Page 42 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘“Are you saying I’m lying?”’ Kathleen asked.
‘“If that’s what you want to call it,”’ Don drawled.
Vi felt suddenly angry on Kathleen’s behalf and she read the rest of the lines in the scene with such fervour Jack started to laugh. ‘I’m glad we’re not in the same room,’ he said. ‘Or you might hit me.’
Vi, feeling breathless, looked at Jack on the screen of her phone. ‘Yes, I might have. Sorry, I felt so into it I thought I was her for a while.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ Jack said, smiling back at Vi. ‘But maybe you should try to take a step back now. Try to think of something else just to get back to yourself.’
‘Okay. We could just chat,’ Vi suggested. ‘How is the filming going over there in Scotland?’
‘It’s okay. A bit of stop-start as the weather changes all the time. But enough about me. I want to hear all about those letters you’re reading. Anything else startling?’
‘Nothing much,’ Vi said. ‘Just that Don and Kathleen didn’t speak for a long time after that row. And then he called her and they started seeing each other again. He was a little bit cool and distant for a while until they made up and then everything was fine.’
‘So no more hints about her background or early life that might explain her insecurities?’
‘Nothing so far.’
‘I might look up some of the archives at Paramount,’ Jack suggested. ‘I have a friend who works there. A long shot but you never know.’
‘Yes, I think we have to search everywhere to get a handle on her true persona,’ Vi said.
‘You’re so dedicated,’ Jack remarked, smiling warmly at her. ‘I like that.’
‘Thank you,’ Vi said, the compliment making her blush.
‘But now I will let you go,’ Jack said, stifling a yawn. ‘I’m falling asleep here. That was great reading by the way. I’ll be in touch about the script, and you must let me know if you find anything else we should include. Bye, Violet,’ he mumbled and then hung up.
Vi blinked and stared at the screen, wondering why he had been so abrupt. Had she revealed too much of how she felt about him, or was he just tired? Vi put her phone away, confused, worried and still wound-up after the intense scene she had just rehearsed. She would never really get a handle on Jack and his feelings. It would be best not to try too hard and put him out of her mind as much as she could. If that was even possible.
But she couldn’t get Jack out of her mind now no matter how much she tried. When they had rehearsed the scene, she had felt such passion, not for Don and Kathleen, but for herself and Jack. He had complimented her on her acting skills, but she hadn’t been acting. She had used her feelings for Jack and imagined him being jealous and not believing that she wasn’t interested in flirting with other men. She had imagined how it would feel if Jack didn’t trust her and she had felt Kathleen’s anger as if it was her own.
When she went to sleep after their FaceTime session, Jack’s face floated in front of her, his beautiful eyes warm and loving as he looked at her. In her dream, Jack told her he was falling in love with her as they walked on the beach, their arms around each other, looking at the sun setting into the ocean, bathing the sky and everything around them in a rosy glow.
Vi woke with a start in the middle of the night, realising it had only been a dream. She had been intent on not having any kind of romantic notions about Jack, but here she was dreaming about him like a besotted schoolgirl.How unprofessional, she thought, turning her pillow to the cool side and punching it into shape, at the same time mentally slapping herself for being such a twit.Grow up, she told herself sternly.He doesn’t care about you in that way at all.But still, she couldn’t help trying to imagine what it would be like to kiss him…
During the following week, Vi tried her best not to overthink it and concentrated on her ballet lessons and voice coach sessions. She told herself sternly that Jack had just wanted to rehearse the scene he had just written. It was all about the movie and not about Vi personally at all, she told herself sternly. She tried to distract herself and turned to her family in order to keep busy. She spent many afternoons helping Lily with the children,enjoying getting to know them. Rose said she was now back at work as Sophie was settling in well at the crèche and sleeping much better.
Christmas was fast approaching. Vi helped Sylvia to prepare for the big family dinner and also bought presents for everyone, foraging in the lovely little boutiques in Dingle town for all kinds of hand-crafted goods. The toy shop was a delight and Vi indulged in spending a lot of her money on presents for Naomi, Liam and Sophie. She also bought woolly hats for her brothers-in-law. She found a little shop selling jewellery made of sea glass and bought lovely earrings for both Lily and Rose. Sylvia would get a cashmere pashmina and Arnaud a silk cravat. Henri was the most difficult person to find a present for, but she finally decided on a dry robe to put on after surfing.
Vi then went searching for a present for her mother, who was in Donegal sorting out Vi’s stepfather’s estate after his death over a year ago. It was so sad to think of her mother having to cope yet again with losing a husband and Vi had been trying her best to help in any way she could. There wasn’t much she could do, except keep in touch by phone and FaceTime. Patricia had visited Lily and Rose during the summer and now she was hoping to come and spend Christmas with them all, her first in many years. But what to get a woman who was going through a tragedy for the second time? Then Vi found a beautiful blue cashmere sweater with a matching scarf which seemed perfect for wrapping around her mother, like a permanent hug. It was very expensive, but Vi dug into her savings as she knew her mother would love the sweater and the thought behind it.
That done, Vi went back to the letters, deciding to get through the last ones before the holidays so she could get a final take on the relationship between Kathleen and Don.
Vi had to go back to London at the beginning of January to rehearse and prepare for filming that would start at the beginning of March. Some of the interior scenes would be filmed in London before they started shooting outdoor scenes in Kerry later that month. Vi decided to go back to the letters so she could finally get a clear picture of Don and Kathleen and their marriage. She picked up a letter at random to read while she had a mug of tea in front of the fire in the living room. It was dated 2 May 1960 and started with the usualDear Fidelma, Ihope you’re well, I’m fine and working on the script of a new movie. But I have some exciting news, so get ready for a scoop.The next few sentences made Vi sit up, her heart beating faster as she read on.
Don has proposed! We’re coming back to Ireland to get married in Kerry and then we’re spending a year in Dingle town. I am taking a full year off filming and Don will be taking a sabbatical leaving his associate in charge of the business.
I can’t tell you how happy I am. I feel that this time, it’s the real thing: true love that will last forever. We have been dating for over a year and now we truly know each other inside out. Despite our occasional rows, we’re very much in love. Don is a wonderful man, kind, loving – he’s a little domineering but I think I need someone to be solid and strong. I have told him everything, even the secret about my identity that only you know. And now Don knows too. He wasn’t shocked at my revelation, only said that every actor creates an image in order to give the public what they want. I think this is true, and I’m so happy he understands and doesn’t think I’m living a lie.
Vi put down the letter and stared into the fire as she digested what she had just read.Living a lie? What was that all about?Only Fidelma and Don knew and now only one of them was alive to tell the tale, Don having passed away shortly after Kathleen. Vi knew instantly what she must do: go to Dublin and see Fidelma as soon as possible. But there was only a week until Christmas and she had promised to help Lily with the children so she could prepare for the Christmas tea party in the orangery. Vi couldn’t possibly let her sister down and now that Naomi and Liam were getting so fond of their auntie Vi, they would be disappointed if she didn’t turn up. And then there was Claire’s dance studio’s Christmas show. Naomi was dancing the part of a fairy and Vi had promised her to be there to watch. She couldn’t possibly miss that.
Vi decided to put off the visit to Dublin until after Christmas. She had to go to London soon after that anyway, so she might visit Fidelma a day or two before her trip. That seemed the best solution. But first she had to find out which nursing home Fidelma was in. Vi called the dance studio in Dublin, hoping Finbarr might give her a clue, as he had been in touch with the old lady’s daughter. But when Vi rang the number, all she got was a recorded message that said the dance studio was closed for the holidays and would open again on 4 January. Frustrated, Vi hung up, deciding it would be better to wait until January to pick up her research again.
Her phone rang just as she put away the letters. It was her agent Hugh calling from London.
‘Hi, Hugh,’ Vi said. ‘How are things with you?’
