Page 126 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘Thanks, I will. Bye for now, Leo.’ Vi hung up, feeling bad for him, but what could she do? She had been there before, killing a possible romance before it could happen, sometimes with a heavy heart, but mostly feeling relieved.What’s wrong with me?Am I so cold and unfeeling?she asked herself.Or do I stop myself falling in love to protect myself, to be independent and free to make my own choices? Or maybe to pursue my career without distractions or complications?But she had fallen in love with Jack and that was something she had not been able to stop. It was making her miserable and she couldn’t shake herself out of it. Her grandmother had hinted that Jack had feelings for her but the last time they met he had been quite matter-of-factand cool. Except for that little kiss on the cheek when they said goodbye.But that was just him being polite, she told herself sternly.
The flight was boarding and Vi hurried to join the queue, feeling happy to leave London and all the problems with the movie behind for a while. She knew she needed a break from everything and she longed to get home and get the rest and distractions that being at Magnolia Manor would provide.
Vi had been right. Only hours after arriving back in the gatehouse, she began to feel better. After saying goodbye to her grandmother, who dropped her off, she put her bags in the hall and went for a long walk. As always in early February, spring was in the air with a mild salt-laden sea breeze, the sound of birdsong and warm sunshine. Vi noticed that the magnolia tree in front of the manor had big buds and she remembered that the annual Magnolia party would be held as usual in a few weeks. This year, the party would be held in the orangery to take the pressure off the ballroom, where the movie people would be busy preparing for filming the first scenes of the film. Vi wondered idly if it would ever be made. It felt so distant and unreal right now. Would Liz ever get the facts she was looking for and give the go-ahead for the rewrites of the script? Vi had initially planned to do her own research but right now she was tired of the whole thing and felt like letting go of everything. The walk in the mild sunshine with the distant sound of the waves in her ears made her forget all her worries, and even her heartache eased a little. This was where she was meant to be and she wanted to stay here forever.
She laughed at herself, knowing she was just tired and would probably be raring to go and be every bit as driven as before after a good night’s sleep – and some apple pie and tea with hergranny. Still, this day and the walk in the winter sunshine was just what she needed.
Then a few days later, Jack emailed the script to Vi with a message that said:
This is just a draft and not the final script. We still need to get proof of the full story. But I think you’ll love the rewrites. The writers have done a great job, don’t you think? We’ve found a little bit of proof already, so I’m certain Liz will come around. I might hint that I’ll resign if she makes too much of a fuss.
I’d like to see you so we can discuss the new material. How about dinner tomorrow? Please let me know and we’ll decide on a time and place.
Best wishes,
Jack.
The message made Vi glow with new hope. He was prepared to fight with Liz for the new script. And he wanted to have dinner with her. That must mean something. But he seemed to think she was still in London, so dinner wasn’t possible. She sent back a reply to say thank you for the script.
I can’t wait to read it, she wrote.I’d love to discuss it over dinner but I’m afraid it’s not possible as I’m in Kerry. I thought it better to stay here during the delay. I’ll come back as soon as I’m needed. In the meantime, I’ll learn my lines.
All the best, Violet
He didn’t reply until the following day with a short message that said he understood and hoped to hear from her soon. The message was short and Vi felt confused, wondering what he meant by it all. First, he wanted to have dinner with her andthey seemed to be getting closer, but then he sent her a rather curt message that felt cold and distant. She decided not to read anything at all into either message and to try to gauge Jack’s feelings when they met again. She was starting to feel relieved that she wouldn’t have to work with him – that would have been too difficult. Peter Black, who had been cast instead, would be easy to deal with. He was nice and friendly and there had been no vibes between them when they had worked together on a TV series a few years ago.
Putting all those thoughts to the back of her mind, Vi opened the attachment and started to read the new script. When she got to the rewritten scenes, she sat up and stared at the computer screen. The new dialogue was truly wonderful: dramatic and deeply moving. The writers had really understood what Kathleen had been going through which delighted Vi. She couldn’t wait to start acting out these feelings which would demand a lot from her as an actress but might also be the watershed moment she had been waiting for. She read on for another hour, then decided to print out the whole text to be able to practise her lines and read them over and over again. She only wished she had someone to rehearse with and hoped she’d get the go-ahead to go back to London to rehearse with the rest of the cast soon.
Excited by this new challenge, she sent a short email to Jack, telling him how much she loved the new script. She felt he should know what she thought of it. He was, after all, one of the producers.
Vi used the printer in the office of Magnolia Manor and once she had the printout, started to read the script several times over the next few days. There had been no reply from Jack and she hoped Liz would find the proof she needed soon and get the movie back on track. In the meantime, she spent her free time taking long walks, spending time with Lily and Rose and theirfamilies, especially enjoying playing with her little nieces and nephew. She tried her best to push all her worries away, even if the long wait was difficult.
29
The following week was a calm time during which Vi felt all her energy return, despite still waiting to hear if Liz had finally approved the changes. The shooting would start when and if she agreed to it, so there was no need for Vi to come to London. While they waited, Dave the director and Jack had arranged for them to rehearse at Magnolia Manor, while the scenery was being prepared. This way, they would be ready to start shooting as soon as they got the go-ahead and make up for lost time, he said. Vi had a niggling worry that Jack’s gung-ho attitude to quit the company if Liz didn’t come around had fizzled out. He was probably not prepared to burn all his bridges for her. Understandable, but disappointing all the same.
A few days later, the first scene of the movie was finally being rehearsed. It was the scene where Kathleen met Don for the first time at the country house in Ireland, a house very similar to Magnolia Manor, but without the backdrop of the sea. That was a minor detail and the difference in location would not be noticed by the majority of the audience, Liz had explained. Vi was prepared to swallow her protest and ‘stop the nit-picking’,as Liz had put it, and do her job. It was a small price to pay if she had achieved what she wanted – the real, true story of Kathleen O’Sullivan. In any case, the new screenplay was wonderful and Vi fell into her role as if Kathleen herself was directing her. She felt Kathleen’s presence very strongly as she said her lines and had no problem rehearsing the love scenes with Peter Black, who also loved the script and the dialogue that now seemed more realistic than before, especially with a lot of drama and arguments between the main characters. It was fun and challenging and very stimulating at the same time.
Leo was a wonderful help. He had a gentle touch when he practised applying her makeup and even helped her remove everything, giving her a lovely little face massage at the end of the day. They were now close friends and all the tensions between them were gone. It was as if that New Year’s Eve kiss had never happened.
Vi hadn’t heard from Jack after her last email to him and that upset her. But preparing for the movie helped her turn her mind away from her heartache and she supposed she would, in time, accept that he wasn’t as interested in her as she had thought.
There was a long break after the rehearsals, as they all seemed to be holding their breaths while they waited for the final go-ahead. Everyone was happy to have some time off before the hard work began, however. Everyone except Vi, who now had plenty of free time to think about her feelings for Jack.
Vi did everything to distract herself during the break, feeling restless and nervous as she waited for the decision to start filming – or not. She even volunteered to babysit one evening when Lily and Dominic went to an Irish music event in Killarney where Dominic’s band, The Fiddler’s Elbow, was performing.They were staying the night in a hotel and, as their au pair had the night off, needed someone to mind Naomi and Liam.
‘Are you sure?’ Lily asked when they were having tea with Sylvia one wet and windy Thursday afternoon. ‘They can be a bit of a handful, especially Liam.’
‘Oh, I can manage,’ Vi assured her. ‘They know me well by now. Naomi is a great help. The best big sister.’
‘She can act up too,’ Sylvia cut in as she served them another slice of apple pie at the kitchen table. ‘Don’t let her get the upper hand, Violet.’
‘I won’t,’ Vi said, smiling. ‘I’ll be a step ahead all the time. I know the rules and Naomi knows I know.’
‘So there’ll be no “Mummy always lets me eat sweets before bedtime”,’ Sylvia quipped. ‘She tried that with me but I didn’t fall for it.’
‘But you did fall for “Mummy always lets me watch TV until ten o’clock”,’ Lily remarked.
‘Well, yes, but that was because we both wanted to watchMrs Doubtfire,’ Sylvia said. ‘I knew she was having me on, but I went along with it. Why would I want to sit there alone and watch it? We had fun. Sorry, Lily.’
