Page 31 of A Snowfall of Silver
“I hope so.” I pause, and then add a little sheepishly, “I kept telling Alma not to be nervous, and now – just at the possibility of it – my heart is in my mouth.”
“That doesn’t sound too good, medically speaking.” Kit’s dimples flash. “I prescribe raiding the larder for cake, followed by a good dance.”
“I didn’t know you were a doctor,” I laugh. “But I do love cake.”
“I know.”
I feel some of the tension leaving my shoulders. Whatever the link is between Kit and I, the invisible gossamer thread, it’s still there, still easy. He’s still my friend, whoever his girlfriend might be.
We head to the kitchen in search of sustenance, and find Nora holding court. She’s perched on the counter top, a cigarette in her hand as a crowd of men and women gaze up at her in open admiration. Nora wears her confidence, her whole attitude, with the same style as she wears her incredible clothes. Tonight it’s tapered black trousers and a crisp white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and unbuttoned so low that it shows the top of a black silk slip underneath and a generous amount of her cleavage. Around her neck is an elaborate green and gold necklace that on anyone else would look ridiculous, but on Nora – well, it’s the perfect finishing touch. She’s got something about her, something that makes people look at her the way they do.
“Hello, children,” she says upon spotting us. “Kit, Viola was in here looking for you.”
“Was she?” Kit says, and I think I catch a flicker of concern in his voice. “I’ll go and find her.”
“I think you should,” Nora agrees. Then she jumps down from the counter and moves to put an arm around my waist, dispersing the crowd with a flick of her wrist. “I’ll keep Freya company.”
“Let me know how it goes tomorrow,” Kit says to me.
I nod, my stomach lurching at the thought of what the next day might bring. “Of course.”
“The big meeting with Rhys, is it?” Nora takes a drag on her cigarette as Kit goes off.
“Yes.” I swallow. “How badly do you think he’ll take it if I cast up my breakfast onstage?”
“Not terribly well,” Nora chuckles. “But you won’t. You’ll see. It will be the start of something wonderful. Which is a shame for me, because I’ve finally found a decent assistant who doesn’t spend all her time mooning over Russell Whitmore,” she finishes on a grumble.
“He is very handsome,” I say fairly.
“And he knows it.”
“There is that,” I concede, then after a slight pause, “When I first saw him and Viola together I thought they were a couple. But actually, it was Viola and Kit.”
Nora snorts. “Russ and Viola, god, what a nightmare that would be. They don’t believe there’s room for two stars in one show, let alone a relationship, you know.”
“That’s pretty much what Russ said.”
Nora flicks her cigarette into a nearby saucer. “Yes, he can be disarming like that sometimes. Why on earth did you put them together?”
“Well,” I say, struggling to articulate it. “They’re both so beautiful. They go together more than her and Kit.”
“But Kit’s so attractive. All the girls go mad for him,” Nora says, shrugging.
“Kit?” I exclaim, stunned.
“Haven’t you noticed?” Nora says. “It drives Russ wild, which is great entertainment. Kit doesn’t even have to try; they all want him. Viola set her sights on him instantly, of course. The two of them were inseparable for a while.”
“You’re talking about Kit?” I ask. “My Kit?”
Amusement creeps into Nora’s gaze. “Your Kit?”
“I don’t mean it like that!” I put in hastily. “I meant my friend Kit, obviously.”
She watches me through a cloud of smoke. “You don’t find Kit attractive?”
“I’ve never thought about him like that.” I flounder. “I mean, he’s not handsome like Russ, is he? Not that he’s not good-looking. I just…”
“I didn’t say he was handsome, I said he was attractive.” Nora gestures with her cigarette. “Those are not always the same things. Kit has a … quality. I mean, it’s the height and the strong arms and the dimples … but it’s something else too, his personality, the way he carries himself. He has an ease about him that draws people in.”
