Page 2 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘Oh.’ Vi sat back. ‘Of whom?’
‘Someone you must know very well,’ Hugh replied. ‘When I heard they were going to make this thing, I just knew you were the only choice. You’re the spitting image of her.’
‘Spitting image of whom?’ Vi asked, confused.
‘Kathleen O’Sullivan. Remember her?’
‘Of course I do,’ Vi replied, feeling excited at the thought. Kathleen O’Sullivan had been a huge star in the 1940s and 50s. With her blazing red hair and green eyes, she had had great success in Hollywood as the epitome of the Irish colleen and played against a number of big male stars such as Clark Gable, Cary Grant and Tyrone Power and many more. She had also been one of the actresses who stood their ground and fought hard to improve pay for women in the business. ‘She is the unofficial patron saint of all actresses. We all admire what she did for us. Amazing woman.’
‘A legend,’ Hugh agreed. ‘And the casting director has been on the lookout for someone lesser known. Someone Irish, with Kathleen’s look.’
Vi put her fingers through her red mane and laughed. ‘I never thought the colour of my hair would be what got me the big break. I have always had to dye it some other colour to fit whatever movie I was cast in.’
‘I know,’ Hugh said. ‘Isn’t it a stroke of luck that they’re looking for someone like you? And here’s another thing that will swing it for you: the movie will be shot in your very own county. Kathleen O’Sullivan came from Kerry, as you might know. Your own back yard. Amazing, don’t you think? The Wild Atlantic Way and all that.’
‘But she was from a village near Castleisland, not Dingle,’ Vi corrected. ‘Which is inland, you know. Not near the coast at all.’
‘Yes, whatever.’ Hugh made a dismissive gesture. ‘But who cares? Nobody outside Ireland would have a clue. They want to film it by the sea and along the Wild Atlantic Way. They have already decided on the area and the location for a lot of the scenes. It’s going to be in some manor house down there. A big house near Dingle town. It has a great garden. Fabulous for this kind of thing. Can’t remember the name of it but it was something to do with flowers… Rhododendron House, or…’
‘Magnolia Manor?’ Vi asked, sitting up straighter, her heart beating.
‘That’s it,’ Hugh exclaimed. ‘You know the place?’
‘Very well.’ She couldn’t believe it. If they were going to use Magnolia Manor as a set, she would be going back home. The big house overlooking Dingle Bay, surrounded by lush gardens, had always been a haven where she could rest and recover from the turmoil of life and strenuous work. Except she hadn’t been there for a whole year. Not since the angry words she’d exchangedwith her sisters. They hadn’t been in touch since then, despite Vi’s efforts to make peace.
‘You’ve been there?’ Hugh asked.
‘I grew up there,’ Vi said, smiling. ‘My family own it. It’s being turned into apartments for seniors, and parts of it are used for weddings and other big events, so we don’t technically live there any more, but it’s where I spent most of my childhood.’ She looked at Hugh, feeling puzzled. ‘I don’t see how that can be authentic, though. How does Magnolia Manor fit in with Kathleen’s life?’
‘What’s wrong with a little poetic licence?’ Hugh asked with a wink. ‘What Hollywood wants Hollywood gets. In any case, Kathleen and her last husband lived in a big house somewhere on the west coast. So the house would kind of fit. The producer went to look at it and loved it. The owner, some old gal with attitude, drove a hard bargain, but they were able to stay within budget in the end. She was like a bulldog, while managing to look like a real lady, they said.’
Vi burst out laughing. ‘Oh yeah, she would. That’s my grandmother.’
Hugh blinked and stared at Vi. ‘Your grandmother? Are you pulling my leg?’
‘No, I’m not. She really is my grandmother,’ Vi assured him.
‘That’s some coincidence,’ Hugh said, shaking his head.
‘Isn’t it?’ Vi grinned. ‘I can imagine her arguing with the movie company.’
‘Tough as an old boot, they said,’ Hugh remarked. ‘But that place is supposed to be amazing. The researchers for the film company said it would look fabulous in the movie. I pushed hard to get you the part, you know. Said you even speak with a Kerry accent.’
‘Well, that part is true, even if you have tried to beat it out of me,’ Vi remarked.
‘That’s true. But now you’ll be able to talk away like the real Kerry girl you are.’ Hugh picked up a sheet of paper from the desk. ‘So, it’s nearly all fixed. You are only up against one other actress. But if you do well at the audition, you should have it in the bag.’
‘Audition?’ Vi asked. ‘But you said the part was mine.’
‘This is not really an audition, it’s just a little chat with the producer and director and maybe the male lead. Nothing too difficult. They just want to have a look at you and take a few shots to see how you’d look on the screen.’
‘Who’s the male lead?’ Vi asked.
‘Jack Montgomery.’
‘Really? Wow.’ Vi stared at Hugh, feeling excited. Jack Montgomery was a well-known actor. He was British and good-looking in a rough, romantic way and Vi remembered that she’d seem him featured in a magazine recently. This wasn’t his first lead part. He had starred inLetters from AmsterdamandThe Wilderness Year, both popular movies that had done very well at the box office. ‘He’s quite famous now, isn’t he?’
‘Yup,’ Hugh said. ‘And he’s in the production team of this movie. He needs to see you in person so he can decide if the two of you click. Chemistry is very important in this case. So that’s why he has a say in who they hire to play Kathleen.’
