Chapter 3
THREE
Keely
At first, Matt’s suggestion that we move the production of Mansfield Park to his nearby home had echoed in my head. I hated the thought of leaving Moon Manor. My team knew their way around. They knew all the workings of the older home, and the surrounding property.
“You have no choice but to take up his offer, Keely,” Hugh had said as I’d listed off all the reasons not to move the production. “Not only can you not shoot the movie at Moon Manor, but it’s not even safe to allow your cast and crew to stay.”
“I know,” I’d said. “I just need a minute for my heart to accept this new reality. For weeks, I’ve envisioned various scenes in various parts of Moon Manor. I had so many scenes worked out in my head. I just need to break away from those visions.”
But the short drive to Barry Park was enough to convince me that we were making the right move.
The moment I saw it, the moment we passed through those gates and the huge structure came into view, I knew.
I now understood why Matt and Darling had suggested that Barry Park was actually better suited for the part of Mansfield Park than Moon Manor was.
Indeed, it was. The enormous U-shaped building had an inner courtyard so large, Moon Manor could have fit nicely into it.
We parked the car behind Matt’s and got out, as did the cast and crew that pulled up behind us.
“Welcome to your new home,” Matt said as he got out of his silver Bentley Continental GT and quickly came to us. “I’ve sent word that we’d have a large number of guests, but, as you can imagine, the staff hasn’t yet had time to prepare all the rooms.”
“That’s quite understandable,” I said.
“But your room, dear mother-to-be, is already awaiting your arrival. You are to take the master of all master bedrooms.”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to do that, Matt. I may be a finicky boss lady when it comes to my movies, but my personal needs are quite modest.”
Hugh chuckled. “Don’t believe her. While she may not be as finicky in her personal needs as she is with her movies, she does, indeed, enjoy her many creature comforts.”
“Then, please, Miss Keely,” Matt said, offering me his arm. “Allow me to personally show you to your room.”
With Hugh just a step behind us, we walked into his home and entered a veritable Christmas wonderland. Rich green garlands, massive gold bows, tiny twinkling lights and two large Christmas trees filled with beautiful ornaments greeted us.
“And this is what your place looks like when you’re not expecting guests?” Hugh said with a chuckle.
“Christmas has always been a cherished family tradition,” Matt said as he led us to the wide winding staircase. “Over the years we’ve acquired more and more ornaments, a few more Christmas trees and I do believe we now have enough garland to make it all the way back to Moon Manor.”
We reached the second floor, turned to the right and entered the third door.
“And here is your luxury suite, Madame.”
“Wow,” I let out. “This is, indeed, quite the luxury suite.”
The room was more opulent and luxurious than any hotel room I’d ever slept in.
Surprisingly contemporary in its décor, the large room was warm with its soft caramel-colored walls, deep brown hardwood floors and simple trimmings.
With a king-sized bed and its silk upholstered headboard, the gray dresser and wardrobe, and the white leather love seats in the sitting area, the space nonetheless had many reminders of years past. The lamps on either side of the bed were clearly antique as was the writing desk by one of the many windows.
The walls were unadorned save for one singular but enormous painting; an abstract landscape in brilliant blues and greens.
“Do you think you can be comfortable here?” Matt said as I walked around the love seat and ran my hand over the glass topped coffee table.
“I may never want to leave,” I said.
*****
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for everyone to settle into Barry Park and for the set designers and construction crew to get to work.
“I have to admit,” Abbie said as I watched the workers transforming a drawing room to something a little more modest. “The flood at Moon Manor may actually turn out to be the best thing to happen to this production.”
Ayra joined us. “I heard that,” she said with a teasing chuckle.
Abbie blushed slightly. “You know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ayra said. “I understand... not only that, I agree. This place is so much more lavish than Moon Manor. I spoke to the set decorator who said the place is so perfect, we’ll have only a very few changes to make.”
I pointed to the workers. “And it appears that the changes to be made will be to make some of these rooms more suitable for the scenes that take place in more modest homes.”
Together, we wandered through the home, plotting out which scenes would be shot in which room. We looked at color schemes, lighting, furniture placement and the overall layout of the rooms.
“I think it would be nice if the harp and piano were moved to this room,” I said. “It’s large, the windows offer ample light, and I like the unusual U shape of the room. There’s something soft and relaxing about the space.”
As we moved on, we passed workers painting a wall, covering the bright red with a soft blue. Others were putting up wallpaper that had delicate little yellow flowers. All this was under the watchful eye of the set decorator who guided the necessary transformations.
The bulk of the cast were hard at work rehearsing some of the more intricate scenes. I could hear familiar words and phrases coming from various actors. Jane’s words: some of them just as she had written them, some of them slightly altered.
“It’s as if the flood at Moon Manor had never happened,” I said in a hushed tone as I looked at all the activity around me.
“Everything is carrying on as it should.” Realizing what I’d just said, I turned to Ayra.
“I’m so sorry. How insensitive of me. Of course, I’ll be sure to send the construction crew back to Moon Manor to help Jai repair Moon Manor. ”
“I appreciate that, and I’m sure Jai does as well.” She held up her phone and waved it back and forth. “But he sent me a message a few moments ago and the damage isn’t as bad as it looked last night. Granted, it will still require work, but the remainder of the house wasn’t affected by the water.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Hello, hello, hello,” a shrill female voice called from the front foyer. “Hello! I’m home! Matthew. Matthew, where are you? Hey! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”
Abbie, Ayra and I exchanged startled glances then rushed to the sound of the disgruntled woman. We arrived in the front drawing room just as the young woman prepared to strike one of our junior painters.
“What the hell are you doing?” the woman shouted.
“Miss?” I said calmly.
She turned to me, her eyes immediately showing her disdain for me.
“Who the hell are you?” she barked.
“I’m Keely Lee,” I said as I approached her, my hand extended.
She looked at my hand, then up at me. “And what is a Keely Lee doing in my house?”
“What’s going on here?” Matt said as he joined the fray.
“Matthew,” the young woman said, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “Finally, a familiar face. Who are all these people and what are they doing here? And why are they painting the drawing room?”
Darling came in behind him. She visibly blanched at the sight of the loud, young woman.
“Britney,” Matt said. “What are you doing back home so early? I thought you were on your honeymoon. You’ve barely been gone a week.”
She waved his statement away. “Oh, posh. Benjamin is such a bore. He’s old.
He’s stodgy. And for heaven’s sake, he’s bald.
And don’t get me started on the dad bod of his.
Three days on a beach in Bali and I was ready to come back home.
I mean, you should have seen the way people looked at him.
.. then looked at me. It was clear as day that they didn’t think I belonged with him. ”
“But, you married him, Brit.”
“Oh, get off my back.”
“Where is he now?”
She shrugged. “Still in Bali. Oh, Matthew, dear, don’t look at your sister like she’s an idiot. You’ve met Benjamin. He’s no fun.”
“But, Britney. You’re the one who chose the guy. You’re the one who married him. You’re the one who told Dad that he was the one for you. That he was your eternal love, your soulmate. And now, only one week in and you’re ready to call it quits?”
“You don’t understand... he may be a bore, but he’s a billionaire bore.” She squirmed in a rather coquettish manner. “Oh, Matt, you know how I like pretty things. And look at this rock,” she went on, holding her slender hand out to show him her ring. “How could I say no to this?”
Matt pulled in a long, deep breath and looked around at the crowd who simply stood by watching the highly interesting interaction.
“My apologies,” he said, clearly embarrassed. “Everyone, this is my sister, Britney.” He brought his gaze to me, his eyes apologetic. “Britney, this is Keely Lee’s production crew. They are going to be staying here and filming a Jane Austen movie.”
“A movie?” Her tone had suddenly changed. “A real film? Like Hollywood and everything?”
“That’s right.”
“Are there any big names that I should know about? Oh, I would love to meet Brandon Greenwall. He’s so dreamy. Or what about Nathan Collins?”
She looked at me with such expectation that I was reluctant to disappoint her. Still, I shook my head. “No, but we do have a few big names,” I said, intentionally keeping my big stars a bit of a secret. Somehow, I sensed that she would have the capacity to be quite disruptive if she chose to.
Matt delicately took her by the elbow and gently guided her out. “Come. Let’s discuss this elsewhere and let these people do their work.”
Once they were gone, everyone let out their heavily bated breaths.
Smacking my lips together, I looked at everyone. “I don’t really know what that was all about, but... let’s continue working.”
Turning to Darling who still stood there stunned, I put my arm around her shoulder. “Are you alright? You look so shaken up.”
Biting her lower lip, she shrugged. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”
“Judging by the look on your face, you don’t have too many good memories of your time with her, do you?”
It was easy to imagine how difficult it might be to be with someone like Britney.
She pressed a tight smile. “Let’s just say, I would have preferred she prolong her honeymoon rather than curtail it.”