‘Yes, she does know.’
‘You could do it, you know. Everyone has always been on at you about what your back-up plan is for if things go south. This is it, Bridie. You could still work in theatre. You might even take a small part in the shows, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t be at the helm, putting on the plays, hiring the actors, all that sort of thing.’
‘I’ve never thought of myself as a businesswoman.’ But then she knew that neither had Hannah.
‘You’re so lucky to have made such a good friend in Hannah.’
Bridie nodded. ‘Along with everyone else in Cobblers Yard. They all insisted on coming here with me to clean the place up, the day I got the keys. I didn’t expect that. But that’s why the place is quite clean, no rubbish or debris. They all pitched in. It was just marvellous.’
‘I wish I’d been there,’ Kate said, surprising her.
‘Well, you’re here now.’
‘I am. So, what is it you want to show me?’
Bridie looked about the stage. Unfortunately, there were no chairs or stools. She was thinking that Kate might need to sit down for this one. ‘Come over here a moment.’ Bridie led her tothe side of the stage where there was a large poster propped up behind the curtain. She drew the curtain to reveal the large, dog-eared poster.
‘What’s this?’ Kate asked.
‘It’s an old poster from the last professional show that was staged here.’
‘Okay.’ Kate looked at her sister. ‘You want me to look at the poster?’
‘Yes.’
Kate shrugged. ‘All right.’
Bridie waited, watching her.
Suddenly Kate gasped. She pointed, ‘Is that? No! It can’t be.’
Bridie said, ‘I’m afraid it is,’ as Kate turned around to look at her, eyes wide.
Bridie handed her the shoebox. ‘Just in case you think that isn’t Dad, I have photos in here of him with Reggie, my shop neighbour in Cobblers Yard, who used to star in productions with Dad.’
Kate just stared at Bridie, speechless. Bridie said, ‘Aren’t you going to say something?’
‘What do you mean, he starred in productions with Dad? I was looking at that woman – Isobel Raine? Do you think Mum and Dad adopted you?’
Bridie creased her brow. She hadn’t expected that. ‘No, of course not. You know, everyone has a doppelgänger, It’s just a coincidence.’
‘Have you asked Mum?’
‘No.’
‘Has she seen this poster?’
‘I’m not letting her inside, at the moment.’
‘What did Dad say?’
‘He doesn’t know, and I want it to stay that way – for now.’ Bridie was seriously beginning to regret letting Kate into her secret. But she still deserved to know about their dad.
Bridie walked up to the poster. ‘Stop looking at Isobel Raine.’ She pointed. ‘And look athim.’ She guessed why Kate’s eyes hadn’t registered their dad. For one thing, he was in a costume, and he was a lot younger. He was still recognisable, but she hadn’t registered him because he the last person she expected to see.
‘What the—?’
Nowshe’d seen him.
