Page 17 of No Mistress Of Mine

“So what will you do? Attempt to block me? Tell Roth not to let me audition? Why not just trust our manager to make the right decision? I’m willing to accept it either way,” she went on without waiting for an answer. “I didn’t come into this expecting a place in the acting company just because I’m a partner. I’m happy to audition like any other performer. I just want the chance to prove myself.”

Something flashed in his dark eyes, something dangerous. “Why the hell should I give it to you?” he demanded, his voice low and tight. “When you have no record of success in acting to back you up? When I don’t know if you can tell the difference between Shakespeare and Sheridan? When you lied to me and betrayed me and were unfaithful to me with another man, why should I ever give you a chance at anything again?”

Lola stared at him helplessly, not knowing how to answer that. She thought of how she’d ended their affair, and she wished there had been some other way to do it, for the only way that could truly set him free had also made him despise her.

“Denys, I wasn’t unfaithful—”

“Don’t,” he cut her off before she could even attempt an explanation. “Spare me any claims of innocence, or offer me excuses about what happened with Henry and why.”

“If you don’t want me to defend myself, then stop throwing what happened in my teeth.”

He glared at her for a long moment, then he gave a deep sigh. “The question isn’t what happened in the past, or why. The question is what I’m supposed to do with you now.”

“What you can do is work with me, not against me.”

“Did Henry really believe I’d go along with this?” Though his flash of anger had faded, his scorn and bafflement were obvious. “I realize you probably persuaded him to do it, but—”

“I did no such thing!”

“But how could either of you think that I would accept this?”

“I know you won’t believe me, but I did not put Henry up to this. How he arranged his will was as great a surprise to me as it was to you. As for what he was thinking, I believe that he thought—that is, he hoped you would be fair, Denys. And give me a fair chance.”

That struck a nerve, she could tell. His head went back, his nostrils flared, and a muscle worked at the corner of his jaw. “You want that, do you?” he asked, his eyes glittering hard. When he spoke again, she was sure he intended to tell her to go to hell. “You want a chance to fall on your face again? Very well. I’ll give it to you.”

“You will?” Her relief was so great, her knees wobbled, and she had to flatten one hand against the wall beside her to steady herself. “Thank you, Denys.”

“If Roth agrees, you’ll have one chance to prove yourself.” He held up his index finger. “One. If your audition convinces him to give you a place in the company, I won’t object. But,” he added before she could feel any relief, “if you take a step out of place, if you do anything to fuel speculation that we are romantically involved, or if you put my reputation or the Imperial in jeopardy in any way, this partnership will be over. I’ll destroy the Imperial before I let you make a fool of me a second time. Is that understood?”

“Of course,” she said with dignity.

“Good.” He turned to press the electric bell that called for the elevator. “You can pick up the audition sides for Bianca at the Imperial tomorrow.”

“Bianca?” She gave him a rueful look. “No doubt you chose Bianca because it’s the smallest female part in the play.”

He didn’t deny it. “Look on the bright side. If you do earn a place in the company, Bianca will provide the perfect opportunity for you to hone your acting skills.”

“My skills are honed. What do you think I’ve been doing the past six years? Eating chocolates and sitting on my behind?”

“I doubt it,” he countered at once, leaning back, his gaze sliding down. “Yourbehindlooks exactly the same if my memory can be relied upon.”

Lola felt a jolt of shock at those words, but when he straightened and his gaze met hers, she couldn’t see any hint of the desire that used to be in his eyes when he looked at her. Those days were long past.

Looking at him now, knowing that, she felt a pang of nostalgia, but she pushed it away. She opened her mouth to offer a flippant reply, but the elevator arrived before she had the chance, rumbling to a halt in front of them.

“Auditions start at nine o’clock on Thursday,” he told her, as the attendant pulled back the door panels, and he stepped into the carriage. “I’ll ask Roth to add your name to the list. Unless,” he added as he turned to face her again, “the idea of having only a bit part has caused you to change your mind and give up?”

She made a scoffing sound. “As if I’d let you rid yourself of me that easily.”

“I suppose not.” He stepped back for the attendant to close the doors and latch the gate. “I’m not that lucky,” he muttered, as the doors closed between them.

Chapter5

Denys didn’t like the idea of anyone’s being publicly embarrassed, and though to his mind, Lola’s flailing her way through Shakespeare and being eviscerated for it by Jacob Roth would be no more than she deserved, he took no enjoyment in the prospect.

He could still remember watching in horror from his seat at the Adelphi as she had flung herself far too fervently into her part in Ibsen’s play. Every snicker from the audience at her overwrought gestures, every grimace of her fellow actors at her stilted dialogue and raw technique had made him wince on her behalf.

Witnessing another performance as ghastly as the one he’d seen so long ago was not a prospect any man with a conscience could anticipate with pleasure. He might have avoided it, of course, for his presence at auditions wasn’t strictly necessary. But since taking over the Imperial, he’d always made a practice of observing the season’s first auditions, giving his opinion if asked for it, and he had no intention of abandoning that practice just because Lola was auditioning.

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