a state of nerves, shaking like aspens, and Joey one second shouting with rage, the next becoming icy and remote as he bit out sentences that left them cringing.
Even Dame Flossie became a little overwrought and forgot a cue, and shortly after that Joey relented and sent them all home, telling them quite gently to relax and forget the play for a few hours.
'We've found all the flaws, I think, and done something to put them right,' he said, his face wry. 'Just make sure you remember everything I've said and we'll have a triumphant first night.'
Anna woke up several times that night, sweating with terror after dreaming that she'd dried up or tripped over a chair, and once that she found herself in the wrong play, acting among a cast of total strangers who kept giving her cues she had never heard before!
'Absolutely classic, my dear!' said Dame Flossie next evening when Anna mentioned her dream. 'We've all dreamt that one. I once dreamt I was Juliet and the rest of the cast were from Hamlet, but that wasn't as bad as dear old George Skillicorn—he dreamt he was playing Iago and suddenly realised the play was King Lear, then woke up and realised it wasn't a dream. Poor Georgie drank too much towards the end, I'm afraid. Mind you, the audience didn't seem to notice, it was a very thin house that night, thank God.'
Chuckling in her dressing-room, Anna asked Patti, 'Did you believe that?'
'It was funny,' Patti said uncertainly. 'But . . . who was George Skillicorn? I've never heard of him.'
'I suspect Dame Floss made him up. Either that or he was someone she knew when she was very young.' Anna looked into her mirror, her eyes had a hectic glitter to them. 'I'm so nervous I could scream!'
Patti was white under her make-up. 'Don't! I daren't even think about it. I know I'll go blank the minute I hear my cue.'
Patti didn't, of course, and Anna's nerves vanished the minute she was out of the wings and swallowed up into the electric storm of the play. She forgot the audience and herself; she was only conscious of what was happening on stage—and then her first laugh came and she almost went to pieces with surprise. From the dark auditorium faces swam out, eyes gleamed like fireflies. She caught Dame Flossie's commanding gaze and pulled herself together, carrying on. The next laugh came patly, where Joey had taught her to expect it, and the timing she had been so sure she would never get right came smoothly, she felt the pull on the line between herself and the audience. She played them effortlessly; loving their laughter, their held silence during the poignant moments of the play.
Afterwards she felt like a balloon whose string had been cut; she floated around, laughing, exchanging compliments and memories of the last two hours, her ears still ringing with the applause which had seemed deafening as they took the curtain calls.
They all knew it had worked; the play was a success. They didn't need to wait for the reviews in the morning papers or the flood of calls at the box office. Joey was smiling from ear to ear; Dame Flossie's dressing-room was crammed with admirers who filled the room with flowers, opened champagne, spilled out into the corridor and stared at the rest of the cast as they hurried by on their way to the first night party being held at a nearby restaurant.
Anna was talking to Joey Ross when she saw Patti with Laird Montgomery. Laird had bent his dark head; he was kissing Patti.
'We're bound to move into the West End now,' Joey said, but Anna barely heard him; she was watching Patti throwing her arms around Laird's neck and her body was icy with shock.
CHAPTER FOUR
J OEY'S voice halted as he realised she wasn't listening to him, he followed her gaze and exclaimed cheerfully, 'Laird! Hello! You got back in time, then—that's great. Did you enjoy it?'
Anna had never been so angry in her life. She would have walked away before Laird and Patti joined them, but under the mocking inspection of those
Even Dame Flossie became a little overwrought and forgot a cue, and shortly after that Joey relented and sent them all home, telling them quite gently to relax and forget the play for a few hours.
'We've found all the flaws, I think, and done something to put them right,' he said, his face wry. 'Just make sure you remember everything I've said and we'll have a triumphant first night.'
Anna woke up several times that night, sweating with terror after dreaming that she'd dried up or tripped over a chair, and once that she found herself in the wrong play, acting among a cast of total strangers who kept giving her cues she had never heard before!
'Absolutely classic, my dear!' said Dame Flossie next evening when Anna mentioned her dream. 'We've all dreamt that one. I once dreamt I was Juliet and the rest of the cast were from Hamlet, but that wasn't as bad as dear old George Skillicorn—he dreamt he was playing Iago and suddenly realised the play was King Lear, then woke up and realised it wasn't a dream. Poor Georgie drank too much towards the end, I'm afraid. Mind you, the audience didn't seem to notice, it was a very thin house that night, thank God.'
Chuckling in her dressing-room, Anna asked Patti, 'Did you believe that?'
'It was funny,' Patti said uncertainly. 'But . . . who was George Skillicorn? I've never heard of him.'
'I suspect Dame Floss made him up. Either that or he was someone she knew when she was very young.' Anna looked into her mirror, her eyes had a hectic glitter to them. 'I'm so nervous I could scream!'
Patti was white under her make-up. 'Don't! I daren't even think about it. I know I'll go blank the minute I hear my cue.'
Patti didn't, of course, and Anna's nerves vanished the minute she was out of the wings and swallowed up into the electric storm of the play. She forgot the audience and herself; she was only conscious of what was happening on stage—and then her first laugh came and she almost went to pieces with surprise. From the dark auditorium faces swam out, eyes gleamed like fireflies. She caught Dame Flossie's commanding gaze and pulled herself together, carrying on. The next laugh came patly, where Joey had taught her to expect it, and the timing she had been so sure she would never get right came smoothly, she felt the pull on the line between herself and the audience. She played them effortlessly; loving their laughter, their held silence during the poignant moments of the play.
Afterwards she felt like a balloon whose string had been cut; she floated around, laughing, exchanging compliments and memories of the last two hours, her ears still ringing with the applause which had seemed deafening as they took the curtain calls.
They all knew it had worked; the play was a success. They didn't need to wait for the reviews in the morning papers or the flood of calls at the box office. Joey was smiling from ear to ear; Dame Flossie's dressing-room was crammed with admirers who filled the room with flowers, opened champagne, spilled out into the corridor and stared at the rest of the cast as they hurried by on their way to the first night party being held at a nearby restaurant.
Anna was talking to Joey Ross when she saw Patti with Laird Montgomery. Laird had bent his dark head; he was kissing Patti.
'We're bound to move into the West End now,' Joey said, but Anna barely heard him; she was watching Patti throwing her arms around Laird's neck and her body was icy with shock.
CHAPTER FOUR
J OEY'S voice halted as he realised she wasn't listening to him, he followed her gaze and exclaimed cheerfully, 'Laird! Hello! You got back in time, then—that's great. Did you enjoy it?'
Anna had never been so angry in her life. She would have walked away before Laird and Patti joined them, but under the mocking inspection of those
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