Chapter 31

On going home after a very embarrassing day, Veronica found a letter awaiting her. She opened it and saw that it was from Algernon, the director of the film. A piece of paper fluttered out and fell to the ground. She saw that it was a cheque, and one for quite a lot of money - two hundred thousand pounds, in fact! HOW MUCH!! But - she was getting used to surprises by now, and took this latest in a long line totally in her stride. She read the letter.

"Dear Miss Harmsworth,

"Owing to the unexpected and phenomenal success of our little cinematic endeavour, I am able to enclose your share of the financial windfall that this success has brought us all.

"The popularity of the film was very largely due to your own all too brief appearance (as well as the photograph of you which appeared prominently on the video package.)

"I wonder if you could be persuaded to appear in a follow up production which I plan to launch upon the public in the next few months. If you are interested - and I fervently hope that you are - give me a call at the earliest opportunity

"Yours gratefully and sincerely Algernon."

"Great!" she muttered. "A whole new life stretches ahead of me as a nude icon and star of trash sexploitation cinema! Still - the money will be handy." (She had already spent quite a lot of her two million pounds - amazing how fast it goes!)

There was another letter waiting for her and she recognised the writing with a stab of pain in her heart. It was from Douglass, from whom she had not heard since arriving back from that rather disastrous holiday.

"My Ever More Darling Veronica,

"I have to go to the States for a few months on important business. I shall already be on my way there when you get this letter. When I return, perhaps we can get together again. I can't live without you, my angel. Please say you still love me. I could not bear it if you didn't.

"All my undying love

Douglass"

Two tears made their symmetrical and salty way down each cheek as she read this.

"I wonder if he'll still feel the same when he gets home?" she thought. Then she forced herself to cheer up and phoned the Director, Mr FitzWalter. He sounded ecstatic to hear from her.

"When can you be free to start, Veronica? I know what a big shot you have become this last few weeks! Really I thought we might be rather beneath your notice, by this time."

"No. I need the money. I've just bought a lovely house, overlooking the Heath, which I'm moving into soon and furniture is very expensive and there are all sorts of overheads which I hadn't really taken on board before plunging into the purchase. Then there's the villa in the Greek Islands I'm negotiating for. And this new job isn't bringing in a whole lot just now, what with the markets being in the dire state they are. No, Algy! I can't possible afford to turn this down - even if I wanted to - which I don't. I'd love to collaborate with you all again!"