  “‘Last night a group of professional actors, backed by years of experience on Broadway, television, and radio, presented a stunning performance of Angel Street to an audience of fewer than twenty persons. It is this reviewer’s duty to apologize publicly for having neglected the Kenabeek Summer Theater. Until now he has not had the pleasure of viewing one of its productions. It is his loss. And he would like to say that the Summer Theater is one of the finest additions to our town in many years. It deserves all the support our local residents and out-of-towners can give it.’ “Oh, just listen to that!” Peggy interrupted herself and squealed with delight as she read Ford Birmingham’s review in the Gazette to Rita, Alison, and Chris. They were having dinner together before the opening of Charley’s Aunt. Ford Birmingham had timed the appearance of the review to coincide with the opening of the new play, and tomorrow there would be yet another review in the Gazette. “Go on,” Alison urged. “‘Angel Street was so electrifying,’” Peggy continued, “‘that despite the small house, your reviewer was sitting—literally—on the edge of his hard seat in our high school auditorium. (That he was unaware of his discomfort is another indication of the quality of the performance.) Do not make the mistake of assuming that a production given in the high school is an amateurish effort. The set was excellently executed by Gus Stevens, a young man, who, we suspect, will shortly be designing for Broadway. “‘Alison Lord, as Mrs. Manningham, gave a controlled, vibrant performance that was a delight to watch. As that colorful inspector, Sergeant Bough, our own Howard Miller was simply superb.’” As Peggy read on, the wonderful words of praise made everyone glow with a feeling of success and satisfaction. “‘Peggy Lane, in the small role of the maid Nancy, was pert and charming, leaving us with the notion that we’d like to see her do something else—’” “Well, they will,” Chris interrupted, giving Peggy a wink. “Next week, Peggy the Star!” “Oh, Chris,” Peggy laughed. “I’m not really the star—it’s you—and Alison, too.” “Leave me out,” Alison said mockingly. “I had my big chance and no audience. It’s your turn next, Peggy, and it looks as if you’ll be luckier.” There was a hint of envy in Alison’s tone that surprised Peggy. Only last week she had been complaining about having two big leads in a row. Peggy had thought Alison was looking forward to the smaller but very good part she had in For Love or Money. “Doesn’t he say anything about me?” Chris asked. “Go on, Peggy, I can’t believe he isn’t going to offer any criticism at all.” Peggy resumed reading: “‘Rita Stevens was excellent as the housekeeper; so believable in fact, that one might tend to overlook a program note which explains that she is much younger than she appeared.’ “Oh, and here you are, Chris,” Peggy said. “‘Chris Hill, a romantic leading man if ever we saw one, made a valiant effort to create the difficult, heavy role of Mr. Manningham. That he didn’t quite succeed is no slur on his ability. He was very good indeed and there were moments in the play when he was truly spine-chilling. We suspect, however, that underneath those sideburns Mr. Hill is basically just too nice a fellow. We’re looking forward to him in Charley’s Aunt where, we understand, he will be playing something closer to his type. This should be a real treat for the young women of the area, and we assure you, if you’re interested, that you needn’t look further for a living, breathing matinee idol!’ “Oh, Chris!” Peggy whooped and burst out laughing. “Why, Christopher Barrymore Hill!” Alison giggled. “I had no idea you were such a heart throb!” “Heavens! You won’t be able to walk down the street alone after that!” Rita teased, as Chris got redder and redder and looked as if he would like to vanish into the floor. “Oh, no,” he groaned. “And I was beginning to think that Ford Birmingham was a pretty nice guy! Why did he have to do this to me?” “Because it’s wonderful publicity, that’s why!” Peggy cried. “Oh, Chris, don’t you see? Look at everything he said—about the quality of the actors, and then establishing you as a draw. Why,” she declared brightly, “we’ll have everybody in town rushing up to see you! And they’ll bring their friends. It’s a beautiful idea!” “Umphm,” Chris moaned dismally. “It’s a hideous idea! However, he was right in his criticism. There were moments when I did feel distant from the part.” “After this, you won’t even have to act any more.” Alison laughed. “Just be yourself while everyone swoons!” “Oh, Alison, cut it out!” Chris pleaded, looking around as if a thousand eyes were fastened on him. “I wish Birmingham had settled on you for a drawing card instead.” “I wouldn’t mind,” Alison smiled, preening a little. “As a matter of fact, I’d probably love it!” “I’ll bet you would,” Chris muttered, while Peggy frowned uneasily. The conversation was taking an unpleasant turn, she thought, noticing the look Alison gave Chris. “Well,” Peggy said cheerily, trying to change the subject, “who’s looking forward to Monday besides me? Personally I can’t wait!” Monday was the day that Mr. Vincent had asked the company to give their first performance at Lake Manor. It would be the last night of the play each week, as Chuck and Richard had decided to move the opening up one day to Wednesday instead of Thursday. This meant also that there would be one day less than usual to get For Love or Money into shape. Talking excitedly about the Manor, the group finished dinner in good spirits and left the restaurant with Mrs. Brady’s wish for good luck trailing after them. From the first night of Charley’s Aunt, Ford Birmingham’s review made its effect felt. There was a difference in everyone’s attitude now that the theater had gained status. Audiences improved nightly, and Richard said that if things kept up like this, the theater might even be able to recoup some of its losses. “And this is the way summer stock should be,” Peggy thought as she greeted each day with the anticipation of a good rehearsal and a satisfying show. Now she could concentrate more fully on her part in For Love of Money. “A good thing, too, that I’m not worried about the theater at a time like this,” she realized. For as the week wore on, Peggy saw more and more that Alison had been right about the role of Janet. It was a long, demanding lead, and Peggy worked furiously, knowing that next week she would have to carry the show. She found it a strange sensation to work opposite Chris. He was so good in his part and made it all seem so real that Peggy often caught herself wondering if she were in a play or doing something right out of life. At times she forgot herself completely. She was Janet Blake, a young girl who was gradually growing deeply fond of Preston Mitchell. Alison was quite evidently annoyed at the developing friendship between Chris and Peggy. “Don’t forget, dear, that you’re supposed to be playing comedy,” she said to Peggy one day at rehearsal. “Sometimes I get a feeling that you think you’re doing Camille.” Peggy was worried and hurt, wondering if Alison was right. “Do you think I’m funny enough?” she asked Rita privately. “Alison is finding fault with everything I do.” “Well, are you going to listen to her or to your director?” Rita demanded. “Chuck seems satisfied with your work. Look, Peggy, Alison is jealous because you’re playing opposite Chris. I wouldn’t pay any attention to anything she says. My own private opinion is that you’re more interested in Chris than you think—” “Rita!” Peggy blushed furiously. “Here we go again! It’s just that I like Chris enormously and—well—it is exciting to work with him!” “I know!” Rita teased her. “It seems to me I told you something like that ages ago! Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Peggy Lane! Before you know it, you’ll have a dyed-in-the-wool crush on our new matinee idol!” Both the girls laughed, remembering how uncomfortable Chris had been with the role Ford Birmingham had assigned him. The week flew by and when Monday arrived, Peggy noticed an excitement she hadn’t felt since the theater opened. Something new was in the air; they were to face a fresh audience in unfamiliar surroundings. None of the cast had seen the famous Lake Manor, and all were intensely curious as they rode along in the station wagon the Manor had sent for them. “This is more like it!” Danny observed gleefully. “Our own private chauffeur and dinner awaiting—I always did like to live in style!” “How could I have missed the Manor on the way up by the bus?” Peggy wondered as they drove down the highway. “This is the way I came—” “Ah, yes, but you don’t see the Manor from the road,” Danny replied poetically. “It is hidden, like all goodies, a surprise package lurking in the midst of tall trees and sparkling waters. And as we leave the highway,” he intoned in travelogue fashion, “we find ourselves driving under an arch of fir trees, their graceful fronds meeting as they embrace above the roadway—” “Oh, Danny,” Peggy giggled, “we can see it, too.” But he wasn’t to be deterred. “And around a winding road which curves gracefully through acres—and acres—and acres—” The cast laughed and joined in the joking as they drove through the spacious grounds that belonged to the Manor. “And finally,” Danny said as the Manor came into view, “as we reach our destination—Oh, my gosh! It’s a palace!” he concluded abruptly, forgetting his travelogue as the car stopped under the awning in front of the entrance. “It really is a palace,” Peggy marveled as she stepped out of the car, “or the next thing to it!” The main house of Lake Manor was a huge white building frosted with turrets and bay windows and surrounded by cottages and a few other sprawling buildings that appeared to be recreation halls. Peggy saw stables, tennis courts, and a swimming pool off in the distance. Ping-pong tables, croquet courts, and lawn chairs dotted the velvet-green grass. “Oh, it’s absolutely beautiful!” Rita exclaimed. “I had no idea anything like this existed here!” Just then Mr. Vincent appeared and, smiling broadly, took the cast on a short tour of the Manor. “It’s early,” he said, showing them the stage in one of the recreation halls where they would play, “and dinner won’t be served until six o’clock. Come along and I’ll show you your dining room. We have several, and I don’t want you to get lost! Then please do anything you’d like to amuse yourselves. We want you to have a good time!” “How about some Ping-pong, Peggy?” Chris asked after Mr. Vincent had left them. “I’d love it,” Peggy said, “but I wish we could look at the stage again first—Mr. Vincent took us through so quickly.” “Don’t you ever think of anything besides the stage, Peggy?” Alison asked waspishly. “Really, it gets a little boring after a while!” She turned and left the group in a sudden huff. “What’s the matter with her?” Danny asked wonderingly. “I thought she was all a-flutter about playing at the Manor.” “Maybe she was all a-flutter about playing before the show,” Rita said softly with a knowing look at Peggy. Peggy suddenly realized what she meant. Alison was disappointed that Chris had asked Peggy instead of her. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she thought wearily, “how could Alison possibly be upset over a little thing like a game of Ping-pong!” When a group of people lived so closely together, Peggy was beginning to realize, little things could cause undue friction. A word or a glance could be magnified out of all proportion. Hadn’t she even been a little guilty of that herself when Alison had criticized her performance? “Your serve, Miss Lane,” Chris reminded her. “Where are you anyway—off in a dream?” “Yes,” Peggy smiled, “I guess I was!” She couldn’t help observing how handsome Chris was with his wonderful tan and his blond hair gleaming in the sun. He did look like a movie star, and several people stopped to watch them play together. Peggy felt almost ashamed to realize that she was proud to be seen with him. “And a minute ago you were condemning Alison for the same thing!” she chided herself fiercely. “I think it’s about time you had a long talk with yourself, Peggy Lane!” She slammed the ball hard, and it hit the far corner of the table, out of Chris’s reach. “Good play!” he cried. “That’s it.” “Who won?” Peggy asked. She hadn’t even noticed. “You don’t deserve to know,” he grinned. “You’re off on a cloud somewhere. Come on, ingÉnue, let’s go for a walk.” They strolled through the lovely grounds, finding that one winding path led to another even more charming. Most of the landscaping was designed to offer the best possible view of the lake, and Peggy felt actively envious watching the boats dart back and forth like large birds. “I’ve wanted to tell you, Peggy,” Chris said as they sat down on a large rock that jutted out over the water, “what fun it is working with you. So far I’m enjoying For Love or Money more than any other play we’ve done. It means more to me than just a play,” Chris went on seriously. “I feel that we do awfully well together—in almost anything.” He stopped, looking at her intently as Peggy caught her breath. She didn’t know what to say. Finally, a moment later, she tremulously suggested that they had better get back to dinner. “Dinner!” Chris exclaimed with humorous disgust. “At a time like this, with romance in the very air around you! Honestly, Peggy, you’re enough to try anybody’s patience!” Peggy wished with all her might that she knew what her real feelings were in regard to Chris. It was all so confusing, she thought, as they found their way back to the dining room through the maze of pathways. Dinner was a sumptuous affair and a refreshing change from the good but rather plain food at Mrs. Brady’s. “Cheddar cheese soup!” Michael Miller peered at his bowl like a hungry owl. “Haven’t seen this since Dad took me to New York last year!” “Personally, I prefer turtle Madeira,” Alison said languidly, taking a few sips of the delicious broth. “Listen to the prima donna,” Chris whispered to Peggy. “She was fine as long as she had all the leads, but now wait and see. For the rest of next week she’ll be impossible. I know—I’ve seen it happen before.” “But I thought you liked her,” Peggy said softly. She had decided she might as well find out how things stood between Chris and Alison. “I do,” Chris answered, slightly surprised, “I like her a lot. She’s a very good actress.” Thoughtfully, Peggy wondered if Chris judged people by their acting ability—if that was the basis of his sudden pronounced interest in her. Peggy was very conscious of his presence beside her as they finished dinner together. Charley’s Aunt was riotously received by the Lake Manor audience. The actors had to be unusually alert to restrict their movements sufficiently to work on the smaller stage. There were several times when Peggy, almost bumping into another player, came close to breaking up and laughing out loud. And when an angry bee somehow found his way on stage and got lost in the tea things, all the cast had a difficult time controlling themselves. Microphones were suspended overhead to overcome the poor acoustics in the hall, and the buzz of the bee came loud and clear over the actors’ voices. The audience loved it! They roared and applauded when the bee finally made a grand exit over their heads and out the rear door. Weak with laughter, Peggy made her way back toward the tiny, dark dressing room that was stacked with boxes of costumes and props. The hall was usually reserved for the individual comedy acts that the Manor booked for its guests. “I’m sure they think we’re just another variation on the same theme!” Peggy giggled. “That silly bee! He sounded like a dive bomber!” “They loved it!” Chris cried exuberantly, whirling Peggy around in the small hall. Chris was always like this after a show, Peggy noticed. Excited and gay and ready to go on for the rest of the night. “Miss Lane?” one of the stagehands called to her. “There’s someone outside to see you.” “Aha!” Chris intoned dramatically. “An admirer, no doubt. Come along, Peggy—take me to your stage-door Johnny and I’ll protect you!” Laughing, they stepped out of the door into the courtyard of the building. “Peggy!” A tall, lanky, redheaded boy grinned down at her, stretching out both hands in greeting. “Randy Brewster!” Peggy cried, “Randy—of all people! Well, how on earth—why—how did you—oh, Randy!” She was so excited and pleased that she stuttered. “I loved the show,” Randy declared happily, hugging her, “and I was so surprised to see you down here at the Manor! I thought I’d have to wait to surprise you up at the theater.” “Oh, Chris,”—Peggy remembered him—“I’d like you to meet a very dear friend of mine—I met him when I started in dramatic school. This is Randy Brewster—Chris Hill.” “How nice,” Chris said shortly, his exuberance gone. “I certainly enjoyed your performance,” Randy congratulated him. “Very funny. You have a lot of vitality. Hope I’ll do as well here—” “Oh,” Peggy exclaimed with sudden understanding, “is that why you’re here? The Manor hired you?” “Yep,” Randy said. “I’ll be here for a week doing a new comedy routine. I hope we’ll be able to see each other often. I was so pleased, Peggy, knowing you’d be in the neighborhood.” He grinned at her with that funny, warm, crooked smile that Peggy remembered so well. “I’m coming to see your opening day after tomorrow,” Randy went on. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything. I’m glad that I’ll be here while you’re playing a lead.” “Are you familiar with the play?” Chris interrupted suddenly. “No,” Randy said with a smile, “but that will make it even more fun.” “Well,” Chris said mysteriously, “I don’t know how much fun it will be for you, but you should certainly find it interesting! You’re familiar with the old saying, ‘All’s fair in love and war’?” He flashed a teasing smile at Randy. “Well, we’ll look forward to seeing you, Mr. Brewster—yes, indeed!” Chris left them gaping after him while Randy shook his head. “That’s a strange fellow,” he puzzled. “He’s very charming, but I’d swear that he doesn’t like me one little bit! I wonder why! What have you been up to, Peggy?” He looked at her curiously while Peggy wondered if things could conceivably get any more complicated! She had been so happy to see a friend from New York—and especially Randy. Now, she realized suddenly, she would have to play her big lead with the knowledge that Randy was in the audience, watching her and Chris. “Well,” she thought, shivering slightly, “that will be quite an experience!” |
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