The Long Path Home by Ellen Lindseth

Author:Ellen Lindseth [Lindseth, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781542004763
Published: 2020-04-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Lieutenant Holland dropped the troupe off a half hour later at a theater deep in the heart of old Rome, with promises that he would have rooms for them soon. As Vi sat in the darkened auditorium watching the actors onstage, she had to admit that the USO had really done all right by them. The acoustics were outstanding. The layout made for a cozy, intimate audience experience that suited their scaled-down production. Nor could she fault the aesthetics. Truly it was a little jewel of a theater.

She was still a tad envious that it wasn’t her up on the stage being shown all the blocking for Luciana’s part, but her day would come. Better to be part of the chorus than not have a part at all. Frances’s words haunted her, though. The girl was right. In any other production Vi would’ve been gunning for the top role. So why was she oddly content about being passed over this time?

It was damned curious. A question that she had no answer for.

She smoothed her hand over the soft velvet of the upholstered seat, deriving pleasure from the kittenish texture. It occurred to her that the plush fabric, so lovely to touch, might not stand up to rough GI gear. Had anyone thought about that? Or did anyone even care? Rome was an occupied city, after all. Still, she had a soft spot for beautiful fabrics and hoped the chairs would survive.

Onstage, beneath a proscenium that glowed with gold leaf on opulent scrolls, Marcie looked ready to burst into tears as she received yet another line prompt. Vi sighed, wishing Marce would calm down. No one was expecting perfection right out of the gate.

Someone sank into the audience seat next to hers. It was Wyatt.

“It’s too bad about Miss Rossi,” he said softly, so as not to disturb the action onstage. “Do you think Miss May will be up to the task?”

“Absolutely,” Vi whispered back, surprised Wyatt was asking her opinion. But then, maybe it did make sense, since she was Marcie’s travel buddy and most likely to know the girl’s state of mind. “She’s extremely excited, and a little nervous. It’s her first major role.”

He nodded, indicating he’d heard her, his gaze fastened on the stage. After a moment he continued. “What about you? Do you wish you had gotten the part?”

Something about the dark, and the fact that it was Wyatt and not Sue or Mr. Stuart asking, had her answering honestly. “I think I would’ve done well, having had starring roles before. But I don’t begrudge Marcie having a chance at the spotlight.”

Wyatt gave her a curious look in the half light of the auditorium. “What roles have you played?”

Vi wanted to kick herself. Virginia was just a dancer. Violet was the one with stage experience. And Violet didn’t exist in Italy. “Nothing you would recognize. Our community theater could only afford to produce locally written plays or else really obscure ones.”

“Ah.” Wyatt settled back in his seat to watch Marcie stumble through her lines.

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