Page 50 of The Girl with the Irish Secret

‘Yes.’

‘Good party?’

‘Great fun, yes,’ Vi replied. ‘Happy New Year, by the way.’

‘Happy New Year, Violet,’ Jack said, his voice softer.

‘Are you still in New York?’

‘Yes. I’m not sure when I’m coming back to London.’

‘Why?’ Then Vi felt in her gut that there was something wrong. ‘Are you not coming to the rehearsal next week?’

‘No.’ Jack paused. ‘That’s why I’m calling you. Thought you should know before someone else told you.’

‘Told me what?’ Vi asked with a feeling of impending doom. He was going to tell her he was in a relationship with Liz. ‘What’s going on, Jack?’ she asked, even though she thought she knew what was coming. But his reply was even more startling.

‘I’m pulling out of the movie,’ Jack said.

23

Vi froze. ‘You’re – what?’ she stammered.

‘I’m quitting the movie,’ Jack said. ‘I’m not going to be in it. I’ll still be producing, but not acting and I won’t be on the set much at all.’

‘Why?’ she asked, her throat tight with shock.

‘It’s a little complicated.’

‘Is it because of your involvement with Liz?’ Vi asked, her stomach churning as she remembered the photo she had seen.

‘Liz? No, why would it be?’ he asked, sounding puzzled. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it over the phone. I…’ Jack sighed. ‘There’s a lot of stuff going on, involving the people who have invested in the movie. Nothing to do with you at all, of course. Everything else is going ahead as planned, except with another actor.’

‘But…’ Vi stammered, ‘who is going to play Don now?’

‘A very good actor called Peter Black. He’s actually from Texas, so a much better choice than me. Not a huge name, but I still think it’ll work. Could make his career, actually.’

‘I think I know him,’ Vi said. ‘I’ve worked with him before. He’s a good actor but not like you,’ Vi said, wistfully. She wasgetting worried; her big break was disappearing before her eyes. She’d been working so hard. Was it all for nothing?

‘Nobody is,’ Jack said, laughing. ‘Nor is he as modest.’

Vi had to smile despite her misery. ‘I bet.’ She tried not to burst into tears as it all seemed to come together in her mind. Jack and Liz were in a relationship and she had probably told Jack to drop out. The movie would suffer as a result and Vi would end up where she started: having to audition for small parts and then being forced to give up altogether.

‘So that’s it,’ Jack said. ‘Now you know.’

‘Yes. I can see everything very clearly. But you could have told me earlier,’ Vi replied, dismayed.

‘What do you mean?’ Jack asked, sounding puzzled. ‘This happened only yesterday. And now, here I am at five in the morning New York time, calling you so you’d find out as soon as possible.’

‘Yes, but you could have told me about you and Liz,’ Vi said, her voice barely audible.

‘What? Me and…?’ Jack muttered. Then he seemed suddenly angry. ‘What the hell do you mean?’

‘You must know. I saw the photo in the newspaper and it said more than a thousand words.’

‘What photo?’ Jack asked.

‘I’m sure you know. It’s out there now, so you don’t have to hide it any more. You don’t care about me or the movie or anything. It’s all very clear to me, so don’t bother denying it.’ Vi hung up without waiting for an answer. She turned her face to the window while tears rolled down her cheeks all through the journey, until the bus reached Dingle. Then she blew her nose, gathered up her things and got off.