My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark Page B

you made love all afternoon. I just want to know one thing: can you get her to come to the studio tomorrow morning? Is she going to finish this film or not?’
    â€˜Marilyn and I had a lovely, innocent day in the country,’ I said. ‘But as soon as we got back, Paula got hold of her and frightened the life out of her, and then Marilyn took those pills. It was her way of re-exerting her control. I suppose Milton and Paula felt I’d threatened their influence. Now they won’t let me near her, or even talk to her. I doubt if she ’ll be in tomorrow, but I can tell you one thing for certain: she is determined to finish the film. She told me so very seriously. In fact that was the only thing she said about her work the whole day. Otherwise she just decided to take a day off . . .’
    â€˜With you,’ said Olivier grumpily.
    â€˜. . . and I happened to be around for her to take it with.’
    â€˜Well, if you should happen to “be around” again, try to persuade her to come to work. She wants to be thought of as a professional actress. She ’ll never be that, of course, but if she turned up at the studio at all it would be a start.’
    Dinner with Tony and Anne that evening was even more sombre than before. Olivier had obviously told Tony not to be angry with
me, but I’m sure he felt I had let the side down. The trouble was that, as usual, Tony did not really understand what was going on.
    When I went upstairs to bed, Roger still hadn’t telephoned, and I didn’t dare call him from the phone in the hall, with Tony glowering at me and Anne listening to every word. I must have finally nodded off, because when I heard the scrunching of tyres on the gravel outside the house, my clock said 1.30. Then I heard Milton’s voice calling from the garden.
    â€˜Colin!’ He was standing on the lawn waving a torch. ‘Colin!’
    I opened the window as quietly as I could. Tony was a heavy sleeper, but Anne was not.
    â€˜What ’s the matter?’
    â€˜It ’s Marilyn.’
    Life seems more dramatic in the middle of the night.
    â€˜Is she dead?’
    â€˜No, for heaven’s sake, but she ’s not well. She said she wanted to see you right away. Get your clothes on and come down. She may be in a coma.’
    There seemed to be a contradiction in there somewhere.
    â€˜What can I do?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Milton, ‘but it’s worth a try. Otherwise I’ll have to call a doctor. Hurry up!’
    A doctor! That sounded bad. I pulled on a pair of trousers and a sweater, and crept down to the hall. I didn’t dare to turn on a light, and in my haste I had several near-fatal accidents on the slippery oak stairs. What Tony would say if he caught me I did not even dare imagine. Outside, Milton was waiting in his car with the lights off.
    â€˜Get in,’ he said. ‘There ’s not a moment to lose.’
    â€˜No fear. I’m not being trapped at Parkside again,’ I said. ‘I’ll follow you in my car.’
    When we got to Parkside House, there was the same little huddle of people in nightclothes and blankets which I remembered from air-raids in the war. Paula was clucking like a hen, Hedda was wild-eyed, and Roger very grave.

    â€˜I think we should break down the door,’ said Roger, clearly fearing the worst.
    â€˜Not yet, not yet,’ said Milton peevishly. A new door would cost a lot of money, and breaking in on Marilyn might upset her even more. Hovering in the background I could see Maria. She’ll give notice tomorrow morning, I thought, especially if we break down the door.
    â€˜Colin should go up straight away,’ said Paula. ‘After all, she asked for him by name.’
    â€˜That was an hour ago,’ said Roger grimly, ‘and we’ve heard nothing since.’
    â€˜She’s probably just sound asleep,’ I said, ‘and I doubt very much if she