Page 46 of Kiss Me at Christmas
Carly, who still had her head on Leo’s shoulder, mumbled, “Yeah, thanks. Sorry.”
“Okay,” said Harriet. “I am officially drawing a line under this incident. As far as I’m concerned, it’s done, put to bed, and we don’t need to visit it again. Now let’s get out of here.”
“I was hoping to make a start on the first backcloth tonight.” Leo sniffed and sneezed again. “The only space big enough to lay them out flat is the stage.”
“At the rate this crew works, I doubt it’ll take longer than a couple of days to replace all the rigging and hang the new curtains, and then it’ll be all yours,” Harriet said.
“There won’t be any need for backcloths if we don’t start rehearsals soon,” added Isabel, worrying at herblack-painted fingernails. “I’m not gonna make a twat of myself in front of everyone I know.”
“Too late,” Billy smirked. Isabel punched him in the arm.
“The work we’ve done so far is all relevant.” Harriet tried to sound confident even though she’d started checking her phone hourly for news from Gideon Clarke. “It’s important that we familiarize ourselves with the way in which the play is structured. And then there’s the language; it’s no good simply reciting the lines. If you don’t understand the meaning of what you’re saying, your cadences will be off.”
“Who’s that up there with James?” asked Carly, who clearly hadn’t listened to one word Harriet had said.
“Maybe he’s brought his mum along,” Ricco sniggered.
“Looks like Cruella de Vil,” said Isabel.
Harriet followed Carly’s pointing finger up to one of the royal boxes overlooking the stage. James looked down and gave her a halfhearted wave. Sat next to him was Evaline, a pair of opera glasses held to her eyes.Oh god, had they seen all that play out?
“That is our patroness,” said Harriet distractedly. “The theater owner.”
“I wonder what she wants,” Carly said.
“To wear your skin like a coat,” Ricco quipped, and the others snickered.
“Um, you guys go on ahead, and I’ll meet you in the cocktail lounge. If anyone tries to stop you, tell them it was Ken’s idea.” Harriet shooed them off and began to make her way to where Evaline observed them from on high.
“Good evening.” Evaline’s voice scratched as Harriet pushed through the curtain into the box. The stale reek of old dust was stronger here, closer to the stage, and foronce Harriet was glad of Evaline’s overpowering lily of the valley perfume.
“Hello,” Harriet replied. She steeled herself. “How long have you been here?”
“Just long enough to catch the end of Ken showing the students how to project their voices,” said James quickly. Holding her gaze and nodding imperceptibly at her. “An impassioned speech fromRomeo and Juliet, if I’m not mistaken?”
Harriet wasn’t sure she had ever wanted to jump a man’s bones more. She smiled brightly and hoped her legs wouldn’t give way with relief.
“Yes,” she replied. “The Prince of Verona, Act One, laying down the law.”
“As I thought,” James replied.
“Yes, yes, but what about the new curtains?” Evaline snapped.
The new curtains had completely slipped Harriet’s mind.
“Oh, we’re all so pleased about them.” Harriet hoped she was effusing the right amount of gush. “It’s very generous of you.”
“I wasn’t going to bother, but Mr. Knight convinced me that since everything else was being necessarily replaced, I might as well ‘go the whole hog.’ ”
Harriet felt sure that was the first time Evaline had ever uttered such a phrase.
Down on the stage, people lined up in a row and began moving forward as one, slowly rolling up the old curtains like a giant roulade. Backstage—which was visible to all now that the curtains were gone—was occupied by a swarm of maintenance people climbing up and down tall stepladders, the tops of which were hidden by the wooden painted pelmet that framed the stage. Ropeslike thick jungle vines hung loosely down and coiled on the stage boards waiting to be made useful again.
“It’s very kind of you,” said Harriet. “We appreciate it.”
“It isn’t kindness, it’s business,” Evaline barked.
“I wonder, have you thought any more about securing a spot for the community in any contracts for sales going forward?” Harriet asked.
