Private Lives by Carole Mortimer

Author:Carole Mortimer [Mortimer, Carole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488030123
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1992-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

THEY weren’t the best actors in the world, Fin knew that, but then, they had never professed to be; they wouldn’t be amateurs if they thought they were that good. But three weeks before the play was due to go on and they all knew their lines—only occasionally forgot to make an entrance!—so they weren’t doing too badly. At least, Fin hadn’t thought they were. Obviously Jake believed differently.

He looked up at her silence after his statement and saw the indignation on her flushed face, his mouth twisting wryly. ‘I wasn’t talking about your performances tonight. Any of them,’ he added softly.

Fin frowned, looking at him more closely, realising that his face was very pale, lines of strain beside his eyes and mouth. And his hand shook slightly as he raised it to run it through the untidy length of his hair.

He stood up abruptly, thrusting those shaking hands into the pockets of the black cords as he sensed her scrutiny. ‘The cast is good,’ he bit out dismissively. ‘You should have a more than passable production on your hands in three weeks’ time. It’s a bit patchy at the moment, but it will smooth out.’

High praise indeed from someone who had been such a hard taskmaster all evening. So what was worse than he had thought it was going to be?

Fin continued to look at him wordlessly, sure that when—and if!—he wanted to talk to her he would do so.

He shook his head, drawing in a shaky breath. ‘I hope it didn’t show tonight—God, I’ll be mortified if it did!’ he groaned his anguish. ‘But, despite what I told the efficient Delia earlier today about my ability to direct the play, it’s more than ten years since I did any directing!’ The admission came out in an almost defensive rush.

Just over ten years, Fin realised dazedly. It was just over ten years since her father had died. And Angela. And since this man had directed anything. There had been no obscure repertory companies with him going under the name of Jake Danvers. He hadn’t been near the profession he knew so well. That seemed incredible. What had he been doing with himself for the last ten years? How had he kept himself busy? Because he certainly didn’t have the look of a man who had remained idle or aimless.

Jake looked across at her and saw her mystified expression, making an impatient movement. ‘Shall we get out of here?’ he rasped. ‘Go and get a drink somewhere?’

It was too late to get a drink in any of the pubs—last orders would have been called some time ago—but Fin’s curiosity about this man was well and truly aroused now, concerning those missing ten years of his life. And for once Jake seemed inclined to talk about himself.

‘Perhaps we could find somewhere to have coffee,’ she nodded acceptance.

They left Fin’s van parked outside the hall while they went off in Jake’s car to look for somewhere that was open to serve them coffee.

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