Sally Wentworth - Set the Stars on Fire Read online

  There was a general murmur of approval as the crew made for the refreshment wagon, but Lori bit her lip and turned away, ashamed that she had let her emotions interfere with her professionalism. She was sitting on the low bed which was part of the set and now Dean crossed to sit beside her.

  `You okay, honey?' He put an arm round her and squeezed her shoulder.

  Yesterday Lori would have taken the gesture in the friendly way it was meant, but today she couldn't help looking on it as the crew probably would-as the possessive touch of a lover. Abruptly she stood up and crossed to the Coke machine to get herself a drink. 'Yes, of course I'm all right,' she answered sharply.

  'Why shouldn't I be?'

  He didn't answer and she stood with her back turned towards him as she drank, willing him to go away and leave her alone, and after a moment she heard him move off the set, his armoured costume thinking as he walked. When she was sure that he was out of sight, Lori gave up all pretence of drinking and net down the monocup, her shoulders dropping dejectedly.

  'Lori?'

  The sound of her name when she thought that she was alone startled her and she turned quickly round to find Lewis standing at the corner of the set, watching her intently. For a moment she stared at him, her face vulnerable, but then she hastily turned away. 'It's all right, you don't have to say it,' she said tartly. 'I know I made a mess of that last scene. I know I let Dean and everybody else down and you don't have time to waste on temperamental actresses who can't get it right. You don't have to tell me, I've heard it all before!'

  She expected him to make some sarcastic comment at her outburst, would almost have welcomed his anger, but he merely said mildly, 'Why don't we take a walk on the ramparts? There's a breeze from the sea up there.'

  'No, thanks,' she answered shortly. 'Why not?'

  'I must go over my lines and moves again. And besides, it wouldn't make any difference, I'd still boil out in the sun with this wig on.'

  `Then take it off.’

  "I can't, .it takes too long to fix and the hairdresser would be annoyed if she had it all to do again,' Lori said defensively.

  `Then she'll have to be annoyed with me, because

  I'm telling you to take it off,' Lewis retorted, his voice becoming sharper. He looked at her expectantly, but when she didn't move gave an impatient exclamation and reached out to pluck the wig from her head.

  Lori felt her hair tumble about her face and automatically put up an unsteady hand to straighten it.

  Jerkily, in a last-ditch effort not to be alone with him, she said,

  `It isn't only the wig. I have to wear this bodice thing, and I can't get it off myself.’

  "Let me see,' he commanded.

  Reluctantly Lori lifted up her tunic and showed him the bodice, strapped up tightly at the sides to flatten her chest.

  'Good God!' Lewis ejaculated. `Have you been wearing that contraption all through filming? You wanted authenticity, remember?' Lori retorted caustically.

  `Lift your arms up, I'll take it off for you.' Lewis began to undo the straps, but she tried to pull away. 'No, I haven't got anything on underneath. Oh!' Hastily she pulled down the front of the tunic as

  Lewis undid the last buckle and pulled it off.

  But he was looking down at the bodice and his voice sounded angry as he said, `The wretched thing is soaked with perspiration—it's a wonder you didn't pass out wearing it in this heat. The wardrobe department will have to find something lighter to use, and I'll have air-conditioning rigged up on the set.' He dropped the bodice on a chair and looked at her. 'But right now we're going to take that walk.'

  He led the way and Lori had no choice but to follow, but she would have given anything not to be alone with him now, not when her emotions were such a seething cauldron of love and resentment. He didn't take her to the section of the ramparts that they were using for filming, but on towards one of the unrestored towers that looked out over the sea.

  'This part of the battlements up to the next tower was always defended by the English-speaking knights,'

  he told her. 'It was a tradition that each tongue always defended the same part of the city through all the time they were here.'

  He went on casually talking, but Lori took little notice. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her heart was beating painfully because she was so dose to him. She had only to reach out and she could touch him. She found that she wanted very much to touch him. As soon as they reached the tower she hastily moved away from him and went to look out to sea.

  There were a few boats making for the harbour, but there was little or no beach here and there were very few people about, only an old man fishing from the rocks and some small children paddling in the shallows. Lori closed her eyes and let the breeze ruffle her hair.

  'Don't you think you ought to tell me about it?' Lewis's voice shattered her fragile peace and she turned slowly to face him. Immediately the sun burnt through the thin material of her tunic.

  'About what?'

  'About why you went to pieces when we tried to shoot the second scene this morning,' he answered drily.

  She shrugged. `There's nothing to tell. It was just the heat-that, and not having learnt the scene properly, I suppose.'

  His eyes narrowed. `I admit the set was hot, but no hotter than yesterday and the day before; and you always do your homework, you know how that scene goes as well as I do.' He shook his head. 'No, something happened between filming that made you fall apart, and I want to know what it was.'

  `I tell you it was just the heat. I'm hungry, I'm going for my lunch.'

  She went to hurry past him, but he caught her arm and swung her round to face him, his voice sharp. `Oh, no, you don't! Not until I know why…'

  Lori wrenched her arm away and glared at him.

  `Don't touch me ! Don't you dare touch me’ His grey eyes stared into hers. `So I'm the culprit, am I?' he said softly. `And just what am I supposed to have done that's upset you?'

  Discretion and her temper flew away with the breeze as Lori burst out furiously, `You've lied to me, that's what you've done! Deceived me into thinking that we were-were friends, when all the time you just wanted to use me!'

  Lewis's face tightened. `And just how am I supposed to have lied to you and deceived you?' he asked grimly.

  `By telling me that you just wanted me to help Dean, when all the time you were throwing us together in the hope that we would have a love affair.'

  Coldly he said, `And just how would you and Dean having an affair benefit me?’

  'By making the love scenes in the film more passionate, more authentic, of course.' Lori's voice became heavy with contempt. 'And that's all you care about, isn't it-authenticity? You don't care how you use and manipulate people just so long as you get the effect you want on the screen. You know, you're on the -wrong side of the cameras. You should have been an actor. That scene in Lindos where you pretended to believe me and played on my sympathy to help Dean why, it was masterly. You should at least have received an Oscar for it!'

  'Will you listen to me…' Lewis began harshly, but Lori refused to be interrupted.

  'No, I won't listen. You can do some listening yourself for a change,' she retorted. 'Dean and I are friends, nothing more, and that's how it's going to stay. All the people in the crew who've made bets on our going to bed together will just have to lose their money, and you'll know that your precious film is just that much less perfect than the way you planned it. Well, that's just too bad. You'll just have to make it less obvious to everyone the next time you lie and cheat to get what you want! ' She came to an end, her voice unsteady, her eyes bright with anger in her pale face.

  Lewis was glaring at her, his mouth set in a tight line. 'Who told you this?'

  Lori shrugged and went to turn away. 'What does it matter?'

  He caught her shoulder and pushed her roughly back against the battlements, the metal armlet she was wearing clanging sharply against the stone. 'Someone accuses me of lying a
nd trickery and you expect it not to matter? You're going to tell me who told you even if I have to shake it out of you.'

  His eyes blazed down at her and Lori instinctively

  Flattened herself against the wall, but she still said jeeringly, `Why, so that you can fire whoever it was because they ruined your plans? That's just what I'd expect from you.'

  `Why, you little…' He took a menacing step towards her and then stopped abruptly, his expression completely changing. `Lori, keep still. Perfectly still.'

  He began to slowly reach down to the ground, but his eyes were fixed to a point near her elbow.

  Lori gazed at him in bewildered astonishment. She began to turn to see what was holding his attention, but he said fiercely, `Don't move!'

  But it was too late, Lori had already caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and had seen the snake that, alarmed by the noise of her bracelet, had uncurled itself from its hole and was slithering across the wall towards her bare arm ! She stood transfixed, unable to move now even if she had wanted to, and stared in fascinated horror as the snake, the green pattern on its head leaving her in no doubt that it was an adder, moved nearer.

  Then Lewis made a sudden swift movement and knocked the creature from the wall with a piece of rock he had picked. up from the ground. Lori heard the sound of the rock being brought down hard twice but had already turned away, her face in her hands, her body shaking with shock and revulsion, her breath catching on gasps of fear. Blindly she turned and groped for the steps leading from the tower, her one thought to get away in case there might be more, but then Lewis came up and took hold of her by the shoulders.

  `It's all right, Lori, the snake's dead. It's all over,' he said reassuringly.

  She turned to him, fear driving all other thoughts out of her mind, and clung to him unashamedly, some primitive instinct making her move close to him for protection.

  'Oh God, I can't stand snakes! A boy chased me with one once when I was a child and I've been terrified of them ever since,' she stammered.

  Lewis put one arm round her and with the other he gently stroked her hair until her shaking eased a little. Slowly Lori raised her head and looked at him. They were still standing very close and their faces were only inches apart as their eyes met. Lewis's hand stilled, he gazed at her for a moment that seemed to go on for ever and then lowered his head to seek her lips. It was completely unlike the first time he had kissed hex; then he had been wild and angry, but now his mouth was gentle, exploring, his hands coming up to cup her face as the kiss became deeper and her lips parted under his. She was as transfixed now by desire as she had been by fear and she made no attempt to break away from him, instead letting her arms creep round his neck and returning his kiss ardently. At last Lewis let his hands drop to her shoulders again and he put her from him, his breathing unsteady.

  'This is crazy,' he said thickly.

  Lori bit her lip and looked down at the ground with eyes gone suddenly bleak.

  'No, don't turn away.' Lewis cupped her chin and made her lift her head. 'I only meant that-well, that you're making me break every rule I ever made. I always swore that I'd never get involved with an actress, especially one playing in one of my own films. But now…' He lifted a finger to gently trace the outline of her cheek, the curve of her mouth.

  Lori looked up at him, her eyes misty. `Are we involved?' she asked tremulously.

  His eyes crinkled with amusement. `Well, it certainly looks as if we're heading that way.' And he bent to kiss her again.

  This time it was Lori who broke away, her cheeks flushed, her body quivering from the waves of sensuality his caresses had awakened in her. He held her close against him and she could hear his heart hammering in his chest.

  Raggedly he said, 'Lori, you have to believe me; I had no ulterior motive in asking you to date Dean.

  I truly thought you were the only person who was in a position to help him. Darling, say you believe me I' The endearment, coupled with the look of earnest entreaty in his eyes, convinced her that he was speaking the truth far more than any lengthy explanation would have done. Tentatively she, reached up to touch his face, but he caught her hand and turned it to kiss her palm. He looked at her questioningly. 'Lori?' `4f course I believe you. Otherwise you wouldn't have—have done this.'

  `Kissed you, do you mean?'

  `Yes.' And then, because it wasn't in her nature to be coy, she said impulsively, `Ah, Lewis, I've been wanting you to kiss me again for ages.'

  And so he did, with mounting passion, moulding her body against his, letting her know that he wanted her, and it was a long time before he let her go. Then he ran a hand through his hair and said unevenly, `We'd better get back to the set before they send someone to look for us. This just isn't the place for this kind of thing.' He helped her down the steps but then pulled her roughly to him. 'Oh, Lori, Lori! You're so lovely.' And he kissed her again. Afterwards lie gave a hollow groan. 'The worst part of it is that there isn't going to be much time for us to be alone together from now on. Some special effects I wanted haven't arrived from England yet and it's put us behind schedule, so I'm afraid I'll be working till late every night.'

  'But there are Sundays. We'll be able to meet then, won't we?'

  Lewis shook his head regretfully. 'I'm afraid I shall have to ask everyone to work seven days a week until we finish filming, so we won't even have that. But I'll make it up to you, my darling, I promise.' Lori tried not to let her disappointment show-and she soon threw it off. This time her scene with Dean went perfectly, and when she looked at Lewis afterwards she knew that the smile and the look he gave her were special, just for her. What did it matter if they had little time together now? At least she would see him every day on the set, and when the film was finished…? But that was too heady and wonderful, too much in the region of dreams, to even contemplate. 1't was enough that he had shown her that he cared, for the rest she was content to wait.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Lewis had said that he would have to ask everyone to work harder, and he pushed himself most of all, working from early morning until late at night, a punishing schedule that left him with no free time at all. Occasionally he was able to meet Lori when he left the production office after having seen the latest rushes and worked out exactly what he wanted done the next day. But by then it was very late and he was tired, so she didn't try to keep him with her. They would just walk down through the hotel gardens to the beach and there, in a block of shadow, he would kiss her and murmur endearments that made her heart sing with happiness.

  But she kept these meetings brief for another reason too; she knew that Lewis wanted her, and he was capable of rousing her sexually so much that she was afraid that if he asked her to sleep with him she wouldn't be able to resist. And she didn't want it to be like that, when they were both tired and had to work the next day. If they were going to make love, then she. wanted the first time to be something very special, far away from the hotel where anyone in the crew might see them, somewhere where they could spend the evening together first and have the whole night and the next morning too, if they wanted it. Lori had no qualms about giving herself to him; she was sure in her heart that he was the one man she could love and she would give her body happily and gladly. If he wanted to get married that would be very, very, wonderful, but if not-then she would take what he was willing to give. She Loved him so much that she felt humble and incredibly thankful that he cared for her at all.

  Filming progressed, but not as well as Lewis would have liked. Because Rhodes was an island everything they needed had to be shipped in, and he and the producer faced constant hold-ups. Expenses seemed to add up at the speed of light on location and they just couldn't afford to waste any time; when the extra horses they wanted didn't arrive in time for a battle scene they switched to shots inside the Grand Master's palace, when the big star who was to play the Sultan Suleiman was unable to get to Rhodes on the arranged date they filmed parts of the siege itself, and when the Turki
sh boats weren't finished they hastily made up a set to use so that they could film the Knights' betrayal by one of their own comrades.

  As Lori read the hastily amended call sheet each day she could well understand why Lewis had so little time, and she took great care not to make any demands of him and also not to let any of the crew suspect that there was anything between them. She wanted their relationship to be a solace to him, not a complication. And she knew that he understood and appreciated her reticence from the warmth in his eyes and the way he would gently squeeze her arm when he demonstrated how he wanted a scene played, or moved her to another position to see if he could get a better camera shot.

  She still went out occasionally with Dean, but he seemed to have settled down a lot now that the film was well under way and he was used to the crew, and besides, they were both so tired that they didn't often feel like going out. It was gruelling work in that climate and no one was surprised when tempers sometimes erupted and bitter quarrels broke out among people who had worked together placidly for weeks and were usually firm friends. To try to relieve some of the tension the producer threw a big Independence Day party on July the fourth in honour of all the Americans in the crew, and it soon developed into a high spirited and rather drunken bout of horseplay as everyone worked off their excess energy in races and competitions. Lori stayed for an hour or so, laughingly dancing with everyone who asked her while all the time keeping an eye open for Lewis who had telephoned her to say he would try and make it. But he didn't come, and when the party degenerated into throwing people into the pool and mattresses out of the hotel windows, Lori decided it was time to leave..

  The party helped for a while, but the Hollywood star still hadn't arrived, so they had to rearrange the schedules yet again and Lewis decided that, as one boat had been built, they would go to Lindos and shoot the scenes which came at the beginning of the film where Lori was to be shipwrecked on the island.

  The boat was a converted fishing vessel and had to have room not only for the scenes to be shot but for all the cameramen and essential technicians as well, so the atmosphere was claustrophobic with everyone getting in each other's way and people and equipment crammed into every available inch of space. The heat, too, on this, the Mediterranean side of the island where there was no breeze, was intense and one of the cameramen had already passed out before they even began to actually film. Lori was lucky in that she was in the shade inside the mock-up cabin where a battery operated fan had been set up, but for the first scene she was wearing female clothes and the heavy skirts and sleeves seemed to drag on her like lead weights.