‘What’s his background? Was he involved in professional theatre?’
‘Good Lord, no. Schoolteacher all his life. At some public school, I can’t remember the name. Head of English and in charge of all the drama. Directed every school play, ran the Drama Department like his own private fiefdom, as far as I can gather. And now he’s retired, so he’s vouchsafing SADOS the benefit of his wisdom and experience.’
The sarcasm in his last words reminded Jude of what she had felt in the Cricketers, that there was considerable rivalry between Ritchie Good and Neville Prideaux, both big beasts in the local amdram circles.
‘Anyway,’ asked Ritchie, ‘do you know Hester well?’
‘Met her for the first time yesterday evening.’
‘In the Cricketers car park?’
‘Well, I’d been introduced to her in the pub, but it was in the car park that I got the chance to talk to her.’
‘What about?’ Ritchie’s urgency was making him drop his guard of nonchalance.
‘Oh, this and that,’ Jude lied casually. ‘The production of The Devil’s Disciple … SADOS … how long she’d been involved … that kind of thing.’
Ritchie Good nodded, and Jude thought she detect relief in his body language, as he moved on to talk about the play. ‘Be interesting to see how Disciple goes down in Smalting. Shaw’s gone out of fashion, but he does write good parts for actors. Bloody long speeches, mind you. I didn’t know the play when Davina asked me to play Dick Dudgeon, but the minute I read it I knew I had to do it. Rather let down the Worthing Rustics, whom I’d vaguely promised that I’d play Higgins in their Pygmalion, but I’ve done the part before, and Dick Dudgeon was much more interesting … you know, to me as an actor.’
‘I’m sure,’ said Jude. ‘I don’t know the play, I’m afraid, but I assume that Dick Dudgeon is the lead part.’
‘Yes. Well, Judith’s a decent part too.’
‘The one Storm Lavelle’s playing?’
‘Mm. I hadn’t met her before the read-through, but she’s not a bad little actress. Needs a bit of work on the American accent, but I dare say I can help her out there.’
‘And Judith is … not Dick Dudgeon’s wife?’
‘No, she’s married to the Pastor, Anderson. She starts off hating Dick Dudgeon, but by the end is rather smitten. Davina gave me the choice of playing Anderson or Dudgeon, but there was no contest. Anderson’s a goody-goody, whereas Dick’s … well, “The Devil’s Disciple”. No question Dick Dudgeon is the sexier role.’
‘Which I suppose you would regard as typecasting,’ suggested Jude slyly.
Although she had intended the remark as satirical, Ritchie took it at face value. ‘Yes, very definitely.’
‘And who’s playing Anderson?’
‘Oh, I’ve forgotten the guy’s name, but he’s perfectly adequate.’ Perhaps, thought Jude, the perfect example of damning with faint praise.
‘And is Neville Prideaux in the production?’
‘Yes, he’s playing General Burgoyne. Only appears in Act Three. Rather a showy part, suits Neville down to the ground.’ Clearly no opportunity was going to be missed to have a dig at his rival.
There was a silence. Then Jude, never one to beat about the bush, said, ‘I’m still not clear why you wanted to meet me.’
‘I told you. You made an instant impression on me. I couldn’t not see you again.’
The delivery was as polished as the lines, but once again Jude found them unconvincing. ‘And after this meeting, what then …?’
‘I hope it’s the first of many.’ Jude rather doubted whether it would be. ‘Why is it,’ he protested, ‘that people round here are so hidebound? You meet someone you really click with … and what do you do about it? For most people – nothing. Well, I don’t subscribe to that approach. If I meet someone who makes a big impression on me, I want to see more of them, want to get to know them, want to find out whether they’re feeling a little bit of what I’m feeling …?’
To someone less full of himself, Jude would have been gentler, but she had no problem saying to Ritchie Good, ‘Well, I’m afraid I don’t feel anything for you.’
‘Oh.’ He was clearly taken aback; her reaction was perhaps not one he frequently encountered.
‘I mean, I can see you’re attractive …’
‘Thank you.’
‘… and your conversation’s quite entertaining …’
He nodded his gratitude.
‘… but I can’t imagine being in a relationship with you.’
‘Why not?’
‘I quite like one-to-one relationships.’
‘So?’
‘Well, I can’t see you being very good at concentrating solely on one woman.’
‘Try me.’
‘No, thanks.’ Jude turned the full beam of her brown eyes on him. ‘Are you married?’
‘Well, yes, but the marriage has—’
‘Oh, don’t tell me. Which expression were you going to use, Ritchie? “The marriage has been dead for years”? “It’s only a marriage in name these days”? “We’re more like brother and sister than husband and wife”?’
He looked very disgruntled. ‘You’ve got a nasty cynical streak, Jude.’
‘Not normally. Only when I encounter someone who prompts cynicism.’
There was a silence. Then Ritchie asked, ‘Is it only now you know I’m married that you’ve become cynical about me?’
‘No, I was cynical about you before that. Mind you, I assumed you were married all along.’
‘Why?’
‘Your type always are.’
‘Hm,’ said Ritchie Good, and it was the ‘Hm’ of a man about to cut his losses. He looked at his watch, swallowed down the remains of his shandy and announced, ‘I’d better be off to rehearsal.’
‘Right. Oh, one thing …’ said Jude as he rose from the table.
‘Yes?’
‘Where did you get my phone number from?’ It was in the directory, but very few people knew under which of her former husbands’ surnames it appeared.
‘Storm Lavelle gave it to me,’ replied Ritchie. And Jude reckoned it was one of the few things he’d said during their encounter that was true.
He hovered for a moment, wanting perhaps to place a farewell kiss on her cheek but unwilling to bend down into the alcove where she still resolutely sat. ‘Well, I’ll call you,’ he said finally.
But Jude very much doubted if he would. And she certainly didn’t mind if he didn’t.
SEVEN
‘But what I still don’t know,’ she said to Carole, ‘is why he really wanted to meet up with me.’
‘I thought it was your feminine charms,’ came the frosty response. ‘I thought you’d “made a great impression” on him.’
‘No, that was just flannel. That’s how he talks to all women. He’s one of those men who never stops trying it on.’
‘I believe you. He actually had the nerve to ask me in the Cricketers “where I’d been hiding all his life”.’
Jude had to suppress a giggle at the way Carole put the words in quotes. After Ritchie had left, she had phoned her neighbour to come down and join her at the Crown and Anchor for a drink. And that drink, she knew, might well lead to having supper in the pub. She hadn’t put the idea forward yet, but she knew it would be greeted by a considerable barrage of disapproval before Carole finally agreed to eat out.
‘It still seems odd, though, that he actually wanted to meet me.’
‘Not so very odd. You said he’s one of those men who never stops trying it on. And if he comes on like that to every woman he meets, maybe he does get the odd one who actually responds.’