Bridie exchanged a smile with her sister. ‘Yes, just perfect.’
Andy frowned and glanced over at the theatre. ‘There was a fire, then?’
William said, ‘See, Maisie? I told you they were fire engines.’
Bridie nodded. ‘It was accidental.’
‘Really? So, it wasn’t Jake trying to—?’
Bridie shook her head. ‘Something caught alight, but it’s out now, and it was contained to just one room, so the show will still go ahead.’
‘That’s fantastic news,’ said Andy.
Kate looped her arm through Andy’s and took George by the hand. She turned to her sister. ‘Bridie, we’re all going home. Why don’t you head off too?’ She motioned at Jack.
Bridie took a deep breath. ‘Yes, you’re right.’ She was about to do just that when she remembered something. She looked at Andy. ‘Where’s Barney?’
‘Oh, yes, right. I hope it’s okay, but I left Barney sleeping in his crate.’
‘I wanted him to come with us,’ moaned George.
Andy sighed. ‘I know, but it’s getting late, and we decided not to wake him. He’s had quite an exciting day.’
As have we all,thought Bridie. She smiled. ‘It’s fine, Andy. Thank you for looking after him while we were gone.’
Bridie gave her sister another hug before she left them to head home. She took a deep breath and walked over to Jack and Oliver. She was relieved when she heard them chatting amiably. They hadn’t noticed her.
Bridie’s gaze drifted to Jack’s hands, the bandages dangling. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, I think you should go to the hospital,’ she blurted, interrupting their conversation. She glanced at the ambulance and noticed the door was wide open and nobody was inside.
‘I’m not going to the hospital.’ He looked at her, then at the female paramedic, who was still there and had been trying to persuade him otherwise. He was attempting to wrap up his own bandages.
The paramedic sighed heavily. ‘All right. I can’t force you to go. I suggest you book an appointment with your doctor in a fewdays’ time to check they are healing.’ She left, striding through the crowd to join her colleague.
Bridie watched them close the ambulance doors. They were preparing to leave. She was just wondering where her parents were, and Isobel and Reggie, when she caught Jack still trying to sort out his bandages.
‘Here – let me …’ She started to wrap his bandages around his hands.
He winced.
‘Sorry.’ Bridie paused. ‘I am sorry for accusing you of sabotaging the theatre.’
He shook his head. ‘It’s understandable, after you’d heard I wanted to get my hands on the place, and then you found out about that planning application.’
She continued to wind his bandages. ‘Kate told me about Jade.’ Bridie hoped it wasn’t true. She gave Oliver a sideways glance, catching his eyebrows raised, clearly wondering what Kate had said about Jade.
Jack sighed. ‘Yeah, she’s filed for divorce, going to clean me out. I don’t care about the money.’
‘There are more important things than money,’ said Bridie, so disappointed to hear it was true that they were splitting up.
‘Ditto, working on the London stage.’
They stared at one another. She knew what Jack was talking about – the two of them. But there was no two of them. She knew she needed to tell him that.
‘You will stay, won’t you?’ Jack asked. ‘I’m going to fix up the theatre for the show to go ahead. In the morning I’ll arrange for the workmen to go in and sort out that room. The cleaners are booked to clean the other dressing rooms, along with the prop room – basically all the rooms backstage.’
‘Yes, I’m staying.’ How could she not? Her life was here now; she had to acknowledge that.
‘So there isn’t someone coming from London to see you on stage during the opening night?’ Oliver asked.
