I groaned as he laughed and put his arm around my shoulder and led me to the bridge where the cameramen were waiting.
By the time I stepped out of the dressing room, I was tired but strangely excited—and a little leery—about where Spencer might be taking me.
I exited the building with Mama, Julia, Grace, Vicky, and the younger girls and found Spencer waiting just outside, leaning against his Rolls-Royce, a big grin on his face. “Are you ready, Ally?”
Annette and Lydia giggled and squealed with delight, approaching Spencer with dozens of questions about where he planned to take me. He laughed and answered their questions evasively.
Vicky didn’t pause like the rest of us and instead walked past Spencer toward our family automobile.
His gaze followed her, but then he turned back to me, his smile not wavering. “Ready?”
“Do you mind if I go with Spencer?” I asked Mama, knowing she had plans to take everyone back to the house for a late supper.
“Of course not. You’ll join us at home, won’t you, Spencer? I’m making supper,” Mama said.
Spencer straightened and nodded. “I’ll get Ally home a little later and stop in to say hello, but I have something special planned for us this evening. Don’t wait on us for supper. I’ll make sure she’s fed.”
“Oh?” Mama asked. “May I inquire what you plan to do?”
He looked a little sheepish as he said, “I’d rather keep it a surprise, if you don’t mind. I can assure you I’ll keep her safe.”
“I have no doubt.” She gave me a quick hug and said, “Have fun, Ally. Don’t stay out too late. Papa has plans for an early start tomorrow, and it will be another long day.”
I yawned just thinking about it and met Spencer at his car. He opened the passenger door with a big smile and closed it behind me after I was inside.
When he got in, I put my hand on his arm before he could start the engine. “Are you taking me somewhere illegal? I need to know right now to save us both the time.”
He laughed. “Where we are going is perfectly legal, I promise. You’re going to love it.”
“That’s what you said about the gambling boat.”
“You didn’t enjoy yourself?” He turned on the car and pulled out of the parking lot, waving at my family as we passed. Vicky was already in the Dodge, looking the other way.
“I wasn’t miserable,” I conceded. “But it’s not something I’d care to do again.”
He took a right on Hollywood Boulevard and said, “Don’t worry. We’re heading back to Santa Monica, but this time, we’re not going to the pier—or the gambling boats.”
The sun had already set behind the horizon, but the last vestiges of daylight still tinted the sky with color. I rolled down the window and let the fresh air blow into the car as another yawn stole over me.
It had been a long and arduous day. Papa needed to complete filming as soon as possible because the longer it took, the more it cost. He was hanging on by a thread and needed all the gold I could get in 1849. I leaned my head against the door frame, allowing the wind to wash over me, trying not to worry—and the next thing I knew, we were pulling up to a large Spanish-influenced house on the coast.
“Wake up, Ally,” Spencer said in a tender voice. “We’re here.”
I sat up, a little shaken. I never crossed over until after midnight, so if I napped here, I woke up here, but it wasn’t something I did often. My body was exhausted, though, and I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“How long was I sleeping?” I asked, blinking my eyes to focus on our surroundings. It was now dark, but the lights on the back of the house shined onto the road.
“About thirty minutes.”
The house had terra-cotta shingles and stucco walls. It sat close to the road, and looked plain from the back side, but I suspected inside it was large and grand with a view of the ocean.
“Where are we?”
“We’ve been invited to a dinner party.” He stepped out of the automobile and came around to open my door.
“But I’m not dressed for a dinner party,” I protested.
“This is a very informal gathering,” he assured me as he offered me his hand.
