Dreaming of Mr. Darcy (23 page)

He's been messing around with Kay, I'm sure of it,' Sophie said.

‘Come away from the window,' Gemma said, promptly walking over to it herself and peering out into the night. ‘Where are they?'

As soon as the words were out, they heard the front door open downstairs.

‘They've just arrived back,' Sophie said, ‘but I bet you anything they've been to the Cobb, and I'm sure they were holding hands.'

Gemma returned to the bed and picked up her knitting. ‘I don't think it's any of our business what they're doing.'

‘Not even if it's wrong?'

‘Why's it wrong?' Gemma asked.

‘Because there's no way that relationship can work out.'

‘Why not? I think you're giving Oli really bad press. You know, he was just talking to me before—'

‘What about?' Sophie interrupted, leaving the window and flinging herself down on the bed opposite Gemma.

‘You mustn't say anything to anyone.'

Sophie nodded.

‘But he's thinking of giving up acting.'

‘Really?'

‘There's someone he wants to spend more time with,' Gemma said.

‘Kay? He's giving up acting for Kay?'

‘Well, he didn't mention her by name.'

Sophie frowned. ‘But he's only known her for a few days.'

‘That doesn't matter, does it? Some people know really quickly when they fall in love.'

‘I suppose,' Sophie said. ‘And it did happen for me once. We'd only known each other for six hours, but I knew he was the right man for me.'

Gemma smiled. ‘I didn't know you were in a relationship.'

‘Oh, I'm not,' Sophie said. ‘And it lasted only three weeks, but they were the most wonderful three weeks of my life.'

There was a squeak in the floorboard of the landing.

‘It's Oli,' Sophie said, springing up off the bed and tearing across the room to the door. Gemma watched, horrified, as Sophie removed the key and peered out onto the landing. ‘He's alone,' she said, her voice full of disappointment.

Gemma tutted. ‘What did you expect?'

‘I thought they might come upstairs together,' she said.

Gemma returned to her knitting pattern. ‘I doubt that will happen. They wouldn't want to risk being caught.'

***

At shortly after eleven o'clock, there was a knock on Kay's bedroom door.

She'd been rereading one of her favourite scenes towards the end of
Persuasion
when Captain Wentworth and Anne meet and ‘the evening seemed to be made up of exquisite moments.' She loved that scene and couldn't wait to see how it would be played out in the new film version with Oli and Gemma.

She put the book on her bedside table and swung her legs off the bed. She was wearing a white knee-length nightgown in broderie anglaise, and her hair was loose and newly washed and smelled of strawberry shampoo. Since becoming the owner of a bed and breakfast, she'd thought it better to ditch her manly nightshirt and invest in something a bit more seemly to wear in case she was called on in the middle of the night. It was just as well that she had.

It's probably Beth wanting something for that ankle of hers
, Kay thought as she opened her door. But it wasn't Beth.

‘Oli?' Kay said when she saw his handsome face. ‘Is everything okay? Do you need anything?'

‘Yes,' he said, a boyish smile spreading over his face. ‘There is something I need.'

Kay woke up to the shriek of seagulls and lay dazed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. The light in the room was dazzling, coming straight in from the sea. She turned over in bed and faced the other pillow—the pillow that Oli had slept on last night. He was gone.

‘Mustn't give the gossips any fuel,' he'd said, taking her in his arms one last time and kissing her before leaving, and Kay knew he was right. She could just imagine how awkward it would be if Beth or Teresa found out. No, no. She mustn't interrupt Oli's work. She could wait. He'd be finished filming soon, and then they could tell the whole world that they were in love.

Getting up, she drew back the curtains and gazed across the pebbled beach out to sea. The sun was bright and the sea was almost turquoise. How she loved seeing its ever-changing colours. It was never the same for long—one minute it could be a stormy grey, and the next a perfect cerulean, but Kay would always remember the exact shade it was that day, and it would be her favourite.

After washing and dressing and applying a quick hint of makeup, Kay went downstairs and made a start on breakfast for the hungry actors.

I
bet
you
won't be doing this for much longer.

Cooking
breakfast—running a B&B. It's not the sort of life for the wife of a famous actor, is it?

Kay shook her head. She knew she mustn't think such thoughts. It was dangerous. It was too early in their relationship, yet she couldn't help hoping. She couldn't help dreaming—it was her default setting for coping with a cruel world. If she wasn't dreaming of Mr Darcy, she was dreaming of some appalling man who would be sure to break her heart. But Oli wasn't going to break her heart. He'd told her how lovely she was last night—over and over again.

But
he
didn't say he loved you.

Kay stopped cracking eggs for a moment. He hadn't said he loved her.

‘But I didn't expect him to,' she whispered.

Didn't you? Didn't you really? But you told him you loved him.

I know, she thought, and I shouldn't have done that. ‘Men get spooked by such things.'

‘By what things?' a voice behind her asked.

Kay turned and saw Teresa. ‘Morning,' she said, blushing at having been observed talking to herself.

‘Morning,' Teresa said, although the word might well have been
mourning
, for the mood she seemed to be in.

‘All ready for another day's filming?' Kay asked, doing her best to be cheerful in the face of such misery.

Teresa shook her head. ‘We're doing something different today. Some publicity shots along the Cobb and a few little pieces here and there for the DVD extras. Those sorts of things are expected nowadays,' she said as if she took no pleasure in it herself. ‘But we're done with filming now. In Dorset, anyway. Got to get to Bath next.'

‘You're done?'

Teresa nodded. ‘I didn't think we were going to be on schedule, but I'm actually quite happy with the last few days' shooting.'

‘Who's happy?' another voice said, and Beth hobbled into view. ‘You're happy, Teresa? I never thought I'd hear you admit to such a thing,' Beth teased.

‘And neither did I,' Teresa said.

‘So we're off to Bath?' Beth asked.

‘First thing tomorrow—if we get today right.'

‘Tomorrow?' Kay said. ‘But you're all booked in for three more nights.'

‘That's okay—you'll still be paid,' Teresa said.

Kay watched, unable to speak, as Teresa and Beth left for the dining room. They were leaving tomorrow. Did Oli know? Kay was just about to drop everything and run up to Oli's room, but Teresa called through.

‘Breakfast nearly ready, Kay?'

‘Yes,' Kay replied with a frown. Was it her imagination, or did Teresa sound particularly abrupt with her?

‘I need to get out of here as soon as possible,' Teresa added.

‘No problem,' Kay shouted back, and then a thought occurred to her. Perhaps Teresa really had seen her and Oli outside the B&B the previous night. Or—worse—what if she'd heard them together later on? Kay's face blanched at the thought. Not only was it unprofessional of her, but also Teresa was well-known for keeping business and pleasure totally separate. The last thing she'd want was an on-set romance with her leading man.

Kay sighed and decided to get back to work in the kitchen, although she longed to join the cast in the dining room and hear their plans for the day ahead. Still, she did her best to eavesdrop and heard the occasional snippet.

‘Yes, of course we'll need you, Beth.'

‘Because my ankle is much better today. I feel I could even take Louisa's jump again.'

‘Oh, no you don't! We'll just set you up in a nice deck chair, and you can talk about your role.'

Kay took the pots of tea and coffee through and saw that Gemma, Sophie, and Les Miserable had joined them. Sophie was looking as buoyant as ever, but Gemma looked tired—as if she'd been up half the night too. Or maybe she was looking wearisome because her mother was still in town. Kay had heard what a nightmare Kim Reilly could be. But where was Oli? There was no sign of him yet.

‘Kay?' Teresa said, making the name sound like a poison-tipped arrow.

‘Yes?'

‘Eggs?'

‘Coming,' Kay said.

She dashed back through to the kitchen, quickly heating some butter in a pan.

She served breakfast in record-breaking time and received a curt nod from Teresa when Oli entered the dining room.

‘Good morning!' he said. Kay turned to see him, smiling as she took in his big blue eyes and his mass of blond hair, which hadn't been combed through since his shower.

‘Sort your hair out, Oli,' Teresa barked as he sat at the table opposite her. ‘You're on first this morning.'

‘And a very good morning to you too,' he replied, making Kay smile. Honestly, how could anyone bark at dear Oli when he looked so cute? Kay cleared a couple of empty glasses from the table, doing her best to catch Oli's eye, but he didn't seem to notice her as he buttered a piece of toast.

‘My tea's cold,' Les Miserable said, shoving his cup at Kay.

‘I'll get some more,' Kay said, willing Oli to look up before she left the room, but he didn't.

The next twenty minutes flew by in a flurry of activity. Breakfast was finished and bodies tore up and down the stairs in preparation for the day ahead. Kay bustled in and out of the kitchen, trying to catch Oli, but she wasn't having much luck, until he stood in the hallway—the last to leave.

‘Oli!' she cried.

‘Kay. You all right?'

‘You didn't talk to me at breakfast,' she said. She hadn't meant to sound accusatory, but her words had blurted out.

‘How could I, with Teresa—with everyone sitting there?'

‘I know,' Kay said. ‘But I wanted to talk to you.'

‘What about?' he asked.

She looked at him. ‘You're leaving.'

‘Yes,' he said. ‘Teresa just told me. It's brilliant, isn't it?'

Kay frowned. She couldn't see anything brilliant about it. ‘But I thought yesterday had gone badly. You said—'

‘I thought it had too, but evidently Teresa got what she wanted. That's the way of the film business. You never really know what you're going to get day to day.'

‘So this is your last day in Lyme?'

‘Looks like it,' Oli said with a big grin. ‘And I must say, I'm looking forward to Bath.'

Kay felt wounded by his response. ‘It's all happened so quickly.'

He nodded. ‘We might finish the whole thing on time at this rate, and heaven knows I could use a break after all this.'

A break! Kay heard the phrase and interpreted it. ‘So you'll be back?'

‘Back where?' he asked.

‘Oli? Where the hell are you?' It was Teresa's voice, and she soon appeared in the hallway. ‘We need you—
now!
'

‘My lord and master calls,' he said. Neither Teresa nor Kay smiled. ‘Gotta go,' he said to Kay.

‘But Oli—'

He didn't stop. He turned around and threw a quick wink in her direction before following Teresa down Marine Parade towards the Cobb.

Adam had done his best to put Kay out of his mind. What was the point of declaring oneself to a woman when her heart belonged to another man? It was useless, and he had to persuade Nana Craig that it was useless too. He and Kay were never meant to be, and the sooner he put the whole thing behind him, the better.

He busied himself with his role as producer as well as writer of a new screenplay—a lesser-known Thomas Hardy novel that would make a beautiful adaptation and be absolutely perfect for another Dorset-based production. He tried not to think about Kay. He did fairly well too and had been sleeping soundly later that night after a solid day's work, when the phone rang.

It was Tony Glass, a producer friend in California who was looking for an English actress for a film he was involved in.

‘It's going to be huge,' he told the bleary-eyed Adam. ‘Think
Dr
Zhivago
set in New England.'

Adam became instantly awake. It sounded like an interesting concept, and he was intrigued.

‘But we can't find anyone for the lead. We need someone English—proper English—not one of these American girls with a fake Oxbridge accent. But she can't be too well-known, you know?'

‘Tony, I may have just the girl for you,' Adam told him.

He hadn't been able to sleep after that. He'd tossed and turned until his bedding was tied up in knots, and he finally got up and flung his bedroom windows open, breathing in the soft spring air. He was anxious for Gemma, because he knew a little something about her personality. She was one of the few actresses he knew who wouldn't automatically jump at a chance of appearing in a Hollywood film.

‘What will she say?' he whispered into the night, but only a distant owl replied. He'd have to wait until the next day to find out the real answer, so he got up as soon as he could, driving into Lyme Regis and parking as close as possible to Wentworth House. It was early, and he thought everyone would still be in the bed and breakfast, so he made his way along the seafront, gazing up into a perfect blue sky and listening to the ear-piercing shrieks of the seagulls.

Not only was Adam anxious about Gemma's reaction to his proposal, he was also anxious about seeing Kay again. He might have persuaded his head that she was in love with another man, but he couldn't persuade his heart to listen.

Reaching the bright blue door, Adam took a deep breath and knocked. He didn't have to wait long before it was answered.

‘Oh, it's you,' Kay said in greeting, her face glum and gloomy.

Adam's eyebrows rose. He hadn't been expecting a warm embrace, but he'd hoped for a slightly kinder reception.

‘All right if I come in?' he asked.

‘I suppose,' Kay said.

‘Are you okay?' he asked. He had promised himself that he wouldn't get involved with this woman, when it was so clear that he meant nothing to her, but seeing her sad eyes and sorrowful face, he had to know if she was all right.

‘I'm fine,' she said.

‘You look upset,' he said. ‘Is something worrying you?'

‘Adam, what are you doing here?' she snapped. ‘You're always hanging around.'

Adam looked stunned for a moment, not quite knowing how to respond. ‘I've come to see Gemma,' he said.

‘She left with others ages ago.'

‘I didn't know that.'

‘She's probably at the Cobb. They've all gone there, okay?' she said sharply.

‘Okay,' he said, turning to go. She'd managed to put him in such a bad mood that he almost slammed the door behind him, but instead, he turned to take one last look at her and saw that she was running up the stairs. He took a step back into the hallway.

‘Don't be a fool,' he said to himself. ‘She doesn't want you here. She doesn't want you at all.'

And so he left.

***

‘My head is throbbing!' Kim Reilly told her daughter as they sat at a table outside The Harbour Inn. Gemma had been waiting on the Cobb until she was needed for her DVD extra piece, ‘A Day in the Life of a Heroine,' when her mother grabbed her and frog-marched her to breakfast.

‘I've already eaten,' Gemma said.

‘You'll keep me company,' her mother told her, so they were sitting together looking out over the stretch of sandy beach as the first day-trippers set up with towels and windbreaks. ‘I'd forgotten about these early mornings on set.'

‘It's not the early morning,' Gemma said. ‘It was the late night filled with too much alcohol.'

‘Don't shout at me.'

‘I'm not shouting,' Gemma said. ‘Anyway, what are you doing getting up so early? You're not needed today, are you?'

‘Teresa wants me to be in the extras—talking about the acting life.'

Gemma tried not to react. When was her mother going home? She'd follow them to Bath too, wouldn't she? Oh, why on earth had Teresa encouraged her?

‘I know what you're thinking,' Kim said.

‘What? I'm not thinking anything,' Gemma said, terrified, lest her mother had somehow read her mind.

‘You're thinking you wish you could be more like me.'

Gemma frowned. ‘What do you mean?'

‘I'm not past it yet, you know.'

‘I didn't say you were.'

‘And you're jealous,' Kim said. ‘I can see it in your face. I know the way your mind works. You've always been jealous of me.'

‘Mother, I haven't! How can you say such a thing?'

‘You've always wanted my confidence—my
je
ne
sais
quois
, and that's a fact.'

‘I'm not going to argue,' Gemma said.

Kim nodded, taking it as a sign that she was right.

Gemma gazed out towards the sandy beach and the sea. She watched as a gull swooped down and landed near a day-tripper who was sitting on a wall eating a bacon butty. The gull looked far more comfortable than the day-tripper.

Gemma saw a familiar figure walking towards The Harbour Inn.

‘Adam?' she said. ‘Adam!'

He stopped and turned to look at her. ‘Just the very person I was after.' He joined them on the terrace, pulled up a chair, and sat down. ‘Good morning, Kim. How lovely to see you.'

Kim's face brightened at Adam's attention, and Gemma noticed that her mother's bosom suddenly swelled up and out and her eyelashes batted for England.

‘I was wondering if I could talk to you, Gemma. I've got some news.'

Gemma looked at her mother in the hope that she might remember she had to be somewhere else.

‘Oh, don't worry about me,' Kim said. ‘We don't have any secrets, do we, Gemma?'

Gemma sighed. ‘Of course not,' she said politely, and Adam cleared his throat to begin.

‘I've been talking to someone,' he began. ‘Someone in Hollywood. He's a producer friend, and we've worked on a couple of projects in the past. Anyway, he's looking for an actress—a good one. She's got to be English, and he wanted someone yet to make the big time.'

‘Ha! That's our Gemma,' Kim chipped in.

‘What's his name?' Gemma asked.

‘Tony Glass.'

Gemma nodded. The name certainly rang a bell.

‘I think it's going to be big. A huge summer hit,' Adam continued. ‘This could really open some doors for you, Gemma. Hollywood isn't an easy one to crack, but this sounds like just the sort of production to do it for you.'

Kim's mouth was hanging open in wonder, but Gemma's was a thin line across her face.

‘Auditions are next month in LA. You'll be finished with
Persuasion
then. You could fly straight out there. He's dying to see you. I hope you don't mind, but I sang your praises a little bit.' Adam grinned.

There was a moment's silence before Gemma spoke. ‘Gosh, Adam—I don't know what to say.'

‘Say
yes!
That's all you have to say,' Adam told her.

‘I didn't expect this.'

‘Well, you should have. You've done such a brilliant job here, and word gets around quickly, you know.'

‘It's so kind that you put me forward for this.'

‘It has nothing to do with kindness,' Adam said. ‘It's simply about knowing talent when I see it. So what do you say?'

Gemma took a deep breath. ‘What do I say? Gosh.'

‘Yes, but
after
gosh?'

‘After gosh,' Gemma said, ‘comes… sorry.'

Adam frowned. ‘What do you mean?'

‘I can't, Adam. I really can't.'

He didn't look happy. ‘Is this some crisis of confidence here? Because if it is, I can help you get over that.'

‘It's not that,' she said.

‘Then what?'

‘I'm giving it up,' she said, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt wonderfully light. ‘I'm giving up acting.'

‘You can't be serious?' he said.

‘I've never been more serious about anything in my life.'

Kim Reilly's mouth dropped open and her eyes saucered in absolute horror at her daughter's words. ‘Are you crazy?' she blurted across the table.

‘No,' Gemma said. ‘I'm perfectly sane—maybe for the first time in my life. I'm giving up acting. There—I've said it.' She gave a funny little laugh. ‘Wow! That was so easy. I can't think why I haven't done it before.'

‘What do you mean,
before
? Before what? You've only done two films!' Kim said.

‘Mother, I've been acting since you took me to ballet class when I was four years old. I had to pretend I liked it to please you, and I've been acting ever since—all the way through drama school and beyond.'

‘Of course you were acting at drama school,' Kim said. ‘That's what they were teaching you to do.'

‘But I also had to pretend that I was happy, when I wasn't.' Gemma looked at the appalled expression on her mother's face and felt a little sorry for her. ‘Please try to understand,' she said. ‘Acting was more your dream than mine. I just went along with it to please you.'

‘That's rubbish!' Kim said, spitting the word out in anger.

Gemma calmly shook her head. ‘No,' she said. ‘I just didn't know what other options were available.'

‘Oh, and now you do, I suppose.'

‘No,' Gemma said, ‘but I'm going to find out.'

‘You're making a huge mistake,' Kim said. ‘And don't expect me to pick up the pieces when you realise what you've done.'

‘I'm not expecting you to pick up any pieces. I can take care of myself,' Gemma said. ‘You might not have noticed, but I'm a grown woman now, I have a mind of my own, and I'm not going to be bullied by you any longer.'

‘Bullied?' Kim's tight eyes narrowed even tighter.

‘Yes, you're a terrible bully.'

‘Gemma! How dare—'

‘You've
always
been a bully, but I'm not going to put up with it any longer. It stops now, Mum. Right now!'

Kim stood, her chair scraping harshly behind her. ‘I'm not staying to listen to any more of this stupidity. Name-calling your own mother and turning down the best offer you could possibly receive as an actress! You've gone mad. But you'll have changed your mind by the end of the day, no doubt. You always were fickle, Gemma.'

Gemma's mouth dropped open at the blatant lie, and she watched as her mother stormed off towards the Cobb. She turned to look at Adam. His face was frozen in shock.

‘Did that really just happen?' he asked.

Gemma nodded. ‘I think it did.'

‘And you're the same girl I saw shaking with nerves just a few days ago?'

She nodded again. ‘It was time,' she said. ‘Time I stood up to my mother and time I found out what I really want to do with my life.'

Adam's face broke into a smile. He leaned across the table and took her hands in his. ‘Good for you, Gemma,' he said. ‘Although I shall miss you. There aren't many like you in this business.'

She smiled back at him, and then, sensing someone behind her, turned to see Rob standing there.

‘Rob!' she said.

He didn't reply, although it was quite clear that he was looking at her. Gemma realised that Adam was still holding her hands.