Richard’s still gripping my hand. ‘They’ve brought Victoria Wright in, apparently.’
Oh, shit. Victoria Wright is one of the most esteemed dialect coaches in the business. I switch to another method of rationalising this nonsense.
‘Alyssa wouldn’t do this to me.’
Alyssa Anderson isGrosvenor’screator and showrunner. In a movie, the creator cedes authority to the director. In TV, it’s the opposite. The creator quite literally runs the show.
‘I wish I could believe that, darling. But Alyssa can do whatever the fuck she wants, and you know every decision she makes is for the good of the show. Not its stars.’
CHAPTER 15
Elle
Alyssa seconds this statement as soon as she arrives, fifteen minutes later. Richard teed up the meeting, knowing quite rightly I’d have a burning need to thrash things out with Alyssa there and then. He’s as pissed off as I am.
‘It’s not personal, Elle. It’s business.’ She takes a seat and puts her handbag down calmly.
‘It’s personal for me.’ I’m trying hard to keep my temper.
‘You never asked for veto rights in your contract.’
‘Because I never in a million years imagined you’d cast the one fucking person on the planet who totally shafted me—anAmerican, at that—as my fuckinghusbandin a British period drama!’
‘I haven’t done it to shaft you. I’ve done it because he’s always who I’ve had in my mind for the role. Ever since I wrote the screenplay. In my head, Josh Lander is Dominic, and quite simply, no one else will do.’
I’m fuming now. ‘You kept that quiet when we had our three-hour conversation about your vision for Georgianaand Dominic.’
‘Because I knew how you’d react.’ She crosses her arms and looks at me as if I’m a petulant toddler and she’s waiting for me to calm myself down.
‘You tricked me.’
‘I did not trick you. I withheld context so you wouldn’t shoot yourself in the foot and turn down the role of a lifetime over some guy who broke your heart. This part is made for you. And it’s the next step in your career. And you know both of those things to be true.
‘Only one thing really matters, and that’s that we create the most beautiful work of art possible. Obviously, it’s imperative that you feel safe in your working environment so you can create freely. We’ll make sure that’s the case at every moment. But I truly believe you and Josh are the right two people for these characters. You’re both at the very heart of my vision. And it would have broken my heart to lose either of you.’
I have a sudden thought. It’s a terrifying one, but maybe I can make contact with Josh and appeal to his better nature—if he has one, which I doubt. But it’s worth a try. If I guilt him enough, maybe he’ll back out of the role. Except his latest movie, some shitty horror one calledGhoul, is currently out and proving to be a massive flop in the run up to Halloween. There’s no way he’s letting go of this role. It’s gold dust.
Alyssa must be a mind-reader. ‘Anyway,’ she continues, ‘it’s a moot point because you’re both contractually obliged now.’
‘He’s signed? Without a chemistry read?’
She allows herself a smirk. ‘Sweetheart, no one who ever saw you two together would require a chemistry read.’
Oh my God.
Oh myGod.
I put my head in my hands. I’m this close to losing my shit. I’ve come so far in the past five years, and rebuilt my heart after the biggest heartbreak of my life, and right now I just want tocall my mum and have her come and tell this nasty lady her little Elle doesn’t want to do this horrible part. I want her to take me away from it. I need Alyssa out of the room so I can talk to Richard about what the consequences would be of a breach of contract.
But she’s right—this part is made for me. Georgianaisme and I can play her better than anyone else out there. I understand her. Why the fuck should I walk away from the role of a lifetime because of Josh fucking Lander?
My head spins as I grapple with what this means. Shooting starts in seven weeks. I thought it was odd they’d held out so long on announcing the male lead, but they’ve probably had him up their sleeve for months. Not only will I have to see Josh Lander every day for God knows how long, but I’ll have to act with him. Beintimatewith him. No matter what miracles the intimacy coordinator can work, there’ll be skin on skin. Lips on lips.
Oh, Jesus. I’ll have tosmellhim.
His smell always slayed me.
I have no idea how I’ll survive this.
