The Town in Bloom by Dodie Smith Page A

weeks. Oh, I’ve just remembered: you’re prob ably out of friends with me. I take it Miss Lester’s told you I can’t let you understudy?’
    I nodded. ‘It was a bitter blow.’
    ‘You’re well out of it, really.’ He then said everything Miss Lester had, about the dreariness of understudying.
    ‘But even so, I’d have had all the interests of rehearsals – of seeing you bring the play to life.’
    ‘You flatter me – and the play, judging by this morning’s rehearsal. But I’m always pessimistic at this stage of things.’
    ‘I suppose I couldn’t slip in sometimes, when Miss Lester could spare me?’
    He said he was afraid not. ‘No one unconnected with the play is supposed to be there. It makes the company jumpy if there are strangers around, not to mention what it does to me when I’m directing.’
    Would I count as “strangers”?’
    He laughed. ‘Well, not to me. But I couldn’t break the rule for you.’
    ‘Suppose I sat with the understudies? Then the company wouldn’t notice me.’
    ‘ No , young woman. Not that you’ve yet learned to take no for an answer, for which I admire you. I wonder …’
    As he didn’t go on, I said after a few seconds, ‘Did you have some idea?’
    ‘Not a good one, I’m afraid – probably quite impracticable . Still, I’ll talk to Miss Lester about it. Now don’t ask questions, and don’t count on anything. Tell me about this Club of yours. Have you made some pleasant friends?’
    He firmly kept the conversation on the Club until we reached it. Then the chauffeur came round to help me out. I thanked Mr Crossway for bringing me home and begged him not to forget the idea he’d had, whatever it was. He said he wished he hadn’t raised my hopes as there was only the barest chance…. But he smiled very kindly as he said it.
    When I talked to Molly and Lilian, up in the village, they thought my having been driven home by Mr Crossway quite outweighed the sad news that I wasn’t understudying.
    ‘Our Mouse is in with the Management,’ said Molly.
    ‘That usually means a girl is sleeping with the Management,’ said Lilian.
    ‘But our innocent Mouse has achieved it through charm and personality. Give her a slice of Veda bread.’
    None of us could think what Mr Crossway’s idea could be. My best guess was that he would let me sneak in at theback of the gallery sometimes. It would be better than nothing, I supposed; but it would hardly compensate for not being in the company. In spite of being ‘in with the Management’ – if I really was – I felt pretty depressed when I finally settled down to sleep.

5
    The next morning, when I was in the lounge with the woeful waiters for the telephone, I was surprised to be called to the telephone myself.
    It was Miss Lester, asking me to come to the office. She said she had news for me. ‘Oh, don’t get too excited – it’s not an understudy. But I think you’ll be pleased. Can you come now?’
    ‘This minute. Can I take a petty-cash taxi – the one I didn’t have last night?’
    She laughed and said I could.
    When I got to the office she told me Mr Crossway had suggested I might act as his secretary during rehearsals, sitting beside him and taking notes. ‘He always needs someone in the last weeks of rehearsals and I usually have to do the job myself. It’s agony being tied up when all my own work’s waiting, but when I got him to try my assistant he hated her. I wonder if you realise what a compliment he’s paying you.’
    I said he was doing it out of kindness.
    ‘A bit, perhaps. But he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t like you. I must give you some hints before you join him this afternoon. He doesn’t really need you yet buthe thought you might as well get started.’
    I asked if it would be difficult for her to spare me. She said it would be easier than sparing herself to do the job. ‘And there’s not so much work here when the theatre’s dark. Besides, I’m hoping you’ll come back tome