Bridie took a moment, and a breath, before she thought of what she’d said to Jack and Oliver about burying the hatchet, and was about to say yes, when Reggie interrupted. ‘So, you sleptwith him. I thought you and I … I thought I was the one for you. Then you were gone!’
Isobel said, ‘Have you seen the pendant, Reggie?’
He looked at it in her hands. ‘Yes.’
‘But have you opened it?’
Rufus looked wide-eyed at Isobel. He swiftly turned to Bridie. ‘Bridie, Kate, can you give us a minute?’
Kate said, ‘Are you telling us to leave?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why? Is there something else you’re not telling us?’
‘Of course not,’ Rufus said, still looking a bit flustered. ‘We just wanted a catch-up, for old times’ sake. Please.’
Bridie stood up. ‘Come on, Kate.’ Reggie had been in love with Isobel, but clearly she’d only had eyes for Rufus. She remembered that love letter her dad had written Isobel, the one she’d found in the shoebox. She didn’t want to bring that up. Instead, Bridie said to her dad, ‘Reggie is a dear friend of mine. Will you both promise to bury the hatchet? Please.’
She was just dragging Kate out of the ambulance, hoping they did as she asked, when Kate suddenly did an about-turn. ‘Wait a minute! Isobel – did you gift Bridie the theatre?’
Isobel looked at Bridie. ‘Oh, how I would have loved to be your secret benefactor. It would have been my dream come true to give you something as meaningful as your very own theatre. It would never have made up for all this, but it would have been something, wouldn’t it?’ She said, sadly, ‘My darling, I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid I couldn’t gift you a farthing, let alone a theatre.’
Bridie glanced at Kate. She was studying her hands intently, probably feeling a little foolish for asking that question. Of course Isobel hadn’t gifted her a property – she didn’t have any property; that’s why she was squatting.
Bridie said, ‘It’s all right. I … I just want to say, if my parents don’t mind, that I would very much like to get to know you.’
‘Would you? Would you really?’
‘Oh, yes. And … and you can stay in my theatre for as long as … well, forever if you like. But you can’t go back there tonight. I have a spare bedroom where I live.’
‘That is so very kind of you,’ said Isobel. ‘But Jack has sorted out a hotel room for me, for tonight, and he’s invited me to go and live with him.’
‘Oh, really?’ Bridie said surprised that Jack would do that for a complete stranger. But she guessed he didn’t see her as a complete stranger now.
‘I hope you will come to my opening night,’ she said.
‘Oh, I would like nothing more. I will come to your every performance.’
Bridie smiled, having guessed that would be the case. ‘Then I shall reserve you a seat for every performance.’ She turned to go and walked into the paramedic. He said, ‘Finally! That was a long five minutes!’ He glanced inside the ambulance, expecting the other three visitors to follow Bridie and Kate out of the ambulance.
Rufus got out of his seat walked to the door, said, ‘Just five more minutes,’ and pulled it shut again.
The paramedic looked at Bridie and Kate. ‘They’re going to be longer than five more minutes, aren’t they?’
Bridie said, ‘Tell you what, in the meantime, I’ll go and fetch your other patient.’
The paramedic sighed. ‘You’re all just lucky I’ve had no other calls this evening from dispatch, otherwise there would be no more pow-wows in the back of the ambulance.’
Bridie smiled at him. ‘You’re a star.’
‘Well, I hope to be. I’m in your production.’
Bridie did a double-take. ‘Oh, yes! Of course you are.’ There were so many local people involved that she was losing track.
He said, ‘It’s still going ahead, isn’t it?’
Kate stepped in. ‘Of course it is – the show must go on!’
