Page 27 of The Perfect Gift

A round of protests and grumbles came from all directions. Brian held up his hands in a pleading gesture. ‘I’m sorry, I know you’re all disappointed. I’ve arranged to put some money behind the bar at the Smuggler’s Den tonight as a personal thank you, but there won’t be any formal farewell. I’m very sorry.’

The jubilant mood leaked away like air from a deflating balloon as a rumble of discontent spread through the room. Dave held up his hands. ‘Come on, now, none of this is Brian’s fault.’ He extended a hand towards the director. ‘Cheers for the beers, in advance. You will be joining us?’

Brian shook his head. ‘I’ve got to go over the rushes.’

‘You’ve got time for one, at least?’ Becca cajoled him.

‘I’ll see if I can make it,’ Brian said with a tired smile.

Dave clapped his hands together. ‘Right, gang. Let’s get cracking with breaking this set down. There’s a cold beer waiting for us thanks to Brian.’ The group rallied to Brian’s instructions, many of them stopping to pat Brian on the back or shake his hand.

Frankie waited for a quiet moment, then approached the director. ‘Are things really that bad they had to cancel the party?’

Brian sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. ‘Yes. I did my best to fight for it, but we’re under pressure to make savings from higher up.’ He looked exhausted, the circles under his eyes darker than ever.

‘Let me know how much the bar bill is and I’ll go halves with you,’ Frankie offered. It felt like the least she could do if the bosses weren’t going to show their appreciation.

‘You’re a star.’ Brian took her hands. ‘I don’t know what I would’ve done without you these past weeks.’

‘We’re a team, Brian. I’m just doing my bit, same as everyone else.’

He raised a brow at her attempted deflection then smiled and shook his head. ‘Right, I’d better go and review today’s rushes. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Frankie thought he might do better to head back to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep, but she knew that wasn’t practical. ‘See you then.’

Frankie hurried back to her caravan as quickly as her costume allowed. Everything ached and as she clambered up the steps she vowed she’d never take another role that would require her to wear a corset. The damn thing was a torture device.

Jessie and Becca went to work on her the moment they got to the caravan and soon had her out of her costume. Dressed in a soft, cosy tracksuit, Frankie sat in the chair and let the two of them unclip and remove her wig and wipe her face clean of the thick stage make-up. Her head hurt from all the clips and pins as well as the weight of the wig and the instant Becca placed her fingers on Frankie’s scalp and began to massage, she let out a groan of relief. ‘You are a miracle worker,’ Frankie told her and they exchanged a smile through the mirror.

‘All part of the service, though not for much longer! Roll on Wednesday, eh? Are you coming to the pub with us?’

Frankie shook her head. ‘I’m going to get an early night. I’ve got a bottle of champagne at home so I can bring that in for us to share on Wednesday night once we’re finished?’

Becca’s smile dimmed a little. ‘That’s sweet of you, but Wednesday’s going to be manic, especially now it’s clear they want as many of us gone by Thursday as possible. Plus I’ll need a clear head for driving home. It’s a long trek back to Yorkshire, so Dave and I will be splitting the driving.’

Disappointment stabbed Frankie inside. It was starting already. The sense of cohesion, the close bonds formed on set, were already starting to unravel. It was foolish to get attached to people, but Frankie had really loved working with Becca and Jessie and she’d hoped the champagne would be a little token of her appreciation. ‘I understand. I just wanted the chance to thank you both for all your hard work.’

Jessie came over from where she’d been washing her brushes in the sink. ‘It’s been lovely, one of the best shoots I’ve done for ages.’ She placed a hand on Frankie’s shoulder. ‘I’ve just had a look and managed to change my booking so I’m getting the last train on Wednesday night. Mum is desperate to have me back home to help her out and there’s no point in staying if there’s no party. The champagne is a lovely idea, though. Maybe you can save it for next season.’

‘Don’t curse us!’ Becca said, swatting Jessie lightly on the arm. ‘And besides, there’s no guarantee Frankie will come back. She’ll be inundated with offers and be far too busy to hang around in the background after being the star of this season.’

‘No talking about any more seasons!’ Frankie scolded them both with a laugh. Actors were a superstitious lot at the best of times and no one knew better than them not to look too far into the future. Shows were cancelled for any number of reasons, regardless of their ratings.

‘Sorry!’ Jessie crossed her fingers and held them up. ‘Let’s change the subject. What are your plans for Christmas, Frankie?’

‘Well, just between us, I’m planning on staying on in the village a bit longer. I love the cottage and I’ve desperately got to mug up on the script for my next job, so I’m making arrangements with the landlord to extend my stay.’

Becca leaned down and hugged Frankie around the shoulders. ‘That sounds lovely! And you’ve made such nice friends while you’ve been here, too. You’ll enjoy getting to spend a bit more time with them.’

15

Wednesday was a strange day. The tension was palpable and it was clear everyone was more than ready to go home. The crew broke down anything they could and people rushed here and there to pack things away and load up the trucks. By the time they finished shooting the last scene, the castle had been stripped bare of everything but the small set they were using. Brian had barely called cut before people were swarming over to carry off the furniture. There was none of the usual celebratory end-of-shoot atmosphere thanks to the cancelled party. Frankie said goodbye to as many people as she could without holding them up.

She was crossing the grand hall when a voice called out behind her. Frankie stopped and waited for Dalton to catch her up. ‘Hey, Frankie,’ he said, displaying his perfect white teeth as he grinned down at her.

‘Hey! Sorry, I missed you in the scrum back there and I didn’t want to keep Becca and Jessie waiting.’ She gestured down at her costume.

Dalton’s smile ticked up a notch. ‘I know what you mean! I’m under orders from Margery to get my ass back to my trailer, but I just wanted to say thank you.’ His expression grew serious. ‘I know you didn’t want me for this part and it would’ve been easy enough for you to treat me like a joke like the rest of them.’ He shrugged and gave a rueful smile. ‘I guess my acting was a bit of a joke.’