Mirren’s expression was all defeat, and even briefly thinking of home and her childhood had her reaching for her habitual, knee-jerk response of trying to re-spin unhappy memories into something more upbeat; an old survival strategy that she’d comforted herself with as a child and which was second nature to her now. ‘I suppose I’ll always have a bed at Mum’s, so I can’t really complain, can I? That’s more of a safety net than most folk have.’
Kelsey turned to her friend. ‘You’ve got me and my place, always, OK?’
‘OK.’ This time it was Mirren who squeezed Kelsey’s hand. She wasn’t one to wallow, and especially not when she had the distraction of her best friend right there in the room with her for a change. ‘So, tell me about the studio, how’s it going, really?’
‘Well…umm,’ she faltered. Kelsey wasn’t used to voicing her concerns about her fledgling business, even to Jonathan or her mum. She’d done a good job of putting on a brave face until now, but the words were queueing up, ready to spill out. ‘Don’t peopleneedphotographers anymore?’ she blurted. ‘Is everyone masterfully snapping selfies on their phones and editing and cropping, filtering and sharing them like a pro?’
Mirren only frowned, still listening.
‘I’ve done everything I can think of. I approached local schools about portraits, I’m advertising in the local press, I even tried shoots with tourists on the street, but I’m getting nothing coming in. My portfolio’s growing all the time because I’m taking so many lovely pictures out and about, and I just added these gorgeous portraits of my neighbour Blythe, which is good, but nobody can actually see them, apart from on the studio’s website. I don’t know where to go next.’ Kelsey winced as she said the words. ‘I had a proper business plan and everything, but the money’s all going in one direction at the moment. I mean, is the idea of going to a studio to have portraits shot positively Victorian? Something even your granny would hesitate to do these days? Maybe opening a studio isn’t exactly a healthy business model for a young start-up in the twenty-twenties? Maybe I missed the boat on a photography career?’
Mirren’s mind was working, Kelsey could see it on her face. She wasn’t going to let her friend wallow. ‘Do you have any industry contacts you can call upon to help you out? With the studio, I mean.’
Kelsey thought for a moment. ‘Contacts? I only know a bunch of actors and ex tour guides, and most of them left town at the end of summer.’
‘OK, so what you’re saying is you’re a photographer with lots of links to the theatre, entertainment and heritage industries?’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that.’ Kelsey talked Mirren through the people she knew from her summer job. There had been Norma Arden and Gianfranco – off enjoying married life in Italy now. Norma had already done so much for Kelsey, leasing her the studio for pennies until she was properly established. Fellow guide Lukas was teaching foreign languages in his hometown of Novosibirsk. Will Greville, the one Mirren had her midsummer night’s fling with – though she wouldn’t dream of mentioning him to Mirren right this second – was off in Ontario preparing to take over from Jonathan as the lead actor in the Oklahoma Renaissance Players next summer when Jonathan would leave the company after the run ofLove’s Labour’s Lostto try his luck for a life on the English stage. Will’s devoted parents owned the Osprey hotel in town and they kept him in cash year round, funding his ambitions and auditions, and it had paid off at last, now that he was understudying Jonathan’s roles preparing to take over from him. He’d be a perfect addition to the troupe and he was, according to Jonathan, still tentatively and respectfully wooing Peony, the company’s leading lady – his devotion to her representing a real departure from his flirty, bad-boy behaviour back in England. Maybe Willcouldhave used his connections to introduce Kelsey to important people in town, but how was that possible now? He didn’t even live here anymore. And that was it. Apart from Valeria and Myrtle with their costume hire place, she didn’t really know anyone, and neither Mr Ferdinand nor the director of the summer theatrical gala – who’d commissioned her first ever paid job back in August and been delighted with her work at the time – had engaged her services again.
Kelsey forced a sigh and her butterfly took flight. She watched it flutter its way to a purple buddleia flower which overhung the Aztec water feature in the pond where fat orange carp circulated.
‘I need to make money and quick,’ Kelsey said quietly, lost in thought.
‘Think of your skills and your contacts and join up the dots,’ Mirren said sagely, watching her friend. ‘You’ve got friends with a hotel, a costume hire place and you’re a photographer, so…’
‘So…?’
Mirren waited for Kelsey to catch up.
‘So, I could… get hold of some of Valeria and Myrtle’s costumes?’
‘Uh-huh,and…?’
‘… and, I could take photos of people wearing them?’
‘And where might you do that?’
‘In my studio?’ Kelsey looked doubtful.
‘Close, but no coconut.’
‘God, you’re infuriating, just tell me your brilliant business idea, Lord Sugar.’
‘OK. You ask Will if they’re doing Christmas party nights at his hotel; the Osprey, right?’
Kelsey’s eyes lit up. ‘I offer fancy dress photo packages at the hotel’s Christmas do?’
‘That’s right. You’re set up to do that kind of thing, aren’t you?’
‘Actually, I am. Do you think Will Greville will put in a good word with his parents for me?’
‘Only one way to find out.’
‘It’s half seven in the morning where Jonathan is now, he might not be awake, but I can leave a message and he might mention it to Will.’ It crossed her mind that Will may not want to hear from her. They’d had a fun, flirty friendship over the summer and had come very close to spending the night together on one occasion back in July. At the time, Kelsey had been convinced Jonathan wasn’t interested in her and Will’s relentless flirting and a lot of bubbly at Norma’s engagement party had worn down her defences so he’d suddenly looked very kissable indeed. She had come to her senses and he had seemed to take the rejection with equanimity, so she thought there shouldn’t be any hard feelings, but she still felt a little unsure.
Kelsey suppressed a shudder at the memory, refusing to meet Mirren’s eyes as the full extent of the tangled, awkward mess they’d all got themselves into that summer hit home. She was on her feet and scrolling for Jonathan’s number in seconds.
Mirren watched as her friend absentmindedly wandered off along the little path between the hibiscus bushes and onto the ornamental bridge over the carp pool. She saw the sudden smile light up Kelsey’s face when Jonathan answered her call and although she couldn’t make out the words, she heard her friend’s laughter and the happiness in her voice as she spoke with the man she loved all the way across the wild Atlantic and the rugged Rocky Mountains.
