A Curtain Call On Halfpenny Lane (Halfpenny Lane #3)

Chapter 1

‘Another?’ Sive asked her sisters, raising the bottle of sambuca aloft. They were sitting in a circle on the floor in front of the orange glow of the fire, the dying embers crackling and hissing in the grate as they turned to ash.

Mimi glanced at her watch and yawned extravagantly. It was almost midnight. ‘Go on, then,’ she said, putting her glass down on the carpet. ‘Who would we even be if we didn’t see in the witching hour?’

‘One more.’ Aoife placed her glass down alongside Mimi’s.

‘But just a tincture,’ Mimi said, and they all smiled fondly in recognition. It had been a favourite expression of their great-aunt Detta’s. ‘Then I really have to go. I’m played out.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ Sive said as she splashed the colourless liquid into three shot glasses. Mimi was still playing in their production of Private Lives at Halfpenny Lane, but she’d come over after tonight’s performance for a late supper and a catch-up with her sisters.

The three of them hadn’t had much time together in the past month, their schedules meaning they only seemed to see each other in passing.

Aoife was temping in an accountancy firm, saving as much money as she could before starting acting school, while Sive had been shooting a TV series in which she had a small role.

It had involved a lot of early starts and late nights, and even though she and Aoife lived together, they’d only briefly crossed paths as they were coming and going.

Aoife would already be asleep when Sive crept into the house after a long day of filming and crashed into bed, and if she had an early call in the morning, she’d have left before Aoife was awake.

They’d seen even less of Mimi, who was living with Rocco and performing at Halfpenny Lane six nights a week as well as a matinee on Saturdays.

While Mimi hadn’t officially moved out of their childhood home, it was only because there hadn’t been any time to organise packing and removal vans.

Besides, it hadn’t seemed worthwhile moving all her stuff to the place Rocco was renting, only to do it again when the sale on his new house closed.

But her belongings had been gradually disappearing in overnight bags and suitcases – and a cat carrier for Marlowe, her big ginger tabby.

Sive had missed spending time with her sisters and hanging out at Halfpenny Lane, and she was looking forward to things calming down and getting back to normal.

She’d been feeling strangely off kilter lately, wobbly and nervous for no reason she could identify.

But she put it down to lack of sleep, coupled with the fact that it was only a month since she’d broken up with Ben.

The split had completely blindsided her, and she’d gone straight into filming after it happened, so she’d hardly had time to process it properly.

She figured she’d be fine after a few days rest. She was feeling calmer already after spending time with her sisters tonight.

It was like old times and it made her feel grounded … safe.

‘When shall we three meet again?’ she said, raising her glass in a toast.

‘In thunder, lightning or in rain?’ Mimi and Aoife chorused as they all clinked their glasses together.

‘Where the place?’ Sive continued.

‘Upon the heath.’

‘Actually, I’m guessing it’ll be here on Sunday at the board meeting,’ Mimi said. ‘No blasted heath for us – which is good, because my phone says it’ll definitely be in rain.’

‘There to meet with Jonathan,’ Sive said. She caught Aoife’s little smile at the mere mention of his name.

They usually held their monthly board meetings on weekday evenings after Jonathan, their fourth director, finished work. But this time they were having it on Sunday so that Mimi could attend.

‘Mmm, this is delicious.’ Mimi sipped her drink and sighed, her eyes fluttering closed. ‘It’s nice having a fire. I could curl up here and go to sleep.’

Sive felt a pang of guilt for dragging her out.

She was in a show, which meant a cycle of late nights and day-sleeping, and Sive knew from experience how out of whack it could make your body feel – not unlike filming, which was a whole other level of out-of-whackery.

But she was glad Mimi had made the effort to come.

‘How are you doing?’ Mimi asked her, tilting her head to the side. ‘We’ve hardly seen you since…’

‘My break-up with Ben?’ Sive had got the feeling her sisters had been studiously avoiding the subject all night, wary of upsetting her.

They’d chatted about everything else – Aoife starting acting school, Sive’s TV series, Mimi’s plans for moving into Rocco’s new house once Private Lives ended; they’d caught up on the fortunes of Halfpenny Lane, discussed movies they’d seen and books they’d read – everything but her break-up with Ben.

Mimi nodded. ‘I mean, if you don’t want to talk about it, just pretend I never said anything.’

Aoife and Mimi were both looking at her with concern.

‘No, it’s fine.’ She’d been glad to avoid the subject all evening, but now she decided it would be a relief to have it out in the open between them. It felt odd to have anything she couldn’t discuss with her sisters.

‘Are you okay?’ Aoife asked gently.

Sive nodded. ‘I’m fine. I mean, it was a shock, obviously. Still is, really. Though the more I think about it … maybe I should have seen it coming.’

‘How?’ Mimi frowned. ‘You weren’t having problems, were you?’

‘No, nothing like that. But we were both so young when we got together. I suppose I should never have expected it to last forever. I mean, who ends up with the person they started going out with when they were fifteen?’

‘Bono,’ Mimi said.

Sive rolled her eyes, laughing. ‘Okay, apart from Bono.’ She’d walked into that one. She should have known he’d be trotted out straight away to counter her argument.

‘I think Bono and Ali are the exception that proves the rule, in fairness,’ Aoife said.

‘I don’t think we were ever destined to be like that.

’ Ben had been her oldest friend, the only person from school who was still in her life.

She hadn’t felt it when they were together, but now she thought that perhaps they were never meant to be a forever thing.

They’d shared so many firsts – first kiss, first formal dance when they’d gone to each other’s debs, first sex.

But maybe that was all it was ever meant to be – a starter relationship, a first love that they could look back on fondly in later years when they’d moved on to other people – as Ben already had.

Perhaps they’d just let it go on too long, settled into a cosy domesticity far too early.

‘Well, plenty more fish in the sea,’ Mimi said. ‘And maybe next time you could go for someone who speaks.’

‘And likes the theatre,’ Aoife added.

‘Maybe even works in the theatre?’ Mimi said with a sly smile, clearly hinting at Sam.

‘Who knows?’ Sive smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy at the thought of Sam.

Mimi threw her head back and let the last drop of sambuca drain slowly into her mouth.

She licked the sweet, sticky liquid from her lips and wiped her cupid’s bow mouth with the back of her hand.

‘Well, I must be away,’ she said, uncrossing her legs and standing in one fluid, graceful movement.

‘Sorry to be such a wimp.’ She raised her arms above her head and stretched her back extravagantly in a feline motion. ‘But I need to keep my strength up.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ Sive said, standing. ‘It was great to see you and have a proper catch-up.’ Soon rehearsals for their production of A Christmas Carol would begin and then Mimi would be burning the candle at both ends, rehearsing one show during the day and performing in another at night.

It was a punishing schedule that required stamina, and you needed to take care of yourself physically.

Mimi pulled out her phone and called a cab and it arrived a couple of minutes later. She grabbed her bag and pulled on her beautiful vintage leopard-skin coat – an opening night gift from Rocco.

‘Give our love to Rocco,’ Sive said as Mimi embraced her and she was enveloped in a waft of warm perfume.

‘Will do,’ she said, hugging Aoife in turn.

Aoife started picking up glasses and Sive walked to the door with Mimi, pulling her cardigan tighter around herself.

It was a cold night, September announcing itself with a blast of wind that meant business, as if it was rolling up its sleeves and getting stuck into its job of stripping the trees of their leaves.

‘Break a leg tomorrow!’ Mimi called, turning to her at the gate. ‘Break both!’ She waved and blew Sive a kiss before climbing into the cab and driving off.

They were in the process of casting A Christmas Carol, and Sive had an audition tomorrow for the part of Belle, young Scrooge’s sweetheart.

Even if she didn’t get that role, it was going to be a large cast and she was confident there’d be a place for her, even if only as one of the ensemble.

But Sam was making his stage debut as young Scrooge, and it would be fun to play opposite him.

She could help him find his feet as an actor, and she had to admit that the opportunity to flirt a little while hiding behind her character was appealing. So her heart was set on playing Belle.

She closed the door against the chilly night and returned to the living room. She put the guard in front of the fire and picked up the remaining glasses, bringing them through to the kitchen, where Aoife was stacking the dishwasher.

‘Let’s leave the rest until the morning,’ Sive said, placing the glasses on the worktop.

‘You go on up,’ Aoife said. ‘I’ll finish this.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course. You must be exhausted. You’ve barely slept for the last month. And you want to be at your best for your audition tomorrow.’

‘Okay. Night, then.’ Sive smiled gratefully. She was bone weary and looking forward to her first lie-in for weeks.