The Secret Father

‘The humour can get pretty vicious at times, not to mention X-rated,’ Hope agreed. ‘And, no matter what everyone thinks, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the only one not having a fling. If a fraction of what’s going on behind the cameras was to end up on film the censors would blow a fuse! So don’t say I didn’t warn you!’

‘Does ‘‘everyone’’ include Sam?’ She couldn’t match Hope’s acting ability and the question didn’t quite achieve casualness. The knowing look her sister cast her made Lindy want to moan. For someone who wanted to emphasise she wasn’t interested, that had been a foolish thing to say.

‘It rather depends on who you listen to,’ Hope responded slowly. ‘Magda, the one in Make-Up—but then you wouldn’t know her, would you?’ she said, her eyes skimming her sister’s pale features.

Lindy’s hand went self-consciously to her scraped-back hair. ‘I’ll leave the glamour to you.’

‘Magda in Make-Up, tall, blonde…’

‘Who isn’t here?’ Lindy felt an instant, deep antipathy to this unknown female.

‘Touchy, aren’t we?’ Hope’s curving dark eyebrows shot upwards. ‘As I was saying, she is sort of dropping strong hints that the thing she had once with Sam has risen phoenix-like from the ashes. Personally, I think it’s wishful thinking, but you never know… I think he’s like me—he has something to prove and not much energy left over to play.’

‘Perhaps that’s what he wants everyone to think,’ Lindy observed sourly.

Hope regarded her sister thoughtfully for a moment, a frown creasing her brow. ‘Sam seems to have got under your skin—which is nothing to do with me,’ she added hastily. ‘But you do realise that you’re going to be working mostly with him? I mean, he is the doctor of the piece and we’re about to shoot the medical scenes. You’re literally going to be walking him through those shots.’

‘I’ll cope,’ Lindy replied with a confidence she was far from feeling.

In the event, anticipation turned out to be a lot more gruelling than the real thing. Sam was a quick learner and his astute questions and eye for detail made her task a lot easier. Watching him deal with a fictional medical emergency, she found herself wishing she had looked half as confident when she had first donned a white coat.

At the end of her first day Lindy felt exhausted, but fairly satisfied that she hadn’t completely messed up. Her sister emerged from her trailer, having discarded the long, floaty floral dresses her character favoured for knee-length khaki shorts, a cropped tee shirt and boots that had a few miles on the clock. A fashion disaster, but Hope could have made bin-liners the height of fashion, should she have felt the inclination, Lindy reflected a shade wistfully. To Lindy’s amusement, Hope appeared oblivious to the covertly lustful looks that she drew as they walked together to Hope’s car.

After a couple of minutes of deep abstraction Hope gave a sudden exclamation. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, emerging from the distracted trance. ‘I haven’t asked you how it went. It’s really difficult to throw off the part. The character sort of gets under your skin,’ she admitted ruefully. ‘Everything’s so slow, it’s hard sometimes to maintain a level of concentration, and just as hard to let go once you’ve worked yourself into it.’

‘I understand—or at least I think I do,’ Lindy said in the interests of accuracy. ‘It wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined.’ She stopped as they reached Hope’s car. To her dismay, Lloyd Elliot was leaning against the bonnet, in deep conversation with Sam.

The mention of distribution runs and press releases meant little to Lindy, but she did notice that when Sam disagreed on some point the other man listened and eventually nodded. Lloyd Elliot was one of the most important men in the industry and he obviously respected Sam Rourke. Lindy found she wasn’t surprised. Her own opinion that Sam was a shallow piece of beef cake had already been seriously eroded.

‘Hope.’ Lloyd Elliot cut short his conversation as he caught sight of her sister. ‘I was hoping we could get together tonight?’ There was more apology than lover-like promise in his voice.

Hope gave a deep sigh. ‘Tonight? I’ve not spent any time with Lindy yet.’ She regarded him reproachfully.

‘I wouldn’t ask if…’

Hope pressed her fingertips together and raised them to her lips. ‘OK,’ she said tightly. ‘Sorry, Lindy.’ She summoned a tight smile for her sister. ‘Take my car.’ She handed Lindy the keys from her pocket.