“You’re sending Haines wine?”
Tate gave a slow smile. “Casey has been on her feet since before daylight. Let’s see how much she can drink and stay awake.”
Jack laughed. “It’s a gamble, but let’s hope it works. You write a card and I’ll get the booze.”
“Casey?” Olivia looked down at the sleeping woman on the couch and worked to keep from frowning. It wasn’t any of her business what Casey did in the privacy of her own home. “I don’t mean to disturb you, but people are arriving, and…” She gave a quick glance at Casey’s disheveled state.
Casey winced at the crick in her neck. Olivia, clean and coiffed, was standing in her living room.
“Are you all right?”
“Sure.” Casey sat up, feeling stiff, with aches all over her body. She had that swollen feeling from having slept in her clothes. A bra strap was cutting into her skin. “What time is it?”
“A little after nine,” Olivia said. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I knocked several times. I could see your foot and when you didn’t move I got worried. Mind if I ask why you slept on the couch? If it’s a hangover, I can get you some aspirin. Or if someone is upstairs I’ll leave.”
“No hangover. I only had half a glass of wine, but after the day we had, it was enough to do me in. I fell asleep on the table, and I woke up about midnight. I meant to go up to my bed but I couldn’t manage the stairs, so I flopped here. What time do rehearsals begin? I need to start cooking.”
“That’s why I’m here. The stage manager called me to say there will be no rehearsals today, but there’s a lot of work going on and you’re needed. It seems that it’s been posted on the Internet that Tate Landers is going to play Darcy. People have started camping out in the parking lot. We can’t work there.”
When Casey rubbed her eyes, her hands came away with dark streaks. She hated sleeping in makeup. “Someone should tell them that it’s not true.”
“I think it is. Gossip is that Tate is staying, with his friend Jack, and since his sister is coming to visit, he said he might as well be in the play.”
Casey stood up and stretched her back. “So who’s going to play Elizabeth?”
“Last I heard, you are. If so, I’m sure your excellent performance yesterday is a big part of why Tate wants to stay. You challenge him as an actor.”
“I’d like to challenge him with a crossbow,” Casey muttered, then looked at Olivia. “I need to take a very long shower and— Oh, no! I forgot Jack’s breakfast.”
“I saw him on the way here and he said he’s going out with Gizzy.”
“Alone?”
“I got the impression they were meeting someone. I don’t think they’ve been alone yet.” Olivia glanced through the doorway at the kitchen. “I’m still curious as to why you were sleeping on the couch. There are two place settings on the table. Didn’t your dinner companion help when you fell asleep?”
“I guess it wasn’t very flattering to him when I put my head down on the table and dozed off. Poor guy.”
Olivia didn’t smile. “I would have thought Tate had better manners than that. He should have helped you—”
“I didn’t have dinner with Landers. I was with Devlin Haines. You know? The guy playing Wickham?”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you’d met him. Is he new in town?”
“He’s here only temporarily. He’s Landers’s ex-brother-in-law. You should hear his horror story! Or better yet, not hear it. Anyway, Devlin came to Summer Hill hoping to see his daughter, who is Landers’s sister’s kid. I bet that man is staying here all summer just to keep Devlin from seeing his own child.”
“That’s a strong accusation,” Olivia said. “Why don’t you go upstairs and take a shower? Or soak in the tub? I know I did last night. Your hair is a mess. Elizabeth doesn’t deserve that.”
“If Landers is Darcy, I am absolutely sure that I am not going to play Elizabeth! After what Devlin told me yesterday, I never want to see Tate Landers again. In fact, I may move off his property.”
“Good idea,” Olivia said. “I hear that Pizza Hut needs a new head chef. Or maybe you can cater weddings this summer—as soon as you spend weeks trying to find a kitchen you can use.”
Casey was blinking at her. “You’re sounding like my mother.”
“I am honored. Now, go!”
“Yes, ma’am.” Smiling, Casey ran up the stairs.
Olivia was frowning as she cleaned up Casey’s kitchen. The dinner table still had bowls and platters with the remnants of what looked like it must have been a delicious meal. The unrefrigerated food had to be thrown out, and she didn’t like waste. There was a half-empty wineglass but no bottle. Where was the other glass? And the candles had burned down to the base.