Sally Wentworth - Set the Stars on Fire

by Sally Wentworth

  During the next few days Lori worked on small, unimportant scenes with the assistant director and didn't see Lewis at all, but after filming one day the assistant called after her and said, 'Oh, I nearly forgot, Lewis said to tell you that we'll be filming the love scene tomorrow and you're to call in at Wardrobe before you go home.'

  Lori nodded her acknowledgement.`I'll go along there now.'

  She found Lydia Grey in the midst of packing discarded costumes into huge trunks. `Just getting some of this stuff ready to ship back to England,' she explained.

  `Lord, I hope I get assigned to some nice present-day film next time, where everyone wears jeans and sweaters.'

  Lori smiled slightly. `In that case you'll probably get some way-out sci-fi movie like Star Wars.' Lydia made a piteous face. `Oh no, don't wish that on me, for heaven's sake! ' She looked at the younger girl pensively. I heard you went back to England. Not bad news or anything, was its'

  Immediately a shutter came down over Lori's eyes. `No, Y just decided to take advantage of the shooting schedule and have a break. The assistant director said you wanted me for a costume fitting,' she "said pointedly, changing the subject.

  'All right,' Lydia said good-humouredly, `I can read the "Keep Out" sign.' She shook her .head. `No, not for a costume fitting. I want to know whether you wear a bikini top when you sunbathe.'

  Lori looked at her in astonishment. `Yes, of course I do. Why on earth do you want to know?' `So that I can get the make-up department to give me some stain to put on your white bits tomorrow.

  Nice little mediaeval girls didn't have bikini marks on their boobs,' she explained with a grin.

  Her voice suddenly tight, Lori said stiltedly, `Are you saying that I'm supposed to appear nude in the love scene?'

  'Not completely nude, only your top half.' Lydia frowned. 'Although I believe you were to be bare at first, but Lewis changed his mind and said just your breasts would do.'

  'Did he?' Anger broke the surface like boiling surf. 'How very big of him! Well, you can tell Mr Lord Almighty Brent that I have no intention of baring any part of my anatomy for his rotten film, and if he doesn't like it then he can just fire me and shoot the whole damn thing all over again!' And she strode out of the room, slamming the door viciously behind her and leaving Lydia gaping at her with her mouth wide open.

  As had become her habit since her return from England, Lori had dinner sent up to her room, but she hardly picked at the food before pushing it away, and when the next day's call sheet was pushed under her door she didn't even bother to go and pick it up. Angrily she paced up and down the floor, seething with resentment. How dared he take for granted that she would willingly expose her body to Dean, to the crew, and eventually to the millions of people who would see the film? The thought of thousands of leering, faceless men staring at her image, revolted her, but even worse would be having to meet men who had seen the film, knowing when they looked at her just what they were imagining. The thought of it made her flush with embarrassment and increased her determination to hold out against him.

  All evening she waited for the phone to ring with a summons to Lewis's office, but as the night dragged on without anything happening she began to hope that she had won an easy victory. At eleven she began to prepare for bed and was undressed and about to take a shower when there was a peremptory knock at the door. For a moment she fought a strong impulse not to open it, but then squared her shoulders; if Lewis Brent wanted a battle then he was certainly going to get one! Tightening the knot on her towelling bathrobe, Lori opened the door.

  Lewis was leaning nonchalantly against the wall, his hands in his pockets. His grey eyes ran over her briefly, but his expression was unreadable. Evenly he said, `I'm sorry to call so late, but I got held up with the latest rushes. I rather wanted to talk to you, but as you're obviously not dressed to go down to the bar, perhaps I might come in for a moment?'

  She had expected him to be blazingly angry, was ready to give as good as she got and slam the door in his face, but his calmly casual approach threw her out of top gear and before she quite realised what was happening he had walked past her and into the room, picking up the call sheet as he did so.

  `Now just a minute…'

  But he took no notice of her indignation and strolled through into the main room.

  `You don't happen to have a drink, do your It's been rather a long day.' And he sat down heavily in the only available chair, tossing the call sheet casually aside as he did so.

  Still standing holding the door, Lori looked at him suspiciously, alert for some kind of trick. But he did look very tired. Slowly she shut the door and walked into the room. `There's only some wine,' she said uncertainly, indicating her dinner tray.

  `That will do fine, thanks.'

  She poured it for him and gave him the glass, taking care not to touch him. But he didn't seem to notice and took a long drink as if he was very thirsty. Afterwards he swirled the rest of the wine round in the glass, looking down at it broodingly, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. Then he glanced up and saw her watching him and seemed, with some difficulty, to bring himself back to the present.

  'I'm sorry, things on my mind. Aren't you going to join me in a drink?'

  'No, but help yourself if you want some more.' She felt awkward standing up in front of him, but the only place to sit was the bed. After a moment of indecision she perched on the edge, pulling the skirts of her robe tightly across her knees.

  Lewis poured himself another glass of wine and then leant back in the chair, looking as if he would very much have liked to have closed his eyes and gone to sleep.

  Despite herself she said, 'You've been working too hard.'

  'Hm? Oh, it's always like this towards the end of a film when you're trying desperately not to overrun your schedule. But another week will see it finished.' 'And then you'll be able to have a holiday before you start something else?'

  He gave the ghost of a smile. 'I'm afraid it doesn't work like that; there's still another three months' work to do on The Siege before it's ready for release. The footage has to be edited, the sound effects and the musical score put in-without them you-have just a disjointed series of pictures.' He looked at her directly. 'How about you? Have you anything lined up?' Lori shook her head. 'No, I haven't made any plans.' He stood up, pressing his shoulders back as if his body ached. He was wearing a blue linen shirt, open at the neck, the cuffs turned back casually, and he seemed very broad and tall, his presence dominating the room. Stepping to the open windows, he looked out for a moment, then turned towards her. Here it comes at last, she thought, the tension rising within her like something tangible.,

  `Lydia tells me you refuse to appear topless in the love scene. Tell me, is it because of your principles or because you-want to annoy me?'

  Lori's features tightened and she answered coldly, 'It's a matter of principle. And there's nothing in my contract that says I have to take my clothes off! 'No,' he agreed, but added reasonably, `But there is a clause that states that you will follow my direction.’

  "Not as far as that,' Lori rejoined icily. `It doesn't matter what you say, I'm not going to do it.'

  Exasperatedly he said, `Then would you please tell me how the audience is supposed to know that Sir Richard has discovered you're a girl when they're not allowed to see for themselves?’

  Rather unsteadily Lori answered, `That's your problem.'

  Lewis put a hand rather wearily through his hair. `Yes, I suppose it is, although better actresses than you have taken their clothes off when the scene calls for it. But all right, I shall just have to try and think of something else.'

  He fell silent, and Lori looked down at her hands clenched in her lap, hardly believing that he had given in with so little fight, and wondering what solution he would think up to the problem as he stood so silently beside her. But it seemed that he hadn't been- thinking about it at all, for soon she felt his hand on her hair as he gently ran it through his fingers. Softly he
said, 'I missed you, Lori.'

  She turned startled eyes up to him, but before she could speak he reached down and drew her to her feet, holding her near to him.

  `No!' She tried to push away from him, but he held her firmly by the arms, his face very close. 'No, Lewis, please! I don't want this.'

  `But I do. Desperately.' And he locked his hand in her hair and pulled her against him, his lips seeking hers with a passionate hunger.

  'No!' Frantically she struggled to get free, pushing her hands hard against his chest, but his grip was like a vice and her struggles only seemed to increase the vehemence of his embrace. Realising that it was useless she grew rigid within his arms, willing herself not to respond. But he took no notice, his lips like fires that burnt her skin as he kissed her eyes, her throat, the curve of her cheek, coming back to importune her mouth, forcing her lips apart, his passion bruising and hurting her.

  And then suddenly she was lost. She could fight the desire rising in her like a great tidal wave no longer and allowed it to engulf her completely. Her body relaxed and she gave a little moan of surrender. She felt him give a gasp of triumph and then her head began to whirl as he kissed her again, holding her close, close against him. His hands began to explore, loosening the knot of her bathrobe and sliding inside. Lori's breath caught in her throat as her breasts hardened under his caressing hands, and then somehow the bathrobe had dropped to the floor and he was stooping to carry her to the bed and lay her gently down on it.

  Opening her eyes, Lori reached up her arms to him. `Oh, Lewis, Lewis, my darling!'

  He stood leaning over her, his breathing uneven, his eyes dark with desire as he slowly ran them over the length of her body.

  `You're very, very lovely,' he said softly. `Perfect.'

  Then his eyes came back to her face as she looked up at him, still lost in the sensuality he had awoken in her.

  Abruptly his voice, his features changed completely and he straightened up. Coldly he said, `And I rather think it would be a great pity if the cinema going public were deprived of a sight of all that perfection. So tomorrow you'll, come on the set just like this and I'll have you completely naked as I intended in the first place. Why stop at your waist when you're so willing to take the rest off!’

  For a moment Lori could only stare at him, too rudely awakened from desire to take in what he was saying in such a harsh, callous voice. She shook her head, trying to speak, but unable to think coherently.

  Then realisation hit her like a physical blow and she made a wild lunge away from him. But Lewis was too quick for her and caught her arms, pinioning her down on the bed.

  `You beautiful little bitch!. Did you really think I'd let you get away with it? You've taken your clothes off for me just as quickly and easily as you have for countless other men, and now you're going to do it for this film. I'm not going to let you turn the love scene into a furtive grope under a blanket, like some dirty little X picture. The cinema is an art form as much as any other and I'm not going to let you cheapen it. That scene is going to be beautiful, do you hear me, beautiful!' He stood up suddenly, letting her go. Contemptuously he added, 'And your body's right for what I want, even if you do sell it to the highest bidder.'

  With hands that shook so much that she could hardly grasp it, Lori pulled the coverlet over herself and stared up at him, hair tumbled, eyes very large in her pale face. 'Get out of here, get out of my room.' Her voice was little more than a whisper. 'I-I won't do what you want.'

  His eyebrows rose mockingly and there was a definite jeer in his voice as he turned at the doorway and said softly, 'Oh yes-you'll do it.' And then he was gone.

  The set seemed deathly quiet as Lori walked on to it the next day. It was very dark outside the circle of lights directed on to the mock-up of Sir Richard's lodgings and her eyes were unable to penetrate the blackness beyond them. Not that she wanted to, because she knew that out there ai many of the film crew who could find a reasonable excuse to do so, and many who couldn't, had packed themselves in what was supposed to be a closed set, agog with avid curiosity. And out there too was Lewis, his eyes coldly watching her. She shivered despite the heat of the arc lights and pulled the dressing gown she was wearing closer around her.

  Earlier she had had to sit through the skull session with Lewis, a period in which she had contrived to look fixedly at the blackboard and not meet his eyes once. Then he had told her and Dean to go away somewhere quiet and rehearse the scene by themselves while the cameras were set up.

  The rehearsal had been a dismal failure. They had both been dressed then, of course, but even so they were too embarrassed to go through the scene. And Dean was nearly as tense as she was. It was the first time he had been asked to play in a nude scene and he was as nervous and ill at ease as Lori. So in the end they gave up and sat and talked about what they would do when the film was finished and they went home. Lori crossed over to the small truckle bed in which she was to lie when the scene started and sat with her back to the cameras while she waited to be told to start. The hairdresser did some last-minute adjustments and then Lewis called, `All right, everybody, let's go.'

  As she slipped into the bed, the hairdresser helped her off with the gown and then Lori lay back, her eyes turned towards the wall. A sharp command brought a sudden silence to the murmurings on the set and then she heard the sharp rap of the clapperboard. She was supposed to be having a nightmare and make a noise which would waken Dean who was asleep in the next room, the shot cutting from one to the other of them. That part was easy enough; she had her eyes shut and could almost pretend that she was alone, that there weren't hundreds of eyes staring at her from out of the darkness, not to speak of the two cameras only a few feet away.

  She heard Dean come into the room and move over to her bed where she lay in a patch of moonlight. He was supposed to pull the blanket up around her, but as he took it up to touch the swell of her breasts and then to slowly pull the blanket down to discover the truth. She felt him do all this, but then he was supposed to caress her while she was still asleep. Her eyes were still closed but her heart was thudding in her chest as she waited. She felt his hand warm on her breast and then suddenly shuddered and turned her head away, unable to stand it any longer.

  'Cut!'

  A buzz of noise broke out again and Lori felt Dean give her shoulder a reassuring pat and then heard him go away again. Then Lewis's voice coming nearer, saying, 'Lori, you must remember to lie still the first time he touches you, you don't wake up until…' He broke off abruptly and she knew that the hand she had hastily raised to cover her face had been too late-he had seen the silent tears coursing down her cheek. In quite a different voice he said slowly, 'You'd better go back to the make-up department and get your face fixed again.'

  Not looking at him, she tried to blink away the tears, and fortunately the hairdresser hurried forward to help her to cover herself and then she almost ran off the set. The make-up man took one look at her face and blessedly refrained from comment, just getting out his magic box to do again what he had already spent quite a long time getting right earlier.

  It took all Lori's courage to get up out of the chair when he at last stepped back and said she was ready. Her legs seemed to have lost all their strength and she had to push herself up by her hands, holding tightly on to the back as she swayed unsteadily.

  'Are you all right?' his voice was sharp with concern. Lori managed to stand up straight. 'Yes, I'm-I'm fine. Really. I'm sorry you had it all to do again.'. She turned to the door just as it opened and she grabbed the back of the chair again, but it was only Lydia and her heart slowly resumed its normal beat. The older woman looked at Lori with an uncertain frown, then said, 'Lewis told me to tell you that he's decided to shoot the scene slightly differently. He's going to fuzz it-that means shoot it slightly out of focus,' she explained. `So he said you might as well wear this.' She held out what looked like a pile of flesh coloured tights.

  `What—what is its'

  `It's a
body stocking. It covers you from neck to toe.

  It would show up on a close-up shot, of course, but on a fuzzed shot it doesn't make any difference.'

  Her hand trembling, Lori slowly reached out and took the garment from her, looking down at it unbelievingly. Then she caught a glimpse of the make up man's worried face and managed a smile. `It's allright, I'm not going to cry and ruin my face again.'

  And immediately she had said it, she realised with cynical bitterness that the only reason Lewis could have given in to her was to avoid the possibility of that happening.

  As Lori stepped out of her taxi below the road leading to the Amboise Gate she could already hear faint sounds of music carrying through the stillness of the night. Slowly she walked up between the closed souvenir stalls that lined the narrow road, across the bridge over the moat and through the archway between the squat watch towers into the old city. For a moment she paused to touch the grey stone. Strange to think that this was the last time she would ever see this mediaeval fortress that had found its way into her heart from the first moment she had seen it, spreading its mighty walls like strong arms around the town it guarded. She could come back again, of course, for a holiday some time in the future, but even as the thought crossed her mind she knew that she never would. There had been too much sadness, too much brief ecstatic happiness here for her ever to be able to bear to come back. For a moment she rested her forehead against the stone, still warm from the sun, then straightened abruptly and walked quickly towards the Grand Master's palace.

  The noise of music was louder here and all the floodlights usually reserved for the Son et Lumiere performance had been turned on so that the building stood out gaily in the darkness. A small crowd of people had gathered near the iron gates leading into the courtyard even though it was so late, and Lori had to push her way through to where a security man was letting in members of the film crew or guests with invitations. He opened the gate for her and looked disapproving. 'You shouldn't have come alone, miss. I thought Dean Farrow was supposed to bring you?'