Bella

Chapter Fifteen

She felt like a convalescent recovering from a very bad attack of ’flu the next day. She found herself impossibly shy of Lazlo, hardly able to meet his eyes. Most of the day she slept in the sun. And in the evening she sobbed herself stupid over The King And I on television. She also felt quite unnecessarily irritated when Angora telephoned Lazlo from France where she was filming, and he took the telephone into the other room.

Next day he’d driven Bella back to London to start rehearsals on The Seagull, and now here she was, three days later, sulking in the hairdresser’s because he hadn’t even rung her up to see how she was.

Bernard, her hairdresser, picked up a strand of her hair.

‘That’s a bit of a mistake, duckie,’ he said. The pink rinse had turned green in the sun.

‘I’ll say,’ said Bella crossly. ‘I’ve decided to go back to my natural colour.’ Bernard looked appalled, ‘But what on earth is it?’

‘A sort of dark mouse, not unattractive.’

‘But, darling, you’re crazy. You’ve been blonde for years, no-one’ll recognize you. It’ll ruin your image.’

‘I’ve got to play a very mousey girl in my next play.’

Alas, no woman is a dedicated artist to her hairdresser.

Bernard grinned slyly. ‘Don’t give me that, dearie. You’ve met some nice, straight bloke who you think doesn’t like dyed hair.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Bella crossly. But she blushed crimson.

The weather grew even hotter. She had to rehearse all afternoon. It was impossibly stuffy in the theatre. She was just getting her teeth into her part when something happened to wreck her concentration. Five minutes later she was back in her dressing room.

‘What on earth’s the matter?’ said Rosie Hassell in alarm. ‘It was going so well.’

‘It’s Johnnie,’ stormed Bella, glaring at the handsome blond boy who played Konstantin, who was leaning against her dressing table.

‘Didn’t you see him sneaking on to the stage and letting loose that toad. He knows I’m terrified of toads.’

Johnnie started to laugh. ‘Bella, angel, the scene is played beside a lake. It should be absolutely crawling with frogs and toads and things. I was only trying to inject a little realism into the act.’

‘You were not,’ shouted Bella. ‘You were trying to put the fear of God into me.’

‘Oh well.’ Johnnie shrugged his shoulders. ‘If you’re going to be stuffy.’

‘I am. I bloody am.’

Roger Field stood in the doorway frowning. Two of his leading players hurling abuse at each other cannot have been the most edifying sight, but Bella was past caring.

‘I’ll report you to Equity and get you kicked out,’ she screamed at Johnnie.

‘That’s enough, Bella,’ said Roger. ‘The whole theatre can hear you.’

‘I don’t care,’ Bella shouted. ‘Do you know what he did? He put this toad. .’

‘All right, pack it in, Johnnie. Take that toad back to the Thames, or wherever you found it. I’ll talk to you later.’

Grinning broadly, Johnnie slouched out of the room.

‘I’ll kill you, kill you, kill you!’ Bella screamed after him.

‘Stop bawling like a fishwife,’ said Roger. ‘There’s someone to see you.’

‘I don’t want to see anyone,’ snapped Bella. ‘I want you to stop that horrible boy putting toads in my. .’ Her voice trailed off, for in the doorway stood Lazlo.

‘I’ll leave her to you,’ said Roger. ‘I hope you make a better job of calming her down than I did.’

Bella was speechless for a minute. Then she said, ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Watching your rehearsal,’ said Lazlo. ‘I was going to tell you how good you were, but I’m not sure if you deserve it. I’m glad you get abusive with other people besides me,’ he said.

‘It’s not funny.’ Bella slumped down in her chair and gazed at herself in the mirror. Mousey hair scraped back in an elastic band, shiny face without a scrap of make-up, shirt soaking with sweat, splitting jeans. Oh, damn, damn, damn. She’d meant to be so silken and beautiful next time she met him.

‘What do you want?’ she said, ungraciously.

‘I was going to ask you out to dinner, but I won’t if you’re going to be so ratty.’

‘Oh, well,’ she blushed and shuffled her feet.

‘I’ve got two Arabs to entertain, I’m meeting them at eight. Can you be ready in a quarter of an hour?’

‘But I haven’t got anything to wear,’ Bella wailed.

Lazlo got to his feet. ‘You’d better borrow something,’ he said. ‘I’m going to talk business with Roger. By the way,’ he added, as he went out of the door, ‘I like the hair. It’s a distinct improvement.’

The Arabs were jolly and fat, and ate all Bella’s potatoes and steak at dinner. She had borrowed a pair of shorts and an orange T-shirt from Rosie, which was much too tight across the bust.

Her suntan was beginning to fade. She kept wishing she could think of witty things to say.

The Arabs wanted to make a night of it and kept muttering about strip clubs, but Lazlo managed to extricate himself and Bella about midnight. They didn’t speak as he drove across London. They stopped at a traffic light. Please make it stay red for ever, she prayed. She held her breath when they came to Hyde Park, but he turned left. She was appalled by the joy that flooded over her as she realized he was taking her back to his flat instead of hers.

As Lazlo poured out drinks for them both, she studied him carefully, examining the thick, black hair curling over his collar, the broad shoulders in the immaculate white suit, the sunburnt hands shooting soda into the glasses, and suddenly she felt quite giddy with lust.

What’s happening to me? she thought in horror. Five days ago I was madly in love with Steve, and now all I can do is long and long and long to be in bed with Lazlo.

As he handed her a drink, their hands touched. Jumping as though he’d burnt her, she seized the glass and bolted over to the window. It’s all right for him, she thought in panic. Riverboat gambler, with the morals of an alley cat, and a million light years of sexual experience under his belt. All he has to do is throw a little soft soap around and he’ll have me eating out of his hand.

Lazlo took off his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair.

‘You’re very quiet,’ he said. ‘What’s eating you?’

Bella took a deep breath. ‘I know you’re only being nice to me,’ she blurted out, ‘because you want me to fall for you. Just to make sure I won’t go back to Rupert.’

Lazlo sighed. ‘That’s a very silly, childish remark. I did hope you’d given up making remarks like that.’ Bella looked mutinous. There was a pause.

Then she stammered. ‘All right, I’m sorry. I was being ungracious.’

He smiled. ‘Good girl to apologize. Come over here.’

‘No,’ said Bella in a strangled voice. ‘I can’t do it, I can’t be another of your one-night-stands, just to amuse you for tonight because you can’t sleep.’

‘My dear child, what are you on about?’

The telephone rang. Lazlo took no notice.

‘Hadn’t you better answer it?’ Bella said shakily.

‘All right.’ He picked up the receiver, not taking his eyes off her face.

‘Hullo? Yes, Aunt Constance, what an unexpected pleasure.’ He grinned at Bella and raised his eyes to heaven.

Suddenly the smile was wiped off his face.

‘What’s that?’ he snarled. ‘When did this happen? Why wasn’t I told before? Have you told the police? All right, I’ll come straight over.’

The scar down the side of his face was like a livid gash as he put down the receiver. His eyes were blazing with rage.

‘What’s the matter?’ said Bella.

‘Chrissie. She’s been kidnapped. They want two million pounds ransom.’