Whirlwind (12 page)

Anna watched her, a funny little smile curving her mouth. 'Well, if you couldn't, you don't want to be an actress that badly,' she said.

The other girl's face glowed suddenly. 'Oh, but I do,' she said. 'And if it meant living on what I earn at the moment, which is pathetic, anyway, I'd manage it somehow.' Then she grinned. 'I'm jolly glad I don't have to, all the same.'

As they ate lunch, they talked with more frankness than they had ever done before, and the time passed rapidly. Anna had a shock when she looked at her watch and saw it was gone five. Laird would be here soon, and she wasn't ready. Catching that glance, Patti looked at her own watch, exclaiming, 'Good heavens, is that the time?' She smiled across the room, it's been fun, Anna, I've enjoyed myself, and I've come to a decision—at the end of our run, I'm going to audition for drama school, and if I get a place I won't take up the chance to go with the rest of you into the West End, supposing that Joey offers me the chance, that is! My mother seems less hostile to the idea of me going on the stage, I think you talked her round—and she was surprised to see that I could act when she and Daddy came to the play. They'll let me go to drama school now, anyway, and I think it would be wiser to do that. I've loved being in a professional production, but I have such a tiny part and I think I've learnt everything I could from it, don't you?'

Anna smiled at her. 'I think you're making the right decision,' she agreed. Patti would never find out whether she could really act or not unless she spent some time training for the job; what she could pick up from being in a running play was not enough. She needed to study stage technique and voice production and a hundred other things.

Laird arrived exactly on time, and the two girls got into the back of the Rolls, driving off under intense scrutiny from the landlady's window.

'I see Mrs Gawton is still at her post,' Laird drawled, his eyes flicking back to meet Anna's.

'Your car gives her great status with the neighbours,' Anna said ruefully. 'She loves watching it drive up to her door.'

'But you don't?'

7'm not a snob!' Anna bit out, not adding that every time she'saw either him or his car she felt her nervous system go into overdrive. Patti gave her a puzzled, worried look and Anna relaxed deliberately; she must not snap at him like that in front of his sister, it would only make Patti even more curious.

He dropped them at the theatre and drove off with a cool farewell. Anna walked through the stage door, wishing she didn't feel so depressed and angry with herself because it was crazy to go on thinking about him, letting him dominate her mind in this way. She hadn't really stopped thinking about him since the morning they met, outside this theatre. That was just a few weeks ago; yet it seemed like years to her.

Joey called her to one side just before the curtain went up. 'I'd like to have a talk, Anna. Can we have lunch? How about Monday?'

'Of course, where?'

'I was thinking about that—remember the trattoria where I took the cast the day before we began rehearsing? That's very near your place, isn't it? Could we meet there? Around one o'clock?'

Anna nodded. 'I'll be there.' Why did Joey want to talk to her? she wondered uneasily, her heart sinking at the suspicion that he might be going to tell her that he wouldn't be taking her in the play when it transferred to the West End. Their run in the out- of-town little theatre was due to end in six weeks, but they still hadn't heard whether or not they would be transferring.

Anna had felt she was bound to keep her part; her reviews had all been good and Joey seemed pleased with her. She had had several press interviews since the play opened; it had been good publicity, spreading her name around.

Yet now she quaked with insecurity, her nerves in tatters, and she did not give a good performance that evening, which made her even more unhappy.

She walked to the restaurant, arriving in spring sunlight to find Joey waiting for her at the table. They ate melon and Parma ham followed by spaghetti, talking about the proposed move into the West End.

'We've been given a definite date now and a theatre—they're putting us into the Sheridan, which is exactly right for us, I think, don't you? Anything bigger would have swamped us. The only problem is the date—there's going to be a longer gap than I'd have liked. Two months.' He looked hard at Anna. 'I've spoken to Dame Floss and she's ready to sign it, how about you?'

She breathed with relief, laughing. 'Of course I will! I can always get a part-time job while I'm waiting.'

'Sure? I gathered you were pretty hard-up and I wouldn't want to lose you to someone else, we'd want you to sign the contract right away and we could give you an advance on your money.'

'That's good of you,' she said with surprise. 'I'll think about it and let you know, but as far as the play is concerned, I'll be happy to sign right away.'

As they left the restaurant Joey halted to buy a huge bunch of golden daffodils from a flower shop, thrusting them into Anna's arms with a smile.'Thank you,' she said, taken aback but delighted, bending her head to inhale their faint perfume.

'Nice to see it really is spring,' he said humorously, glancing up at the pale blue sky. 'We may even get some summer if we wait long enough!'

He drove her back to her flat and pulled up outside to lean forward and eye the building with much the same wry distaste as Laird had shown. 'This is where you live? My God, Anna! I'll make sure you get that advance and when you've got it, find somewhere better than this to live!'

She laughed. 'Joey, if it meant I could go on acting, I'd be happy living in a dustbin!'

He considered her, his head to one side. 'I suppose it helps!'

'What?' she asked, bewildered.

'Being obsessed.' Joey leaned forward and kissed her lightly. 'As Dame Flossie keeps saying, it's a pleasure to work with you. I wish the rest of the company were as dedicated as you are.'

Anna met his eyes searchingly. 'Does that mean you aren't signing everyone?'

His mouth indented and he shook his head. 'Afraid not, no. Some people will be leaving us.'

'Who?'

'I can't tell you until I've told them, it wouldn't be fair, but I gather you already know that Patti will be one of them. Her choice, not mine, but I think she's sensible to start again at a good school. She's got a lot to learn. She should be very grateful to you for everything you've taught her.'

'Me?' Anna's eyes opened wide and Joey grinned at her.

'Yes, you, as if you didn't know. You've shown her what real dedication is and what it can cost to be an actress—if she's still determined to go on with the game, it's because she's seen how much you love it in spite of everything.'

She kissed him on the cheek. 'Don't be too nice, Joey. I'm not used to that from you and it makes me feel worried,' she teased, getting out of the car, her arms full of the vivid golden trumpets of the flowers he had given her. Joey drove off at once and Anna turned towards the gate. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a gleam of blue and silver and swung back again, staring in disbelief at the Rolls parked by the kerb some yards away. She hadn't even noticed it until then. Had it been there when she and Joey drove past? Or had it driven up behind them while they were talking in Joey's car?

Laird got out of it, pushing back a swathe of thick black hair as the wind whipped it over his face. Anna had a violent urge to run away, but she wouldn't give in to it. She stood her ground, holding the daffodils close to her like a barrier to keep him at a distance, frowning as he strolled towards her. His movements were casual, but his face was a threat.

She stared into his icy grey eyes without flinching, hiding her fear at what she read in them. 'What are you doing here?'

'Waiting for you,' he said tersely. 'That was Ross in the car, wasn't it? I didn't know you two were on kissing terms.'

Anna lifted her chin in defiance. 'Didn't you? Why were you waiting for me? I thought I'd made it clear that I didn't want to see you again.'

His eyes ran over her, halted on the flowers. 'Been wandering lonely as a cloud?'

'Joey gave them to me,' she said absently, then wished she hadn't admitted it, because Laird's face clenched in white fury.

'So that's why you turned me down? It was Ross all the time! Why not just say so? He isn't married, is he?'

'Joey had nothing to do with it,' snapped Anna, and began to walk towards the gate again.

Laird took two long strides and grabbed her arm. 'I've been waiting here for half an hour to talk to you, you're not walking out on me now. Come and sit in the car, I'm not going into that grim little cell you call a home.'

She began to pull herself free, her face dark red with anger. 'Don't you manhandle me!'

'Mrs Gawton's watching,' he taunted, and she glared up at him, biting her lip.

'I don't care if she is!'

'Liar! You've gone crimson. She scares the life out of you, and I don't mind admitting, she puts the fear of God into me. You must be tougher than you look if you can stay under the same roof as that lady without cracking.'

Anna felt him edging her towards the limousine and threw a quick look towards the house in time to see the lace curtain twitch. He wasn't lying; Mrs Gawton was there, at her usual watching post, eagerly observing everything, no doubt, and trying hard to hear what was being said, too. Sighing, she gave in and let Laird push her into the front passenger seat. He walked round and got in behind the wheel, but instead of turning to talk to her he started the engine.

'Here, what are you doing?' she asked, alarmed, sitting up in the seat.

'Taking you somewhere private, where we won't have an avid audience.'

'I've got to be at the theatre very soon!'

'I'll get you there.' He glanced down at the flowers she still held on her lap. 'You—and your precious daffodils!'

She had no chance of getting out of the car; it was already sweeping round the corner and heading westwards in a heavy stream of traffic. Anna looked at Laird's hard profile; her lashes quivering to hide her wary eyes. Where was he taking her? No prizes for guessing that, she told herself, and looked at the clock on the dashboard—it was a quarter to three and she had to be at the theatre by six-thirty at the very latest. It didn't take long to put on her make-up and costume, but she had to do other preparation, get herself into the part before she went on; and that meant spending a little time alone in the dressing- room before she was given her first call.

'Can't we talk in the car?' she said impatiently. 'If this is another of your attempts to persuade me to live with you, then . . . '

'It isn't,' he said shortly. 'I want to talk to you about Patti.'

'Oh.' That was a shock; she frowned ahead at the crowded road. 'What about Patti?'

'She told you she had applied for a place in this drama school?'

'She said she'd decided to, anyway.'

'Well, there's one small problem and
I've come up with a possible solution, that's what I want to talk to you about.' He slowed and turned into the familiar underground car park, and Anna frantically searched her mind for some excuse for not going up to his penthouse again, but she could only think of one really cast-iron excuse to give—the truth.

Huskily, she gave that. 'I'm not going up there again,' she broke out. 'Whatever the reason! I don't want to remember what happened last time. You may not believe this, but I'd never . . . that was the first time
I'd ever slept with anyone, and if I hadn't been drunk it wouldn't have happened. Just walking into that place would make me feel sick!'

Laird had switched off the engine and parked the car by the time her agitated voice broke off. He turned towards her, one arm over the wheel, his face calm and oddly almost ironic.

'I asked you once before how much you remembered,' he began, and Anna's face flooded with scalding colour.

'I remember waking up in your bed! I prefer to forget the rest.'

'What rest?' he enquired, and her eyes spat hatred at him.

'You know very well what I mean!'

'I'm not sure I do. What was it you particularly objected to—the fact that I carried you into the bedroom? Or that I undressed you and put you to bed? I can't see why you should feel so violently about either. You weren't too heavy for me! In fact, you're much too skinny and hardly weigh more than a child. And as for taking your clothes off—it was a pleasure, I assure you.'

Anna shook with temper. 'You really are a ... '

'Bastard? Yes, you called me that before, and I still can't imagine why. I was the soul of chivalry, as soon as I'd gently stripped you I put you into the bed with no more than a cursory glance.'

She stared, beginning to sense that things weren't quite as straightforward as she had thought. His face was too amused; his eyes held nothing but a gentle mockery.

'When I woke up you were in bed with me,' she accused rather uncertainly.

'True.'

'Are you saying . . . you didn't ... we didn't . . . ' She broke down in flushed confusion, and Laird smiled crookedly at her.

'Yes, I'm saying that—I didn't and we didn't. I spent most of the night on the couch, but I got a wry neck from sleeping on the damn thing because I'm just over six foot and the couch is five foot something. I got into bed with you at around three in the morning. You were snoring . . . '

'I was not!' she protested, laughing almost hysterically, tears in her eyes.

'No need to cry about it,' said Laird, producing a handkerchief and drying the tears with a gentle hand. 'I'm sorry to ruin your illusions, but you were distinctly snoring—the champagne, I've no doubt. You were dead to the world and I was as stiff as a board and freezing into the bargain—the bed looked warm and inviting.' He paused, his heavy-lidded eyes gleaming. 'So did you, of course, don't think I wasn't tempted, but I felt I needed a few hours' sleep more than anything else, so I climbed into bed and went out like a light. When I woke up, you'd gone.'

Anna shut her eyes, breathing roughly. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Tell you what, exactly?' he enquired drily. 'How was I to know that you had gone off with such romantic visions in your head? It certainly didn't occur to me to ring you up and say: by the way, I didn't seduce you the other night, in case you were wondering!'