The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux

you.’ ”
    Everyone stared at him, mouths agape. He sounded like a man who was truly in love and torn apart by it. The angst, the misery, and the love were all there.
    The young woman playing Elizabeth looked at him in openmouthed astonishment—and said nothing.
    Seconds clicked by and all she did was stare at Tate.
    “ ‘Sir, I thank you,’ ” Kit prompted. She remained silent. “ ‘I believe I should express my gratitude for your sentiments,’ ” Kit said louder, “ ‘even though I do not return them.’ ”
    “Oh, yes,” she whispered. “ ‘I believe…’ ” she began. “I mean, ‘I thank you.’ ” She straightened her shoulders. “ ‘I’m sorry I caused you pain, but I hope it doesn’t last long.’ ”
    She had skipped lines and misquoted, but worse, as she spoke she stepped toward Tate until she was almost touching him.
    Through all of it, Tate never lost his look of anguish and love. Even when she touched his chest with her index finger, he didn’t break character.
    “Cut!” Kit yelled.
    Instantly, Tate stepped back from the woman, turned, and left the stage.
    The young woman looked at Kit. “I’m sorry. I can do better. It was just such a shock that it really is
him
.”
    “We don’t have time for second tries,” Kit said curtly. “Thank you again, Miss…” He looked at the paper on his desk. “Miss Lewis. Please go downstairs and return the dress.” There was absolute finality in Kit’s tone.
    One audition followed another. For the most part, the players were like the first young woman, so dazzled by being near Tate Landers that they couldn’t get themselves under control. One woman made everyone laugh when she didn’t even try to say her lines. She just held out a pen and paper to Tate and smiled adoringly at him.
    When it was Hildy’s turn, Olivia and Casey crossed their fingers. Three minutes later, they uncrossed them. Hildy remembered all her lines but delivered them in such an arrogant way that the scene made little sense. Tate was supposed to be the aristocrat, but Hildy acted as though she was of a higher class. It seemed that at any moment she would order him to get on his knees and kiss her ring.
    At first the audience reacted to her interpretation in shock, then they began to twitter with barely suppressed giggles.
    In spite of Hildy’s bravado, Tate stayed in character, ardently professing his love for her.
    Olivia didn’t comment on her daughter-in-law’s performance, but she called Tate a “true professional.”
    “Don’t kid yourself,” Casey said. “He’s enjoying this. Just because he can keep a straight face doesn’t mean he’s a good actor.”
    When Hildy finished, Kit said he wanted to see her later. She walked off the stage with her head held high, seeming to think he was saying that she had the part. But Casey mouthed, “Lady Catherine?” to Kit, and he nodded.
    After a couple of hours, Kit called a break and everyone headed to the food tables. He loudly suggested that the women who had already auditioned should leave. There were many calls made to husbands, babysitters, neighbors, et cetera, to pick up children, run errands, even to visit relatives in the hospital. The word “emergency” was heard often, but
no one
left the building.
    Kit went to Casey. “Could you take something backstage for Tate to drink? And if you have any of those little cakes left, take those too.”
    “Maybe Olivia can do it,” Casey said. “I’m busy.”
    Olivia gave a nod, prepared a plate and filled a glass, and took them toward the stage.
    “He’s good, isn’t he?” Kit said to Casey.
    “Who?”
    He gave her a look.
    “Yeah, I guess he’s okay.” In spite of what she’d said to Olivia, the truth was that they’d all been impressed by Tate. Every time he’d performed, he’d done it with feeling. Over and over. And no matter how the woman opposite him messed up, Tate never broke character.
    A few of the women had made it