It was Mary Fuller who was really holding them all together as Mrs Conway, head of the Conway family. Even when on stage with Christopher, she more than held her own and there were times when Esther could see that Christopher resented this. Nevertheless, it was the making of the play because without a strong Mrs Conway nothing would make sense.
Eventually they were down to the final week’s rehearsals. At the end of the week, on the Saturday, the company was to hit the road. They were to open at a country house in Leicestershire called The Small House. The performance was to be indoors, which was lucky considering it was only early spring, in a venue that had been used for world-famous opera singers as well as less well-known touring theatrical companies. It was recognised as a centre of excellence where the Arts were concerned and there was no doubt that they were all expected to give a good performance from night one. According to Christopher the opening night was already sold out and he’d invited the national press along to take some photographs of the final dress rehearsal on the Friday before they left London.
True to his word, Christopher had spent a lot of time giving Esther extra tuition in the part but she still didn’t feel that she’d really got to grips with it. On the surface, yes, but inside she didn’t feel that she was Kay. She didn’t understand Kay and the part simply refused to come alive for her. Despite this Christopher was extremely charming and considerate with her and she began to think that he was far more sensitive than she’d at first believed. He gave up spare time in the evenings, although it clearly annoyed Rebecca, and, despite the fact that he made it clear he’d like further intimacy, he never pressed for it. This had the effect of making him even more attractive to Esther, especially after the fax that she’d received from Marcus.
She knew that Damon was well aware of how badly she was performing. She could see it from the expression on his face every time he watched her. When they were on stage together he seemed to find it difficult to look at her, as though he was afraid that her poor performance might affect his own. Esther still fancied him, but his lack of sympathy and his refusal to mix with the company meant that her feelings didn’t develop. It was Christopher who was being kind to her, and Christopher who made it clear he found her attractive. Damon looked as though he wouldn’t care if he never saw her again for the rest of his life.
She also knew, because it was impossible to keep anything secret in such a small group, that Damon and Ellie were lovers. Not that he was particularly agreeable to Ellie during rehearsals, but he was certainly more talkative with her, and since Esther herself loathed Ellie this was another mark against Damon.
On the Thursday, the penultimate rehearsal day, everyone had been asked to arrive at ten. Noel, Michael and, Rosie arrived together at the same time as Esther. Esther was aware that Rosie was spending a lot of time at Noel and Michael’s flat. What she didn’t know was which of the two men Rosie was actually having sex with. Some days Esther was sure it was Michael, on other days certain that it was Noel. Whenever she asked Rosie all she would do was laugh and say: ‘Can’t you work it out, Esther?’ The truth was, Esther couldn’t.
Once they were all gathered together Christopher gave them a brisk chat, assuring them that he was quite confident the opening night was going to be a huge success, but adding that that was as long as one or two members of the cast managed to raise their level of performance a little. Theresa and Esther glanced at each other when he said this. They knew that they were the two he meant.
In the morning they had a straight run-through, working out scenery changes, make-up changes – ageing was necessary for the middle act – and costume changes. As was always the case at times like this they over-ran horrendously but nobody was too bothered. When they broke for lunch Christopher told them that in the afternoon he wanted them to do another run, this time treating it as though it was a performance. After that they would have another short break and then he’d give them notes. On the Friday they would come in in the morning, go over parts that had caused them problems, and then in the afternoon do another run-through. At the end of that some of the press would be allowed in to take photographs and chat to them.
When it came to the lunch break, Esther was so shattered that she didn’t feel she wanted anything to eat. She certainly couldn’t face the pub, so when Rosie asked her if she’d like to go back to Noel and Michael’s flat with her Esther agreed, especially when Rosie promised her that Noel and Michael wouldn’t be there.
‘Have you got a key, then?’ enquired Esther.
‘Yes,’ said Rosie, waving the key in the air. ‘I’ve had one for ages now. I got it soon after we all met. It means I can pop in there any time.’
The flat was in total chaos, as usual, but this was the first time that Esther had seen it. ‘God, what a tip,’ she remarked. ‘Don’t you ever tidy it up for them, Rosie?’
Rosie shook her head. ‘I think I make a bigger mess than they do,’ she confessed, scooping up some underwear and stockings from the back of the sofa and stuffing them behind a cushion so that Esther could have a seat. ‘Shall I make us a sandwich?’ she continued. ‘You ought to eat something; it’s going to be a bloody long day.’
Esther wondered what on earth the inside of the fridge looked like. Somehow she didn’t think she fancied eating much there but when Rosie offered scrambled eggs she agreed. Once they were eating Esther decided to take her courage in both hands. ‘Come on, Rosie, tell me the truth. Is it Noel or Michael you’re having an affair with?’
‘Both,’ mumbled Rosie, her mouth full of scrambled egg and toast.
Esther nearly choked. ‘Both! Not at the same time, surely?’
‘Yes, at the same time,’ confirmed Rosie. ‘It’s fantastic, it really is. They utterly spoil me. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be happy with just one man again.’ And she laughed.
‘But you must prefer one of them,’ remarked Esther.
‘Why must I?’ asked Rosie. ‘I think they’re both lovely. Anyway, it’s only a bit of fun. Once the tour’s over we’ll probably never meet up again. You ought to have a bit more fun. All you seem to do is work and I don’t believe that you’re having an affair with anyone, are you?’
Esther shook her head. ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘I think I’m probably the only one who isn’t, apart from Mary, but there we are. I suppose it’s too soon after Marcus.’
‘That’s not true,’ said Rosie. ‘You’ve been making eyes at Christopher for the past two weeks.’
‘God, is it that obvious?’ asked Esther. ‘Well it doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere.’
‘I think it is,’ said Rosie. ‘He watches you all the time when you don’t realise it. I reckon he’s just waiting until rehearsals are over and we’re on the road. Probably he felt it would get in the way of his directing at this stage.’
‘Are you sure?’ asked Esther eagerly.
‘Absolutely certain,’ confirmed Rosie. She paused for a moment. ‘Do you mind if I ask you something?’
‘I can hardly object after what I asked you, can I?’ Esther replied.
‘OK, then. Do you fancy Damon as well?’
Esther hadn’t realised that she was so transparent. It didn’t say much for her acting abilities. ‘Yes,’ she admitted quietly. ‘I fancy him something rotten, but don’t try and tell me that he’s interested in me. Anyway, he’s pretty busy with Ellie, isn’t he?’
‘They’ve certainly got a thing going,’ agreed Rosie, ‘but I don’t think it’s very serious. After all, Damon’s got more important things on his mind at the moment than sex.’
‘You mean his acting?’
‘No, not his acting,’ said Rosie. ‘Esther, I know something about Damon but if I tell you do you promise to keep it secret?’
‘Of course,’ agreed Esther quickly.
Rosie stared at her. ‘You’ve got to mean that, because it would be dreadful if it got out. You see Michael told me but he swore me to secrecy.’
‘Then perhaps you’d better n
ot tell me,’ said Esther.
‘I think I should, especially as you like him so much. It will help explain to you why he seems indifferent. Besides, I happen to think he’d be much better for you than Christopher.’
‘I do wish people would stop trying to choose my partners for me,’ Esther said crossly. ‘Anyway, what’s the secret, Rosie?’
‘Well,’ said Rosie lowering her voice, ‘it seems that Damon has a half-sister called Suzie. I forget what her surname is; Michael did tell me. Suzie was apparently a promising young actress at the RSC while Christopher was there and they had a really long, intense affair. She was absolutely besotted with him and Christopher told her that they were going to get married. According to Michael, Damon believes that Suzie has the talent to be the next Maggie Smith or Judi Dench.
‘Anyway, Suzie and Christopher were in Much Ado together; she was playing Beatrice to his Benedick. It was a wonderful production and got rave reviews. The problem was Suzie’s reviews were better than Christopher’s. He couldn’t take that and he dropped her immediately. Michael says that when Christopher told her it completely destroyed her. She left the RSC and now she’s not even acting. I think she’s working in advertising or telephone sales, something like that.’
‘That’s absolutely dreadful,’ said Esther, totally stunned. She could imagine only too well how the poor girl must have felt.
‘Yes, well according to Michael, Damon’s dislike of Christopher is the reason that he’s here. Christopher doesn’t know that Damon is anything to do with Suzie. They don’t share the same surname and Suzie never used to talk about Damon because she was afraid that people would think she was trying to use his name to get on. Damon must be planning some kind of revenge on Christopher but Michael can’t imagine what it is.’
‘So that’s why he isn’t an admirer of Christopher’s,’ said Esther. ‘Everything makes much more sense now. You’d think that Christopher would have found out though, wouldn’t you?’
‘No reason why he should,’ said Rosie. ‘After all, Damon Dowden is extremely well known. This Suzie girl wasn’t, and really Beatrice was her big breakthrough. Obviously she never introduced Damon to Christopher and there’s never been any connection between them mentioned in the press.’
‘I wonder what he’s planning to do,’ mused Esther. She was intrigued because this meant that both she and Damon were in the company for personal reasons unconnected with their acting. What it didn’t explain was why Damon was having an affair with Ellie.
‘So you see,’ Rosie continued eagerly, ‘he might well fancy you but at the moment he’s got other things on his mind.’
‘Including Ellie,’ Esther pointed out.
‘I’m sure Ellie’s just lust,’ said Rosie. ‘Let’s face it, no man in their right mind would turn her down but she’s not exactly the kind of girl you’d make a long-term commitment to, is she?’
‘I don’t think actors and actresses are looking for long-term commitments, are they?’ asked Esther.
‘You were with Marcus, weren’t you?’ asked Rosie.
‘That hurt,’ said Esther.
‘The truth often does,’ Rosie pointed out. ‘Just be careful, Esther. Don’t let Christopher hurt you too.’
‘How can he?’ asked Esther. ‘I’m not in love with him. I suppose it’s more like the reason Damon is with Ellie – I lust after him. You have to admit he’s gorgeous.’
‘Mm, but not my type,’ said Rosie. ‘I can’t imagine that Christopher takes much trouble with his partners, unlike Michael and Noel.’ She stretched slowly and sensuously with a soft sigh and Esther laughed.
‘You’re incorrigible, Rosie! Mind you, it seems to be doing you good. You’re really brilliant as Joan.’
‘Well I do have the advantage of playing most of my scenes opposite Christopher; some of his brilliance is probably brushing off on me,’ said Rosie with a mock modest air.
By the time they returned to the rehearsal room Esther was feeling better. She was also intrigued by the gossip that she’d heard. She hoped that at some time during their tour she’d get the opportunity to know Damon better. Since both he and Esther were trying to use Christopher it might be helpful if they were able to get together. On the other hand she didn’t want him to know that she was in on his secret. At least now she’d be more tolerant of his snide remarks and his continual putting down of Christopher. It was also rather touching to think that he was so fond of his half-sister that he was willing to go to all this trouble to avenge her. She wished that she had someone who cared that much about her. Apart from Lydia there was no one who seemed to feel that Marcus had done her any great wrong. On the contrary, she knew that many people in the acting business felt that she’d been lucky to be with him for as long as she had.
That afternoon they did a complete run-through trying to stick to the right times and performing to the best of their ability. At the end they took their carefully choreographed bow and then scattered around the room waiting for Christopher’s comments.
‘That wasn’t at all bad,’ he said with a half-smile on his face. ‘To be honest, it was far better than I’d anticipated. Of course, it’s quite difficult for me to judge because I’m on stage so much but George here tells me that it went very smoothly and most of the time he was thoroughly absorbed. There are still one or two problems that need to be ironed out but I’d rather talk to the individuals concerned on their own. In general let’s just say that I’m pleased with the way things are going and if you keep this up then the opening night next week in Leicestershire should be very good indeed.’
‘Is that it?’ asked Damon from the back of the hall. ‘No notes at all?’
‘Certainly none for you, Damon,’ Christopher said brightly. ‘You were very good and extremely powerful. Just be careful not to overshadow Rebecca. I know she’s the downtrodden wife in the middle act but we don’t want her to look like the victim of some kind of abuse, do we? You could possibly tone it down a fraction; otherwise it’s absolutely fine.’
‘Serves you right for asking,’ said Ellie, who was sitting next to him resting her head on his shoulder.
‘I hate to be ignored,’ drawled Damon.
Esther, who was sitting near enough to hear, wanted to laugh but she didn’t because she knew only too well that she was going to be taken to one side and talked to about her performance. If anything, she’d been worse this afternoon than in the morning.
As she’d anticipated Christopher quickly approached her once the group began to break up to leave. ‘Esther, darling, I think there are still a few problems, don’t you?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ she admitted.
‘Look, how about if I came round to your place this evening and we worked really hard on it for a couple of hours? Would that suit you?’
‘I think it would be very helpful,’ agreed Esther. ‘Are you sure you can spare the time?’
‘I don’t think I’ve got much choice,’ said Christopher.
Esther blushed. ‘I didn’t realise I was that bad,’ she murmured.
‘It isn’t a question of being that bad,’ Christopher explained carefully. ‘The truth is, Esther, you’re surrounded by some very good actors. I want you to do yourself justice, to really get the best out of you, and I don’t mind how much time I spend in order to get you to do that.’
‘You know where I live?’ queried Esther.
‘Of course. I’ll be there at eight,’ promised Christopher before moving off to speak to Theresa.
Esther quickly grabbed her coat and hurried to the tube station. She needed to tidy up a bit and make sure she’d got some drink in. Not that she’d be drinking, but she guessed that Christopher would want to. She couldn’t help wondering if this might be the opportunity she’d been waiting for. Once they’d finished discussing her acting then surely there would be a chance of something more intimate occurring between them, she thought to herself. She decided to change when she got home so that she was looking a little more feminine
than she usually did for rehearsals. It wouldn’t hurt to give Christopher a nudge in the right direction and, if what Rosie had said was the truth, a little nudge might be all that he needed.
Chapter Six
Ellie was highly relieved that Damon had agreed to come back to her rooms with her. Although they’d been conducting a torrid affair for some time now, she could never be certain of him. This didn’t trouble her too much. Ellie wasn’t into long-term commitment; what she wanted was regular and good sex, which Damon certainly provided. However, because of her sexual skills, she’d always found that once men became involved with her they tended to dance to her tune, at least in the beginning. Damon had made it clear from day one that he had no intention of dancing to anyone’s tune except his own. At first Ellie had tried to change him, cancelling arrangements at the last moment or hinting of other love affairs, but when it became clear that this didn’t trouble Damon she stopped doing it. There was no point if it wasn’t going to have any effect.
Tonight she’d half expected him to say that he was tired after the rehearsals and wanted to go back to his own house. She’d never been invited there and knew that she never would be. As far as she was aware no one was invited to Damon’s private sanctum. He was the most secretive actor she’d ever come across. Actors and actresses were, by the very nature of their profession, garrulous and outgoing. They loved to gossip and exchange hospitality and even if the friendships were only surface deep, or sometimes false, they were usually quickly forged. Damon appeared to feel no need to make any friendships and before he and Ellie had first got into bed he had made his terms very clear to her. No emotional involvement, no talking about the affair with other members of the group and, above all, no questions.
Ellie didn’t know what kind of questions he thought she might ask him. The truth was, she was far too self-absorbed to want to know very much but she hadn’t expected such utter silence from him when it came to talking about his family. She wondered if they’d disapproved of his choice of career and cut him off. Since he never gave interviews there were no cuttings that she could look out to see if she was right.
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