"Work is fine for killin' time, but it's a shaky way to make a living."
Ben stared at the woman he was talking to and shook his head slightly, "Would you mind repeating that?"
"I said that I am willing to extend our stay here in Kalispell until next spring."
"That's what I thought you said but considering how reluctant you were to come here in the first place..."
"Well, there's no need to be surprised," Evelyn said, nonchalantly, "Kalispell has grown on me and besides I have a good reason to stay."
A frown appeared on his face, "A good reason? No-one stays here unless they really have to."
His own stay here in Kalispell was one of necessity and not because he wanted to be there. Although the town and the area were pleasant, there wasn't quite enough action in his field of expertise. While he could get a few games of poker during the week, the pickings were meagre compared what he could be getting in places like Denver or San Francisco. Still there was something to be said of the quiet life as he had more opportunity to hone his business skills.
Even though he was a bit sceptical about Eve's reason for wanting to hang around here for a bit longer than she had originally envisioned, he wasn't about to say no. Her willingness to continue performing in his theatre solved the problem of trying to find a group of performers who were willing to spend a long winter in the middle of nowhere.
Opening the drawer to his desk, Ben pulled out the original contract that Eve had signed. "All right then, I will just amend the dates on this and you can sign underneath it as I don't think I will draw up a new contract."
"No, you won't have to. My company and me will abide to the same conditions...it's just an extended run."
After making the changes, Ben handed the paper over to Eve, who signed it promptly. As she handed it back to him, he half-smiled, "I don't suppose you mind telling me why you want to stay?"
"I don't mind," Eve replied. A smile crept on her face as she began to tell him who and why.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella was draped over a, well, what was it, a sort of bench; and she was wearing a... well, what was it? A sort of oriental sarong was the kindest thing to call it. Miriam would have to be brought in to rework it into something befitting the Siren of the Nile (or the 'Saren of the Narl' as Arabella pronounced it, much to Mr Darling's constant dismay.)
Arabella swooned over the bench and let out a sigh: "What should I do I do not?"
Old Mrs Talbot, wrapped in a large shawl, answered: "In each thing give him way; cross him in nothing."
Arabella: "Thou teachest like a fool: the way to lose him."
Talbot: "Tempt him not so too far. I wish, forbear. In time we hate that which we often fear. But here comes Antony."
Arabella took one look at Mr Darling, with his trouser legs rolled up and a large bath-towel wrapped around his waist in lieu of a Roman General's uniform, and repeated her line with some feeling "I am sick and sullen."
"I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose—" declaimed Darling in his usual fulsome and overblown histrionic style.
"Well I'm sorry you're breathing full stop! How'm I supposed to fall in love with them great hairy legs?! Them's scarcely human!" Arabella bawled "I want Mister Astin to play Mark Anthony - you can be some ol' General or something!"
"How dare you!" Mister Darling always gave as good as he got "My legs have been admired from New York to San Francisco! They have appeared before the crowned heads of Europe! They have portrayed the limbs of some of the greatest of Shakespeare's tragic heroes! Why, you should have seen my Coriolanus!"
The door opened and Miss Hardy walked in - to yet another tempest of a rehearsal "Here's Octavia!" Arabella shouted "She'll settle this! Miss Hardy, Miss Hardy - don't you think Mister Astin's legs should play Marc Anthony instead of them fuzzy trees? And also, I mean, I'm not saying Mr Darlin's bandy legged or nuthin', but I bet he couldn't stop a hog in a alleyway."
"An alleyway, AN alleyway!!" corrected Mister Darling, more incensed about Arabella's horrible diction and enunciation than the aspersions cast upon his shins.
Evelyn sighed and made a mental note to let Arabella know that she would have learn to ignore the failings of those she would be working with. However, now was not the time for that as she had to tell the company about the decision to stay. She would, of course, let those who didn't want to go stay but she was fairly confident most of them would stay as it would mean regular work during the winter with hotel accommodation chucked in for good measure. If any were to leave now, they would be on their own.
As for the hotel rooms, the owner of the hotel, Mister Wentworth was happy to have them occupied for the duration of the winter as guests tended to be almost non-existent. People only came to Kalispell during the warmer months when travelling was much easier. Now, that Mister Wentworth was mayor, she would be dealing mostly with his assistant manager, the stern Kurt Albrecht.
In fact, Albrecht was the reason that she wanted to stay in Kalispell. He presented her with a challenge and she was always up for one of those. She wanted to find if she could break through his grumpy demeanour to see what he was really like. The no-nonsense German had no idea of what he was in for. Besides, she found him attractive and that in itself was worth staying for.
She went over to the group and smiled at Arabella, "We can discuss Mister Darling's wardrobe later but for now I have some news...in order to get some well-earned rest and to prepare for the upcoming spring season, we will be staying here in Kalispell."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
She went over to the group and smiled at Arabella, "We can discuss Mister Darling's wardrobe later but for now I have some news..."
There was something in the way Miss Hardy addressed them that made the small theatre company sit up and pay attention: Arabella and Mr Darling dropped their feud (for now), Mrs Talbot put her knitting down in her lap (for she had the amazing ability to rehearse just about any part she was asked to play and knit at the same time) and Mr Astin pushed himself up off the wall he was lounging against.
"What news?" asked Darling.
"None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest." muttered Mrs Talbot, who actually had a greater grasp of Shakespeare than the pompous tragedian who had asked the question.
"... in order to get some well-earned rest and to prepare for the upcoming spring season, we will be staying here in Kalispell."
"What?!! Winter in this dump?!!" thundered Darling "Are you mad, Miss Hardy?!!"
Arabella looked a little disappointed too, she'd had visions of them all going to some big city soon. Mrs Talbot was her usual stoic self and Mr Astin as inert as ever. He just shrugged.
Mrs Talbot only added a question.
"Where are we going to live, Evie? This theatre is already getting a little chilly and I hear the winters here are very severe."
"Sure" jumped in Arabella "Poor Missus T, she's all ancient and old - store her in a place like this over winter and she's likely t' die of double Ammonia! And I ain't goin' back to the Refuge after that feller died in there - it's probably haunted!"
Eve ignored Darling's statement asking if she was mad for deciding to stay in Kalispell. Maybe she was, especially where her feelings for the hotel's assistant manager was concerned but she wasn't about to mention that, so she moved on to Mrs. Talbot's question.
"We will be living at the hotel for the duration of the winter. I have procured a room seven which has two single beds for both Mrs. Talbot and Arabella to share. Mister Darling and Astin will have their own rooms...eight and nine. Both of these rooms are small but adequate and only have single beds."
She wanted to make sure that Astin understood that if he wanted to entertain women, then it wouldn't be at her expense and he would have to go elsewhere. Giving him one of the smallest rooms in the hotel would hopefully get the message across.
"As for me, I will be in room ten...which is another small room with a single bed," she said firmly. It was also important to show that she wasn't taking a suite or a larger double bed room just because she was the owner of the company. Eve wanted to show that she was just like them.
After a brief moment to let others say something, she continued, "It is hope that with this extra time here in Kalispell, we can iron out any problems we have as well as trying some new material on the audiences here before we go try it out on a larger and more critical one."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Every one of Miss Hardy's audience of four was somewhat intrigued by her rather detailed exposition on the living arrangements they could look forward to in the hotel over Winter, even down to the exact room numbers! Why, she was hotel crazy!
Messers Darling and Astin were at least appreciative of the fact that they would have their own rooms, especially as Arabella and Mrs Talbot wouldn't. The old and the young actresses were neither of them ecstatic about having to share, and cast each other long sideward glances.
"I prefer eight to nine! Eight is an inauspicious number!" declared Mr Darling, but otherwise no one had a lot to say on the matter. They all stood dumb, waiting for Evie to enumerate how many towels would be available in each room or something, but instead it was something more germane.
"It is hope that with this extra time here in Kalispell, we can iron out any problems we have as well as trying some new material on the audiences here before we go try it out on a larger and more critical one."
"Huh, what problems?!"
"Problems, my dear woman?! Problems?!!"
"Ohhh, we don't have any problems Evie dear"
"No problems here"
Their voices were a mixed-up babble, but the consensus was clear: they thought they were perfect.
Evelyn rolled her eyes as she listened to the unified babbling of her fellow actors. She raised her hand to silence them before continuing.
"Yes, problems. Nothing is perfect and even if there doesn't seem to be any at the moment, I want to be ready just in case something does happen. Besides, now that we have a new member, we need to look at some new material as some of the parts the lately departed Miss Shaw played are not quite suitable for Arabella."
Before Arabella could say anything, Eve went up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder, "Now, I know you think you can play anything but I think you will have to agree that you are more suitable to light-hearted fare than dramatic roles in plays such as Jeanie Deans."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Before Arabella could say anything, Eve went up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder, "Now, I know you think you can play anything but I think you will have to agree that you are more suitable to light-hearted fare than dramatic roles in plays such as Jeanie Deans."
"Oh, I can play Deanie Jeans as easy as fallin' off a log!" Arabella assured her "Who is Deanie Jeans, anyhow?"
"Deans, girl, Deans! Jeanie Deans, from The Heart of Midlothian" Mr Darling Boomed.
"Well I don't mind where she hails from, I can still play her!" countered Miss Mudd, snappishly.
"No she... ugh... she is from the book, The Heart of Midlothian, by Sir Walter Scott! She is renowned as an example of an honest, upright, sincere, and highly religious person! And Miss Shaw, to give her credit, could do upright, in a sort of top-heavy way. Yes, with that angelic face and proud bearing, she could handle the big parts." Mr Darling eulogised over the actress for whom he had not a good word to say while she was actually with the company.
"Well I know I ain't got as big parts as Miss Shaw did, but I can do angelic, look!" Arabella looked up to the ceiling like she was counting all the cobwebs there and put her finger on her chin, presumably denoting innocence.
"My God, you look like someone who's just stolen a cripple's crutch!" gasped Darling, recoiling in horror.
All this bickering stopped suddenly when the usually silent Mr Astin quietly remarked "I think it's a good idea. Staying in Kalispell."
Mudd, Darling and Talbot looked at him amazed. What they didn't know was that the handsome leading man had a local sugar-daddy grovelling at his feet who was willing and able to finance his gambling habit.
Eve was just about surprised as everybody else when Astin declared that it was a good idea to stay in Kalispell. It was the last thing she had expected and for a moment, she didn't quite know what to make of it. A small part of her was very suspicious as to why Astin wanted to stay but she knew it would be wise not to ask. As long as whatever he did in his spare time didn't interfere with his job, she really didn't care what his reasons were for staying.
"All right, unless anyone else has something to say, we can get back to rehearsals. We can go through the scene you were practicing when I came in...and this time Arabella, ignore the way Darling is dressed and focus on being the Siren of the Nile."
"How very dare you?! Of course it's my natural hair color!"
"All right, unless anyone else has something to say, we can get back to rehearsals. We can go through the scene you were practicing when I came in...and this time Arabella, ignore the way Darling is dressed and focus on being the Siren of the Nile."
"Don't you mean Saaaaarun of thur Naaaaahl?" asked Darling acidly. "Oh, very well, let's take it from... Act Four, Scene Four."
"I want Mr Astin to try it!" objected Arabella. She didn't think she was giving of her best with Darling. She actually admired his acting more than she let on: he was certainly a crowd pleaser and, if his histrionics were a little exaggerated, it meant tht he had an uncanny ability to almost force an audience of unlettered hicks understand what was going on, despite the unfamiliar, hifalutin language of a Shakespeare play.
The problem was, she just couldn't imagine Cleopatra falling in love with him!
"Oh very well, give it your best shot, Astin." he sighed.
The handsome and languid Astin pushed himself lazily off the wall. "Four Four, you say?" he asked as he hadn't really been listening. Cleopatra made herself comfy on her 'Egyptian couch' and looked up as him as he began to declaim:
This morning, like the spirit of a youth
That means to be of note, begins betimes.
So, so; come, give me that: this way; well said.
Fare thee well, dame, whate'er becomes of me:
He knelt beside Arabella and hovered his face over hers as she looked up with a face she hoped was 'full of Eastern promise'
This is a soldier's kiss: rebukeable
He took Arabella in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth... and she emitted a rather intimate sounding little groan (there was no other word for it, it was definitely a groan) of satisfaction. It was a long kiss, but eventually they separated.
Darling threw up his hands.
"I concede Miss Hardy, I concede. The part must be played by Mr Astin. I cannot compete with grunts and groans!!"
Arabella looked up at Astin with a dizzy look on her face. "Phew, kin you teach my girlfriend to kiss like that?" she asked plaintively. "No, I only kiss girls in a professional capacity." he replied very soberly.
"This isn't a rehearsal, it's an orgy!" berated Mrs Talbot, but she was clearly used to it all.
It really was a wonder they ever got any plays actually on the stage and ready to go.