, and they as pitying me,

Knowing thy heart torment me with disdain,

Have put on black, and loving mourners be,

Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.” -Sonnet 132

I decided not to waste Henry’s wish and headed towards the theatre to speak to Richard and the men. Within a week we had our income sorted and the shareholder’s contract signed. The Burbage family would own half and myself, John, Augustine and Thomas would split the other half. Which meant I had bought one eight of the theatre with those fifty pounds my patron had left to me.

I saved the rest until the opening, as it would take us several months to assemble the building back together. It must have been a sight for all those people watching us ripping the theatre building apart and carrying it piece by piece to the new place by the river. I helped the men carry the parts in about a week and spent months putting them together, but finally, by the end of June, we had a new shiny location assembled. We changed the name fromThe TheatretoThe Globe; since we liked the sound of it and the stars reflected on the stage like a dome.

During those few months, to banish my thoughts from Henry and his new wife, I spent the days working at the theatre and my nights writing, so by the time we opened I had quite a lot of new material but we premiered with a historical action. We wanted people to see a fight and all the new stage possibilities and entrances built so we decided onJulius Caesar.

Even though I said I would not act anymore, the men insisted I played a part in my own creation, in our new theatre, so I agreed to sporadically appear on the stage from time to time as a character as well.

Business was doing good, winnings were high, and the theatre flourished. All the men were content and London loved us. We started to make up for our investment and within a few months from the opening, I travelled back to Stratford to bring Anne some more coin. The house was almost finished, and she sounded eager to show me all the new developments. The girls loved to spend time in the garden; they had hens and a lamb to play with and helped around the house with whatever was needed.

“Dear Will,

I am writing to share with you the news of the birth of my daughter Penelope. She is growing strong and healthy, both she and her mother are in splendid form.

My deepest congratulations for your success with the theatre. News of your genius has arrived all the way to Titchfield. I was told Henry V is a masterpiece. I did not expect any less of you.

It would be my grand pleasure to visit the new theatre, The Globe as you now call it, but Her Majesty is requiring me to travel to Ireland on her behalf, so I shall have to postpone my visit.

With longing and love,

Henry”

“My dearest Earl,

News of your family’s health brightens my day. I thank you for your praise and I do hope you will come to the new location one day; it is breathtaking at night. I am certain that someone who likes to wake from his bed and gaze at the stars would greatly enjoy this splendid view.

I wish you well in your travels. May your journey be easy and your purpose achieved.

Love,

Will”

After Henry’s last visit to the inn I was staying at, I decided to change residence. I could not sleep in that bed, longing for his scent to return to the sheets. Christopher Mountjoy was a kind man who spoke French and had a room available, so I moved to Silver Street, into one of his rooms. It meant a longer walk from the theatre, but I liked to take some time and admire the views on my way home.

He helped me with several problems during the years and I even stole some French off him for my plays. My life in the next year became blurred, I was reliving the same day over and over, wake up, rehearsal or simply go to the theatre to write, eat with the men, go back to the theatre for the play, eat or drink with the men, sometimes both or come back home to write.

Sometimes I took a horse and traveled to Stratford for a few days to see the girls. On Lent, I closed myself in the study and after a few weeks I came out with Hamlet. The quiet atmosphere of Stratford did marvels for my creation and Anne’s unconditional support and care allowed me to release unabridged ideas on paper.

These uneventful days became my companions. Amidst of it all, I had found a tranquil lifestyle and felt fairly at bay with my situation and the life I was yet to live. I did not expect nor welcomed any more excitement, but plans were not meant to be followed. All the peace I had grabbed for myself vanished the day Henry burst into the new theatre, shouting my name.

“Will!, Will!” I heard him from the entrance and immediately recognized his voice. Before I even turned, I found him, agitated, looking around for me in a hurry.

I rushed onto the stage to meet him, smiling.

He threw a purse of coin in my direction and demanded, “Tomorrow you are to perform Richard II, the original version, the one you wrote and had to edit, remember?”

I stared at him, not knowing what to say. The men were all silent.

“Agreed, then?” he pushed.

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