We continued in silence and finally found Keely seated in the front drawing room with her husband, Hugh.
I knocked lightly on the wall just outside the doorway. “I apologize for interrupting, but...”
Keely waved us in. “That’s all right. Come in. We were just discussing our unfortunate encounter with Lord Barry.”
“Quite a character,” Hugh said.
Matthew chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
“Any hopes of convincing him to allow our production to continue here?”
“I have no doubt that I could convince him to have his home on display in a big movie production, but we do have a bit of a hurdle to deal with.”
“What do you mean, hurdle?”
“Britney,” I blurted out.
“You sister?”Keely stood as she frowned and looked to Matthew. “What does she have to do with this?”
Matthew and I looked at each other then back at Keely to both say, “She wants a part in your movie.”
“Hmm.” Her pensive and concerned expression didn’t hold much promise. “Has she any experience?”
Matthew shook his head. “Not even a play in primary school.”
“I see.” She glanced at Hugh who shrugged.
“It need only be a small part,” I said.
She smiled and her eyes lit up. “Yes. Indeed. I think your timing might just be fitting.”
Surprised, Matt and I exchanged hopeful glances.
“Are you saying that you might have a role for her?”
“Indeed, I think I might. You see, Sonia Martin had to pull out of the production. She’s been hinting at her departure for a while, and I think she feared being blackballed if she simply quit. But your sister may very well give her a way out.”
“Remind me again, what role did Sonia Martin have,” Matthew said.
Keely smiled and put a hand to his shoulder. “Your eldest sister, Edmund.”
He laughed at his own ignorance. “Sorry. Yes. I’d forgotten.”
“It could be quite interesting to have your own sister playing, well, your sister. I think it may add more believability, and there is that slight resemblance...in the brow...the eyes.”
I failed to see the resemblance but didn’t argue. If Britney got the part and the production could go on, our work here was done.
“Well, then,” Matt said. “It’s settled?”
Keely nodded. “It’s settled.”
“Good. Good. We won’t bother you any longer.”
We walked out of the room, and I turned to him, seeing the same perplexed look on his face that I was certain was on mine.
“Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”he said.
“Indeed. Very curious timing, indeed.”
