“Actually, it’s eight,” I said.
“Eight?”Susan said. “But you’re hardly showing.”
“Eight?”Holly said. “That means that you’ll be due within...”
“Within the next month,” I finished for her. “Yes.”
“But you barely have a bump,” Ayra said. “How did you manage to keep this hidden from me? You’ve been here so many times these past months. And these past days...I’ve been with you all the time and...”
“I do apologize for being so secretive. I guess, in part, I didn’t want to jinx it. And then, as the due date approached, as the holidays approached and as the complications regarding the upcoming production seemed inevitable, I knew it was time to talk to all of you.”
“That certainly explains the ample dress,” Holly said. “I mean, I get it...empire waist...Jane Austen era...yadda, yadda, yadda. But...whoosh. What an unexpected surprise.”
“Yes. My belly might not be all that large, but I’ve begun to swell everywhere else. You should see my ankles.” I laughed.
“When you say complications regarding the production, what do you mean exactly?”Abbie said.
“I’m afraid we may have to delay filming of Mansfield Park. While I would be more than happy to start two to three months from now, I’m afraid others may not. For one thing, most of the actors will most likely no longer be available by then. But, more importantly, I risk losing the financial backing I have already secured.
Ayra and Abbie looked at one another. I knew those two enough to instantly know what they were thinking.
“You already have your cast, don’t you?”Abbie said.
“With the exception of one or two roles, yes.”
“And Moon Manor has been altered to take the place of Mansfield Park, right?”Ayra added.
“Yes, but...”
“Let’s get on it right away,” Abbie cut in. “Instead of waiting until after the holidays to start filming, why not start now...like...tomorrow?”
I shook my head and stammered, looking for an argument. Finally, I found my voice. “Two weeks. Are you two claiming that we can get this movie in the can in two weeks?”
“What’s missing?”Abbie said. “You know that I’ll be there for hair and makeup.”
“Yeah,” Ayra said. “What’s stopping us from getting started? I already have much of the music planned out in my head.”
“The screenplay needs a little more work,” I argued.
“I thought you told me that you already had someone working on that,” Ayra said. “You said she was brilliant, and she worked fast. How much of the script remains to be written?”
I shrugged. “You’re right. She’s almost finished. Just a few touches here and there.”
What they didn’t know was that Darling Douglas, the young woman I’d hired to write the screenplay, was also perfect for the part of Fanny Price. She was precisely what I envisioned Fanny to be; pretty, unpretentious, quiet, reserved...tortured even. As part of the Shakespeare Upon Avon’s training program, she held much promise, and I had little doubt she’d be able to carry the movie.
“What do you say?”Susan said, breaking into my revery.“I’ve been working with Abbie on various costumes these past weeks.”
I offered her a shy and uncertain smile. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
“I’m in,” she quickly responded.
“So am I,” Holly added. “My voice is in top form, and Ayra and I’ve already begun to look at various musical options.”
“Count me in, too,” Penny said.
“My calendar is open,” Cliff said. “That is, if you still want me as your cinematographer.”
I grinned at him. He knew darn well that I wanted him.He was an Oscar winner after all.
