Page 62 of Kiss Me at Christmas
James met them as they reached the dressing room, his expression serious.
“Everything all right?” he asked tersely.
“Well, we’ve reached the remorseful stage of inebriation,” Harriet replied, folding the still-lamenting Isabel into a chair and handing her a bottle of water. She knelt down beside her. Billy stood to one side, managing to look even more uncomfortable than usual.
“I’d better go and check on Sid,” he said.
“Was this your doing?” James flared at him.
“He had nothing to do with it!” Harriet snapped. “Isabel is plenty capable of making her own mistakes.” She looked at Billy, who was staring at James with such hatred she thought fire might shoot out of his eyes. “It’s okay, Billy, I’ve got this, you go and find Sid. And maybe see if anyone on the maintenance team has any sawdust for the mess.”
This caused Isabel to howl anew. Billy shoved past James as he left the dressing room.
“You can apologize to Billy when you see him again,” Harriet said tersely without looking at him. She put an arm around the sobbing girl and Isabel leaned into her.
James stared out the empty doorway. “I’m not going to apologize for asking a question.”
“You didn’t ask, you accused. He’s not a defendant in one of your prosecutions, so don’t treat him like one.”
“It’s not Billy’s fault.” Isabel sniffed. “He tried to sober me up.”
Harriet glared at James, lips pursed in the universalexpression ofTold you so. James pulled his shoulders back, and she watched agitation scudding across his face.
“Right. Is there anything I can do here?”
Isabel pulled her face out of the crook of Harriet’s neck and looked up at James with big watery eyes. Her face was pale and blotched.
“Can I still audition?” she asked in a small, sorrowful voice.
Harriet could almost see James’s stiff upper lip eroding under the force of Isabel’s pitiful gaze.
“Are you sure you want to?” Harriet asked her.
Isabel nodded, still looking at James. “If I’m allowed.” The hope in her voice was heart-wrenching.
Harriet met James’s eyes in a challenge. “Well, there’s something you can do: use your powers of persuasion to fix it so that Isabel can audition.”
James looked as though he wanted to argue but thought better of it and left the room.
Forty-five minutes later, Harriet ushered a freshly rehydrated and somewhat shamefaced Isabel back into the auditorium by the side door. All evidence of her stage faux pas had been eradicated. The only clue was the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air.
As they made their way over to the stalls where the panel and acting hopefuls sat, it occurred to her that she hadn’t seen Ricco or Carly yet. She hoped they hadn’t succumbed to the same nerve remedy as Isabel.
Up on the stage, Destiny took a bow and everyone clapped.
“An immaculate performance, good woman!” Gideon shouted. “I have never seen a more agonized Jacob Marley. Thank you, Destiny.”
Gideon shined his pen torch on his notes and scribbled some more. James looked up and saw Harriet. Hedidn’t smile, nor did she, but he nodded once in acknowledgment and leaned across to speak into Gideon’s ear, causing Gideon to beckon Harriet over, while James excused himself. She watched him head toward Billy and wanted to follow, but Gideon was already speaking.
“Is the young lady ready to audition?” he asked tentatively, glancing around her at Isabel, who was hanging behind her like a nervous puppy. “James has explained that her unfortunate incident was the result of an overzealous dose of Dutch courage. I hazard to say that only someone for whom the role was deeply important would go to such a length to quell their nerves. We have time, if she would like?”
“Well?” Harriet asked her. “Would you like to try again?”
Isabel looked very small as she nodded. She was probably still a bit tipsy, and she was deathly pale but, Harriet reasoned, sober enough to go onstage if that was what she wanted. Billy came to join them, as did James. Since neither of them were glaring daggers at each other, Harriet hoped James had done the right thing.
“You still want me to read with you?” Billy asked.
“Yes, please. I’m sorry. About earlier.” Isabel cast her eyes around to encompass all present.
