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There was only one break in the action, when Charles Haversley happened to glance at Madeline and stopped in hter Puzzled, Madeline stared at hi
Haversley shook his head and looked apologetic, even as he continued to snort with a “Miss Ridley stares at , and she looks so earnest…it's too adorable”
Julia gave hi stare “You're not supposed to look at her, Charles She's a ghost”
“I can't help it,” he said again, s raffishly at Julia “If you were a man, you would understand”
“Oh, I understand,” Julia replied dryly “You would do us all a service, Charles, if you could e to act like a brother instead of a town-bull”
“Town-bull?” Madeline asked, perplexed, having never encountered such a terht's acadehter in Charles She looked to the wings, where Mr Scott waited to ure as he stood aant clothes, his posture relaxed yet controlled
It struck Madeline that a hundred years from now, people would read about him in history books and wonder what it must have been like to see him act No words would ever accurately describe his voice, with its deep, vibrant quality, or the ree of his talent It seemed as if Mr Scott were two different people: the disciplined e, and the actor whose e a perforht—this was the place to approach him
Logan watched the rehearsal fro in his chest Da that Madeline assu ill…da so riveted by Madeline that he could barely remember his lines Who could blaan doubted he would fare any better, with Madeline dressed in a flimsy costume that made him want to sink to his knees before her and bury his face between her breasts She looked so young and fresh, her skin like cream silk It wasn't her sheer prettiness that proved such a potent allure; it was the troubling desire to cover her up and carry her away froazes…to keep her all to himself
Somehow Madeline had insinuated herself into his life and forced him to take notice of her, and now there was no retreat Now that he had rejected the idea of taking her into his bed, she had beco he most wanted Every other wo, and itfor her likeness He couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to lose hiy She made him want to play, to experience a little of the boyhood he'd never had…and that was so no other lover had ever been able to do
He felt hot and annoyed, and ready to chew the scenery into splinters Hearing his cue, he took a bottle froers as he walked onstage The other actors had made their exits, the boards cleared except for him and Madeline
As the grieving er, he was supposed to be drunk It wasn't easy to portray intoxication well Most actors tended to overplay it or, worse, underplay it It was one of the few pieces of stagecraft that required a great deal of technique in order to seean captured the slur, the expansive gestures, and the off-balance walk of atime
He sat in a large oak chair, before a box set resean a lengthyirony and quiet despair of his character
Soan felt rather than saw Madeline co on the back of his chair As the play dictated, she leaned over hiue, her sweet voice falling against his ears
Logan didn't move He was feverishly aware of her body just behind hian to sweat profusely One of Madeline's long golden-brown curls fell over his shoulder, tickling his neck An aching pressure gathered in his groin He was rock-hard, his entire being consu
Logan couldn't stand it any longer He broke in
The theater was silent Logan tried to collect hi Perhaps they thought he had forgotten a line, although that had never happened before He hoped to God no one suspected the truth—that he was co his jaw hard, he took several deep, even breaths
“Mr Scott,” came Madeline's hesitant voice from behind him, “if you would like me to tell you the line—”
“I know the bloody line,” he said, his back stiff God help hilanced at her even once, he was afraid of what he ht do
Julia spoke from the audience seat “Is there a problem, Mr Scott?”
Logan responded with ahi back at hi disco froht behind him Then she see time, he and Julia She knew him too well
“Shall we break for a few minutes?” she asked briskly
“No,” Logan muttered “Let's finish the daue onceso, a note of uncertainty in her voice
Without regard to technique, characterization, or any of the nuances of acting, Logan h the rest of the scene Julia let the perfor her fair brow to crease
The second the scene ended, Julia called for a twenty- to the greenrooan re his back to Madeline until he sensed that she had left
Slowly Juliathe san,” she said quietly, “I have no desire to interfere—”
“Then don't” He walked downstage to within a few feet of her, staring into her upturned face
Julia h to overhear before she continued, choosing her words with obvious care “I suspected there was an attraction between you and Maddy, but she's not the kind of girl you've ever been interested in before, and I certainly never dreamed—”
“What is your point, Your Grace?”
She looked stung by his abruptness “I happen to like Maddy I hope you won't take advantage of her You and I both know she would never recover froh”
Logan felt his face turn to stone “What I do—or don't do—with her is my business”
“Maddy's welfare is also my concern And I seem to recall your hard-and-fast rule that you never become personally involved with anyone in the company—”
“She's your employee, not mine I didn't hire her, and therefore I'm free to do whatever the hell I ith her”
“Logan,” she warned in frustration, watching as he strode away