Acting Up Read Free Page A

piece of gossip?'
    Gilbert smiled. It was rather charming having Jasmin Field's attention. Made him feel rather warm, rather nostalgic. He decided he didn't want to let go of it just yet.
    He pretended to look at her afresh. 'You know, I can't believe it's been so long,' he said, shaking his head at her. 'You should have called me. We could have done lunch.' A pause. 'Or something.'
    With a fixed smile on her face, Jazz turned to the church door while racking her brains for a way to get the subject back to Harry Noble and his aunt. She knew that it probably wasn't ever going to be usable in her magazine, but she couldn't quell her natural journalistic instinct to try and get to the bottom of this. She loved to know more about people than they supposed she knew.
    Just then, she saw her flatmate Mo walking towards her, looking unusually sullen. It was only when Mo got nearer that Jazz could see that it was, in fact, terror written all over her face, and not moroseness.
    'Hi,' grimaced Mo, when she reached Jazz. She didn't notice Gilbert, who had in any case turned his attention to George. Mo squeezed herself past Gilbert and George and sat down heavily next to Jazz. She looked awful. After a long, deep sigh, she turned to Jazz.
    'You haven't got a Portaloo on you, by any chance?'
    'I knew I'd forgotten something,' smiled Jazz. 'You'll be fine. Just pretend you're teaching.'
    'Oh – and that doesn't terrify me?'
    Mo got up immediately and went to find the toilet. Jazz started to read the script, intrigued to see how Pride and Prejudice had been transformed into a play. The Jane Austen classic had been her all-time favourite book as a schoolgirl, and the young heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, was, without doubt, one of her favourite fictional heroines. Like many a sensitive, intelligent teenage girl, she had spent countless oppressive afternoons in a stuffy English classroom, dimly aware that a teacher was explaining Austen's use of plot, while fantasising that she was Lizzy Bennet – feisty, pretty, proud and poor.
    They just don't write 'em like that any more, she thought to herself wistfully as she read the scene.
    The excerpt chosen for the auditions was the explosive scene in which the hero, Mr Darcy, stuns Elizabeth by proposing to her for the first time. Jazz read it through and started to feel her heart pound against her ribcage: it was very well-written.
    'It's a classic tale of intrigue, money and notorious family pride,' said a voice next to her. Jazz tried to look up, but couldn't tear herself away from her script.
    'I said it's a classic tale of intrigue, money and notorious family pride. And it's yours for one smile.'
    Gilbert was back online.
    With an effort, Jazz looked up and gave him her best 'I'm listening' smile. It worked.
    He inched closer. 'There was this massive Marmeduke and Noble family row years and years ago. Aunt Alexandra wanted our Harry to leave home and live with her instead of his parents when he was a child.'
    Jazz frowned. 'Why?'
    Gilbert paused. It was the first time he'd ever considered this to be an unusual thing for an aunt to do. Eventually, he shrugged. 'Because she's barking. Wealthy luvvies, you know,' he enlarged, gaining in confidence enough to start philosophising about something he knew nothing about, 'do bizarre things like that.'
    Jazz nodded briefly.
    'Anyway,' said Gilbert, 'she offered to pay for the best tuition in the country, give him everything money could buy – everything that his parents couldn't give him.'
    Jazz was beginning to enjoy this.
    'Wow,' she said quietly.
    'Yes,' smiled Gilbert, 'it's good, isn't it? You see, Alexandra had made her fortune as an actress and she'd always hated the fact that her little sister, Katherine – Harry's mother – had given up her career to become Wife and Mother. Alexandra was an early feminist. Told you she was barking.' He corrected himself. 'Wonderful, of course,' he said quickly, 'but eccentric, shall we say.'
    Jazz's teeth began