Chapter 3
3
Jack Montgomery caught up with Vi as she was in the downstairs lobby about to leave the building.
‘Hey,’ he said, tapping her on the shoulder. ‘We should get to know each other as I’m to play your husband. How about a drink sometime?’
Vi’s heart beat faster as she looked up at his handsome face, his brown eyes looking into hers. He was dressed in a navy blazer with a discreet crest and a light blue shirt under a Burberry raincoat which was flung across his shoulders. She noticed his long eyelashes and his slightly tanned complexion, breathed in his expensive aftershave and kept staring at him, wondering if this was really happening. Jack Montgomery was asking her to have a drink? It seemed like a dream and she felt like pinching herself yet again. ‘Er, yeah,’ she said. ‘That would be grand.’
‘I’m going back to LA in a little over a week, so it would be good to meet up before then. Just to talk, you know?’
‘That would be lovely,’ Vi said and picked up her phone. ‘What’s your number?’
He beamed a thousand-watt smile at her. ‘Let’s decide on the date, time and place right now. Then we don’t need phone numbers.’
‘Oh, of course,’ Vi said, feeling stupid. She should have known he wouldn’t want to give his phone number to someone he didn’t know well. ‘Sorry,’ she said, putting away her phone. ‘When and where, then?’
‘How about that Irish pub near Piccadilly? It’s called Paddy’s. Looks nice and easy to find for both of us. Thursday next week at five p.m.? Call the office and leave a message if you can’t make it. I’ll get them to call you if I have a problem, okay?’
‘Great,’ Vi said, now completely overwhelmed. She was having a drink with one of the biggest stars of both film and TV. Was this really happening?
‘See you then.’ Jack walked to the door and held it open for her. ‘Looking forward to our chat,’ he said as she stepped out.
‘Me too.’ She breathed in his expensive aftershave as he walked past her towards a waiting car that took off down the street as soon as Jack had got in.
Vi stood there, staring at the taillights, thinking that this was the most exciting day of her life.
‘Feeling a little starstruck?’ a voice said beside her.
Startled, Vi whipped around to discover Leo the make-up artist standing behind her. She laughed. ‘Yeah, a little. But who wouldn’t be? He’s so…’
‘Charismatic?’ he asked, smiling, his blue eyes amused as he looked at her.
‘Something like that,’ Vi confessed.
‘And a little more,’ Leo suggested. ‘But be careful. He’s a great slayer of women and has left a trail of broken hearts behind him.’
‘I know. I’ve seen what’s posted about him online,’ Vi said. ‘Don’t worry, I might be starstruck but my heart won’t break.’
‘I bet,’ Leo said. ‘But now I’d better get to the pub with the others.’ He paused, looking a little shy. ‘You did well in there. You made sure they knew where you stood. Not easy under the circumstances.’
‘Gosh,’ Vi said. ‘I thought I’d blown it. But I’m such a blabbermouth and can’t help saying exactly what I think. No filter, that’s me.’
‘Well, it was a good thing. Got you the part and all. Hey,’ he continued, ‘would you think it forward of me if I asked for your phone number? I thought it might be nice to meet up when I’m in Ireland during the holidays.’
‘Why are you going to Ireland for Christmas?’ Vi asked. Then she remembered what he had said earlier. ‘Oh yes, you have family there, right?’
‘Yes, I do. My last name is Shanaghan, by the way. Can’t get more Irish than that. So can we get together when I’m there?’
‘That would be great,’ Vi said. She picked up her phone again. ‘Give me your number and then I’ll send you a text and then you can put it into WhatsApp.’
‘Perfect,’ he said and read out his number. ‘I’ll be in touch when I get to Ireland.’
‘Where will you be?’ Vi asked as she put away her phone.
‘Bantry,’ he replied. ‘Only a few hours’ drive from Dingle. Never been there, though, so I’ll need a guide.’
‘That’ll be fun. I know all the great places,’ Vi said, feeling as if she knew him already. He seemed such a nice, easy-going man and she was sure he’d be a great ally during filming. ‘I hope you like storms and rain. That’s what it’s like in late December in Kerry.’
‘I’ve never been there at Christmastime,’ Leo said. ‘How do you cope with the bad weather?’
‘Oh, I love it,’ Vi laughed. ‘We were always told that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.’
‘Sounds like the kind of thing a father might say,’ Leo remarked.
‘I didn’t really have a father,’ Vi said. ‘So I wouldn’t know.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Leo said.
‘He died when I was only two, but I had my mother and grandmother,’ Vi said. ‘They brought us up during various stages in our lives.’
‘Us?’ Leo asked. Then he laughed. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.’
‘I don’t mind,’ Vi said, smiling. ‘I don’t think having two sisters is a personal detail I need to hide.’
‘Great. Maybe I’ll meet them during filming? But now I’d better catch up with the others. See you in Kerry soon.’
Vi smiled and said goodbye, happy to have met someone who could be a friend. Especially during the making of a movie, which could be a very long process. Playing the main character and trying to get close to a woman who had been dead for a long time would be a challenge. She’d better get hold of the old movies from the 1940s and 50s and study Kathleen O’Sullivan’s voice, movements and facial expressions. And then she had to find out as much about this woman as possible: her childhood and youth, her love life and relationships. It seemed like a huge task but she was determined to do it. One of her teachers at drama school had told her to use her body as a tool when playing a character. ‘Body language is a great way to relay emotions and feelings,’ he had said. In this case, it would come in very handy and she was committed to following that advice. By the time filming started, Vi would truly be Kathleen, just as Liz the producer had suggested.
Vi knew she had to get to Kerry as soon as possible to start her research. She had told Leo she would be there for Christmas, as if her relationship with her family was normal without any problems or bad feelings. But that was far from the truth. Her sisters were still not talking to Vi after that falling-out the year before, and her grandmother had not got over her disappointment in Vi, even though she was still affectionate whenever they spoke.
Unconditional love , Vi thought, knowing Granny would always love her no matter what, which made her feel even more guilty. All this made it very difficult to plan a visit to her childhood home. She would have to negotiate carefully with her grandmother in order to stay at Magnolia Manor for Christmas and beyond, and then do her best to mend fences with Lily and Rose, who both lived nearby with their families. It seemed like a very high mountain to climb.
Lily was married to Dominic, an engineer and local contractor, and lived in a gorgeous house overlooking Ventry beach with their two small children. Rose and her husband, Noel, and eighteen-month-old daughter had recently moved out of the gatehouse of Magnolia Manor into a newly built bungalow on the hill above Dingle town. They both seemed to have perfect lives, happy marriages and lovely children. Despite what Vi had said to them during that horrible argument, she often felt envious of her sisters. She sometimes thought she would never have what they had, and when her career seemed stuck, it felt even worse, having nothing to be proud of.
But now she could at least go back home with something to show for all her hard work. Perhaps they might finally be proud of her?
Vi knew she had to go to Kerry soon in order to find out everything she could about Kathleen O’Sullivan. She felt apprehensive about calling her grandmother but she couldn’t put it off much longer. As she went into the Tube station, she promised herself she would call that evening and be completely honest. It would be hard, but it was the first step to a reconciliation that simply had to happen very soon. Otherwise, how could she work on a film that was set in her own back yard?
Vi didn’t have to call, however, as her grandmother beat her to it. The phone rang that evening just as Vi had opened the door to her tiny studio apartment in Croydon. She fished the phone out of her bag, stepped over the debris of books and scripts on the floor and sat down on the easy chair in front of the window, without checking the caller ID.
‘Hello,’ she said, ‘this is Violet Fleury.’
‘Of course it is,’ her grandmother’s voice said in her ear. ‘And this is Sylvia Fleury, your grandmother.’
Vi shot up from the chair. ‘Granny! I was just going to call you.’
‘Of course you were,’ Sylvia said, her voice light. ‘How could you not when you’re going to star in a film that’s going to be shot at our manor? I just heard the news from that producer woman. Liz – something. Quite a character, I have to say. Smokes cigarettes with a holder and argues like a man. But she had the decency to go outside when she wanted a puff, so I can’t complain. In any case, we had a good old discussion before she backed down. Pity, I was just getting into the swing of it.’ Sylvia drew breath.
Vi laughed. ‘Oh, Granny, I can imagine. You always enjoyed a good argument.’
‘A good one, yes,’ Sylvia said drily, ‘not like the one you had with your sisters just before you left in a huff. They’re still in a snit over it. How are you going to cope with them when you come here as the big star, I wonder?’
‘I don’t know,’ Vi said miserably. ‘I’ll have to wear a big hairshirt and crawl to the cross.’
‘You might indeed,’ Sylvia remarked. ‘Although that sounds a little uncomfortable.’ She paused. ‘So when are you coming over? I believe the filming starts in April.’
‘I have to go to Kerry way before that,’ Vi replied. ‘I need to do some research on Kathleen O’Sullivan and that will take some time. I was hoping…’ Vi stopped.
‘Hoping what?’ Sylvia asked.
‘That I might come next week and stay until Christmas. I know it will be difficult and Lily and Rose won’t want me there but I’m hoping I can patch things up, or keep out of their hair. Whatever is best.’
‘Hmm,’ Sylvia said. ‘It could be difficult. But we have to try. Life is too short to carry a grudge. Family is all we have in the end, isn’t it?’
‘I know that now,’ Vi said.
‘Good.’ Sylvia took a deep breath. ‘All right, Violet, do come whenever you want. I’ll talk to your sisters.’
‘Thank you,’ Vi whispered. She wondered if Sylvia was proud of her. ‘Are you excited about the movie? It’s a dream come true for me.’
‘What dreams are they exactly?’ Sylvia asked.
‘I’m to star in a movie with Jack Montgomery,’ Vi said, surprised that her grandmother didn’t realise the significance of the part. ‘It’s the first time I’ve had a lead role. And with a very successful actor. Isn’t that so incredible?’
‘Oh,’ Sylvia said. ‘I would be careful if I were you. Reality never turns out like your dreams. Life is too complicated for that. You don’t know what hardship is around the corner.’
‘Oh, please,’ Vi begged, knowing her grandmother was, as always, just trying to stop her building castles in the air. ‘Don’t do the gloom and doom now. Let me be happy for a while. I know what you’re saying and I’m sure I’ll land back on earth with a thump. But right now, I’m floating on a cloud and loving it.’
‘I see. Enjoy this happy moment, then. If you’re aware that it’s just for a while, you’ll be fine,’ Sylvia said. ‘But I think you should come here as soon as possible. You can have the gatehouse as Rose and Noel have moved into their new house. If you don’t mind being on your own.’
‘I’m on my own now,’ Vi said, looking around the dreary little flat. ‘I’ll be less alone in the gatehouse than here, I think. I can catch up with my old pals in Dingle anyway. I don’t have many friends here in London because I’m away so much on location. This is just a base, not a home, and never will be.’
‘That sounds a little sad,’ Sylvia said, her voice soft. ‘Maybe it’s time you faced up to that.’
‘Oh, I know,’ Vi said, remembering the old saying. ‘It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. Family and friends are like the stars,’ she said to Sylvia. ‘You can’t always see them but you know they’re there.’
‘Exactly,’ Sylvia said, sounding satisfied. ‘And you know what? Even if your sisters are still angry, I’m not. I’d love to have you here with me. Goodness knows I could do with some company right now.’
‘What about Arnaud?’ Vi asked, surprised by the hint of sadness in Sylvia’s voice. She was also surprised that Sylvia had forgiven her so quickly, but then the row had not been about her but with Lily and Rose. Sylvia always tried not to interfere in their arguments, preferring to stay neutral in order to mediate between them.
‘Arnaud? Oh, he’s in the South of France during the winter,’ Sylvia said. ‘He thought I might like to spend the cold months there with him. But I missed Kerry too much. The wind and rain don’t worry me. They pass very quickly and then we have the sunshine back and the glorious views of the ocean. There’s nothing like it in the whole world. Today was one of those days.’
‘No, there isn’t,’ Vi agreed, imagining how lovely Kerry would be right now, the water of Dingle Bay glittering in the sunshine and the ocean beyond stretching out to the horizon where sea met sky and the sun would sink behind the islands in a riot of pink, red and orange. She could nearly smell the salty air and taste the newly caught fish cooked in batter and served with chips and mushy peas in one of the restaurants on the quays. ‘I’ll come home as soon as I can,’ she promised. ‘I want to start looking into Kathleen O’Sullivan’s life from the very start.’
‘That might come with a few surprises,’ Sylvia remarked. ‘Not always good ones.’
‘What do you mean?’ Vi asked. ‘What do you know about her?’
‘Not much, but what I’ve heard is not all so lovely,’ Sylvia said cryptically. ‘But I have to go. Nora is expecting me for dinner. Let me know when you’ll be arriving and we’ll have the gatehouse all warm and cosy for you.’
‘Thank you, Granny,’ Vi said. ‘But what was that about Kathleen O’—?’
‘Bye for now,’ Sylvia said, and hung up.
Vi sat there with the phone in her hand, wondering what Sylvia had meant. Did her grandmother know something about Kathleen O’Sullivan? Something that went against the sweet, wholesome image she had presented to the world? Vi realised that her grandmother was of the same generation and that they had both grown up in Kerry around the same time. Maybe Vi’s research would start much closer to home that she had imagined.