Born to Dance (17 page)

The crowd went wild! The press gathered round and cameras flashed, taking pictures of both Mickey and of Bonny, who was smiling happily, now she’d got over the surprise of the announcement.

The only person not pleased by the news was Giles Gilmore.

Giles Gilmore, standing beside Bonny after Mickey’s surprise announcement of their engagement, smiled as the cameras flashed, but inside he was fuming. Bonny Burton was his star! The biggest attraction on the West End stage. Now a major player in the musical theatrical world … His means of cracking Broadway itself! She didn’t have time for romance! But with so many of the press around, he had to be careful what he said.

‘Are you pleased for Miss Burton?’ asked a reporter.

Giles smiled benevolently. ‘I must confess, I am surprised, but of course I’m delighted for them both.’

Another man pushed forward. ‘What about when they get married, won’t that affect the show? Will you lose your star?’

‘Oh, come along,’ said Giles through gritted teeth, ‘many stars of the theatre are married, why should it make a difference? Now if you’ll excuse me …’ He left the ringside and followed Bonny to Mickey’s dressing room.

Mickey was sitting on a massage table having his boxing gloves removed. Bonny ran to him and, throwing her arms around his neck, kissed him. ‘So now we are official!’ she said, smiling.

‘I thought it was about time, princess. After all, it will keep all those men away who lust after you.’

‘Oh, lust? I like the sound of that.’

‘Listen, darlin’, I’m the only man to get near you, you remember that!’

‘Why would I want any other?’ She stroked his bruised face. ‘You scared me to death out there when you went down on the canvas.’

‘He caught me a lucky blow, that’s all. The man was no pushover, but I’m still the champion, that’s what matters.’

Giles spoke up. ‘Congratulations on maintaining your title, Mickey, and on your engagement. May I ask if you are thinking of getting married soon? After all, Bonny is my star and I have a lot of money invested in her and her future.’

Mickey’s eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t talk about her as if she’s a
commodity! She’s flesh and blood, a human being, and her future is my concern also.’

‘Now, you two!’ Bonny intervened. ‘This has been a big night for Mickey and me and we will have lots to talk about. For goodness’ sake, Giles, we’ve only just got engaged – to the public’s knowledge anyway. Mickey has just been through a tough evening and all we want to do is celebrate. The future will have to wait.’

But Giles was concerned. He had to make Mickey O’Halleran understand the seriousness of the situation. ‘Well, I hope soon to have another reason to celebrate. I am making plans to take the production to New York after the run ends here. How do you feel about appearing on Broadway, Bonny?’

She was astonished. ‘Oh my God! Are you serious?’

‘Very. It’s my life’s ambition to have a show in New York and this is the one which will take us all there.’ He turned to Mickey. ‘Do you understand what a big step this is for Bonny?’

‘And for you, Giles.’ Mickey understood immediately how Giles needed his fiancée to fulfil his ambition. ‘You need Bonny to star in it, or it won’t be viable. I’m right, aren’t I?’

There was no point in denying it. ‘Absolutely! Everyone is talking about her talent. She’s the biggest thing in the musical theatre at this moment and she could take New York by storm. How do you feel about
that,
Bonny?’

She looked somewhat dazed by the idea. ‘I really don’t know what to say, Giles. My head’s in a whirl. What a night! Mickey won his fight, announced our engagement and now this! How on earth can I think straight?’

Mickey got off the table. ‘Of course you can’t. I’ll have a shower and then we’ll go to the Savoy for dinner. There, we’ll talk about everything.’ He looked pointedly at Gilmore. ‘Thanks for looking in; I’ll no doubt see you when I collect Bonny after her next performance on Monday. Have a good weekend.’

Giles felt his hackles rise at such a pointed dismissal. He also realized that the boxer was someone he would have to deal with when it came to Bonny and any new contract. She was legally his until the end of the West End run; after that he had no legal hold on her at all. Surely she wouldn’t turn down such a great opportunity – would she?

Foxy Gordon had been listening to the conversations taking place with great interest. After all, he owned forty per cent of the
production and Giles Gilmore would have to negotiate with him before he could take the show anywhere. That gave him a great feeling of power and satisfaction.

When Giles returned home, he called a reporter he knew and gave him an exclusive about his plans to go to America. The next morning, in the gossip column of the theatrical section, these facts were printed in black and white.

Wally Cole read the announcement and was furious. That little bastard Gordon would cash in again! Well he would certainly have to do something about that. Gordon couldn’t scupper his plans and get away with it. Oh no! That wouldn’t do at all. Anyone who crossed Wally Cole would have to pay in the end.

Mickey stood in his bath robe and read the column. Now their engagement was common knowledge, after last night’s dinner he had booked Bonny and him into their favourite hotel, where they had had their own private celebration. Now he was waiting for their breakfast to be delivered and had started reading the Sunday papers.

‘Bloody Giles Gilmore!’ he muttered angrily. As he sat down to read the article, he realized that Giles had stolen a march on him and Bonny. By publicizing the fact, the papers would be all over her, asking her about the move to the States, and what could she say, other than she was happy about it? Therefore committing herself to the move before there had been any negotiation.

The waiter knocked on the door and wheeled in a breakfast trolley, which he stood before the window. Mickey tipped the man and, pouring a cup of coffee, woke Bonny. ‘Here you are, sleepyhead.’

She stretched languidly and smiled. ‘Well, Mr O’Halleran, you certainly gave a championship performance in bed last night!’

He chuckled. ‘And you were a star too, darlin’. We are going to have such a good life together.’ He showed her the article in the paper.

Bonny frowned. ‘That’s a bit premature isn’t it? After all, there are no definite plans as yet.’

‘He’s just being clever. How do you feel about it, princess?’

Her eyes shone. ‘Just imagine, Mickey. New York, Broadway! It’s far more than I ever could have hoped for. Of course I want to do it. In any case, it would be for a limited time only.’

‘Not if it’s as successful as it’s been here in London. You could be in the States for a considerable time.’

She frowned. ‘I wouldn’t want to be parted from you for too long. Could you come out there too?’

Shrugging, he said, ‘That would all depend on my commitments here.’ Seeing her look of disappointment he added, ‘But I would spend as much time as I could with you, you know that. We could get married before you go, if you liked.’

‘That would be lovely! I’d like a quiet wedding, Mickey darling, if that were possible. With just family and friends. I’m so sick of cameras being shoved in my direction whenever I walk outside. And a wedding is a private affair after all. Do you think that’s possible?’

‘It would be difficult with both of us being in the limelight; we would have to keep it secret, apart from those invited. We could try.’

‘Well, we’ll have plenty of time to think about it as the show seems destined to run and run.’

He smiled. ‘Let’s not worry too much today. Have your breakfast and then we’ll go out for a walk. Put a headscarf on and I’ll wear a hat, and with a bit of luck, we won’t be recognized.’

They were fortunate. They spent the morning strolling through the parks, hand in hand, enjoying their privacy, and at lunchtime Mickey took them to a small restaurant in Knightsbridge. As soon as they sat down, and Mickey removed his hat and Bonny her scarf, they were recognized by the owner, who came over and gave them his undivided attention, but after paying the bill, they walked to the door of the restaurant and were met by a hoard of photographers.

Bonny turned and looked accusingly at the owner. ‘How could you?’

He did have the grace to look abashed. ‘It’s good publicity for me, Miss Burton.’

‘But don’t you see? We’ll never come here again now.’

Mickey looked livid. ‘Once is enough for him, darling’, he’s got what he wanted!’

They fought their way through the reporters and for once Mickey was curt with them. ‘Listen, you lot, it’s Sunday, Miss Burton’s only day off, for once give us some peace!’ And he hailed a passing taxi.

Bonny too was annoyed. It had been so nice to be with Mickey, to have the privacy that now was impossible, but to have been used in such a manner really irritated her. ‘The public are like vultures. Everyone wants a piece of you!’

Taking her hand Mickey said, ‘As I’ve told you, darlin’, it goes with being a star. You can’t have it all ways.’

With a sigh she looked out of the cab window. ‘I do know that, but in all honesty, I hadn’t ever envisaged being famous. Being in a West End show was my ambition. The rest just happened.’

‘Are you telling me you don’t want success?’

‘No, of course not. I just wasn’t prepared for it, I suppose.’

Wally Cole was making his own plans.
Broadway
Melody
would not be taking off to America if he had his way. He could not allow Foxy Gordon to make any more money out of his investment. Cole was aware that the show needed Bonny Burton to star in the production – after all, he could read, and the papers were full of her talent. After Gilmore’s announcement, the critics were certain she would be a great success in New York. Without her – the show was just another musical.

It was Saturday night.
Broadway
Melody
had been playing to packed houses and there wasn’t an empty seat in the theatre for tonight’s performance. It was the final number – of the dockside scene with the liner in the background, waiting to sail. Bonny danced her way around and on the luggage waiting to be loaded, and as the last case was put on the conveyor belt, Bonny pranced up the gangway, which was then hauled on-board. As usual, she stood on the deck and climbed on to a rail, waving, as the liner’s funnel roared, announcing its departure. The machinery started rolling and the ship started to move … then there was a loud grinding noise. The ship shuddered violently. There were screams from the audience as Bonny was thrown from her perch, landing with a sickening thud on to the stage below: The curtains were hastily drawn.

Mickey O’Halleran rushed from his seat and ran backstage. Bonny was lying awkwardly, moaning with pain. He knelt beside her. Taking her hand he said, ‘I’m here, darlin’, please don’t move.’ He looked up. ‘Has anyone sent for an ambulance?’ he shouted.

‘Yes, it’s on its way.’ The stage manager told him.

Tears trickled down Bonny’s cheeks. ‘What happened?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know, sweetheart, but I’m bloody well going to find out!’ He looked pointedly at the stage manager, who just shrugged.

‘Then go and find out!’ Mickey demanded. The man rushed off.

A stranger knelt beside Mickey. ‘Can I help? I’m a doctor, I was in the audience.’

‘Thanks, please take a look at her. I’m so worried. I’d be glad of your help.’

The doctor carefully examined Bonny. He spoke softly to her as he did so. But when he stood up, he looked anxious and took Mickey aside. ‘She has definitely broken her leg. She will have to be X-rayed before we can tell if there are any internal injuries, but I’m afraid Miss Burton will not be dancing for the foreseeable future.’

Mickey climbed into the ambulance after the medics carefully transferred Bonny to a stretcher and lifted her into the vehicle. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. ‘I’m here, darlin’, I’m not going to leave your side. We will get through this, together.’

She looked pale and drawn with pain. ‘I’m so scared, Mickey.’

‘You’re going to be fine, princess. You do have a broken leg, but that’ll mend.’ He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. ‘When I saw you fall, I thought you were dead. Don’t you ever dare do that to me again!’

She smiled bravely. ‘I felt the same when you went down in the fight.’ She looked at him and spoke softly. ‘Will I ever be able to dance again?’

‘Of course you will! It’ll take time, of course; you’ll have to let your leg heal first.’ He stroked her hand. ‘Whilst it does, I’ll spoil you rotten; you probably won’t want to work ever again after a bit of the O’Halleran magic!’ But he kept hidden from her the concerns that were whirling around in his head. Had she damaged her spine in the fall? Only an X-ray would tell them.

True to his word, Mickey insisted that he stay with her during her examination and when she went for an X-ray, where he did have to wait outside the room, but he was at her side when she was taken back to the ward and put into a private room to await the results.

Giles Gilmore had rushed to the hospital and was pacing up and down in the waiting room. Although he was concerned for Bonny, his hopes of going to America with the show were now in tatters. It was her name that was selling the production to the Americans. Without her, he had nothing! Her understudy would have to take her place at the Adelphi as it was, but although the girl was a competent dancer, she didn’t have the personality or talent of Bonny Burton. The bookings would drop as a consequence, as would the takings. He eventually sat down, his hands to his head, dreaming of what might have been and worrying himself sick as
to what would happen to the production during the time it took for his star to recover.

The door to Bonny’s room opened and a tall man wearing a smart suit, entered. ‘Miss Burton, I’m Nigel Matthews, your surgeon. I have the X-ray results.’

Bonny looked at his expression and her heart sank. She gripped Mickey’s hand.

‘It’s good and bad news I’m afraid. You have cracked two ribs and broken the tibia in your left leg, but I’m afraid you’ve badly damaged your kneecap and that will take some skill to repair. I have to tell you that knees are the very devil to treat. However, the good news is that internally, apart from some serious bruising, you’ve not damaged any of your vital organs.’

‘Will I be able to dance again, Mr Matthews?’ Bonny held her breath.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Until we operate, it’s difficult to say, but although you may be able to, to a certain degree, I rather doubt if you will have the freedom of movement that you have now.’ He sat beside her. ‘I’ve seen the show and know how strenuous some of the numbers are … I doubt you will have the ability to do that again.’ He placed a hand on her arm. ‘I wish I could bring you better news. I’ve seen how talented you are.’

‘Or was!’ Bonny’s throat was choked with emotion. ‘You are telling me my career is over as a performer.’ And she burst into tears.

Matthews looked over at Mickey. ‘I’m so sorry, Mr O’Halleran. I’ve scheduled Miss Burton for an operation, tomorrow morning. By the way, Mr Gilmore is in the waiting room.’ He rose and left.

Mickey sat gingerly on the bed and took Bonny into his arms. ‘There, there, darlin’. You let it all out.’ He sat silent until her sobs subsided.

A nurse came in with a tray of tea and put it on the table at the bottom of the bed and quietly left without a word.

Mickey poured two cups and handed one to Bonny. ‘Here, princess, you sip this. It’s good and strong, just right for a case of shock, they say.’

‘You had better go and break the news to Giles,’ she quietly told him. ‘It’s only fair that he’s kept abreast of the situation. After all, he has the show to think of.’

‘Will you be all right?’

She nodded and sipped her tea. ‘Go, Mickey, he needs to know.’

Gilmore looked up expectantly as Mickey entered the waiting room.

Mickey sat beside him. ‘It’s not good news, Giles. Bonny has a broken leg and two cracked ribs, but she’s damaged her knee as well. The surgeon thinks this will limit her ability to dance in the future. But he won’t be able to tell for sure until he operates tomorrow.’

Giles looked shattered by the news. ‘Then Broadway is out of the question!’

Mickey’s anger rose. ‘But she’s not in bad shape considering how far she fell, thank you for asking!’

The man flushed with embarrassment. ‘I’m really pleased to hear that, honestly I am, but you must understand my position; I have the responsibility of this production on my shoulders. There’s so much riding on Bonny. The success of the whole show depended on her. Now I don’t know how the bookings will be affected and that means a lot of people could soon be out of work if the public don’t come.’

Mickey was not without sympathy for Giles … ‘Of course, I do understand, but you must also understand that, to me, it’s Bonny who is most important. How do you think she’ll feel, unable to carry on? Being a star was not paramount in her life, but dancing is. I just don’t know how she’ll react, that’s
my
concern. But I also know that she’ll fret about the show, knowing the facts. She’ll feel responsible.’

‘It’s not her fault the mechanism failed!’ Giles rose to his feet. ‘I’m going back to the theatre. I’ve got the engineers looking into what caused the accident and I want answers.’ He shook Mickey’s hand. ‘Give Bonny my love. I’ll look in again tomorrow.’

Mickey stood up. ‘Let me know the result, because if the accident is through some error, I want the man responsible.’

The threat in the boxer’s voice was not lost on Gilmore. ‘I’ll let you know,’ he said and hurried away.

At the Adelphi, the man in charge of the mechanical devices used during the production had made a thorough search with his head man. To their horror, they discovered the apparatus used to move the liner had been tampered with.

Down on their knees, they could clearly see a rod had been placed through the cogs, which would have turned a few times before juddering to a halt as it tore through the spindles.

‘Bloody hell!’ The chief engineer scratched his head. ‘This was a deliberate act! Get the crew together; there are questions to be asked here. Bonny Burton could have been killed!’

But when the crew were assembled, one of them was missing.

‘Where the hell is Jenkins?’ asked the chief.

‘Don’t know, boss,’ said one. ‘The last time I saw him was when we were setting up the final scene.’ The others agreed. No one had seen him since.

When Giles was given the facts, he called the police.

Harry Jenkins had left the theatre quickly after tampering with the mechanism used to move the liner. He was certain that no one had seen him slip the rod between the cogs but he didn’t want to be around when it all went pear-shaped. Consequently, he had no knowledge of Bonny Burton’s predicament when he arrived at Wally Cole’s house. But Cole had been informed of the accident by one of his men who had been in the audience, knowing that this was the night that the show was to be sabotaged.

Cole passed an envelope over to Harry. ‘You did a good job tonight. The girl who was the star of the show is in hospital, so Gilmore’s dream of taking Broadway by storm is dead and Foxy Gordon won’t be making a fortune after all! You’d better disappear because the Old Bill will be looking for you and I want no comeback, understand?’

Harry understood too well. He was a dead man if ever the police found him and discovered his connection to the villain. ‘I’ve packed a bag already. I just have to go and pick it up from my room.’

‘Are you mad!’ Cole’s eyes widened. ‘It’s the first place the coppers will look for you. You have enough money there to buy whatever you need, so get on your way. I don’t want to see you ever again.’

Jenkins pocketed the envelope and walked out of the room without another word.

Cole lit a cigar and sat back with a satisfied grin. It had been a good night.

The following morning when Foxy Gordon read the paper he nearly choked on his cup of tea when he saw the headline. STAR
OF BROADWAY MELODY IN HOSPITAL. He read on, his heart thumping.

The reporter wrote about the accident and the fact that Bonny Burton was to have an operation that morning and that the police were investigating the cause of her fall. He was shocked to read that they suspected it had been a deliberate act. Foxy lost his appetite. His hopes of making a fortune, down the drain! He picked up the telephone and dialled Giles Gilmore’s number.

‘What the bloody hell is going on, Gilmore?’ he demanded.

‘I’ve no idea.’ Giles told him. ‘All I know is someone has tampered with the machinery and I don’t have a star any more! And frankly I can do without you bellyaching over the phone.’

Foxy was furious. ‘Bellyaching! I’ve invested a lot of money in this production so I have every right to know what’s going on. Do we still have a show?’

‘The understudy will have to perform until I can find another leading lady.’

‘But the public want Burton; they won’t want to see anyone else.’

Don’t you think I’m aware of that? I’m holding auditions from tomorrow, but the hopes of finding another Bonny Burton are few and far between. She was unique.’

‘Are you telling me we could lose our investment?’ Foxy’s voice shook with anger.

‘I’m telling you I’m doing my best!’ And Giles hung up.

Whilst he waited at the hospital for Bonny to come out of the operating theatre, Mickey O’Halleran was wracking his brain as to who would have wanted to destroy the success of
Broadway
Melody.
It had to be someone who had a personal grudge against Giles Gilmore. There was no other explanation. He was aware of Giles’s past and the fact that people had been sent to prison on account of him. He frowned. His trainer, Foxy Gordon, was one of them. He pondered over the fact for a long time, arguing that the man wouldn’t have done such a thing, but the more he thought about it, the more he wondered.

Bonny eventually was wheeled into the recovery room and Mickey was told to come back later when she regained consciousness.

‘There’s nothing you can do here, Mr O’Halleran,’ the surgeon told him. ‘We’ve set the leg in plaster and we will have to wait to
see the result of the surgery. Go and take a break. Have a bath, get changed and have something to eat. You’ve been up all night and you look terrible! I don’t want you as a patient too.’

Mickey looked at his crumpled clothes and agreed. But after he’d bathed and changed, he made his way to the gym to talk to Foxy Gordon.

Foxy was in his office when Mickey walked in. ‘Hello, champ, how’s your girl?’

‘Still under the anaesthetic,’ Mickey told him and sat down. ‘Did you have anything to do with last night?’ he asked abruptly.

Foxy looked astounded. ‘No, I did not, how could you think such a thing?’

‘Because I know you and because Gilmore got you sent to prison.’

‘I’ve invested a bloody fortune in the production, you stupid bastard, so why the hell would I screw that up?’

Mickey was taken aback by this news. ‘I had no idea.’

‘I own forty per cent of the show. I wanted it to succeed, not fail. I could lose a bundle if it closes! I bet that pleases Wally Cole, no end!’

‘Wally Cole? Why would he care?’

‘He wanted to invest too. He didn’t know I had any money in it, but I didn’t want him moving in so I laughed at him, said he didn’t fit the mould. He didn’t like that.’

Mickey left the gym and took a taxi back to the hospital. He knew Wally Cole. He wouldn’t have liked Foxy talking down to him and the two men already had bad blood between them after young Charlie Black’s death. Mickey wondered if the villain had discovered Foxy’s involvement after all. After he’d seen that Bonny was all right, he would make a few discreet enquiries of his own.

When he walked into Bonny’s room, he found Rob Andrews sitting beside the bed. On the bedside table, a large bunch of flowers.

‘Hello, Rob, what are you doing here?’

‘I came to see Bonny, but she hasn’t come round yet. How did the operation go?’

They both glanced down at the cage covered with a sheet, protecting the leg which was in plaster.

‘The surgeon said they’d have to wait and see, but you might as well get used to the idea that Bonny won’t be able to dance
normally again. Her knee’s in a bit of a mess and it will probably restrict her movement.’

‘But they don’t know that for sure, do they?’

‘Now you listen to me, Andrews. I don’t want you putting any pressure on Bonny when she is recovering. She’ll have to take it easy and you of all people should know just how much dancing means to her. She is going to have a tough enough battle finding out just what she can do. So leave her alone!’

Rob looked at the Irishman, his jaw tight, trying to keep his temper. ‘Don’t you think I care about her at all?’

Mickey leaned forward. ‘I think you care about her a tad too much. Back off!’

Getting up from his chair, Rob picked up his coat. ‘I’m not getting into an argument with you in Bonny’s sickroom. Tell her I was here, that’s all.’

Mickey sat down and, taking Bonny’s hand in his, whispered, ‘I’m here, darlin’, I’m here.’