Page 88 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘Including having a drink with Jack Montgomery?’ Leo asked. ‘How did that go?’
‘Oh, it was great,’ Vi replied dreamily. ‘He was very charming and fun. We got on really well.’
‘Good, but don’t be too starstruck around him. He has quite a big head as it is.’
‘Of course he does,’ Vi exclaimed. ‘He’s a talented actor. Why wouldn’t he be proud of that?’
‘Yeah, I suppose he’s earned it.’
‘I’d say he has,’ Vi said. ‘But I feel there’s a nice man behind all the glamour. Right now he’s in his prime, I think.’
‘At his age, he should be.’
‘Thirty-six must be a good age for a man,’ Vi remarked. ‘It’s different for a woman. I’m already quite old for some parts.’
Leo looked surprised. ‘But you’re only in your twenties. I was just thinking about how I’m going to age you for the movie.’
‘I’m about to turn thirty,’ Vi said glumly.
‘Welcome to the club.’ Leo smiled at her. ‘I turned thirty last year. It doesn’t hurt at all.’
‘You’re a man and you’re not an actor,’ Vi retorted. ‘For me, the party’s over.’
‘Of course not,’ Leo protested. ‘The best is yet to come, you know. Life is not about age, it’s about your attitude to it.’
‘That makes me feel marginally better.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Leo got up. ‘But now I have to get back or my cousin will call the Guards on me.’
Vi scrambled to her feet. ‘Okay. But it was great to see you.’
‘I’ll be back around Christmas,’ Leo said.
‘Give me a shout then and come over and meet my granny,’ Vi suggested.
‘If I can steal the bike again, I’ll come over,’ Leo promised.
‘Sure, there are buses and trains, too, you know,’ Vi retorted, smiling.
‘Of course. But the bike is more fun.’ Leo walked out to the hall and through the open front door. He zipped up his jacketand put on the helmet he had left hanging on the motorbike. ‘Good luck with the research,’ he said, his voice muffled by the visor of the helmet. ‘I’m sure next time we meet, you’ll be so like Kathleen we’ll think she’s back from the dead.’
‘Oh, go on out of that,’ Vi said, laughing. ‘I won’t go that far.’
‘Get some fake cigarettes and practise the smoking,’ Leo said before he kickstarted the bike. ‘Thanks for the coffee and chat,’ he shouted before he took off through the gates.
Vi shook her head and laughed as she watched the taillight disappear. What a fun guy Leo was. She knew she’d enjoy working with him. But while they chatted, she had felt a little shiver of fear at the pressure she was under. Everyone had such high expectations. If she failed to represent Kathleen accurately, she’d be out of a job. In the heat of their argument Rose had said Vi put her career before her family, and that one day she’d realise it wasn’t worth it. If she failed to play Kathleen to perfection, her sisters would be proven right.
11
Sitting in the orangery with a cup of coffee, Vi read through the script very quickly. It was a good place to sit on a winter’s day, with the mellow winter sun streaming in through the tall windows, illuminating everything outside in a golden hue. She stared at the walled garden with its neat flowerbeds and clipped hedges, thinking what a wonderful job Lily had done with the space. It truly had an old-world atmosphere and anyone walking around would feel themselves transported to the early 1800s when vegetables and fruit for the household were grown here. The orangery itself consisted of one big room with the stonework exposed. The restored tiled floor now had underfloor heating to make it more comfortable on cooler days. The café was closed but Sylvia was at the counter helping with accounts and inventory, so she had said to Vi she could sit here today if she wanted a change of scene. ‘I’ll put the heating on for you and leave you alone,’ Sylvia promised. Vi had been grateful to get out of the house on this cold, windy day despite the sunshine. Sitting in the garden was not an option today.
Vi turned back to the script, and tried to assess what she thought of it. The dialogue was good and the scene settingsexcellent and it gave her a good idea of the feel of the movie. But there were a few things missing, such as Kathleen’s fiery temper and the stormy relationship between her and Don that weren’t touched on in much detail. But Vi couldn’t make notes of how that could be changed as she didn’t have enough information. She made another attempt to speak to Fidelma Sheridan the following day, but there was no answer. She tried again just after six o’clock with the same result. The old lady might have gone away for some reason, or be spending time with her children and grandchildren. Vi decided to keep trying, just to get some more information about Kathleen O’Sullivan and what she had been like in private. Anything at all, some small detail would bring her closer to the woman she was about to portray. It probably wouldn’t be as bad as she imagined.
Vi thought about the conversation with Fidelma and her suggestions that Vi should study ballet. She decided to contact the school of dance in Dingle to see if she could have private lessons. A sweet woman’s voice answered the phone and when Vi explained who she was and why she was calling, there was huge excitement.
‘Oh wow, I read about that movie inThe Irish Times,’ she said. ‘My name is Claire Ryan, by the way. I’d be happy to give you a few lessons. Have you ever done classical ballet before?’
‘No,’ Vi replied. ‘Just a bit of Irish dancing. But I do yoga whenever I can, so I’m quite flexible.’
