Born to Dance (7 page)

At that moment, Rob Andrews walked over. ‘Excuse me,’ he said to Giles, ‘but Bonny, you are needed,’ and he led her away.

She looked back over her shoulder. Giles raised his glass at her and smiled.

Peter Collins was on the stage talking about his forthcoming show. ‘And now, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce a couple whose names will be on everyone’s lips after opening night. Rob Andrews and Bonny Burton.’

To Bonny’s acute embarrassment she was led up on to the stage by Rob.

‘These two dancers will be the talk of the town. Remember, you heard it here first!’ Peter led the applause and the orchestra started to play. ‘Please, you two, get on the floor and show them what you’re made of!’

As Rob led her on to the dance floor he whispered, ‘Just follow me, come on, you’ve been doing it for months.’ And that’s what she did. As always, in Rob’s arms she was safe. He guided her firmly and managed to put in a few Astaire moves, which Bonny followed faultlessly. At the end of the dance, the applause was enthusiastic.

The band started the next number, and as the other guests joined them on the dance floor, Rob gathered her in his arms, holding her close and carried on dancing.

‘Sorry about that, I didn’t know we were to perform, but this is a promotional night for the show, we should have expected it from Peter.’

‘It’s alright, bit of a shock, but tonight has been strange altogether. This is a different world to what I’ve been used to.’

‘You’d better get used to it, Bonny, because everything has changed for you now. You have to make the best of it and not get carried away with the artificiality of it. So much is just glitter, without depth. Keep both feet on the ground and you’ll do just fine.’

As they traversed the floor, Bonny relaxed. As he rested his head against hers, she really enjoyed herself until the music stopped

As they left the floor, Giles Gilmore stood in front of them, and holding out her glass he said, ‘Miss Burton, you didn’t finish your drink.’

Rob Andrews asked, with a wary look, ‘And you are?’

‘Giles Gilmore.’ He shook Rob’s hand. ‘I hate to see a good drink go to waste, especially one of George’s special cocktails.’

Bonny took it from him. ‘It’s a fruit cocktail,’ she explained. ‘Mr Gilmore came to my rescue when I was standing alone. He introduced me to George the barman when I said I didn’t want any alcohol.’ Turning to Giles she said, ‘This is my dancing partner, Rob Andrews.’

‘Yes I know, I saw your exhibition just now. You both dance so well together. I can’t wait to see the show.’

Rob was now curious about the stranger. ‘Are you anything to do with the theatre?’

‘Oh yes, quite a lot,’ was the enigmatic reply. ‘Now you must excuse me. I look forward to our next meeting, Miss Burton.’

‘Extraordinary bloke!’ Rob remarked as he watched him walk over to another small gathering. ‘I wonder who he is?’

‘I have no idea,’ said Bonny, but she felt that wasn’t the last time she would see the handsome gent. There had been a determined look in his eyes whenever he had gazed at her.

There was a pleasant surprise for Bonny when she walked into rehearsal the following morning. Her friend Shirley Gates was standing chatting to the other members of the chorus.

‘Shirley!’ The two girls rushed to meet each other, hugging and laughing with glee. ‘What are you doing here?’ asked Bonny.

‘Well, my dear girl, I was summoned by Mr Andrews. When I got the phone call at the Palace I couldn’t believe it. He wants me in the show! Bloody marvellous, isn’t it? And what’s more he wants us to do a number together, like we did in Southampton!’

‘That’s wonderful. I am
so
pleased to see you. The others are nice but I do feel a bit lonely. After all, most of them have worked together before so I feel a bit of an outsider.’

‘Don’t you worry, now I’m here, and guess what? Rob has got me fixed up at the same digs as you!’ She leaned closer so as not
to be overheard. ‘What the bloody hell is Lily Stevens doing here? She’s outclassed, I would have thought.’

‘Well, the gossip is that her fiancé is one of the backers. So Peter Collins had to take Lily if he wanted the money.’

‘Must be that old fellow she cottoned on to in Southampton. She is such a crafty bitch. She’d claw her way through a sewer to get what she wants. Does she have a solo spot?’

‘No! She’s not good enough, you know that.’

‘Hmm! Bet she gets one, one way or another.’

‘Not if Rob has anything to do with it, I wouldn’t think.’

At that moment Rob called the dancers together and rehearsals began. He then ran through a number that featured Shirley and Bonny with the male dancers only. Lily looked on in fury.

It was a lively and tricky number but as the girls were so used to dancing together, it progressed very quickly.

At the end, Shirley turned to Bonny and whispered, ‘Blimey! There’s some very juicy blokes around, I
am
glad I came!’

Rob called a break for lunch and Shirley wasted little time getting to know the men who had featured in the number. ‘You and I are off out this evening,’ she told Bonny a little later.

‘Really, where?’

‘Don’t know yet. We’ve got a date with a couple of the boys.’

‘What!’

‘Listen, girl, we work bloody hard and when we go into production we’ll be too damned tired, so we’ll have a bit of fun whilst we can. Right?’

Bonny realized how much she’d missed Shirley. Life had been nothing but hard work until now, and carried away with her friend’s enthusiasm she grinned broadly. ‘Right!’ she agreed.

Whilst Bonny and Shirley learned the delights of the Metropolis with the chorus boys, Lily Stevens was working on her benefactor and fiancé, Charles Kendal. Now that Shirley had joined the chorus and had been given a number with Bonny, Lily was even more determined to feature in a solo spot.

Snuggling up to Charles in bed, she gently traced her finger across his lips, kissing his ears and moving her naked body close to his.

‘Charlie, darling, you do love me, don’t you?’

‘Of course, you know I do.’

‘You want me to be happy, don’t you?’

His eyes narrowed. Now what? he wondered. ‘I thought being with me was enough to make you happy, Lily.’

‘Oh darling, where else would I want to be? You are so good to me and I adore you.’

‘Then what’s the problem?’

She slipped her hand between his thighs and fondled his genitals. ‘It’s only that I don’t think Rob Andrews appreciates my talent. He’s brought a dancer in from Southampton to do a number with Bonny Burton. Now, I can’t see why he has to go to that extra expense when I am perfectly capable of doing the number. It seems to me he’s wasting money.’

Charles, now aroused, wasn’t concentrating on the career of his young bed mate. He pulled her on top of him, but Lily wasn’t ready to concede to his wishes just yet.

‘You have a lot of money invested in the production and I think you should have a word with him, don’t you?’

‘I’ll come along to rehearsals tomorrow and see him,’ he promised.

She slowly lowered herself on to him and kissing him passionately said, ‘Thank you, darling. I knew I could rely on you.’

Rehearsals started early the following morning and it wasn’t until Rob called a break that he was aware of the gentleman sitting in the stalls, watching. He recognized him as the man who had been with Lily at Peter’s party and he guessed that Lily had been whingeing to him about her position in the chorus. It had to happen sometime, he supposed, but he would wait to be approached.

Charles Kendal watched the rehearsals until lunchtime. He realized the talent of the dance director and was most impressed with the choreography of each production. Not being a fool, he also realized that Lily was not as good a dancer as she perceived herself to be. But he was a man of the world, well versed in handling women. Lily suited him. She was attractive and pliable. Charles was well aware that she was using him to her own ends, but he was doing the same. A permanent woman on his arm, wearing his ring, kept other young women from pestering him. Lily was good in bed and the present situation suited him. He would never marry her, of course – but she didn’t know that.

As the company broke for lunch, he approached Rob Andrews.
Holding out his hand, he introduced himself. ‘Charles Kendal, one of your backers.’

‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mr Kendal. What can I do for you?’

With a sly smile, Charles said, ‘I’m sure you already have an inkling about that. Why don’t you and I go and have a sandwich and a beer, then we can talk?’

Lily smiled with pleasure as she saw the two men leave the theatre. Glancing over towards Shirley and Bonny her mouth tightened. Those two would soon realize she was not to be messed with!

Once in the nearby pub, the two men sat in a quiet corner. Charles came straight to the point. ‘Lily wants a solo spot. What do you have to say about that?’

‘She isn’t nearly good enough.’ Rob didn’t mince his words. ‘You have watched the rehearsal all the morning. You must have seen for yourself that she is just an average dancer.’

‘I agree.’

This comment took Rob by surprise. ‘Then you must realize that I can’t give her a solo spot.’

Charles sipped his beer. ‘There is always another way to skin a cat than the obvious one, Mr Andrews. If we can work something out between us, our problem will be solved.’

Rob looked thoughtful. He liked Charles Kendal. Realizing the man was canny, he asked, ‘Have you any suggestions?’

‘As a matter of fact I have.’

Giles Gilmore greeted his secretary as he walked into his office in Jermyn Street. ‘Good morning, Jennifer, any messages?’

‘I’ve put a list on your desk, Mr Gilmore. Jessie Matthews called and asked that you call her back. There’s some problem she wants you to take care of. The rest are not life-threatening.’

‘That makes a change,’ he laughed.

Giles came from a theatrical background. His father, James, was an agent, his mother, Frances, had been a well-known singer but had given up her career to become a wife and mother. Giles had helped his father before branching out on his own. He started with a small theatre, which he bought, and put on his own shows before selling out at a profit. He then bought properties around London and sold them on, amassing a small fortune, which he ploughed into backing West End shows, which made him a renowned angel
in the business. He had a nose for success and every producer with a show to finance hoped for his interest.

Giles moved effortlessly among the glitterati of the theatre and with big businessmen in the City. His financial acumen was recognized by them all. His success had bought him a fine apartment in Sloane Square and a house in Virginia Water. He was unmarried, but was never without a good-looking woman on his arm when the occasion merited one, such as on an opening night.

Whilst working for his father, Giles had had to do business with a wide spectrum of clients, which had sometimes taken him into the seedy world of the City. He had dealt with boxing promoters, for instance. A rough and tough world inhabited by a doubtful mix of people, many of whom were unscrupulous. But Giles, although full of charm, could be as ruthless as the next man. This sometimes had made him a few enemies. Especially when he had come across a betting syndicate who had paid one of his fighters to throw a fight. The fallout had been spectacular. He’d taken the men to court, which meant some of those involved had served time. He had been threatened, and for some time after had employed a bodyguard. Now he had moved on.

It took a lot to excite the business side of Giles Gilmore, but when he’d seen Bonny Burton dance with her partner at Peter Collins’ publicity party, he had felt a certain buzz. Here was a truly talented girl. One who, so far, seemed untouched by life in the theatre. He knew without a doubt this girl could become a big star with the right backing.

After he had dealt with Jessie Matthews’ problem, he made discreet enquiries. It would seem that Rob Andrews was handling all Bonny’s business affairs, so there was no agent involved. Andrews, he felt, was more than a little protective of his young star, for which he didn’t blame him one bit, but if the show was a success, Giles wanted to be in a position to take over this charming girl’s career. He picked up the telephone and made a call.

Lily Stevens walked on to the stage at the following morning’s rehearsal with great expectations. Charles had assured her he’d had a word with Mr Andrews and they had come to an agreement.

Rob put the dancers through the first two numbers without making any changes and then when it came to the number which involved a statue, centre stage, he made an announcement. ‘I’ve
decided to use a dancer instead of a figurine, so Lily, I want you to stand on this plinth and don’t move.’

She hurried forward. Rob gave her a box to stand on.

‘This, of course, will be taller in the actual production,’ he explained. ‘Then, at the end, you jump down and dance around it, then exit left. Let me show you what I want.’

Lily was thrilled. At last she had her solo spot. But the dance was very brief and before she knew where she was – she was off stage!

She fumed. ‘Is that it?’ she asked after the number finished.

Rob raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘I don’t understand?’

‘I have about three minutes after I get down, then I’m off stage!’

‘And?’

‘I was given to understand that I was to have a solo spot.’

He gazed steadily at her. ‘And that’s exactly what you have, Lily. Now, everyone, get into your places for the next number,’ he called and walked away.

Shirley was convulsed with laughter. She clung on to Bonny, holding her stomach as she laughed until the tears ran down her face. ‘Oh Bonny, did you see the look on her face? She thought she was going to be a star.’

‘Now don’t be unkind,’ Bonny remonstrated. ‘She can’t help the way she is. I think Rob has been sneaky but really clever. I saw him yesterday with Lily’s boyfriend. I suppose they thought this up together. Otherwise how could Rob get away with it?’

‘If that’s the case, Lily’s in for a bit of a shock. She certainly expected much more. I bet she gives the old boy hell tonight.’

Lily was indeed raging at Charles when she burst into their apartment after rehearsals. She stormed up and down the room, calling Rob every name under the sun. But Charles just sat, smoking his cigar, sipping his drink until eventually she stopped in front of him.

‘So what are you going to do about it?’

‘Absolutely nothing!’

The girl was stunned. ‘What do you mean, nothing?’

‘You have your centre stage spot. That’s what you asked for and that’s what you’ve got.’

Her eyes flashed with anger. ‘For a few moments only. That’s not what I was expecting. And frankly, it’s not good enough!’

‘No, Lily,
you
are not good enough!’

She couldn’t believe what she’d heard and was speechless.

‘I sat through a morning’s rehearsal yesterday. I watched the numbers being performed and I watched you. Lily, darling, you are a lovely girl. You delight me between the sheets, but as a dancer …’

The girl was outraged. ‘How dare you make that assumption! You haven’t seen me at my best, as that bloody Rob Andrews hasn’t given me the opportunity to show my talent.’

He cast a cool and icy glance in her direction. ‘Your talents, my dear, are purely sexual. There, you are a star, but on two feet … there is much to be to be desired.’

Her legs seemed to give way and she sank to her knees on the carpet. ‘Charles, how could you say that?’

‘Because it’s true and Rob Andrews is right. You are only in the chorus because of me. Now, unless you can accept that and stop bleating about how unfair it all is …’

His threat wasn’t wasted on Lily. She knew that she now had to be clever if she wanted to maintain her comfortable position with Charles and continue to enjoy his lifestyle, and that to do so, she would have to concede. ‘Have I been foolish, darling Charles?’