Page 68 of The Gathering Storm (Morland Dynasty #36)

Lennie was not impressed. ‘You did. In your office two – three? – weeks ago. I can look up the date, if you really want me to. I remember you talking about it using the studio capacity nicely until you were ready with the Shakespeare project. You said—’

‘Yeah, yeah, don’t have a conniption. You’re like a cat with one kitten.

I like Into the Night okay. Like I said, it’ll keep things ticking over until the big production – the spectacular, box-office-busting extravaganza.

Listen to this, you’re gonna love it. It’s the bee’s knees, it’s got action, romance, every damn thing, including a great part for Rosie.

How d’ya like this, Len?’ He blocked the title across the air.

‘“Shakespeare’s Robin Hood , with Rose Morland as Lady Marian”. ’

Lennie blinked. ‘Shakespeare didn’t write Robin Hood ,’ he objected.

Al looked belligerent. ‘How do you know?’

‘Nobody wrote it. It’s a legend.’

‘Legend, schmegend! Guys in tights, bows and arrows. If that’s not Shakespeare, I don’t know what is!’

‘And it’s Maid Marian, not Lady Marian.’

‘I don’t like “Maid”. Sounds like she’s gonna start cleaning the bathroom! “Lady” is classy. And I’ve got a great actor for Robin Hood. One of Hollywood’s best: Dick Randolph!’

‘I heard you’d poached him from MGM,’ Lennie said.

Al looked pleased. ‘You heard that, did you? It wasn’t easy, I can tell you. But the old man’s still got it where it counts. Anyway, Dick’s perfect for this Robin guy. He’s tall, hunky, and he can do an English accent.’

Lennie groaned inwardly. ‘Al, you’re not going to do this with English accents? It never works.’

‘Why the hell not? It’s Dick Randolph’s speciality.’

‘I’ve heard him,’ Lennie said, ‘and the accent he does is not English, it’s more like Welsh.’

Al didn’t like being opposed. ‘What the hell is Welsh?’

‘From Wales. A far-flung region of Britain with a very different accent. Just imagine making a movie about a hot-shot New York lawyer, and the actor plays it with a Deep South accent, like a Georgia Cracker.’

Al contemplated that, then said, ‘Yeah, but nobody’s gonna know the difference from a British accent.

Bottom line is Dick Randolph is big box office, and he likes doing the accent.

You should be concentrating on Rose – I’m offering her the lead role!

She’s gonna be the only female on screen, except for a servant girl, a nun and the wicked queen.

And it’s a great script. It’s got action, sword fights, tight bodices, galloping horses, romance, a near rape—’

‘A what, now?’

‘The second male lead, Sir Bedevere, Mr Sexy but Slimy to Robin’s Stand-up Guy.

I had to beef up the script a little. He gets Marian backed into a corner, then Robin swings down from a tree, like Tarzan, and snatches her away.

That’s a great scene! I tell you, this movie is gonna be big. The script’s got everything!’

‘A bit more than everything,’ Lennie said. ‘There was no Sir Bedevere in Sherwood Forest.’

‘Why the hell not? Sidekick to the evil King of Nottingham. King’s gotta have knights, right? Sir this and Sir that. There’s even a fat one, great comic relief. Think Oliver Hardy, Guy Kibbee.’

Lennie was floundering in a sea of error. ‘It’s the Sheriff of Nottingham, not the King.’

‘King is better. I’m thinking Charles Laughton. Don’t tell me he can’t do a British accent.’

‘Yes, but Sir Bedevere? Shakespeare didn’t—’

Al grew impatient. ‘Who the hell knows what this Shakespeare guy didn’t write?

It’s English, it’s historical, it’s right down his street.

We’ll call it one of his lesser-known novels – who’s gonna argue?

And I’m telling you, Len, if Rose doesn’t want this, there’s a hundred other actresses will bite my hand off for it, so don’t do me any favours.

I’m just telling you first because I know you got her best interests at heart.

Have a word with her and Van and let’s get this thing moving and make us all some serious moolah. ’

Lennie went straight to Van Kerk’s office, and found him more than ready to talk about Robin Hood .

‘There’s a bit of background to it that I’m guessing Al won’t have mentioned.

He’s supposed to have poached Dick Randolph from MGM by employing great cunning, but the fact is they were willing to let him go because of his drinking problem.

Now Al wants to use him in a smash hit so as to spit in Louis B.

Mayer’s eye. You know the rivalry between those two – friendly on the surface, deadly underneath. ’

‘A drinking problem?’ Lennie groaned.

‘Don’t worry, he’s in the Ardmore right now, drying out. ABO’s paying. He’s getting clean, lean, and ready for the screen. I believe he’ll knuckle down, all right – he needs this role to restore his reputation.’

‘What about Rose’s reputation? She wants to do serious parts.’

‘Of course the script needs some work, but there’s some touching scenes between Marian and Robin, and some real menace from the bad guys.’

‘Including Sir Bedevere?’

Van shrugged. ‘The handsome bounder, trying to seduce the virtuous girl? And she nearly falls for him? It’s classic,’ he said. ‘They’ve got some great dialogue together. We can get the names changed.’

‘And what’s this about a nun?’

‘One of Robin’s ex-girlfriends – took the veil when he went off to the Crusades. That’d make a great movie on its own – The Earlier Adventures of Robin Hood . But the nun’s a small part – won’t take the shine from Marian. Likewise the Wicked Queen.’

‘Who is … ?’

‘The Sheriff of Nottingham’s wife. She won’t be called the Wicked Queen in the finished film – that’s just shorthand for now.’

‘It sounds as if you’ve made your mind up,’ Lennie said, ‘but Al seems to think you need persuading. What’s the snag?’

‘I’ve told you the project is really about showcasing Dick Randolph to put one over on Louis B.

Mayer. The fact is that Al only wants Rose for the part of Marian because he doesn’t want one of the big-name actresses taking the attention away from him.

But that doesn’t make it any less of a good part.

We just have to let Al think he’s pulling the wool over our eyes.

Between us Estelle and I will make sure she’s not sidelined. ’

Lennie examined his face. ‘There’s something else, isn’t there? You brushed that objection away too easily.’

Van hesitated. ‘It’s not a problem, it shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s just something I’ll have to sell to Rose. I need to find the right way to put it to her.’

‘Put what to her?’ Lennie said suspiciously.

‘They want Dean Cornwell to play Sir Bedevere.’

‘Oh.’

‘The official version is that their divorce was mutual and they remain the best of friends, but I don’t know how she really feels about him. I’m a little worried about how she’ll feel, being at close quarters on set with him.’

Lennie was thinking hard. ‘When is all this likely to come off?’

‘There’s a lot to iron out, but without major snags, first photography ought to start in the spring.’

‘That’s far enough from the break-up for them both to be grown-up about it. And Rose is a professional.’

‘I’ve just been pondering how best to put it to her.’

‘Point out that Dean will be playing the loser, the man she gets to reject. And that he’ll be playing second fiddle to Dick Randolph, while she’s the leading lady.’

‘Good thought. Yes, that’s a positive way to go.’

‘And point out that she could make a very great deal of money.’

Van Kerk laughed. ‘You really think that matters to her?’

‘I never knew an actress it didn’t matter to.’

‘Well, thanks. You’ve given me something to think about.’ He drummed his fingers on the table a moment, thinking, then came back to the present. ‘How is Anthea? Are you two still a couple?’ he asked politely.

‘Hardly that. We like each other’s company. It suits us both to have someone’s arm at parties and premières and so on. We’re friends.’

‘Good friends, is what I heard,’ Van said, twinkling.

‘Who told you that?’

‘Rose. But don’t worry,’ he responded to Lennie’s quick frown. ‘She wasn’t upset. Her attitude was “Good old Uncle Lennie. There’s life in the old dog yet.”’

James was only Charlie’s assistant, but since he opened the post each day, he could not help knowing that there was a great deal of resistance back home to the idea of the Windsors’ tour of Germany.

The King and the Foreign Office had both declared it a very bad idea, given international tensions.

If the Duke insisted on going, it must be made clear that he had no official status.

The ambassador must not meet them on arrival in Berlin, the embassy must not entertain them, there must be no official engagements, and invitations connected with the tour must not be accepted by members of the embassy.

The Duke didn’t blame his brother: it was the Hardinges, Baldwin and the Establishment who were set on humiliating them.

‘They’ve been so bloody to me, why the hell should I do what they want?

They’ve denied my wife her rights. And look at the shameful way I’ve been treated ever since I left England in December!

When they see how we’re received in Germany, they’ll realise they can’t do without us. ’

The Duchess said, ‘They’re small-minded people, with drab little lives. We’ll show them how things ought to be done. Show them a bit of sparkle and glamour.’

‘ You ’ll show them, darling,’ the Duke said adoringly.

Charlie was unconcerned by the disapproval at home. ‘The Duke’s going to study labour conditions, that’s all. And anything that improves Anglo-German relations can only be a good thing. Nobody wants another war. I’m coaching him on how to further world peace through labour reconciliation.’

‘Um – what does that mean?’ James asked.