Chapter 1

Kerry walked through the crowded room and pulled up short shaking her head. She stood and watched a slight smile hovering about her lips. There was her best friend, the famous or the infamous depending on your point of view, actor Jacqueline Roycroft holding court amongst the fawning crowds that surrounded her at her latest movie’s promotional luncheon.

Lady Jacqueline, better known as Jac to her intimates was the only daughter of the Earl of Beauleigh, a well known British aristocrat who had enhanced his considerable fortune with his financial empire. Born to a world of privilege and wealth, she was surprisingly careless of formality and often at odds with her father over what he thought was behaviour unbecoming of his daughter. He was a pillar of the establishment and was careful of keeping up appearances and would do anything not to sully the proud ancient Beauleigh name. The truth was, Jacqueline detested her upper class upbringing, and in fact rebelled against its snobbish, snooty, upper class restrictions in any way she could. Even though she loved her father dearly, they were often at odds with one another over the direction of his daughter’s life. Kerry knew that her best friend was nothing like her public persona was portrayed. She had a very loyal close circle of friends, but she was painted as a wealthy socialite, a spoilt aristocrat’s daughter. A good time party girl, with a champagne and caviar life style who dabbled in acting as a hobby, and attracted the attention of the world press like bees to a honeypot. That she was a talented actor meant nothing. Not many outside those who had worked with her, knew her dedication to her craft, and just how hard she worked at it. Kerry knew Jac played up to the paparazzi and the press, delighting in their misconception of her personality, and often encouraging this misinterpretation with the most outrageous antics. Kerry knew Jac couldn’t care less what people thought of her, only what her real friends thought mattered. Only her close circle of friends got to see the real woman, the real person behind the public façade that Jac presented to the world.

The truth was Jac did like to enjoy herself and have a good time. And it was often that the streak of mischievousness that ran through her family’s blood, came to the fore and prompted the occasional wild behaviour that had her father pulling his hair out in despair. But he was relieved the family’s wild streak was limited to his daughter and not her more staid older brother Richard, who had dutifully settled into the family business, and provided his son with an heir to the earldom. His daughter on the other hand was a free spirit and she had inherited the Roycroft wide streak.

Kerry suppressed a laugh as she watched Jac in action, amused at her friend’s predicament. She that knew how much Jac hated these functions, as they harked back to her upbringing, where she was expected to conform to a role of the socialite and attend the endless rounds of boring parties of the social calender.

A veil of bland politeness masked Jac’s face, as she absently twirled a wine glass in her hand, and only the slight droop of those normally smiling lips betrayed a hint of the boredom she was feeling. Her shining expressive pale green eyes were vacant, as she answered those about her mechanically but politely as she made small talk. I’ll go and rescue her Kerry thought to herself.

I looked up and spotted Kerry hiding on the fringe of the crowd. She had a hint of a smile upon her lips, and I could read her mind, she was clearly amused at my predicament, being stuck here in the middle of a sycophantic group of movie moguls, all wanting a piece of me. Pulling a face at her as I caught her eye, she laughed and made her way over to my side.

Kerry and I had met years before, at a finishing school for young ladies in Switzerland. Kerry was a daughter of an Australian media magnate, and we had clicked from the first moment of meeting. Soul sisters in trouble, clearly we both were not suited to that type of schooling, and rebellion had run riot. We both suffered painfully for the two torturous years we were boarded there. But looking back, I think the two of us were a whole bunch of trouble and a thorn in the side for the staff, and we still laughed at the relief the head mistress had shown when we both graduated. We had been inseparable ever since, and she was now my manager and a trusted friend.

‘Jac, you’re wanted on the phone.’ Kerry said to me poker faced as she pushed her way to my side. She held up her cell phone to make it more pointed.

‘Kez, thanks.’ I turned to the crowd around me. ‘Will you please excuse me, I must take this call, I’ve been expecting it. I know you all will forgive me for this interruption.’ I took hold of Kerry’s arm and tucked it into my own, and with a wink only she could see, we made our way to a quiet spot away from the crowd.

‘Thanks for the save darling.’ I grinned at her. ‘I was going demented there. God I hate these meaningless events. I mean the movie shouldn’t have to live and die on these stupid promotional functions they keep making us attend. God I need a drink.’ I looked at my empty glass, before resting it on the table beside us.

‘It comes with the territory Jac. And well if the film gets nominated for an Oscar like they are predicting, things will only get worse.’ She pointed out with a smile that made its way to her hazel eyes.

‘God forbid.’ I screwed my nose up in disgust. ‘Are we still going to that record launch party tonight?’ I asked changing the subject. ‘I could do with kicking my heals up tonight.’

‘Sue wanted us to be there. She’s got it so bad for that man of hers.’ Kerry said with a laugh as we made our way out of the function room. ‘But Brian’s a lovely guy, you’ve not met him yet have you?’

Sticking our heads out of the function room’s door and peeking around the corner, to make sure no one saw us leaving, we made a dash across the lobby, giggling like guilty school children, and let the crowd on the street swallow us up. ‘No I haven’t yet. He’s the singer right?’ Kerry nodded ‘We were supposed to have dinner together, but I had to cancel at the last minute, the director wanted to reshoot some scenes so couldn’t make it. Shall we get a taxi back to the hotel or walk?’

‘Taxi, I’ve a few papers I want to go through before we head on out tonight.’

‘Ok mate.’ I grinned as I imitated her Australian drawl. ‘No worries.’

She rolled her eyes and sighed with a pretend long suffering sigh. ‘I’ll sign you up for that freaky Aussie film if you keep that up.’

‘Actually I wouldn’t mind reading that script again.’ I told her with a dead pan expression.

Kerry squirmed and pulled a face. ‘As your manager, I’ll not let you.’ She laughed ‘That film is career ending.’

‘I know, that’s why it’s so temptingly marvellous.’

Kerry looked at me sideways not sure if I was half way serious, till she saw my smirk.

‘Jac, you will turn me grey before my time.’ She gave a relieved smile. ‘Besides I already said thanks but no thanks.’

‘Spoil sport, hey taxi!’ I stepped out of the kerb and yelled. The taxi pulled to the side and we climbed in.

‘The Savoy Hotel please.’ Kerry said to the driver.

*************

<‘Baby you look fine, stop worrying and come here.’ Brian pulled Sue over to him and placed a kiss on her forehead.

‘This is the first time out in the public eye with you Brian, I want to make sure I look ok. I mean all the media will be there won’t they?’ Sue said nervously, as she fingered a button on his shirt.

‘You look lovely Sue, pretty as a picture, and you’re all mine. There’s nothing to worry about honest, we’ll all be there with you. Have you heard from your friends at all, will they be there?’

Sue left his arms and picked up her watch off the dressing table and placed it on her wrist. ‘Yes, they’re both coming.’ She bit her lip and frowned, then said with a studied nonchalance. ‘ I know you’ve already met Kez, but you won’t judge Jac by what you’ve heard in the press will you? She’s really the sweetest thing.’ At Brian’s raised eyebrow, she smiled at him. ‘ Oh I’ll give you she has her wild moments.’ Brian coughed ‘ Oh well plenty of them then. But not many people know what’s she’s truly like Brian. They all think she lives one big party. No one knows just how much she does for charity, or how hard she works, and don’t say I told you either. She hates that getting out. In fact she’s positively manic about keeping quiet about it.’

Brian walked over and enfolded Sue in his arms. ‘Baby stop worrying, I’m sure we’ll find her charming.’

‘She is charming Brian, but don’t go expecting her to turn up looking every bit the aristocrat, she more like to turn up ready to shock everyone. I’m sure half the time Jac doesn’t know what she will do either, things just sort of happen around her. And knowing Jac, she won’t miss this opportunity to needle the press.’

Brian pulled Sue down onto the couch. ‘How come?’

‘I dunno, rebellion I think. They put so much shit on her at the beginning of her acting career, you know the spoiled rich brat dabbling in theatre, trading on her daddy’s name, and how because of who she is, doors opened for her. That’s not fair. I’ve worked with her, she’s an amazingly gifted actor. But I really think it’s self defence now. She delights in leading the press down the garden path.’ Sue smiled to herself. ‘There’s the public Lady Jacqueline Roycroft, the haughty, wild, outrageous woman, the social butterfly, with the family wild streak in her blood. Then there’s our Jac, the one her friends know, the down to earth no nonsense Jac, who would never see a friend in trouble, the Jac who anonymously gives away her pay check from a movie to charity. Who knows which one will turn up tonight. Life with Jac around keeps us on our toes and it’s never boring. ’

Chapter 2
Index

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