CHAPTER NINE
‘I came to Huntly and Niall’s theatre because I wanted a part in the new play,’ Scarlet explained to Mari. ‘I loved what I’d heard about your story. But I had been offered a role in a rival production.’
‘So everything you said was true.’
‘Yes. But Huntly thinks I want to date him, and I don’t. I’ve always wanted to be in his productions because they’re new.’ She sighed. ‘I know I can be difficult to work with sometimes, but I’m trying not to be so overly dramatic.’
Mari topped up their tea. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’
‘The director I’m working with has been in the theatre for years. He’s a seasoned director. The show that I’m in with him is a classic, and I’m enjoying the role. But he’s heard about you, Mari, a new playwright on the scene, and he’s planning to contact you to discuss any other new plays you’re working on.’
Mari was taken aback. ‘I haven’t heard from him.’
‘He’ll probably contact you soon, as I did, via your website. Or maybe you’ll let me give him your personal contact. He’s eager to read any new plays of yours that would be suitable for his schedule.’
‘If he’s Huntly’s rival, wouldn’t that be awkward?’
‘Jon directs shows for other theatres. Andy and I act in various productions. You need to have the same options.’
Mari frowned. ‘I haven’t had time to think about that. I’ve only just had my first play accepted.’
‘Yes, but now others will be interested in your work. And you’re going to be included in media interviews for the new play. I’ve heard that Huntly and Niall are due to be interviewed for a magazine feature. As the playwright, you’ll be expected to be part of it.’
‘I don’t want to be in the limelight,’ said Mari. ‘I’d prefer to stay in the background.’
Scarlet repeated her comment from earlier. ‘What you want, and what the real world will throw at you are totally different.’
Mari’s thoughts were cast into turmoil. ‘I didn’t think I’d be interviewed.’
‘It’s part of the business. But you’re a confident young woman. You can handle chatting about your work,’ Scarlet said, bolstering her.
Mari took a calming breath, sensing Scarlet was right.
‘Look what you’ve achieved on your own,’ Scarlet added.
‘Is this the gossip you wanted to tell me?’
‘Yes, and to say that if you talk to my director, I’m interested in any leading parts in the plays. Let’s keep in touch.’
‘Okay,’ said Mari. ‘I’m planning to work on my other plays.’
Scarlet added a final comment. ‘And everything I’ve said, you don’t need to keep it a secret. You’re welcome to tell Huntly or others. It’s all going to be the latest gossip soon.’
Mari nodded, relieved that she didn’t need to keep it to herself, and then they continued to eat their breakfast.
Scarlet frowned and studied Mari’s vest. ‘What is that you’re wearing? Did you knit it yourself?’
‘It’s one of my vests. I create my own patterns.’
‘I love the autumn colours.’
‘The vests are handy for layering. On autumn days like this when it’s not too cold I like to wear one instead of a jacket.’
‘I’d like one. It would be quite fashionable in a classic, vintage sort of way. And I’d benefit from the brighter colours.’ Scarlet’s lips formed into a smirk.
Mari smiled back at her. ‘You’re scarlet bright this morning.’
‘I didn’t want another scolding for being dull.’
And then they laughed and continued chatting and enjoying their breakfast.
Later, Mari and Scarlet walked out into the morning sunlight, still chatting and then they went their separate ways, promising to speak soon.
Back at her flat, Mari got on with her busy day, fired up on the delicious breakfast and gossip.
She smiled to herself when she saw that one of the vests had been purchased from her website. Seeing it was for Scarlet, Mari packed it up ready for posting.
Working through lunchtime, she got some knitting done, sitting by the window, looking out at the view and thinking about her plays. She had a lot of things to juggle in her schedule now that she was involved in the theatre, but making dreams come true required hard work. And flexibility. She hadn’t planned to teach the class how to knit a cat, but...
Ivy’s craft shop was set up for the knitting class when Mari went down, carrying her parcel orders, in the early afternoon.
‘I’ve printed out several copies of the black cat pattern,’ Ivy said, sounding enthusiastic. ‘And I have plenty of black yarn and the other colours ready. I’m sure most of the members will want to have a go at knitting it.’ Ivy dug out the half–finished one she was working on. ‘I couldn’t resist. The pattern is easy. No changes that I’d make. It knits up well with this yarn.’
Mari had brought the one she’d made to show to the class, took it out of her bag, and sat it on one of the tables. ‘I enjoyed knitting mine.’
‘Oh, he’s lovely,’ said Ivy.
They were talking about the pattern when Heather arrived.
‘I’m a wee bit early for the class,’ Heather said to them. ‘But I wanted to buy more spools of the light grey thread to take back with me later to the theatre. It blends in so well with everything when I’m sewing the costumes.’
Ivy knew the thread Heather wanted and went to bag it for her.
‘Can I have a word with you before the class starts?’ Mari said in an urgent whisper to Heather.
‘Yes, is something wrong?’
‘I’m busy rustling around,’ Ivy said, thinking they needed privacy.
‘It’s okay, Ivy,’ Mari assured her. ‘I had breakfast with Scarlet this morning, and she had a lot to tell me.’
Heather and Ivy listened as Mari relayed the details of how her morning had unfolded.
Heather stared wide–eyed at Mari. ‘Scarlet fancies Jon! Not Huntly.’
Mari nodded. ‘It changes everything. Huntly doesn’t need to side–step Scarlet thinking she wants to be his girlfriend. She wanted to be in the new play, but it’s Jon she likes.’
Ivy was doing her best to keep up. ‘Jon’s the director, isn’t he?’
‘He is,’ said Heather. ‘We all thought Scarlet fancied Huntly.’ Then she thought about this. ‘Mind you, I only heard about that from gossip. I wonder what Jon would do if he knew that Scarlet was interested in him?’
‘Is the director handsome?’ Ivy said to them.
‘Jon is suave and a good looking man,’ said Mari.
‘Oooh! What a romantic pickle.’ Ivy giggled, but then a few of the class members came in, all smiles and chatter.
‘I thought you should know what Scarlet told me,’ Mari whispered to Heather, and then she started to welcome the members and organise the class.
All the members wanted to knit a black cat.
Ivy set up paper bags and popped the necessary yarn into each one along with a copy of the pattern.
Mari handed them out to the members. ‘The theatre is paying for the yarn and the stuffing.’ A large bag of soft stuffing was available for them to help themselves. Spare sets of knitting needles were on hand, but most of them had the required size of needles.
Eager to get started, the members began knitting the pattern. From beginners to experienced knitters like Heather, they agreed that they found the pattern easy and fun to make.
While tea and cakes were served during the class, Heather whispered to Mari. ‘Are you going to tell Huntly what Scarlet said?’
‘Yes, I think he should know,’ Mari confided to her.
‘During the last show that Scarlet was part of at the theatre, she was often arguing with Jon,’ said Heather. ‘But she was usually just trying to improve her lines, or whatever else it was.’
Ivy came over and handed one of the paper bags to Mari. ‘I’ve filled this bag with the yarn, the pattern for the cat, and stuffing, so you can take it with you to show Huntly how the kit would look.’
‘That’s so handy,’ said Mari. ‘I’ll give this to him tonight.’
The class continued until the late afternoon, and then the members left, taking their knitted cats with them.
After helping Ivy to tidy up the shop, Mari went up to her flat to get ready for dinner with Huntly.
Huntly popped out to buy extra groceries for the dinner he planned to cook. His bag was filled with tomatoes, red, orange and yellow peppers, lettuce, greentails, and a fresh loaf of bread.
He walked past the craft shop on his way back to the theatre. The fading amber sunlight glinted off the front window and the pretty bunting fluttered in the light breeze, but the shop was closed. He smiled to himself when he saw the array of little knitted and crafted cats on display.
Looking up at Mari’s window, he felt the urge to drop by and see her. During his hectic day, she’d regularly drifted through his thoughts. But he continued walking up the street, enjoying the atmosphere of the city as the day unwound. There was no chance that he could do likewise, not with everything he had to do.
Mari put on a sky blue jumper, a wrap skirt in a soft dark blue jersey fabric, and a pair of court shoes.
Tucking the sample kit in her bag, she headed out into the calm evening and walked up the street to the theatre, wondering how the night would unfold.
She arrived at quarter to seven, picturing that Huntly would welcome her and show her up to the turret for dinner.
But nothing went according to plan.
‘Mari!’ Huntly waved to her from the stage as she walked in. He wore a white shirt, dark trousers and a bronze and gold brocade waistcoat.
A man, similar in age and height to Huntly, with dark hair and a fit build, wearing a classic black suit, was leaping about the stage, dancing to dramatic music.
Mari recognised the well–known dancer.
‘Come and meet Wil,’ Huntly said to her.
Mari was introduced to Wil.
‘Huntly tells me you’re from the coastal town where I’ve opened up my new dance studio.’ Wil’s blue eyes were bright with enthusiasm, pleased to meet her.
‘Yes, I heard about your new studio, but I’ve since moved here to the city,’ said Mari. ‘I saw you perform last year in Edinburgh. You’re a wonderful dancer. I enjoyed the show.’
‘Thank you, Mari,’ said Wil. ‘Huntly’s been telling me all about the new play you’ve written. It sounds great. I’ll be coming along to see it one evening.’ Wil gestured to the stage. ‘I’m rehearsing choreography for my new show.’
Professional dance couples were practising to the music. The men were suited and the ladies wore ballgowns. And Sammy had created a starry night sky setting using the lighting effect from the play.
Mari felt the excitement all around her.
‘Do you dance?’ Wil called to her.
Mari shook her head. ‘No, I’m not a dancer, but I do enjoy watching others perform.’
‘Put a ballgown on and come up and waltz around,’ said Wil. ‘We’re going to take pictures for a joint promotion. Find a dress in wardrobe and come and dance with me.’
Heather beckoned Mari to hurry away with her to wardrobe.
Not wanting to put a dampener on the offer to dance with someone like Wil, Mari let herself be swept into the whirlwind of excitement and mayhem backstage.
‘What’s going on?’ Mari said to Heather as they hurried along.
‘Huntly and Niall have a journalist friend. He was going to interview them for a magazine feature about the new play.’
‘Scarlet mentioned this,’ Mari confirmed.
‘Well, Wil and his dancers were scheduled to come along today and use the stage for a dress rehearsal for their new dance show. But then Huntly suggested to the journalist that Wil be included in the interview, to make a real splash of publicity for both of them. And the journalist is eager to do this. He thinks it’ll be a great feature for the magazine.’
‘Do I need to talk to the journalist?’
‘Yes, and have your photo taken, so let’s get you ready for the ball.’
Niall ran by them. He wore a classic suit, shirt and tie. ‘Bring Mari up to speed on what we’re doing please, Heather.’
‘I’m getting her dressed,’ Heather called after him.
A lovely young woman around the same age as Mari was heading in the same direction as Niall.
‘Mari, this is Delphie,’ Heather said, introducing her briefly. ‘She’s going to be waltzing with Wil and Niall.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Mari,’ said Delphie.
Delphine, known as Delphie, hurried on. Her chestnut hair was pinned up in a chignon and she wore a gorgeous fairytale ballgown.
Other dancers were running around getting ready, and there was such a feeling of excitement in the air that Mari decided to put on the sparkling blue ballgown she’d seen recently and join in the photo shoot. More memories for the archives.
Heather helped Mari on with her dress. ‘You look a treat,’ said Heather.
Mari smiled and admired the dress in the mirror, seeing the chiffon sparkle under the lights. ‘It’s beautiful, but I can’t dance.’
Huntly’s voice spoke over her shoulder. ‘I’m sure you can manage a waltz, especially in a dress like that. It was made for dancing under the stars.’
Clasping Mari’s hand, Huntly led her away, on to the stage, where Wil took charge of her.
An experienced dancer and choreographer, Wil took Mari in hold, instructing her and encouraging her as the music began. The stage lighting made her dress sparkle like starlight.
Mari found herself being swept across the stage in Wil’s capable arms, waltzing as best she could, thankful that the long dress disguised any mistakes she made.
‘Just dance,’ Wil said to her. ‘I’ll keep you right.’
And he did. Mari couldn’t stop smiling as she was whirled around the floor by Wil, her feet barely touching the floor as his strength lifted her.
Peter and Sammy were recording this and taking photos with their phones. Jon and Andy were there joining in the fun.
As the music changed, Huntly stepped in and began dancing with Mari, and Wil then waltzed with Delphie. Other dance couples were circling around, creating a wonderful scene.
And there was Mari, in the heart of it, waltzing with Huntly under a theatrical starry sky.
‘Dinner will be a little later than planned,’ Huntly said to Mari as they continued dancing. The music had changed again, this time to a slow waltz, and she felt his arms gently pull her closer to him.
Gazing up at him, she smiled. ‘Your world is full of surprises.’
‘Our world, Mari. This is your world now too.’
As the slow waltz finished with a flourish, Huntly dipped Mari, and she played along, letting his strong arms hold her as she leaned back. His face was a breath away from hers.
For one crazy moment, Huntly almost gave in to the temptation to kiss her, but he knew this would ruin the playful mood.
Instead, Huntly clasped her around the waist and helped her stand up. He still towered over her and they were standing within kissing distance.
Aware they were being photographed by Peter and Sammy, they stepped back from each other, smiling.
The journalist waved them over for the interview, along with Niall, Jon and Andy.
Mari was taken aback that the journalist wanted to know about her playwriting before throwing questions to the others.
‘Yes, this is my first play that’s been accepted for production,’ Mari confirmed.
‘What are you writing now?’ the journalist prompted her, hoping for a snippet of exciting things to come.
‘I’m reworking two plays I wrote before The Shop That Sells Everything,’ said Mari. ‘And this morning, while I was sitting knitting and gazing out the window at one of my favourite views of Edinburgh, my mind was sparking with fresh ideas that I’m eager to start writing.’
‘Huntly mentioned that you’re from a small, coastal town not too far from here,’ said the journalist. He seemed interest to hear about her writing process. ‘Do you find that Edinburgh inspires your playwriting?’
‘I do,’ Mari told him. ‘And since I’ve met Huntly, his tendency to attract drama has added to my ideas for new plays.’
Mari’s light–hearted remark went down well, and Huntly gave an exaggerated bow.
‘How did you first meet Huntly?’ The journalist was recording every word of her comments.
Mari glanced at Huntly and then gave a brief reply. ‘He’d been slaying dragons in the theatre all day, and ran after me dressed in fencing gear, with a prop sword, causing a furore.’
‘True, all true,’ Huntly said, grinning.
Details were added for further interest, then Niall, Jon and Andy were interviewed.
Listening to them, Mari thought that this would make an interesting feature. And even more so when Wil’s comments about rehearsing his new dance show at the theatre were added to it.
‘I’ll get this feature written up quickly,’ said the journalist, switching off his phone and getting ready to leave. ‘It’ll be in the next issue of the magazine, which is out soon, but it’ll be up on our online issue by tomorrow night along with lots of pics and video clips. I’ll keep you posted.’
‘Thanks, we’re looking forward to it,’ said Huntly, walking him out. Niall, Jon and Andy went with them.
Mari stood watching them go, and then looked up at Wil and his dancers, and Delphie, packing up everything they’d brought with them and getting ready to leave too.
The music was switched off and the lights were dimmed, and the theatre crew headed home.
They all seemed so accustomed to packing up their world of make believe, that Mari found herself almost alone in front of the stage, watching them disappear into the night.
Wil and the others had a drive home ahead of them, but there was a sense of everyone winding down.
But Mari’s evening was just gearing up as Huntly came striding back in, all smiles and energy.
‘Shall we?’ he said, gesturing to her to come with him.
‘I’ll just change out of this ballgown,’ said Mari. ‘I’ll be right back.’
As she turned to hurry away, Huntly clasped hold of her hand. ‘It’s not midnight yet, Cinderella. Let’s have dinner.’
Mari smiled. ‘I can’t wear a fairytale dress for our dinner.’
Huntly kept hold of her hand. ‘Dinner in a turret with a magical view of the city. I think it’s the perfect dress.’
Laughing, she let Huntly lead her to the stairs.
‘Let’s take the scenic route,’ he said.
One set of stairs provided access to the turret from inside the theatre. The other set was outside.
Huntly opened the door to the outside route that had a sensational view.
‘It’s a beautiful evening,’ said Huntly. He hadn’t let go of her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Mari surprised herself by stepping outside, feeling the autumn air waft through the chiffon of her ballgown as Huntly led her up towards the turret.
‘Wait,’ she said suddenly, causing him to jolt and pause. ‘I want to see the view of the city.’
Huntly smiled, and for a few moments they stood there together gazing at the view of Edinburgh at night, lights sparkling all around them.
This wasn’t just a memory for the archives she thought, this was something she’d never forget. Maybe this was the most special moment she’d ever share with Huntly. Or maybe this was the start of more excitement and drama with him.