you.’
‘It’s okay.’
He walked towards her. ‘You looked deep in thought.’
‘Did I?’ Kay said, suddenly becoming engrossed in a rosemary bush.
‘What have you been up to?’
‘Oh, not much. Just talking to Oli.’
Adam nodded and Kay noticed that his smile had slipped away.
‘You been talking to Gemma?’ she asked.
‘Yes. She always gets a bit anxious before filming.’
‘It’s so nice that you care about her,’ Kay said.
‘I just try and keep everyone together, you know.’
‘But Gemma’s a bit special, isn’t she?’
Adam frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, she’s such a lovely person,’ Kay said.
‘Yes,’ Adam said, ‘she is.’
‘And so pretty too. I think she’s one of the prettiest actresses around today, don’t you think?’
Adam’s eyes widened. ‘Well, I’ve not really thought about it.’
‘But she is!’ Kay enthused. ‘I think she’s lovely. But she’s a bit shy. I think she’s one of these girls who has so much to give if only she could find the right man.’
Adam cleared his throat. ‘And I’m sure she will one day.’
‘Do you?’ Kay said, her eyes lighting up. ‘I do too. In fact, I think that day might be fast approaching.’
Chapter Fourteen
The retrenching scene where Sir Walter is being advised to make cutbacks on his extravagant lifestyle was in the can and Teresa was keen to move on to the next indoor scene – the one where Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth see each other for the first time after their years of separation. It was to be shot in one of the ground-floor rooms of Marlcombe Manor which was filled with oak panels and had a beautiful mullioned window and an impressive door through which Wentworth was to make his entrance.
As ever, it was a problem getting the lighting just right for this scene. Teresa wanted it subdued and tender but not so tender that you couldn’t actually see the actors’ faces as had happened in the first shot.
Beth and Sophie had had their hair and faces made up and were now looking a little more like sisters. But they were far from acting like sisters when the cameras weren’t rolling. Beth seemed to be in a permanently bad mood and Sophie took great delight in teasing her, which wasn’t exactly helping things along.
Finally, everything was ready. Taking some steadying deep breaths, Gemma tried to focus. It was one of the most important scenes for Anne and Gemma was beginning to feel the whole weight of it. Anne was a woman of few words so how was she to convey her inner turmoil? Her feelings of both dread and longing at seeing Wentworth again had to be portrayed subtly. Anne wasn’t the kind of character to gasp aloud or clutch at her bosom.
‘It’s all in the eyes,’ Teresa had told her.
Gemma had understood but could she do it? Jane Austen had written that ‘a thousand feelings rushed on Anne’ when she realises that Captain Wentworth was to call and Gemma only had a few seconds to convey these emotions in all their complexity. She twisted the tiny gold cross that was hanging around her neck. She always fiddled when she was nervous which was one of the reasons why knitting was so good – it occupied her anxious fingers. But her knitting was in one of the vans outside.
Suddenly, after an agony of waiting, they were ready and Gemma was no longer Gemma but Anne. The twenty-first century became the nineteenth. Beth and Sophie became Louisa and Henrietta and Oli became Captain Wentworth. It was always a strange yet wonderful moment. Gemma thought it was like the deepest sort of alchemy. It was a moment of magic when the script came to life and nothing else existed.
By the time Kay and Adam left the knot garden, most of the cast had disappeared.
‘I don’t think we’re wanted here any more,’ Adam told her.
Kay sighed. ‘I think you’re right.’
‘You ready to go?’
‘Yes,’ Kay said, although she would have willingly stayed all day and all night.
‘They always stick
‘It’s okay.’
He walked towards her. ‘You looked deep in thought.’
‘Did I?’ Kay said, suddenly becoming engrossed in a rosemary bush.
‘What have you been up to?’
‘Oh, not much. Just talking to Oli.’
Adam nodded and Kay noticed that his smile had slipped away.
‘You been talking to Gemma?’ she asked.
‘Yes. She always gets a bit anxious before filming.’
‘It’s so nice that you care about her,’ Kay said.
‘I just try and keep everyone together, you know.’
‘But Gemma’s a bit special, isn’t she?’
Adam frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, she’s such a lovely person,’ Kay said.
‘Yes,’ Adam said, ‘she is.’
‘And so pretty too. I think she’s one of the prettiest actresses around today, don’t you think?’
Adam’s eyes widened. ‘Well, I’ve not really thought about it.’
‘But she is!’ Kay enthused. ‘I think she’s lovely. But she’s a bit shy. I think she’s one of these girls who has so much to give if only she could find the right man.’
Adam cleared his throat. ‘And I’m sure she will one day.’
‘Do you?’ Kay said, her eyes lighting up. ‘I do too. In fact, I think that day might be fast approaching.’
Chapter Fourteen
The retrenching scene where Sir Walter is being advised to make cutbacks on his extravagant lifestyle was in the can and Teresa was keen to move on to the next indoor scene – the one where Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth see each other for the first time after their years of separation. It was to be shot in one of the ground-floor rooms of Marlcombe Manor which was filled with oak panels and had a beautiful mullioned window and an impressive door through which Wentworth was to make his entrance.
As ever, it was a problem getting the lighting just right for this scene. Teresa wanted it subdued and tender but not so tender that you couldn’t actually see the actors’ faces as had happened in the first shot.
Beth and Sophie had had their hair and faces made up and were now looking a little more like sisters. But they were far from acting like sisters when the cameras weren’t rolling. Beth seemed to be in a permanently bad mood and Sophie took great delight in teasing her, which wasn’t exactly helping things along.
Finally, everything was ready. Taking some steadying deep breaths, Gemma tried to focus. It was one of the most important scenes for Anne and Gemma was beginning to feel the whole weight of it. Anne was a woman of few words so how was she to convey her inner turmoil? Her feelings of both dread and longing at seeing Wentworth again had to be portrayed subtly. Anne wasn’t the kind of character to gasp aloud or clutch at her bosom.
‘It’s all in the eyes,’ Teresa had told her.
Gemma had understood but could she do it? Jane Austen had written that ‘a thousand feelings rushed on Anne’ when she realises that Captain Wentworth was to call and Gemma only had a few seconds to convey these emotions in all their complexity. She twisted the tiny gold cross that was hanging around her neck. She always fiddled when she was nervous which was one of the reasons why knitting was so good – it occupied her anxious fingers. But her knitting was in one of the vans outside.
Suddenly, after an agony of waiting, they were ready and Gemma was no longer Gemma but Anne. The twenty-first century became the nineteenth. Beth and Sophie became Louisa and Henrietta and Oli became Captain Wentworth. It was always a strange yet wonderful moment. Gemma thought it was like the deepest sort of alchemy. It was a moment of magic when the script came to life and nothing else existed.
By the time Kay and Adam left the knot garden, most of the cast had disappeared.
‘I don’t think we’re wanted here any more,’ Adam told her.
Kay sighed. ‘I think you’re right.’
‘You ready to go?’
‘Yes,’ Kay said, although she would have willingly stayed all day and all night.
‘They always stick
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