by Lyn Gardner
“As if,” sighed Cosima.
At that moment, Alicia and Sebastian came back. “Why don’t you show the twins round the Swan?” said Alicia. Cosmo looked totally underwhelmed at the idea but Alicia was insistent. She explained that the Swan was a bit of a warren and a tour would make everything much easier for them when they started the next day. The children set off, with Cosmo trailing behind still playing a game on his phone. The minders followed at a distance.
*
Alicia and Sebastian watched them go.
“This isn’t going to be easy, Alicia,” said Sebastian.
“No,” said Alicia. “In fact, it’s going to be much harder than I thought. I’m really worried about the twins, Seb. You saw them acting this afternoon. I know it’s still early days but they’re going to be so exposed on the West End stage. When I was doing the film with them in Hollywood I strongly advised Jasper Wood against doing Peter Pan but he still went ahead and signed the contract on their behalf. They may be rich and famous the world over but they’re still just a couple of twelve-year-old kids and I can’t bear to think of them being sacrificed on the altar of the Wood family ambitions.”
“I can see why Jasper Wood was keen,” replied Sebastian. “I know he’s still a big star but his career is rumoured to be on the skids. His last couple of movies flopped and he hasn’t been on Broadway for years. Presumably he wants to make sure that his kids carry on the family name. But I’m curious. Why did you agree to this? Why get involved in something so risky?”
“How could I say no?” said Alicia. “I think I genuinely helped them improve their performances in the film, and the editing will do the rest. Once Jasper had made up his mind that the twins were going to do Peter Pan, I felt I had to do anything I could to prevent a catastrophe. They’ve never even been on stage before, poor little mites.”
“I don’t think that Cosmo qualifies as a poor little mite; more of a spoiled little brat,” said Sebastian drily.
Alicia nodded. “I don’t think he’ll be half so cocky when he realises the challenge he’s up against. I just hope that the rest of the principals in the cast go all out to help them.”
“Who’s playing Captain Hook?” asked Sebastian.
“I imagine they’ll double Mr Darling and Captain Hook, but Jon wouldn’t tell me who the actor is. It’s top secret, so it must be a huge name. Even the twins don’t know who it is. There’s more security round this show than there is around the Crown Jewels. Everyone involved has had to sign confidentiality agreements, and I had to get special permission just to announce it at assembly this afternoon. I just hope Captain Hook is played by someone who’ll be generous and supportive towards the twins.” Alicia shook her head gravely. “I’m seriously worried their West End debut is going to backfire and that’ll end up reflecting badly on the Swan too. But there’s no going back now. We’ll just have to make the best of a bad situation and hope that the critics don’t eat them up and spit them out.” She looked at her watch. “I’d better call Tom and Georgia. Their taxi will be here any moment to take them to the Duke’s for The Sound of Music.” She cocked her head to one side, reminding Sebastian of a delicate bird. “Isn’t this lack of building-site noise bliss?”
Everyone rushed off about their business and suddenly Olivia found herself alone with the twins and their minders while they waited for their limo to arrive to take them back to their hotel. Cosmo was still playing on his phone.
Olivia and Cosima looked at each other awkwardly. Olivia was itching to get away too. She had had quite enough of the Wood twins for one day. She thought Cosmo was one of the most unpleasant boys she had ever met. There was something about his pampered arrogance that reminded her of Katie Wilkes-Cox, a former Swan pupil who had hated Olivia and done everything she could to hurt her. As for Cosima, Olivia found her self-pity and lack of spark and animation depressing; she seemed to come alive only when she was arguing with her brother. In many ways, she was just as self-absorbed.
“Do you like it here at the Swan?” asked Cosima shyly.
Olivia realised that it was the first question either of the twins had asked; throughout tea they had let the Swans do all the questioning and shown no interest in anybody else’s lives. She nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Though I hated it when I first came here two terms ago. I loathed all the acting and singing and particularly the dancing, but now I love it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Well, I still don’t like dancing much, but I don’t do very much of that. I do circus instead. High-wire and trapeze mostly.”
“You can walk the high-wire?” said Cosima. “Oh my gosh! That’s totally awesome.”
“Yes,” said Olivia. “I used to live in a travelling circus with my dad, Jack Marvell. He’s a high-wire walker.”
“Your dad’s the Great Marvello? Wow! I’ve seen clips of him on YouTube walking across Niagara Falls. You have the coolest dad on the planet. I’d love to meet him.”
Olivia was delighted by Cosima’s words. “He’s away in the US making a documentary but he’s promised to come home very soon,” she said. “Eel and I really miss him. I just wish he could get a job here in London for a while.” She smiled at Cosima. “You could learn the high-wire while you’re at the Swan.”
Cosima looked worried. “Er, well, I’m not good at heights.”
“Oh, you can start just a few centimetres off the ground.”
Cosima still looked worried. “I guess my dad wouldn’t like it,” she muttered.
“No, he wouldn’t, because it’s just circus garbage,” said Cosmo, looking up from his phone for a millisecond. “Move it, Cosi, the limo’s here. Dad’s texted me – he’s just touched down at Heathrow and he’s going straight to the hotel. He wants to talk to us about the press conference tomorrow.”
He stalked away without even saying goodbye. Olivia felt furious. Cosima smiled apologetically and followed him meekly, sighing heavily. Olivia watched her go. She thought how many girls envied Cosima Wood and fantasised about what it must be like to be her, but from what Olivia had seen, it was a real downer. Well, she wasn’t going to waste any more time on the Wood twins. She doubted that she’d have much to do with them. Cosmo clearly thought that everyone at the Swan was beneath him, and she couldn’t imagine that she and Cosi would ever be friends in the same way she was with Georgia, Aeysha and Tom. She hurried away to find Pablo, who had promised to give her a trapeze lesson.
Chapter Five
Olivia was eating her breakfast when her mobile phone rang.
“Olivia?” said an American voice hesitantly.
“Cosima!” said Olivia, surprised. “How did you get my number?”
“I hope you don’t mind. I asked Jon James for it.” Cosima paused. “I wanted to ask you a big favour.”
“What is it?” asked Olivia cautiously. She really didn’t want to get involved with the twins more than was necessary but, for Alicia’s sake, she didn’t want to be rude either. Having seen how Cosmo and Cosima had behaved at tea last night, she reckoned they wouldn’t be greeted with open arms by the rest of the Swan pupils and might have quite a hard time at the school.
“I hoped that you would come to the press conference this morning,” said Cosima. Then she added shyly, “I guess I’d feel happier if there was a friendly face in the crowd.”
“But Cosmo and your dad will be there. And Gran.”
“I know,” said Cosi firmly. “But I want you to be there too.”
Olivia sighed inwardly. Cosima had called it a favour but there was something about her manner that made it sound like an order at the same time. She hoped that Cosima hadn’t singled her out to be her special friend while she was at the Swan. But Olivia wanted to be kind, because after all she knew only too well what it was like to be thrust into a strange situation beyond your control. When she and Eel had arrived at the Swan two terms ago, Olivia felt everyone thought they were weird because they’d been in a circus, and being Alicia’s granddaughters singled them out too. She tho
ught it must be the same for Cosima and Cosmo but even more so. If you had been famous all your life like the twins had, it must be impossible to make real friends.
“I’ll have to ask Gran,” said Olivia, hoping she sounded more enthusiastic than she felt.
“Cool,” said Cosima. “I think Jon is calling her now. Catch ya later.”
Cosima was right. Alicia was that very minute talking to Jon James on her mobile. Jon was very fond of both the Marvell girls: Eel’s impromptu performance as Gretl on press night had saved his production of The Sound of Music and turned it into the hit of the season, and he admired Olivia for her extraordinary bravery in saving Katie Wilkes-Cox, another member of the cast, from certain death, even though Katie had been making her life a misery.
“Cosima really does seem very keen for Livy to be there,” Jon told Alicia. “And anything that will help put the twins at their ease can only be a good thing.” Then he added cryptically, “In fact, there’s going to be an announcement that both the Marvell girls will enjoy. You’d better bring Eel too.”
Before Alicia could ask him what he meant, Jon moved on. “How was your session with the twins yesterday?” Alicia paused just a fraction too long. “Tell me the truth!” he demanded.
Alicia sighed. “As you well know, Jon,” she said drily, “the truth is a precious commodity and we must use it sparingly. Particularly in the theatre.”
Jon laughed. “OK, you’ve told me everything I need to know. Lots of hard work ahead for all of us, then. I just hope that the casting coup of the century doesn’t turn out to be a catastrophe instead. See you in a couple of hours.”
Alicia said goodbye and turned to Olivia. “I can see from your face that Cosima’s already asked you this – but would you like to come to the press conference?” asked Alicia. She saw the doubt in Olivia’s eyes. “I don’t want to force you to be friends with Cosima. But I think just at the moment she needs all the support she can get. Jon and I would be very grateful if you would humour her, at least today.”
“The problem with the Wood twins is that people humour them all the time,” said Olivia. “But I will come, Gran. But more for your sake, and for Jon’s, not for Cosima’s.”
“Thank you, Livy. It’s kind of you. You can go to your first two lessons and then meet me in the foyer at ten o’clock. And Jon wants Eel to be there too. Do you want to tell her or shall I?”
“I’ll find her,” said Olivia, gathering up her homework books. She knew that her little sister would be thrilled to be going to the press conference. Unlike Olivia, who shrank away from the bright lights, Eel loved the glamour of show business.
“It’s going to be a packed day,” said Alicia. “But, and thank heavens for small mercies, at least there’s no repeat of yesterday’s dreadful noise.” Olivia headed off downstairs to find Eel, who was doing a before-school class in the Pavlova dance studio. As she got to the door, the bell for first lessons rang. The second it stopped, the machines on the building site next door started up in a great cacophony of noise.
Two hours later, Alicia, Olivia and Eel were sitting in the front row of the Imperial Theatre. Behind them, the gathered press were getting restless. They had already been introduced to Jon James and the production’s designer, Lucy Parks-Davies, whose collapsing set for the National Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream had won her every award going. The choreographer was Tippi Leone, who famously had been sacked from a TV dance show for saying that one of the celebrity contestants looked like a sack of potatoes with all the dancing skills of a tub of lard and then refusing to withdraw her comments. They had also been introduced to Chloe Bonar, who was playing Mrs Darling, and to the rising young comedian Ric Nighthall, who was going to play Nana the dog. He had been in full furry costume and had raised a few laughs with his antics. They’d even got to see the computer-operated mechanical crocodile with the ticking clock inside its tummy that would pursue Captain Hook. Eel thought it would be rather fun to operate the crocodile. She hoped Jon James would let her have a go.
But everyone was impatient to get to the real meat of the press conference. Since the Wood twins has been spotted arriving at Heathrow forty-eight hours ago, the press had been awash with speculation that they were in London to star as Peter and Wendy, and they were dying to interrogate the most famous twelve-year-olds in the world. But they were also agog to discover who was playing Captain Hook. Seldom had a production so successfully staged-managed its own publicity.
Jon James was talking again, explaining that the production would be using an innovative new system of flying that would allow the children to soar right out into the auditorium and over the heads of the audience. The camera crew, standing in the aisle next to Olivia and Eel, yawned. Normally they’d have found this interesting but they knew that what their news desks really wanted was good footage of the Wood twins and an interview with whoever was playing Captain Hook. But Olivia was fascinated. She thought she’d very much like to have a go at flying. It sounded fun. She reckoned that her circus skills would stand her in good stead. It crossed her mind that Cosima had said she didn’t like heights. How would she cope with flying?
“And now for a real coup,” said Jon. “I’d like to introduce you to our flying consultant … the one and only Jack Marvell.” A cheer erupted from the auditorium. Olivia, Eel and Alicia gasped and Olivia turned to her grandmother accusingly.
“I didn’t know, Livy,” protested Alicia. “I promise. I’m as astonished as you are. I didn’t even know he was back in the country.”
Olivia felt really hurt. Even if Jack had been told to keep his involvement in Peter Pan a secret, she thought he ought to have trusted her enough to tell her, or at least let her know that he was back in London. But as soon as she saw him walk on stage, his crumpled clothes and bleary-eyed expression showing he’d just stepped off a plane, her hurt feelings evaporated.
Jack Marvell was a popular and glamorous figure, an old-style hero whose daredevil stunts had long captured the public imagination. He’d made front-page news recently, after his plane had crashed in the Idaho wilds and he’d walked for four days through the wilderness to get help for the injured pilot. The cameramen and the rest of the media had really perked up. This press conference was getting better and better!
When Jack caught sight of Olivia, Eel and Alicia, he gave them a surprised and delighted grin and a thumbs-up. There were a few technical questions and then one of the journalists asked him about the safety of the flying apparatus he would be using.
“It’s safer than an aeroplane,” said Jack with a confident grin.
“But planes do crash,” someone called out.
“Not on their way to Never Land, and not if I’m the pilot,” said Jack firmly. “All the children who fly in this production will be as safe as if their feet had never left the ground. And now, ladies and gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve just touched down myself and there are some very important people I have to see.” He made his way off stage, through the pass door and down into the auditorium, where he took the seat between Olivia and Eel, squeezed both their hands and whispered, “Hello, girls, I’ve missed you both so much.” Olivia squeezed his hand back very hard and snuggled close to him and Eel got out of her seat and climbed into his lap.
“Dad,” whispered Olivia. “Can I have a go at flying?”
“I knew you’d ask me that,” said Jack. “I was hoping to sign you up to be my guinea pig. Tom too, if he wants.”
On stage, Jon James was back at the microphone. “Now,” he said, “this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for! It gives me enormous pleasure to introduce our Peter and Wendy. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Cosmo and Cosima Wood.” Some stirring music struck up, composed by the man who would be composing all the music for the show, and Cosmo and Cosima stepped on to the stage into a huge spotlight. Camera shutters clicked. The twins waved and smiled. They looked very shiny, thought Olivia. As if somebody had polished them all over. She could s
ee that Cosmo was holding Cosima’s hand very hard and Cosima’s smile was unnaturally bright as if she was acting happiness and excitement rather than actually experiencing it. She suddenly caught sight of Olivia and flashed her a grateful smile, full of genuine warmth.
“Now, I know that you are very eager to talk to Cosmo and Cosima, and ask them all about playing Peter and Wendy and making their stage debut here in London, but first I want to introduce you to our Captain Hook. We’ve managed to keep it so secret that nobody, not even Cosmo and Cosima, have known who they will be acting alongside on stage. But I can now reveal to you, in what I’m sure you will all agree is a brilliant piece of casting, that Captain Hook, and of course Mr Darling, will be played by that celebrated star of stage and screen, Jasper Wood.”
The auditorium gasped as Jasper Wood strode on stage. He was a big man with a mass of dark hair and a hawk-like nose that gave a touch of cruelty to his handsome face. While a huge hubbub broke out among the journalists in the auditorium, all eyes turned to Cosmo and Cosima. How would they react to the news that they’d be acting on stage alongside their father? The cameras went crazy as the Wood children and Jasper were ushered towards each other. Jasper Wood clapped Cosmo on the back and caught Cosima in a massive bear hug and held her very tight. Eventually he broke away from her and raised a hand for silence.
“My amazing, talented son, Cosmo, and his beautiful sister, Cosima, and I are delighted and honoured to be making our West End debuts together in J.M. Barrie’s famous play. It means so much to us as a family, a family who have drama running through our veins, to be acting in the capital of the theatrical world, London. I know that I speak for all of us when I say that there is no place on earth we’d rather be, except in Never Land, and I hope that you will accept the invitation to fly there with us and experience its magic.” Jasper’s ultra-sincere manner and his clearly rehearsed words made Olivia’s toes curl. She glanced at Cosima. She looked stiff with shock.