Training Days by Jane Frances Page B

had given last night was accurate. She was around Kitty’s middling height, and around Kitty’s age, maybe a little older. She also had Kitty’s slight build and the same light-brown hair. But she had none of Kitty’s birdlike features and, unlike Kitty’s loose bun, Alison wore her hair in a short, very urbane style. So at first glance, while they were physically similar enough that they could technically share their wardrobes, their senses of style were so different that it seemed unlikely they would own anything the other wanted to wear.
    The sound of Kitty’s attention-getting cough halted Morgan’s scrutiny of their luncheon guest. She focused on her producer, who was fixedly eyeing both Nick and her.
    “Now, for God’s sake, you two,” Kitty appealed. “If not for me then for the sake of the show . . . at least try to look like lovers.”

    When the waiter presented Ally with her main course, she looked intently at the crispy-skinned duck with a mandarin confit. Something was wrong. Not with the food. That looked delicious. And if her appetizer of barbequed chili king prawns with a coriander squid salad had set the standard, then her duck promised to be rather special. No, there was nothing wrong with the food. Rather, something was not sitting right with this situation. Ally waited until her dining companions had also been presented with their plates before picking up her cutlery. And then, before she took her first bite she stole another glance around the table, trying hard to pinpoint just what was niggling at the back of her brain.
    Whatever it was, it just wouldn’t come to the fore. Ally inwardly shrugged. Maybe she was just being overly suspicious, looking for something that wasn’t there. Goodness knew the train had cut through many miles while she sat in the diner carriage that morning mulling over why she had received this unexpected invitation to lunch. Initially she wondered if she would be “made an offer” to keep quiet. But she soon discarded that theory. She’d made it very clear to Kitty that she couldn’t care less what Morgan did behind closed doors, and the logical extrapolation of that was that she wouldn’t waste her time telling anyone about it. So bribery was off the list. Then she wondered if Morgan was trying to appease herself for sending her to steerage. On review of her early morning conversation with Kitty, however, Ally also threw that idea out. Kitty had asked if Ally had found her correct compartment, so obviously they had no idea she was now slumming it. And since her accommodation situation had not been mentioned once since she arrived, they no doubt didn’t care what corner of the train she’d been squeezed into.
    Ally took a sip of her cabernet sauvignon, aware she was sinking into dark thoughts again. She made a conscious effort to sweep them away and just enjoy this for what it was, a very fine lunch in much more opulent surrounds than the cafeteria-like décor of the Red diner car. And, dark thoughts aside, she had to admit she was having a much better time than she had expected. True, she still thought Kitty was uptight and altogether false, but her presence was more than compensated by the other members of the Bonnes Vacances crew.
    Even Morgan.
    Ally had caught her first real-life glimpse of her earlier that morning, after returning to her seat next to Marge. Morgan had been walking through the carriage behind Kitty, apparently on their way to do some filming. Ally only knew this because Marge had waved wildly at Morgan, who stopped and gave a distracted hello. She had not looked at Ally at all, and in fact gave Marge only the merest of glances, saying she was on a tight schedule and that she had to fly. Afterward, Marge smiled at Ally and patted her on the hand, saying how Morgan must be so busy. But Ally could tell she was disappointed. It was at that moment her already dim view of the woman darkened even further. Marge, in contrast, was not one to dwell on