Jack hesitated. ‘Do you think this theatre is going to be profitable?’
‘Honestly, I don’t know.’
‘Then why are you doing it, instead of just selling the theatre?’
Her lips curled into a smile. He still hadn’t asked her how she came to be in possession of the theatre. Why wouldn’t he ask, unless he already knew? ‘You know why.’
‘Do I?’
Bridie was still smiling at him. ‘I think so.’
‘I want to hear it from your lips.’
‘My lips?’ Was he flirting with her now? ‘All right,’ Bridie said coyly. ‘I want to put on one play here.’
‘Just one play?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why just one play?’
‘Because that’s what I need to do.’
‘I see,’ Jack said flatly.
Bridie didn’t know why he didn’t appear happy about that. Perhaps his idea was that she stayed and ran it as a business.
‘Perhaps I’ll do more than one,’ Bridie mused. ‘Depends on what happens.’
‘What happens?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean depending on the outcome of who comes to your play?’
Bridie didn’t quite understand. ‘Well, obviously if lots of people come then … maybe that will change things.’
‘I see,’ Jack said again. ‘Are you talking about it being profitable or something else?’
‘Something else?’ Bridie didn’t know what he was getting at. ‘Anyway, why all this talk of profitability? You weren’t talking about that last weekend, when you returned my call and we arranged to meet today. You mentioned development potential.’
Jack hesitated, just for a second. ‘I mentionedoptions.’
‘Flats,’ she said. ‘Or an infill. You said it would be worth a small fortune if I just sold it.’ She’d wondered at the time whether he was goading her to change her mind. But why would he do that?
‘Because it would be worth a small fortune,’ he replied evenly. ‘It’s prime seafront property.’
The words landed like a slap. Bridie felt heat rise behind her eyes, anger and something sharper underneath – fear. Had she got it wrong, and he wasn’t her secret benefactor?
‘This isn’t a development project,’ she reminded him. ‘It’s a theatre.’
‘For now,’ Jack said, the expression on his face one of immediate regret that he’d voiced his thoughts.
That did it.
She stepped forward, voice trembling despite her effort to keep it steady. ‘No. Notfor now. That’s the whole point. I wasgiven this place to put on a play. One play. And I intend to do exactly that.’ She felt like adding,as you well know, but now she wasn’t so sure.
Jack studied her, expression unreadable. ‘And after?’
