Sins of Sarah (6 page)

'She's right,' Nick said firmly. 'I know it's more time-consuming, Ronnie, but it's crazy to cover up all this. She hasn't even got a fringe.' He surprised Sarah by sweeping up her hair and twisting it expertly into a knot, regarding her critically in the mirror. 'It's absolutely perfect!'

Ronnie stood, hand on hips, his lips pursed, as Nick and Sarah exchanged a conspiratorial glance through the mirror. 'Continuity will be hell,' he pronounced. 'And the lacquer is going to play havoc with it.'

'So, I'll wash it every day.'

'It's a lovely colour,' he admitted grudgingly. 'Is it natural?'

'Do you want me to prove it?' she demanded. Ronnie was beginning to really irritate her. She could feel Nick's hand shaking with the effort he was making not to laugh.

'No, dear.' Ronnie grinned at her. 'It wouldn't do much for me, anyway, but it might give our Nicholas a heart attack, and we don't want that, do we?'

Nick really began to laugh then. 'Just don't start complaining when he calls you an hour earlier than the others!' he told her, still smiling. He was beginning to really like this girl.

'You have permission to bawl me out if I do,' she promised, grinning back at him.

He was so much nicer when he relaxed a little, she thought.

'Don't worry. He'll do it anyway when he gets my overtime bill,' Ronnie assured her. 'Now, sir, how do we want it for this photo session?'

'Up,' said Nick. 'Not too much make-up, Patti,' he added to the make-up girl.

'Loads of eye-drops,' Sarah interrupted. 'I'm shattered, and it shows.'

'You should go to bed earlier,' Nick retorted. 'And alone!'

James appeared at that moment. 'You mean I have a rival?' he asked, sprawling into a make-up chair.

'Chance would be a fine thing! Peter is always complaining that I'm too busy to see him. Ouch!' She winced as Ronnie twisted a curler too tight, distracted by James's handsome face and the wicked grin James flashed in his direction. 'Which dress. Nick?' She indicated the two dresses that Cressida had left out for her.

'Oh, the blue, I think.' He got up to go. 'Come up for a drink, you two, when you're finished.'

* * *

The photo session with James proved to be great fun, even though she was tired. He was professional, full of ideas and they rattled through it. He made her laugh and relax, and she enjoyed his company. Her solo session had been much more difficult, though the press office had been delighted with the coverage. These were a follow-up set, extending the 'Do or Dare girl grows up' theme.

'Anyone would think I was fourteen, not twenty-four!' Sarah complained as they made their way upstairs afterwards.

'It makes a good story, though - let them play their games. It makes our life easier to ignore it,' James counselled. 'Fancy a curry after we've seen his lordship? There's a great Thai place round the comer.'

'As long as that's all! Sure, why not?' Sarah had learnt to take a very firm line with the charming James. After numerous evenings spent rehearsing with him and Nick in NGA's deserted studios, she was beginning to get his measure, and they were becoming good friends, often sharing meals together after rehearsals.

'Cautious lady! I promise not to lay hands on you - tonight, anyway. But I'll get you in the end - even if it's on the set, in front of Nick!'

'You wouldn't dare!'

'Don't bet on it!' he teased. 'I love a dare! We used to play that behind the bike sheds at school.'

'Did you go to a real co-ed?' she asked enviously.

'The roughest comprehensive in Yorkshire,' he said. 'But I did get to university. Miss Home Counties, and I did get a First - which is more than our Nicholas did, if you must know.'

'What in?'

'Biology.' He grinned. 'What do you think? My mother still thinks I ought to be doing a proper job and be a teacher.'

'With your libido? Is she mad?'

'I think I would've made a good teacher,' he said modestly as they walked into Nick's office.

'Like hell you would!' Nick had overheard him. 'Biology has to be taught, James, not demonstrated. You wouldn't have lasted five minutes!' He had Cressida with him, and costume sketches all over the desk, and the quick drink turned into dinner for all four of them. Cress and Nick were old friends, and she certainly brought out the best in him. Sarah was quite sorry when dinner was over and James took her home.

From the first moment they met, Sarah had adored Cressida Blake. Pretty, plump, dark-haired and always cheerful. Cress was ever resourceful and never at a loss for words — with language, according to James, that would strip paint. She had an Oscar to her credit from the same film that had earned Nick his, and the two had worked together on several films so he trusted her implicitly. Sarah quickly began to look forward to her sessions at Cosprops with her.

Between them, they sorted out which of Harriet's costumes might work and which were hopeless. 'There simply isn't enough time to remake everything,' Cress had said reluctantly, but somehow she managed to alter a great many of the ones she had to keep. The whole appearance of a dress seemed to change as she produced a new collar, or a stunning piece of old embroidery, ferreted out of the antique markets she and Jenny, her assistant, haunted.

The new designs that she fought Chris and Nick over until they agreed to pay for them had Sarah in raptures.

Edwardian shapes certainly suited her. 'You're going to look wonderful,' Cress assured her. 'Now breathe in!' For a short girl she had immensely strong wrists to pull in the laces of the corset she was hauling Sarah into, and Sarah complained. 'You'll get used to it,' she added, without a shred of sympathy.

'Never! How the hell did Edwardian ladies get up to anything, trussed up like this?'

'Why do you think they had so many tea-gowns and all that gorgeous dishabille? That reminds me.' Cress rummaged through the chaotic pile that always seemed to accumulate around her on the fitting room floor. 'I found some super petticoats and camisoles in an antique shop the other day for that love scene. Look, aren't they pretty?' She held up an armful of chiffon and lace.

'God, it's so thin!' Sarah fingered the fabric doubtfully.

'Well, considering it's going to come off in a few seconds anyway, it doesn't really matter, does it?' Cress said practically. 'Oh, don't look like that, Sarah. Very few actresses like doing nude scenes, but they seem to be part and parcel these days! Just be glad you've got James to do it with. At least he's young, and pretty with it!' She was so matter-of-fact that Sarah had to laugh.

'That's what James keeps telling me!'

'James would, randy beggar!'

* * *

It was to Cressida that she turned to for help with her own clothes when she was faced with a cast dinner that Nick was giving. 'What the hell do I wear for that?' she wailed. 'I've only got two dresses, and I hate them both. The rest of my stuff is pretty casual, nothing like smart enough.' Like many actresses, Sarah lived in jeans, sweatshirts and her inevitable baseball cap. Her better clothes were a jumble of ex-commercial garments or clothes bought for a specific job - none of which matched the others. She rarely shopped willingly for new clothes, and relied totally on stylists and designers to turn her out correctly for a job.

'Never fear,' Cress said airily. 'I'll take you to see my friend Catherine. She'll sort you out for Nick's dinner, and if you need anything else we'll toddle round Harvey Nicks. But I'll take a look at your stuff first, see what we can use.'

She was as good as her word, and spent an evening at Sarah's flat, giggling and laughing, sorting out her clothes. Approving of some, tossing others aside, she was a god-send. Over a bottle of wine they made a list of what was needed and talked long into the night.

In a few short weeks the two girls became firm friends. Sarah had to trust her, since Cress was the only one of the crew to see the bruised ribs left by a day on a Marines' assault course. 'Nick'll kill you when he finds out!' she told Sarah, staring with genuine horror at her purple and yellow ribcage. 'That will take weeks to disappear!'

'It will be weeks before we do that scene,' Sarah assured her. 'Anyway, he's not to know when any of that film was shot.'

'He knows what he told you not to do. Don't under-estimate him, Sarah, and don't make an enemy of him, for heaven's sake!'

'I have no intention of it. Believe it or not, Cress, I quite like the arrogant so and so. I just won't let him boss me around, and neither will Paddy.'

Cress sighed. 'You've got a lot to learn, sunshine. Chris and Nick are not producers you can manipulate at will, like you obviously can Paddy.' She stood back and looked critically at the Bruce Oldfield dress Sarah had on.

'That might do for Conor Blair's show next week. It's smart, but it doesn't show too much.'

'In that case, sold!' Sarah unzipped it. 'I'm punch drunk with shopping, and we still have to fetch those dresses from Catherine.' Catherine Jayson had made two beautiful dresses for her, totally unlike anything Sarah had owned in her life. She hadn't been able to choose between the two designs, so she had ordered both. Her brother, who handled all her financial affairs, had nearly fainted when she had asked for the money from the account he kept for her business expenses.

'You could buy a car with that amount of money!' he had protested.

'George, I'm moving up a league now,' she had argued. 'I need new clothes, and I haven't bought anything but jeans and the programme stuff for years.' He'd had to agree.

'I suppose that's true. I'll transfer some of your trust money. Get what you need, and save all the receipts.' Sarah and Cress had done just that - and even Cress was drawn into the spending spree when they got to the lingerie department.

'Well, you never know.' She smiled. 'Anything can happen on location, and I never could resist La Perla!' She held up a lacy black body. 'How about this?'

'It's gorgeous,' Sarah agreed. 'Do you suppose it's tax deductible?' She was ever mindful of George's training.

'Not a chance! Unless you want to seduce your taxman. But I wouldn't mind letting James rip it off if I was wearing it, it would certainly justify the cost!'

'James? Do you really fancy him?' Sarah asked, rather relieved.

Cress laughed. 'I've fancied James for years! Mind you, this is the first time we've worked together and he hasn't been married, so this is my chance to pin him down. I've given up on married men - too many problems!'

'Well, in that little number he won't stand a chance!' It was all the encouragement Cress needed. Loaded with shopping bags, they got a taxi to Catherine Jayson's showroom before they spent any more money.

* * *

'Can I have a G and T, Daddy? Just for tonight?' Charlotte wheedled, watching Nicholas pouring his own drink.

Nick gave in, put a teaspoon of gin in a glass and topped it up with a lot of tonic. 'Don't let your mama catch you.'

'She's too busy fussing over the table plan,' Charlotte assured him. 'Do you like my dress? Do you think James will like it?' Her father's look of horror told her that he most certainly would! Nick was sure Diana knew nothing about the skimpy little number their daughter was almost wearing!

He and Diana traditionally gave a black-tie dinner party for the cast before he started a film in England. It helped him to relax his cast, and Diana loved the opportunity to play the director's wife. Charlotte was there for the first time, having wheedled and persuaded until Nick had given in.

'You are putty in that girl's hands,' Diana complained vehemently. 'I really don't want her sitting there making eyes at James and Ben all evening!'

'She's got to start some time,' Nick said reasonably, surprised at his own tolerance, but knowing inside that he could deny his precious daughter nothing, he saw little enough of her as it was. 'And James and Ben are well aware of the limits. She might as well practise on them while you are watching.'

'They had better be aware of the limits!' Diana retorted coldly, and swept out to deal with the two friends of Caroline's, who were cooking dinner. Nick's heart sank, and he cursed inwardly. She was not in the best frame of mind for a cast dinner, he realized, and he mentally braced himself for a difficult evening, wishing he had asked Jane to come and help out. Jane could always be relied on to look after things and keep everything calm.

* * *

James and Sarah, fortified by a drink with Conor Blair after the show, arrived last. Sarah had changed into Catherine Jayson's black chiffon dress, the low-cut bodice displaying her beautiful breasts, the skirt clinging to her sheer black tights. She wore perilously high heels, chosen by Cress, making her height on a par with most of the men in the room, bar Nick, and the effect, as Cress had predicted, was enough to stun the entire room into silent admiration - including Nick.

'I bet you had trouble with this one on the way over!' Nick said, nodding at James and smiling as he finally pulled himself together.

'I was strong-armed into behaving,' James assured him. 'Though it took a great deal of control on my part!'

'I'm sure it did. It probably would have done on mine as well! I hope you realize the damage you could be doing to some senior's blood pressure, Sarah.' Nick took her arm. 'Let me introduce you to everyone. James, you know most people?'