It Started at Sunset Cottage

by Bella Osborne

  “But, she said you said that it was okay,” said Pippa.

  “That’s just… wrong. Sorry, can you take it somewhere. Cage it, drown it, whatever, I don’t care, but it does not come back on set,” he said firmly. Then seeing Pippa’s look of dismay, he said, “Unless it’s in the catering van,” to try to lighten the situation, which was very hard over the incessant yapping. Pippa got up.

  “Come on, Horse, it’s time for sprinkles, anyway.” Pippa nodded at Tim and trudged off full of despondence. As she left they heard the yapping fade away.

  “That bloody dog hates me.” said Tim, “Any tea going in here?”

  “In the corner,” pointed out Marcus. Tim had clearly been to hair and wardrobe; his hair was neat and he was wearing a perfectly fitted suit with an open-neck shirt. Kate found herself staring, but didn’t look away until the last possible moment. He was even starting to look like the Patrick she’d imagined in her head. Kate didn’t want to appear paranoid but she was getting a definite sense that Tim was ignoring her, as all of the conversation so far had been with either Pippa or Marcus, not even a hello or nod in her direction.

  “Uh, Tim, could I have a word please?” said Kate.

  “Not now, sorry. We’ll be filming soon and…”

  “It’s a one-minute chat about Pippa,” she cut in.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “Pippa is really unhappy, she’s doing the job of two PAs, which isn’t very fair. I just thought you ought to know, because I know you’d hate to lose her.” Tim pondered this for a moment as he stirred his tea. She saw his shoulders relax a little.

  “Do you want a tea?”

  “Yes, usual please,” said Kate softly. Tim handed the tea he’d just made to Kate and got to work on a second one for himself.

  “I know you’re right. I’m just in a difficult place right now,” he sighed. “Lumina’s a very demanding lady.” Kate felt her eyebrows twitch at this. “I’ll see Pip right, I promise,” he said, as he finally turned to look Kate in the eye. He looked at her for a few moments before smiling just a brief smile.

  Kate felt like she was on a Wurlitzer all morning, being spun in all sorts of directions. Che was high on the buzz of filming and was shouting and laughing in equal measure. There were frequent shout-outs for make-up, wardrobe, lighting, rigging and a multitude of people, but only one call for script. Kate made the changes, Marcus concurred and they were back in the actors’ hands within minutes. Kate was very charged-up by the whole process. Tim hadn’t been on set much so she had only seen him deliver a few lines. They had retaken him entering a room four times because the set wasn’t right, and she was amazed by his patience, which on other occasions had been lacking. Tim and Lumina had done one scene together and it had gone well. Kate was pleased with the huge difference in Lumina, as she now seemed to have a better grasp of Marcie’s character and situation than she had had a few days ago in read- through.

  Kate was enjoying her lunch and chatting animatedly to Marcus about the morning’s filming when Tim swooped in and sat next to her.

  “How are things with you two?”

  “We’re tickety-boo thanks.”

  “Yes, we’re fine. I’m thoroughly enjoying myself. Whole new experience for me,” said Kate, her enthusiasm overflowing.

  “That’s good. Kate, do you want to meet up tonight for a drink?”

  “Oh, that would be lovely,” she said, feeling awkward but not sure why.

  “Yes, that would be lovely,” echoed Marcus. “Shall we say after dinner? Ten-ish?” Tim sighed and straightened up to look at Marcus. He regarded him a little scornfully.

  “Now, Marcus, you know you’ll be tucked up with a hot-water bottle by then, won’t you?” he encouraged.

  “No, definitely not. I’ll be wherever you are,” Marcus said flatly as he pushed his plate to one side. “Thanks for the invite, we’ll see you later. I take it Lumina will be joining us?”

  “I’m afraid not. She’s helicoptering in each day; she can’t bear to sleep in strange beds, all of a sudden.”

  “That explains a lot. Righto, see you anon. Come on, Kate,” said Marcus standing up, taking Kate reluctantly with him. She had to admit she was a little narked at Marcus playing the overprotective parent, but she knew it was only because he cared. Tim was obviously going to be at a loose end with Lumina not staying and was looking for company, but even so, Kate was a little flattered that he’d asked her.

  When there was a natural break in the afternoon, Dennis took her over to show her how it looked on playback on the screen. It was all she could do to stop herself from jumping up and down like a five-year-old. Che caught up with Marcus towards the end of the day and went through some things he disliked with the dialogue in the scenes planned for the following day. He also dropped what could have been a bombshell about his decision to move the location filming to Bath instead of London. It was both an artistic call and a practical one, as all the London locations he had hoped for were either being filmed in or having work done; Che also felt that Bath would add a different dimension, both to the story and to Patrick, by highlighting evidence of his single-mindedness. Kate was not happy about the change but it was no longer her decision to make – she had signed away her story.

  As she left, Kate spotted Pippa on a patch of grass and was keen to know if her word with Tim had had any effect.

  “Hi, Pippa, how’s it going?” Kate asked and, as she said it, she spotted the small dog sniffing the grass by her feet. So, apparently Tim was not quick to act on his promises.

  “I’m okay. We’re just going sprinkles.” She turned back to address Horse, “Come on, Horse, go sprinkles for Pippa, there’s a good boy.”

  “You’ve got the patience of a saint,” said Kate.

  Once she and Marcus had checked into the rather nice hotel and she’d unpacked, she soon found herself sitting at the bar, nursing what she felt was a well-earned gin and tonic. She was surprised to hear Niamh’s voice behind her. She swivelled as elegantly as she could on her twirly bar stool to watch Marcus and Niamh enter the bar arm in arm, giggling like teenagers. Kate hopped off the stool to greet them.

  “Hello, Niamh, this is a nice surprise.”

  “Good evening, Kate. I’m only staying tonight, then I’ll leave you in peace.”

  “It’ll be nice to catch up.” Kate looked at Marcus, who was watching Niamh as if he hadn’t seen her in weeks rather than just a few hours ago at breakfast. After the pleasantries, they went through to dinner. Towards the end of the meal, Kate was starting to feel a touch gooseberry-like, so she offered to finish off the script amendments on her own and Marcus gladly accepted. Kate texted Tim to say that she couldn’t meet for a drink as she was working, and also to let him know that Niamh was there, in case he wanted to take the gooseberry slot she’d just vacated. She didn’t get a reply.

  Chapter 14

  It was a cool and dry evening, so Andy decided he’d kill two birds with one stone and whilst he was babysitting, he would finish off the patio for Sarah. He had let Amy in on the secret and she was very excited when he arrived, especially when he produced a small spade for her to work with. He also found himself giving her a long lecture on safety when using it, but realising he was starting to sound like his own father, he stopped. Andy answered a few questions about the CO2 footprint of the patio slabs before they donned their wellies and headed outside. Amy was very keen to get started. Andy was just moving the plastic, which was covering the hole, when the phone rang, so he left Amy to it. He went inside, hastily removed his wellies, and padded into the living room to answer it.

  “Hello,” he said, as he picked it up

  “’Ooze tha’?” snarled the not-completely-unfamiliar voice.

  “I’m Andy. I’m the babysitter,”

  “A bloke babysittin’, that ain’t right in my book. So she’s out again, is she?”

  “Yes, Sarah is at work. Is that Irene?”

  “Yeah, it is. Do I know you?”<
br />
  “We’ve met a couple of times. Can I help, as Sarah isn’t here?” He glanced over his shoulder as he thought he saw movement in the hall, but when he looked again there was nothing there and he was quickly drawn back to the conversation.

  “’Ave you seen my Shauny?”

  “Shaun? No not er… not since he was arrested,” hesitated Andy, and he held his breath and waited for the explosive reaction from Irene, which surprisingly didn’t come.

  “’E’s gone missin’. Ain’t no one seen him for two weeks. I’m worrying meself sick.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but Shaun can take care of himself.”

  “It’s all ’er doin’, you mark my words. She’s mad that one!”

  “I don’t think Sarah’s seen him, but I’ll ask her when she gets in and I’m sure she’ll call you if she hears anything.”

  “Huh, I doubt it. ’E said he was going to see Amy and nobody’s seen or heard from him since.”

  “If you’re worried, Irene, you should register him as a missing person with the police.”

  “I ’ave done, but they’re no bleedin use iver!” and, with that, there was a thud and the line went dead. Andy looked at the phone.

  “Bye, Irene, lovely to catch up with you, too.” Once he’d pulled his wellies back on, he re-joined Amy in the garden.

  “Sorry about that. My word, you’re doing well,” he said, as he looked at the almost- full trench that he’d previously dug out to remove the tree roots. “Great job. I’ll help you finish that, then we can spread out all the sand,”

  “What sand?” asked Amy, looking confused.

  “This sand!” said Andy, in a ta-dah moment as he opened the side gate and revealed a pile of sand he had deposited there earlier. He hadn’t dared leave the slabs in case someone had stolen them, so those he would have to lug in from the van.

  “Right, keep going; we’ve loads to do before Mum gets home,” said Andy, picking up his spade. Amy grinned back at him and dug her spade happily into the earth too.

  Amy was surprisingly helpful. When he could see that she was starting to flag, he ushered her inside. Andy hovered around outside the bathroom door while she had a bath, talking to her all the time to make sure she wasn’t drowning. He knew this was a bit paranoid, but he cared about Amy and wanted to make sure she was safe all the time. He brushed her hair with difficulty then put her to bed. Once he was happy that she was fast asleep, he went back to the garden to start laying the slabs.

  When Sarah came in, Andy was asleep on the sofa. Sarah looked at him for a moment. She’d never really studied his face before. His hair was a mess, but she liked that he wasn’t bothered about how he looked or what people thought. He had surprisingly neat eyebrows and very pink lips that pouted slightly as he slept. He had a scar on his nose and his five o’clock shadow was now definite stubble. Sarah pulled herself away from her thoughts and gently touched Andy’s shoulder to wake him. Andy jumped violently, kicked out his right leg and promptly fell off the sofa.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump,” said Sarah, before bursting into hysterical laughter once she realised he was okay.

  “I must have nodded off. Is Amy okay?”

  “Don’t fret, I’m sure she’s fine. It’s okay to have a nap. I expect you’ll want to go to bed now?” said Sarah, picking up a cushion that had jumped off the sofa with Andy. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised her double entendre. “Er, sorry. What I meant was, you’ll want to go to your bed now, not my bed. Well, obviously, not my bed,” she rambled.

  “I’d better get going,” he mumbled, as he ran his hands nervously through his hair and went a little pink in the cheeks. “Oh, before I do, Amy has a surprise for you. She’ll show you in the morning. You need to promise not to go in the garden until she gets up, okay?”

  “Okay, I promise,” she said, still feeling awkward about the bed comment.

  “Right. Night then,” said Andy, picking up his coat.

  “Yes. Thanks for babysitting and for the surprise,” and she kissed his cheek. Andy paused for a moment, as if making a decision.

  “Night, Sarah. I’ll probably see you tomorrow,” and he left.

  The days on set all started to jumble into one another. Kate was amazed how quickly the time had gone and also by how much she’d learnt. Dennis had explained a multitude of things to her and this had really helped. She loved seeing the playback on his monitor, as she felt as if she was actually watching little snippets of the film. Pippa’s life had got a little better as she’d managed to find a personal assistant for Lumina and although Lumina had originally said that the young woman wasn’t suitable, after a chat with Tim she had accepted her and Pippa was relieved of her Horse duties.

  When Kate came back from lunch, Marcus and Tim were huddled in a corner looking very conspiratorial. She smiled at them and went to make herself a drink. A click clack of heels announced Lumina’s arrival and she strode in with Horse under her arm. As soon as he caught sight of Tim he started to yap. Tim stopped his conversation with Marcus and looked impatiently at Lumina.

  “Sorry,” she said sweetly, as she started to coax Horse. “Sh, baby boy, it’s only Uncle Timmy. Sh, there’s a good boy.” Horse stopped the yapping but was now emitting a low, grumbling growl, and every now and then you could see him bare his teeth.

  “Would you like a drink, Lumina?” asked Kate.

  “Sparkling mineral, please,” Lumina replied, as she went to join Tim and Marcus. The growl from Horse got louder the closer she got to Tim. They were then all three in a huddle until Tim’s phone rang and he raced away to answer it. As he stepped away he mouthed to Marcus, but out of sight of Lumina, “It’s Jackie”, and the two men smiled at each at other. Lumina and a calmer-looking Horse came to join Kate on the comfy seating, and Lumina sat down and popped Horse onto her lap, where he settled down and closed his eyes.

  “I wanted to talk to you about my character,” said Lumina. “I’ve been thinking about an angle that I think would work better.”

  “Oh, okay. What was your idea?” Kate said, trying very hard to look as if she was keen to hear the suggestion, rather than betraying the screaming voice in her head that was shouting, “Don’t mess with my characters!”

  “I’m thinking that as Marcie and Marianne were so close…”

  “Marianna,” corrected Kate.

  “Oh, yes, Marianna. As they were close and Marianna died before her time, I thought, what if Marcie had been possessed by Marianna’s spirit?” said Lumina, and swirled her hands over her head for emphasis. Kate heard Marcus stifle a laugh behind her and try to turn it into a cough. She thought for a moment about how best to respond.

  “I like it, it’s an interesting idea,” to which Lumina nodded vigorously, “and whilst I think you could act out that scenario brilliantly, I think we might struggle to get that across to the audience.”

  “Really? I disagree. I think they’d get it if I did different mannerisms or a different voice,” said Lumina as she got carried away with the idea.

  “Also,” said Kate, cutting her off a little, “the key to the story is that Patrick has fallen in love with Marcie, through the emails. It never was Marianna who he fell in love with.” This hung in the air for a moment and Kate could feel that her palms were getting a little sweaty. Eventually, Lumina gave a little nod. Kate continued, “Thanks for coming to talk to me about it, and I think it’s a great idea, but perhaps for a whole other story.”

  “Oh, okay,” smiled Lumina. “There was something else.” Dear God, preserve me, thought Kate. “You’ve been looking at the rushes, haven’t you?”

  “Sorry, not sure what you mean by rushes?” said Kate.

  “The playback, the raw cut of the film,” explained Lumina.

  “I’m sorry. Yes, I have. You look terrific. I’m really excited about it,” said Kate, honestly.

  “Can you see the spark between me and Tim?” Kate was stumped for the second time in two m
inutes.

  “I’ve not seen that much of it, to be honest,” she said feeling uncomfortable.

  “But you must be able to tell that we are lovers, me and Tim? The magazines will love it, and everyone will want to see the film so that they can glimpse what we are like as a couple,” Lumina persisted.

  “You do work very well together, I believe I’m watching Patrick and Marcie, so I’m sure the audience will too,” said Kate. Lumina looked a bit dejected by this.

  “Can’t you see Tumina? That’s what they call us,” simpered Lumina.

  “I guess I’m too focused on my characters, but you and Tim do have something together on screen.”

  Sensing Kate’s reluctance, Lumina said, “Well it will be good for you, too, if Tumina makes people come and see it. Films like this don’t come along that often. You might get asked back to work on another one if it goes well,” Lumina said, as a little coldness crept into her voice and she swept up the sleeping Horse and left.

  Once Lumina had trotted off, Marcus came over and gave Kate a hug.

  “Bravo. Beautifully sidestepped!”

  “Thanks. You were no help whatsoever,” said Kate, giving him a playful thump on the arm. Kate swivelled around for no apparent reason and made eye contact with Tim, who was leaning against the doorway watching Kate and Marcus. There was a brief moment where they both looked embarrassed, smiled at each other and then looked away. Marcus looked from one to the other and smiled to himself.

  “Tim, I meant to say, thanks for sorting things out for Pippa,” said Kate praying for the colour in her cheeks to subside.

  “No problem. You shouldn’t have had to ask me.”

  “She seems happier,” said Kate, starting to feel the conversation dry up between them. “Are you doing anything exciting this weekend?” Dear God, I sound like a hairdresser, she thought.

  “Not sure. I guess Pippa or Lumina will let me know. Look, Che says I’m done for today, so I’m going to make tracks. I’ll see you next week,” he said to Kate and then turned to Marcus, “I’ll let you know about Sunday, okay?”