Feast of Saints by Zoe Wildau

Author:Zoe Wildau [Wildau, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Women, Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction
Amazon: B00GM9PYWM
Published: 2013-11-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

On Sunday afternoon, back in LA, Lilly’s thoughts were in a tangle as she biked her way over to Warner. On the long flight back from Italy the day before, Clara and Lilly had been seated together. Jake had taken the studio jet back with Maya, Alan and Monty.

On the flight, she’d had that deflated feeling she always got when a highly anticipated trip came to an end. Clara’s mood seemed to match hers. In a lull in the conversation, Clara reached below her seat and came up with a two-inch thick book entitled, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke.

Lilly had laughed, “Why on earth would you haul such a huge tome between two continents?”

But the smile on her face became a fixed mask as Clara told her, “It’s for work. Jake’s offered me a job on his next film. He’s playing the part of Jonathan Strange.”

Clara elaborated, “Terry Gilliam is adapting the book into a screenplay. Guillermo del Toro is directing. Peter is producing.”

Peter, of course, was Peter Jackson. There were no three individuals better at crafting a fantasy than Jackson, Gilliam and del Toro. Together, they’d create a masterpiece. To work with the three of them was a once in a lifetime opportunity for an effects specialist. Or, it would be. For Clara. Jake hadn’t mentioned a word of it to Lilly.

Oblivious to the effect her announcement was having on Lilly, Clara became increasingly animated as she talked about the storyline, filming in Vancouver and meeting Jake’s co-stars.

“The book’s about a man, Jonathan Strange, who becomes a caretaker for an elderly magician, Mr. Norrell, hoping to learn from him. I haven’t gotten far, but there’s something awful about Mr. Norrell. I suspect there will be some bad magical happenings. Ian McKellen is going to play Norrell.”

“Wow, he’s brilliant,” she said, fighting down her jealousy and growing confusion over why no one, Jake or Phillip, had considered asking her to work on the film.

Lilly’s façade of feigned enthusiasm for Clara’s good fortune finally cracked when Clara told her, “Sierra Nighly has been cast as Arabella Woodhope, Jonathan Strange’s love interest.”

At her hissing intake of breath, Clara glanced over, taking in her sour expression.

“I know she’s no Maya, but she’s not bad,” Clara said.

Lilly rearranged her face into what she hoped was a smile, although it felt more like a grimace.

“No, no, she’s fine. She’ll be good.” Patting Clara’s hand to signal she needed to get up, she excused herself, escaping to the airplane lavatory.

Hyperventilating in front of the mirror, she fought the urge to scream. Or bawl her eyes out. Fury warred with sharp grief. She didn’t care about stupid Sierra Nighly. She didn’t, she insisted to herself. What she cared about was that she’d been bypassed. Jake had given her dream job to Clara. And for the ten hour flight, she had to sit next to her friend and pretend like she didn’t hate her just a little bit for taking a job that was so clearly tailor made for her.

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