Page 13 of Under A Sicilian Sky
As if reading her mind Jessica chimed in, ‘Think of it as a character you’re playing. A temporary part that, someday soon, will be something to look back on with relief that it’s over.’
Ruby nodded. She could only hope it was a part that wouldn’t have to last long.
* * *
Later that afternoon, in the privacy of the guest room again, Ruby checked the time difference, it would be nine at night in the UK. She dialled Kitty’s number and held the phone in front of her face. The reflection staring back at her was somewhat alien.
When the video call connected, Kitty gasped. ‘They’re making you wear a wig?’
Ruby cringed. ‘Nope. They’re making me dye my hair, Kitty. That’s what it’s come to.’
Kitty pouted. ‘But… your lovely red curls…’
‘I know. I can’t believe this is happening. And now… well, now they want to send me away.’
Kitty scrunched her brow. ‘What did you say?’
‘They want me to go into hiding. It’s ridiculous. Apparently, people are even more irate with me after that interview, for what theythinkI said, that they’re causing all sorts of problems. So now I have to get a flight to the middle of nowhere, to stay in some derelict old house that’s being done up for a rich bloke. I honestly can’t believe this is my life now, Kitty. If I had followed my true passion and pursued a career in dancing and theatre, instead of attending that stupid audition all those years ago, I wouldn’t even be in this situation. I was never supposed to be an actor. I knew it was all too good to be true.’
From a young age Ruby’s parents had taken her to the Theatre Royal in Wakefield, and sometimes the City Varieties in Leeds, to see musicals. Shows such asWest Side StoryandThe Sound of Music,and ballets such asSwan LakeandThe Nutcracker. The spectacle of it all had gripped her, made a place for itself in her heart. She had known from around the age of five that she wanted to be up there, on a stage, in the spotlight, dancing for enraptured audiences. She had watched the movieFlashdanceover and over and had mastered all the choreography, pretending she was Alex Owens, dancing for her dream role in a ballet production. It was all she had ever wanted: the thrill of the live performances, the excitement at what could happen, and the energy created by the music pulsing through her veins. Thinking about it now made her yearn for that feeling again.
Kitty sighed. ‘Oh honey, why can’t you just come home to England? Why are they treating you like a fugitive?’
Ruby huffed. ‘Thank you! Both questions I’ve asked. Neither of which have been answered sufficiently. Well, apart from the one about England. I can’t come home because it would cause trouble for Mum and Dad and I won’t do that to them.’ Her voice broke.
‘Oh, chick, I’m so sorry. I wish I could help. Where are they sending you exactly?’
Ruby glanced over her shoulder conspiratorially. ‘I’m probably not meant to say. But… oh, what the hell. It’s a villa in Palermo. Keep that to yourself, okay? Some guy who’s a friend of a friend of Veronica from theStar. Apparently, it’s a Scottish property tycoon who owns it and he’s having it renovated by local builders.’
‘Oof, that all sounds a bit posh.’
Ruby looked into the camera. ‘Hmm. I mean, I don’t speak Italian, let alone Sicilian. I don’t even know if they’re the same language. And I’m going to be all alone out there. Mind you, at least it will be warmer than New York. Valerie wanted to send me to a cabin in the woods. And I’ve seen The Blair Witch Project. Anyway, Philippe says it’s likely the internet won’t be great if the house is being renovated, so what the hell am I going to do? I should be out there, in the public domain, making people see that I’m innocent, for goodness’ sake. Maybe I should just quit and go back to dancing.’ Kitty’s expression turned sympathetic and Ruby’s throat tightened. ‘Oh, Kitty, don’t look at me like that. I’ll cry.’
‘I know lovely, I’m sorry. I just wish I could do something.Anything. Even if it’s just to give you a hug. If I wasn’t six months preggers, I’d fly over to Sicily to hug you.’
‘I could do with one right now.’
‘When are you going to your hideaway?’
‘Friday at midnight is when I’m being taken to the airport and the flight is at three. It’s all so cloak and dagger. No wonder people think I’m guilty.’
‘Those of us who really know you, know you’d never say such vile things.’
‘Thank you.’ Ruby sniffed.
‘Is there a pool at the house?’
Ruby pondered for a moment but couldn’t recall what Veronica had said. ‘I’m not sure, to be honest.’
‘Well, if there is, make the most of it. Take a mountain of books, get them to order you in some cocktails and treat it as a well-deserved holiday. It’ll be warm and you won’t have anyone to bother you. It sounds like bliss to me.’
Ruby grinned. Her friend had a point.
Kitty glanced over her shoulder. ‘Yes darling, I’m coming.’ She turned her focus back to her phone. ‘Listen, will you call me when you get settled there? I’ve got to go and get the kids back to bed. They’re both too excited about the blooming snow.’
As she spoke, a little blonde mop of curls appeared in the bottom corner of the screen. ‘Aunty Roo! Your hair is funny,’ George said with a scrunch of his brow.
Ruby grinned. ‘Hi Georgie Porgie. Don’t you like my hair?’
