The Proud and the Prejudiced Read Free Page A

the money for sets on the
cameras. Why do they need so many?”
    “It’ll be fine; you’ll see,” the other man said,
his voice lively and excited. “It really is a great show – and you’ll be
working with Giselle Meyer!”
    “Who the hell is that?” asked the voice.
    “Oh, c’mon, Peter, you must know her! She’s
incredible. You see, years ago she was going to be a nun, but before she took
her final vows, Damien declared his love for her, but then he was in a terrible
accident and had amnesia –”
    “Jack,” Winnie said, “don’t tell me you actually
watch these soap operas!”
    “Only All My Tomorrows, but it’s really
good.”
    Alice suppressed a smile. She liked this Jack
person.
    Peter huffed. “I consider that highly improbable,
but I won’t argue with you. What’s done is done, and I am stuck here. They
wanted to punish me and have succeeded, but what I won’t stand for is
portraying some former character raised from the dead. Ridiculous.”
    “Not dead, actually. Just lost at sea.”
    “It’s another man’s role. I feel like an
understudy. Even in this pitiful excuse for a drama, I should be able to
develop my own character.”
    At that, Alice looked up and right into the eyes
of Peter Walsingham. Her own eyes widened at having him stare at her from
across the set. And why was he staring at her? At first she didn’t turn away
because of shock, but then, since he evidently had no intention of breaking the
eye contact, she continued out of sheer stubbornness. I suppose he believes
his fame and movie-starness intimidate me. Well, he’s right, but he doesn’t
have to know it.
    “But you get to bring back Tristan!”
    Peter broke the gaze and turned to Jack. Alice
smiled. Ha! I win! I win a staring contest he had no idea we were having .
Her smile faded and she returned to the script.
    “What is with these names? I’d rather play
Tristram Shandy.”
    The reference surprised Alice. At least he’s
not illiterate.
    “Tristan is Clarissa’s brother. You will like
working with Eileen Seaver.”
    “Yes, that’s another thing. I have seen her
picture. No one in his right mind would believe she and I could be siblings.”
    “Perhaps you got all the looks in the family,”
Winnie said, returning to Peter and Jack.
    Alice slammed the script shut, but the sound of
paper slapping together was far from satisfying. So, he is too handsome to
play Eileen’s brother!
    “If you have issues with the script,” Jack said,
“why don’t you discuss them with the head writer. I’m sure she–”
    With a humorless laugh, Peter said, “I doubt she
could write her way out of a paper bag.”
    That is it! Alice jumped down from her chair
and marched toward her office. I could certainly have written a better
comeback line than that!

CHAPTER 2

The Edge of Darkness

Chapter 5
     
    Marlene legally adopted me when I was fourteen,
since I had been with her longer than my real mother. Although she never came
out and said anything, I think Annette resented it. Before then, Annette and I
would be best friends at home, but she would completely ignore me at school, as
if she had no idea who I was. Once we had the same last name, though, she
couldn’t pretend I didn’t exist. Instead, she joined the other girls who teased
and taunted me.
    My appearance at that time could only be
described as ugly. I had stringy red hair like yams, and my face was broken out
from the chocolate that also contributed to my weight problem. I spent all my
free time reading, studying things not needed for school and feeding my
imagination. The main reason, I suppose, was because I didn’t have any friends.
    Annette generally led the attacks against me,
which I didn’t understand since we were sisters – although she made it clear to
everyone that we were not “real” sisters. Of course, she was pretty and
popular, and that’s what the popular girls did. They said I was weird, and they
said it so often I began to believe it