felt relieved when she heard it go straight to voice mail.
“Hi, it’s me, and I’m someplace where there’s no Internet or cell phone signal. I’ll be moving to a hotel later today, so I’ll contact you then. I’m fine, by the way. I—” Rebecca paused as she thought what to say to him, but the subject was so big and complex that no words came neatly to mind to describe it. “I’ll call you soon, bye.”
Picking up the receiver once more, dialing and getting the voice mail of Victor, her agent, she left a similar message.
Leaving the study, she went in search of Steve, determined to pin him down and find out exactly where she was going to stay for the duration of the shoot. She found him by the location catering van, set up in the courtyard to the side of the house.
“I know, I know, Rebecca, you want to know where you’re going,” Steve said, obviously harassed. “As a matter of fact, I was just coming to find you with what I hope is good news. Lord Astbury came to see me five minutes ago and said it was fine if you wanted to stay here for the duration of the shoot. I’m somewhat surprised, given his previous antipathy to the idea. We had found you a discreet bed-and-breakfast in one of the nearby villages, but to be frank, the accommodation probably isn’t up to your usual standards. And there’s no guarantee the paps wouldn’t find you there eventually anyway. So, it’s up to you.”
“Okay, can I think about it?” Even though she loved the security and tranquility of her current accommodation, she was uncertain of sharing it with the so far unseen Lord Astbury.
“Yes,” said Steve as his walkie-talkie crackled. “Excuse me, Rebecca, they need me on set.”
Back in her room, Rebecca ran through her lines in preparation for seeing the voice coach in half an hour. She stood up and gazed out of the windows. She really did feel secure and tranquil here. More than anything, she needed peace and quiet to concentrate fully on her performance. This role would make or break her future career.
• • •
After the session with the voice coach, Rebecca found Steve on the terrace and said she’d be delighted to stay on at Astbury Hall.
“What with your current circumstances, I think it’s probably the only sensible thing to do,” Steve replied, relieved that the problem had been solved. “And Mrs. Trevathan said she’d be happy to feed you inthe evenings. She seems to have taken you under her wing.” He smiled at her.
“Oh, I rarely eat much in the evening, so—”
“Hello there,” said a voice from behind them.
Rebecca saw the gardener walking up the terrace steps toward them.
“Good afternoon, Lord Astbury. Rebecca has said she’d like to stay on,” Steve said. “It really is extremely kind of you to make an exception for her.”
“Anthony, please,” the man said.
Rebecca looked first at Steve and then at Anthony, shocked.
“Maybe in the evenings, Miss Bradley, when everyone has left, you can come and help me with the gardening,” he said, an ironic glint in his eye.
“I— you’re Lord Astbury?” she managed to splutter.
“Yes, although as I just said to Steve, everyone calls me Anthony.”
Rebecca felt the heat rising to her cheeks. “I’m so embarrassed, I didn’t realize who you were.”
“No, well, perhaps I wasn’t quite the image you had in your mind,” Anthony answered calmly. “Sadly, these days, the poor, penniless gentry have to do their own dirty work. No black tie and tails for us any longer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some laburnums to attend to.”
He turned away and headed around the side of the house.
“Oh, Rebecca.” Steve threw back his head and laughed. “Classic! I’m not sure how it goes in the States, but the modern aristocracy here in England tend to be the scruffiest bunch in society. It’s become their badge of honor to wear the oldest clothes and drive clapped-out cars. No self-respecting peer of the realm
“Hi, it’s me, and I’m someplace where there’s no Internet or cell phone signal. I’ll be moving to a hotel later today, so I’ll contact you then. I’m fine, by the way. I—” Rebecca paused as she thought what to say to him, but the subject was so big and complex that no words came neatly to mind to describe it. “I’ll call you soon, bye.”
Picking up the receiver once more, dialing and getting the voice mail of Victor, her agent, she left a similar message.
Leaving the study, she went in search of Steve, determined to pin him down and find out exactly where she was going to stay for the duration of the shoot. She found him by the location catering van, set up in the courtyard to the side of the house.
“I know, I know, Rebecca, you want to know where you’re going,” Steve said, obviously harassed. “As a matter of fact, I was just coming to find you with what I hope is good news. Lord Astbury came to see me five minutes ago and said it was fine if you wanted to stay here for the duration of the shoot. I’m somewhat surprised, given his previous antipathy to the idea. We had found you a discreet bed-and-breakfast in one of the nearby villages, but to be frank, the accommodation probably isn’t up to your usual standards. And there’s no guarantee the paps wouldn’t find you there eventually anyway. So, it’s up to you.”
“Okay, can I think about it?” Even though she loved the security and tranquility of her current accommodation, she was uncertain of sharing it with the so far unseen Lord Astbury.
“Yes,” said Steve as his walkie-talkie crackled. “Excuse me, Rebecca, they need me on set.”
Back in her room, Rebecca ran through her lines in preparation for seeing the voice coach in half an hour. She stood up and gazed out of the windows. She really did feel secure and tranquil here. More than anything, she needed peace and quiet to concentrate fully on her performance. This role would make or break her future career.
• • •
After the session with the voice coach, Rebecca found Steve on the terrace and said she’d be delighted to stay on at Astbury Hall.
“What with your current circumstances, I think it’s probably the only sensible thing to do,” Steve replied, relieved that the problem had been solved. “And Mrs. Trevathan said she’d be happy to feed you inthe evenings. She seems to have taken you under her wing.” He smiled at her.
“Oh, I rarely eat much in the evening, so—”
“Hello there,” said a voice from behind them.
Rebecca saw the gardener walking up the terrace steps toward them.
“Good afternoon, Lord Astbury. Rebecca has said she’d like to stay on,” Steve said. “It really is extremely kind of you to make an exception for her.”
“Anthony, please,” the man said.
Rebecca looked first at Steve and then at Anthony, shocked.
“Maybe in the evenings, Miss Bradley, when everyone has left, you can come and help me with the gardening,” he said, an ironic glint in his eye.
“I— you’re Lord Astbury?” she managed to splutter.
“Yes, although as I just said to Steve, everyone calls me Anthony.”
Rebecca felt the heat rising to her cheeks. “I’m so embarrassed, I didn’t realize who you were.”
“No, well, perhaps I wasn’t quite the image you had in your mind,” Anthony answered calmly. “Sadly, these days, the poor, penniless gentry have to do their own dirty work. No black tie and tails for us any longer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some laburnums to attend to.”
He turned away and headed around the side of the house.
“Oh, Rebecca.” Steve threw back his head and laughed. “Classic! I’m not sure how it goes in the States, but the modern aristocracy here in England tend to be the scruffiest bunch in society. It’s become their badge of honor to wear the oldest clothes and drive clapped-out cars. No self-respecting peer of the realm
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