Part 17 (1/2)

'Posy back?'

'No.'

'He' - Pauline nodded in the direction of Mr Reubens, 'has been offered a lot of money for me to go to Hollywood.'

'Goodness!' said Petrova. 'Does he want to make you a film star?'

'Yes.' Pauline put her elbows on her knees, and rested her chin in her hands. 'But I don't want to be.'

'Why not?'

'I want to be an actress,' Pauline explained: 'an actress on the stage. It's quite different from pictures.'

'How much money would they pay you?'

Pauline looked embarra.s.sed.

'You wouldn't believe it, but about a hundred pounds a week, perhaps more, because the English studio want me to stay here. Mr Reubens says that the English studio didn't realize that America would want me, or they'd have had me under contract.'

'Goodness!' Petrova gazed at her. 'A hundred pounds a week!'

'More, quite likely.' Pauline hugged her knees. 'But I don't want to go; it's for five years, or it could be, if they take up their options.'

'Five years!' Petrova stared at her horrified. 'Would you go all alone?'

'No, Garnie would come too.'

Petrova opened her eyes.

'Then what about us?'

Pauline shrugged her shoulders.

'I don't know. Garnie said if I wanted to go, it could be arranged.'

'Did you say you wouldn't go?'

'Yes.' Pauline frowned. 'But Mr Reubens said I was to come out and talk it over with both of you.'

'You can't talk it over with Posy,' Petrova said sadly. 'I do wish she would come back.'

She had hardly said the words when the front door opened and in burst Posy, with her attache case in her hand.

'Posy! Where have you been?'the other two asked together.

Posy did not answer that, but joined them at the bottom of the stairs.

'He'll take me,' she said in an ecstatic voice.

'Who?' asked Petrova.

Pauline remembered last night.

'Monsieur Manoff?'

Posy clasped her hands.

'Yes. Isn't it just the most wonderful thing that has ever happened? I went out to the theatre, and I was lucky; there was a rehearsal, and the ballet were going in. They none of them spoke English, but just said something funny to the door-keeper, which I suppose was good-morning. I saw he didn't know any of them by sight, so I walked in too, and just said ”Beaver-time”, which might be Czechoslovakian for good-morning. I went down on the stage, and put on my ballet-shoes. Presently the ballet came down. n.o.body said anything to me. Then Monsieur Manoff came. There was a most terrific bowing and curtsying; they call him ”Maitre”. Of course I curtsied too. Then he saw me. He came over, and asked what I wanted, and I told him that he should see me dance; and he said not then, there was a rehearsal; but I said it would be a mistake not to see me, and I couldn't wait. So he laughed and called me to the middle of the stage. Then he gave directions. You cannot imagine...' Posy got up, and gave an imitation of Manoff giving directions at great speed, and herself trying to follow, but always a bit late. 'At the end he asked who had taught me, and when I told him, he blew a kiss and said, ”I understand now”. Then he said, ”You will come to me to Szolyva” - that's where the school is - ”and I will make you into a beautiful artiste”. So I said I would get Gamie to make the arrangements, and I came home.'

'But, Posy,' Petrova gasped, 'how do you think Garnie is going to afford to send you there? In any case, you're a child - you can't go alone.'

'No, I thought of that,' Posy agreed. 'Nana will have to live there with me, or Garnie.'

'But what about money?' Petrova insisted.

Posy's face grew anxious.

'She'll have to get it.' She clasped the end of the banisters. 'I must go. I must.'

'But you can't.' Petrova caught hold of her. 'It's silly to pretend you can, Posy; Garnie hasn't any money - you know that. You must get it into your head. You can't go.'

Pauline got up.

'Yes, you can, Posy; wait a second.' She went into the drawing-room. She was out again in a few minutes.

'That's settled. Garnie's signing for me now.' She looked rather miserably round the hall. 'Imagine five years!' She turned to Posy. 'It will be all right for you; I shall pay - I'm going to make an awful lot of money: enough to keep you, and Nana, in Czechoslovakia, as well as Garnie and me in Hollywood.'

'Oh! Pauline darling.' Posy flung her arms round her neck, then jumped up and pirouetted round the hall.

Petrova tried not to feel selfish, but it was rather tremblingly that she said to Pauline: 'What about me?'

'You!' Pauline considered her. 'I don't know. We didn't talk about you.'

'No, I suppose not,' Petrova agreed, and tried not to cry. To prevent herself she changed the subject. 'That'll put an end to our vowing - at least, we can't do it all together.'

Posy stopped in the middle of a pirouette.

'We couldn't vow any more, anyhow.'

Pauline nodded.

'No.'

Petrova looked puzzled.

'Why not?'