Barrie became acquainted with actress Mary Ansell in 1891 when he asked his friend Jerome K. Jerome for a pretty actress to play a role in his play Walker, London.
Beginning in mid-1908, Mary had an affair with Gilbert Cannan (who was twenty years younger than she[REF] and an associate of Barrie's in his anti-censorship activities), including a visit together to Black Lake Cottage, known only to the house staff.