The Viscounts Daughter

"Send it to Broughley, Mrs. Warren. I am going there this weekend."

"Right you are. I'll post it first class."

The letter was there when I got to Broughley. Andrea was jigging around impatiently wanting to know what it was, although the Viscount almost gave it away when he said mischievously. "They're offering you something."

They were. The Queen was minded to bestow upon me The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in her birthday honours list. It would allow me to place the initials OBE after my name. The reason was for my work in the British film industry. The writer, one of the Queens' Equerries, went on to ask if I would accept. I was to say the least gob-smacked. The only words I could say were, "why me?"

The Viscount answered that in one word. "Politics!" Ben was rather cynical about government and those who thought that they knew better than the masses. He expounded. "The people who get most Honours are time-serving toadies and yes-men of the Government. They are completely unknown to the electorate. So from time to time the Prime Minister will honour someone who is popular with the masses. It's his way of saying that he understands them and empathises with them. It's like throwing a bone to a dog."

"Thanks." I said dryly.

"No trouble, Richard. I would hate for you to actually believe that you were significant." He grinned. "Joking apart, I am pleased for you. You should write back and accept before Andrea does it for you."

My wife had snatched the letter and read it through, she was beside herself with glee. At that moment she threw herself at me and hugged. She whispered in my ear. "You write back immediately and tonight you will get anything you want."

I was reminded that I should say nothing until the list of honours was published in the London Gazette. I was delighted when the list was published to see that Ashley had also been honoured with an OBE. Once again the Viscount grumbled that politics came into the equation. Perhaps he was right as 'Scorn' was in essence an Indian production and our government was keen to foster our trade with the sub-continent. To my mind Ashley deserved an honour for her years of brilliant work, yet it appeared that she and I were being honoured as part of a political manoeuvre. The actual honour ceremony was in June and I was allowed three guests. So on the day I was accompanied by Andrea, Charlie and the Viscount. Meera was there as a guest of Ashley.

It could be daunting to enter Buckingham Palace amongst all the recipients. Our guests were guided to their seats, whilst the recipients were taken to a large reception room. I was an actor, I had been on stage making a fool of myself and in quite a number of films. Sang-froid was natural to me yet as I walked into Buckingham Palace my stomach was tied in knots. I felt better when Ashley confided in me that she had been throwing up with nerves that morning.

In the reception room we were instructed on how to behave and the etiquette of the ceremony. A small hook was pinned to my suit jacket just over my heart and I took my place in the line. We were surrounded by equerries, men of the armed forces resplendent in pressed uniforms some with red sashes some with clusters of aiguillettes and some with both. Then there were the palace footmen immaculate in their Georgian dress. The whole thing was choreographed and worked very smoothly to impress on you that this was pageantry; a pageant that was unchanged for over three hundred years.

You entered the Throne Room when indicated by an equerry and with a nod from another equerry you walked with dignity to approximately the half-way point where another equerry waited for you. Your name was called and you walked slowly to within four or five paces from her Majesty where you bow then you took the last steps. The Chamberlain announced the honour and hands the medal to the Queen who then affixed the ribbon to the hook. She made some comments upon how pleased she was to be able to give me the honour and then told me she had enjoyed watching 'A Detective called Grantham'. I thanked her then she nodded, the sign that I had my time in the limelight. I took three steps backward then bowed again. Two more backward steps then I was guided away by yet another equerry.

The whole ceremony was captured on an official video. A copy for me and a copy for the archives. I was asked if I wanted the video to be published. They seemed happy when I said no. Before we left the Palace I was given the medal box, where the medal nestled in a red ribbon tied in a cross. Official press photographers were allowed into the courtyard and almost every recipient upon leaving the palace were subjected to a orgy of lights, flashes and questions. Andrea could not duck out of this as we posed together and also with Ashley who clung to the arm of the Viscount.

We had booked a table at a good restaurant, albeit not a restaurant where the paparazzi would expect to find celebrities. It was there that the Viscount broke his news. "I don't want to sully your day but I need to tell you this. I have asked Ashley to marry me and she has accepted." To a certain extent I thought there may be such an announcement, but not just yet. I was happy for both of them, not it seemed as much as Andrea who jumped up and ran round the table to hug Ashley, they laughed and wept a little with happiness and then the two of them together with Charlie and Meera retired to the ladies rest room to repair their faces. I reached over to shake Bens' hand. "I am really happy for you. Now perhaps you will stop ogling Meera."

"Never. When I can't admire a good-looking woman I shall be in my coffin."

When you dine with someone like Ashley it is impossible to complete you meal without at least one interruption. However on this occasion it was the restaurant owner who ambushed us. It appeared that he had been watching the news and had caught our exit from the Palace. He asked politely if he could take pictures of our party and wondered if we had the medals with us. Of course he offered that our meal would be gratis.

So yet again Ashley and I posed for the camera holding the cases open displaying the honour. I insisted as always that our family should also be in the picture. Andrea had always been circumspect about our being photographed together; she had a worry that her ex-husband would see it and suspect who was Charlie's father. I doubted this situation, first from what I knew he didn't read anything apart from the financial and business pages; and second he would have to be really discerning to believe that I was the culprit. Ashley insisted that Ben should be part of the pose.

Surprises normally come one at a time, however Charlie dropped another into our happy company. "Mum, Dad, I have decided what I want to do once I have left Cirencester."

"Good." Replied Andrea. "So what have you decided?"

"I want to be an actor." That statement brought a shocked silence for the moment.

"Why?" Asked Andrea.

"It was when I saw dad working on that scene in India. It blew me away. He's my dad but for that moment he was someone else; a man I didn't know. I just thought how good it would be to be able to do that."

"So it is not just for the supposed glamour and fame of the profession?" Ashley enquired sarcastically.

"Well I suppose that is part of it, but not the reason for my decision. Seeing dad do that scene was awesome, and when Gupta offered me that bit in the garden I jumped at it. I loved it. Just for a moment I was someone else."

Ashley nodded. "Well I have to say you did it well, you had poise and acted naturally, so I suppose you do have something to work with."

Charlie looked at me. "What do you think, Dad."

I thought for a moment. "Right. If you are going to do this then you do it properly. Is there a drama group at school?"

"Yes."

"Then join it."

"I did twelve months ago."

"You didn't tell me." Andrea sounded peeved.

"I didn't because I wanted to see if I could hack it. If I had said and some months later I had to tell you that I was crap at it, I would feel like a right nerd."

"Keep it up, it will work for you when you apply to a drama academy."

"Where did you go, Dad."

"Bristol Old Vic. It's good because they don't believe that every student wishes to be a classical actor. If you want to go there they will not take you until you are eighteen. You have to apply from the September in the year you are eighteen. If, Charlie, you really want to do this opt for the three year course. It covers everything and you will graduate with a B.A."

"Did you did that?"

"Yes he did." Interrupted Ashley. "He got a B.A. Honours. Typical of your dad. If he does anything he does it thoroughly. I'll help Charlie, if you will accept my help. I can coach you." Charlie smiled and nodded her head happily.

We drove in convoy back to Broughley where Charlie and Ashley sat down for a serious talk. It was a very subdued Charlie who left the room later as Ashley had given her an idea of what she faced if she managed to get into any drama school, let alone a prestigious college as Bristol. I have to say that Charlie faced up to the preparation well. Ashley put her through the mill. I was co-opted to play against her on a number of occasions. Ashley had Charlie playing a scene from Wuthering Heights. Charlie played Cathy and I played Heathcliff. At the end of the scene Cathy and Heathcliff embrace and kiss. Charlie demurred at that point. "I can't do that, he's my dad!"

Ashley got up and took Charlie's hand. "Charlie. Here is a lesson for you. You are an actor. When you take on a part you are that person. The actor you are playing to could be anyone. He could be a complete stranger who you have never met until a few moments ago. He could be your cousin, your brother or your father, but for that moment he is none of these, he is Heathcliff and you are Cathy and you are lovers. Lovers kiss, now finish the scene and kiss Heathcliff."

We went through the scene again and Heathcliff took Cathy into his arms and kissed her. Charlie blushed blood red. It wasn't the kiss that lovers exchange. Actors learn how to make it look like a lovers kiss but the only passion there is the is the need to have the audience believe.

Andrea cuddled up to me that night when we got into bed. "Our daughter is becoming a woman." She told me in a manner that suggested there was more she had to say.

"Oh yes?"

"Yes. It would appear that she has discovered why I am in thrall to you."

"Well I am in thrall to you."

"She told me that when you kissed her nipples became erect."

"Ah! The famous Seddon women nipple syndrome."

"Don't make fun of them. It's been the bane of my life. I could never deny my lust for you as my nipples would reveal the truth."

"I have the same problem, although it isn't my nipples that give me away."

Andrea felt down and found something to her liking. " Ooh nice. Now I am very happy." She murmured into my ear. "Are you happy too?"

"Do you know, I think I am."

"Good! Don't move. I shall get on top and we will see if we can get even more happy."

CHAPTER 11

RICHARD

A month after the euphoria of being at Buckingham Palace we were grounded. We were well into the second series of 'A detective called Grantham' when Ashley left the set to take a phone call. Fifteen minutes later she came out and told the crew to pack up for the day. She then caught my eye with a sideways nod of her head. She mouthed, "Office."

I joined her in the office and could see from her expression that this was serious. "What's going on, Ashley?"

"John has buggered off to the States again. It would appear he was funding this himself and now he has run out of money. He had a loan with his house as collateral. However it seems that he had already had a loan on his property. The Banks are are a little angry and they are after him for their money. Luckily for us the debt was his personally. Even so we're fucked. Only half of the series in the can. ITV will not fund us to finish the series so none of us will be paid. The only thing I can think is that we try to get funding from somewhere else. Any ideas?"

I had to confess that I had none. "Sorry, Ashley my mind is blank."

"I have to go and talk to the crew." Her face showed how much she was not looking forward to that task.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Thanks for the offer, Richard, but as an associate producer I think it something that I have to do. If I am not back in ten minutes say a prayer for me over my coffin." I laughed even though her trying to be humorous failed totally.

The interview was not such an ordeal as she thought. The Union representative understood that the problem was not hers and thanked her for stepping up. He accepted her promise to try for new funding and that if she was successful she would pay the crew their wages. In the car driving back to Broughley we thought of ways to get the funding. "I could come up with something like a couple of million, Ashley."

She thought about that. "That's good of you, Richard. I could probably come up with the same amount, but that would be a drop in the ocean. We need at least fifteen million to finish and even then that would appear like an amateur production. We need at least twenty to do the series justice; I doubt that you and I would be paid until the series is sold. I am worried about Meera. Her resident permission depends on this production. If it folds she would be asked to leave."

"I suspect she would be alright. You know she is seeing that editor, Andrew."

"I probably know more about that than you do. Meera told me that she is very fond of him, and she stays with him whenever we are at Elstree. They would be good together, he told me that his grandmother was Indian, so he has the culture ingrained."

"And I thought he just had a good tan." I remarked sarcastically.

Our nearest and dearest were surprised when we arrived back in Broughley. After Ashley reprised the morning they started to understand, yet we were no closer to a plan until the Viscount threw in one of his short, blunt statements. "Talk to Charles Anstruther."

My first thought was that this was a non-starter and Andrea felt that way too. "I can't see him helping. I mean if he finds out that Rich is involved. Well..." Andrea offered doubtfully.

"Why?" Ben replied. "Have you any evidence to believe that Anstruther knows that Richard is the man with whom you cheated? Anstruther is a money man. If someone offers him an opportunity to make money, he will look at it. That's his business. I doubt that personalities would come into any decision he may make."

The argument went on for quite some time, eventually ending when Ashley determined to keep this production going made a decision. "I'll call him. I will make no mention of Andrea and Richard. If he can find us funding, I'll deal with the Devil if I have to." Andrea reluctantly gave her Anstruthers' office number and Ashley used Ben's home office to make the call. It was fifteen minutes of waiting on tenterhooks when she came back.

"Well?" I asked.

"Odd." Ashley seemed stunned. "The first thing he said after introduced myself was to ask how Andrea and Charlotte were. Then he asked after Ben. That put me on the back foot and I forgot how I had planned to make my pitch. Eventually I got it out and he said that he was very busy this week, but could I call on him at home on Saturday to discuss my proposal. I asked what time would be convenient and he said any time in the morning would suit him. Then he threw me. He asked if you, Richard and Andrea would come as well."

"Oh shit!" I muttered. "He knows."

"Don't think the worst, Richard." Ben admonished me. "Of course he knows you are Andrea's husband, but knowing that you cuckolded him, probably not."

"I think we are wasting our time." I was quite demoralized.

Ashley shook her head. "No we aren't. It's possible that he wants to see Andrea again and ask after Charlie. As Ben said he is a businessman and I agree with him that as a businessman he would not allow personal differences get in the way of a good deal. Anyway I am the producer and you, Richard are merely the hired man." She smiled sweetly to soften the barb.

Despite the re-assurances from Ben and Ashley my mood as I drove to London that Saturday was one of trepidation. I knew Bloomsbury yet needed Andrea's guide to find the house. Ashley had left Broughley on the Thursday as she had to get documents and copies of letters of intent to show Charles. She stayed in her flat and made her own way by taxi to meet us there. I had never met Charles Anstruther and my impression of him was from the picture that Andrea had painted.

I had no need to change my view after meeting him. The housekeeper opened the door. Andrea greeted her in a friendly manner, but Mrs. Hoskins maintained a dour visage. "If you will wait, I will see if Mr. Anstruther is ready to see you." The words delivered in a flat tone that offered no welcome whatsoever. She marched off to advise Charles of our arrival.

"Well she hasn't changed." Andrea told us sotto voce.

Ashley giggled. "She would do well as the housekeeper in 'Jane Eyre'." That comment relaxed me a little. Mrs. Hoskins re-appeared and asked us to follow her. Andrea, of course knew where we would be seen by Charles and almost overtook Mrs. Hoskins who looked askance at the impertinence.

Charles Anstruther waited for us in the drawing room. He stood and welcomed us. "Andrea! How good to see you again." He proffered his hand for Andrea to shake. I was bemused. Of course Andrea was a divorced wife, but most men would still have given that ex-wife a kiss on the cheek. "Miss Marne, it is good to see you again." He shook her proffered hand and finally he turned to me. "Mr. Leigh. I am pleased that you have taken up my invitation ." He didn't offer me his hand. Actually I hadn't thought he would; nor did I think that it had been an invitation. Charles was all businesslike. In short order we were all sitting down and Mrs. Hoskins, as if she was waiting appeared with coffee. "Now, Miss Marne tell me about this problem I may be able to solve?"

"Perhaps, Mr. Anstruther we could go somewhere private?" Ashley suggested. "This is a business proposition and neither Mr. Leigh nor Mrs. Leigh are principles in the production." I smiled inwardly. Ashley, obviously was not going to be on the back foot.

"Yes, yes of course." Charles stumbled getting that out. "However as you approached me, hoping that my connection with Andrea would help..." He left that hanging in the air. A little threat that it was his way or no way.

"As you wish, Mr. Anstruther." Ashley flashed her famous smile.

She went on to lay out the problem, saying little about John Lilman and his vanishing act. She explained that the first series had been well received and that ITV had made their wish to air the second series clear with a letter of intent. Charles listened intently nodding from time to time. "May I ask, Miss Marne. How much did ITV pay for the first series?" Ashley flicked through her papers and showed Charles the details and the clause should the series be repeated. His eyebrows lifted. "I am surprised. How well did the series do?"

Again Ashley searched through her file and produced the statistics from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board. "As you can see the first episode brought in some four million viewers, then it climbed through the second episode and with episode four through to six it stabilised at nine million. ITV confirmed that advertisers were very eager for slots so much so that ITV changed the scheduling from one and a half hours to two hours to get more advertising slots." She delved into her file again and produced another page. "This is the proposed fee for the second series. We will receive a down payment when ITV accept the series and staged payments as the six episodes are aired."