The stage manager, clipboard in hand, interrupted Kit’s tirade for a private conversation. From Kit’s expression, what she was saying wasn’t good.
He turned back to the players, who were in various stages of getting dressed. “Has anyone seen Lori? The girl playing Lydia?”
Everyone shook their heads no.
“Great!” Kit muttered. “A no-show. Probably out with her boyfriend.” He looked at the stage manager. “Who do we have for her understudy?”
“Uh…Devlin Haines isn’t here either.”
Kit was so taken aback that he couldn’t speak.
Casey looked at Tate, but he shrugged. He had no idea where the man was.
Kit wiped his hand over his face, then announced, “Jack! You’ll stand in for Haines, and you, Hildy, will be Lydia for today. Think you can do it?”
“Of course,” Hildy said. She was in costume for Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an older woman, so it was going to be interesting to see her try to play a fifteen-year-old girl.
“All right,” Kit said. “Places for act one, scene one. The Bennet family’s parlor. Kyle, I want you to be laid back. Olivia, I want— Where is she?”
“Here I am,” she said, as she stepped onto the stage. She was beautifully coiffed and made up. Her blonde hair had been pulled back and was supplemented with wispy ringlets. Her dress of pale peach and white stripes was embellished with tiny sprigs of forget-me-nots in green and white. With the deep square neckline showing off her ample bosom, she looked utterly divine.
From the expression on Kit’s face, he thought so too. Silently, he pointed to the place where she was to stand.
The first scene went off perfectly. Olivia played the neurotic Mrs. Bennet so well it was difficult to remember she wasn’t actually that way.
Hildy as a silly, flirtatious fifteen-year-old was absurd. Everyone had to work to suppress laughter.
Casey was pleased to see that her father’s performance as Mr. Bennet got better every day. Offstage, she whispered to Gizzy, “This is another talent of his. Maybe an actor brother or sister will show up.”
“Jack is helping me enroll in a school in L.A. to become a personal trainer,” Gizzy replied. “I’m moving in with him.”
“That’s wonderful,” Casey said as they both went back onstage.
Scene two was at the Meryton assembly hall, and everyone was dancing. Casey had to concentrate to remember the intricate steps they’d rehearsed. When Tate appeared in his glorious tight trousers and midnight-black coat, it was impossible to pretend she didn’t like him. She had a vision of them together in her bedroom, in full costume, slowly removing each other’s clothes. Maybe there’d be a peacock feather or two involved.
Tate clearly sensed what she was thinking, and he cut a sideways look at her that was so hot, her hair seemed to catch fire.
“Tatton!” Kit bellowed.
Everyone halted. Every actor, Jack included, had been on the receiving end of Kit’s bad temper, except Tate. “Could you rein in your carnal imaginings for the length of this play? You are not to show your lech for Miss Elizabeth Bennet until the script says you should do so.”
Tate had to suppress a grin as he said, “I will make my utmost effort to not reveal my baser yearnings.” The other players smothered laughs, but Kit glared at Tate in silence.
Because of their late start, they only got to Mr. Collins’s proposal to Lizzy before the grumbles of hunger made Kit dismiss them for lunch. Cast and crew stopped mid-sentence and ran toward the guesthouse.
“I need to set up,” Casey called after them. She grabbed her long skirt as though to run, but Tate caught her arm.
“I sent a text to Nina. Let her and Josh take care of them—if they can stop kissing long enough, that is. Why don’t you and I go to my house for a while?”
“Mmmm,” Casey said. “Sounds good.”
As Tate started to kiss her, Casey stepped back and glanced around. After all, they had agreed to keep what was between them secret—not that they were doing a good job of it. Her father and Olivia were to one side, scripts open in their hands. On the other side of the gazebo, Kit was rummaging through some boxes, but actually watching Olivia with the handsome Dr. Kyle.
“Lori is missing!”
They all turned to look at the woman who came onto the stage. She was tall, older, and elegantly dressed. “My granddaughter didn’t come home last night.”
Olivia went to her. “Estelle, tell us what happened.”