Along Came A Prince Read online

  “I’ve heard it said, the richer they are, the nicer they are. Maybe that’s true with him,” Hal remarked. “Anyway, I’ve set up an appointment for you to see London Affair at the studio to get the full screen effect. I think it’s a good idea for you to watch it before you sign your contract. Is that all right?”

  “Anytime,” Stacia said.

  “This will be your last chance to get out of doing the movie. If there’s anything you don’t like about the film, you can still back out.”

  She doubted that would happen, because unknown forces seemed to be whispering to her, telling her making the movie was part of her destiny.

  It was just too bad those forces didn’t include the prince in their summation.

  ♥♥

  The next morning Stacia’s cell phone rang right in the middle of her breakfast. She answered it and heard the prince’s sexy voice. What a way to start the day!

  “This is Clay. I was wondering if you’re going to be busy for the next few days.”

  Surprised, she asked the obvious question. “What do you have in mind?”

  “How do you feel about flying over to London? I’d send my plane to pick you up. I’m sorry I won’t be able to come with the plane. I’m having a little ice sculpture show at Harrods, and I thought you might like to see it. It’ll be called Ice-On-Ice this time. The first ice refers to the diamonds. It seems my sculptures will be dripping in diamonds. Let’s hope, however, my real ice doesn’t do the same. After the show, we could spend some time together, depending on how long you could stay.”

  “I’ve never been to London,” she confessed.

  “Well, I’m a good tour guide for that city. It’s like a second home to me. I’ll show you around. Will you come?”

  Hesitation pondered over the decision. She wanted to jump in with a resounding yes, yet there were complications. For one, she hadn’t been to a foreign country before. That would be fun, educating and very interesting. All the things Clay was too. After thinking about it for a moment, she guessed she’d go with her heart for once and let her head figure out later if it was the right decision or not. “I’d love to,” she said, before he could rescind his offer…or she could change her mind.

  “Great,” he said. “Just name the day. I’ll have a limo waiting at the airport and a hotel reservation for as long as you’d like to stay.”

  “It will have to be a couple days from now. I have to sign my contract before I can leave.”

  “That’ll work. I’ll call you back with your flight information and other reservations. I’m looking forward to seeing you again,” he said, his voice low and intimate, accenting the words in the last sentence he’d spoken.

  She closed her eyes. Her imagination ignited the sensual emotions she was feeling toward him. “Me too,” she purred as intimately as he had into his phone. What was it about this man that turned her on no matter what he said or did?

  “I’ll talk to you later then. And, Stacia, thank you.”

  “Thank you,” she said and clicked off her cell. She felt like dancing with happiness, and she stood up so fast the breakfast dishes on her table teetered back and forth. She steadied the plates and glasses, and then swirled and twirled around the kitchen as if she were at a royal ball. Stacia could almost feel the prince dancing with her.

  ♥♥

  “There’s been a new development, Stace,” Hal said when he telephoned her later that afternoon. “Farrell has agreed to be a film consultant on London Affair.”

  “You can’t be serious!” Stacia exclaimed. She was shocked. Working side by side with a W. C. Fields wannabe was something she didn’t care to do, especially not on a daily basis.

  “Remember, their financial backer also presented Farrell with a ticket to the ice party the other night. That’s why he was sitting next to you. However, his alcohol-induced exhibition was not planned. He was supposed to answer any questions the three of you had about the movie and help persuade you to star in it without revealing its title to you,” Hal informed her. “Their backer is no dummy, though. Farrell’s contract will be issued with the stipulation he remain sober until the picture’s finished. If he’s caught drinking, he’s through. The backer believes that if Farrell is sober, he’ll be an enormous help with the film.”

  “And how do you feel about this?”

  “I told you before Farrell used to be a good guy. He was always nice to my mother as a child, plus can you imagine having the producer of the original picture consulting on this movie? The idea has its merits, and he may prove to be an asset in some way to you also.”

  “Right.” She doubted that. A note of sarcasm tinted her words, “And how do you think a sober Farrell Fontaine will act?”

  “Different. Very different. Let’s hope they did the right thing by hiring someone who’s a gutter’s edge away from falling into it. My main concern in this whole thing is what’s right for you. Your bank sent me a copy of the deposit slip showing $30 million has already been deposited in an irrevocable – that is, unless you break your contract, or don’t sign it – escrow account. Payments will be issued per your contract. They’ll hand deliver the original to me tomorrow. The deposit receipt was of no help to us in tracking your mystery backer. There were no clues, only the signature of the president of the bank. Oh yes, before I forget, you’ll be signing your contract on Friday.”

  “When I was milking cows, I never imagined I could do anything that would gross me $30 million. Thank you for getting that much money for me.”

  “Well, your $10 million paychecks weren’t bad either,” Hal said. “Anyway, I still think you should see London Affair before you sign your contract, in case you want to back out. I’ve reserved the projection room at the studio for a private screening tomorrow at two, so you can watch it on an actual movie screen. I’ve asked my mother to come, although I’m not sure if she will or not. Also, Farrell, Nathan and Arthur. Did I miss anyone?”

  “How about the mystery man who’s backing the film?”

  “I doubt if we’ll ever find out who he is, but then again, sometimes slips are made and secrets jump out. At any rate, the limo will pick you up tomorrow at noon. You’re taking this news about Farrell well. Just remember, if he drinks, he’s off the project.”

  “Well, no matter how sober he is, I couldn’t be like Mae West and ask him, ‘Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?’”

  “Good one.” Hal laughed, then adopted a serious tone. “Who knows, when he dries out, he may change back into the likeable person he once was. There’s always a reason why people drink, and if you knew his life story, you might change your mind about him.”

  She shook her head in denial. “This hasn’t been about liking Farrell. I dislike the person he becomes when he drinks, all womanizing and slobbery, and I haven’t seen him any other way. I actually feel sorry for him.”

  “Me too. It should be all right, though. He won’t be around you that much.”

  “Well, I guess if he’s my only problem, I should get along fine.”

  “Okay, Stace, then I’ll see –”

  “Wait, Hal. I have something to tell you. I got a call from Clay. He asked me to come to London right after I sign my contract. He’s sending a plane for me so I can see his new ice show.”

  “Clay? Not Prince Clayton Alexander? London? I’m surprised. Sounds like you made quite an impression on him.”

  “I’m more surprised than you are, Hal. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

  ♥♥

  “I guess we’re all here,” Hal said. He called the projectionist to start the movie.

  Stacia looked around the room before the lights went out. All seemed to refer to Nathan, Arthur, Hal and herself. She was grateful Farrell wasn’t there – he probably wasn’t even sober yet. She did wonder why Hal’s mother hadn’t come. But when the room darkened and the movie began, Stacia directed her concentration on the World War II epic, London Affair. A haunting melody, played with full orchestration
, was heard as the first words, “Audra Parker and Mark Bennett in” flashed onto the screen in brilliant Technicolor. Next, the title appeared – London Affair. The movie credits displayed in the 1949 format followed, along with the name, Helen Ashley Shores. When the producer’s name appeared, Farrell Fontaine was listed alone.

  Darkness, with only patches of filtered light, dominated the opening scene of war-torn London.

  All was still when the blare of ear-splitting air-raid sirens spit out their “take cover” warnings. The destruction rampages of past bombings was apparent everywhere. Partially-standing buildings contained only one or two remaining walls, and in some instances, the buildings were reduced to piles of rubble. Windows displayed jagged glass or were see-through empty. Cars and buses were overturned or on their sides, their windows smashed among the twisted heaps of metal. Smoke billows lifted skyward from the still-burning fires and ashes of the recent bombing. Another bomb would follow shortly, as evidenced by the piercing air-raid sirens.

  Chaos controlled the mood of the people who were all running in the same direction – toward the underground subway, the refuge that held their best chance for survival. Screams of terror and the cries of women and children were heard.

  A father, mother and child ran frantically and almost reached the underground’s steps when the father seemed to sense another bomb was about to hit. He grabbed for his wife and daughter, pulled them to the ground with him, and threw himself on top of his daughter in order to save her life. He reached out to gather his wife closer...Boom! The bomb hit nearby and the family was killed. The father and mother lay sprawled out on the sidewalk, silenced by death and covered with blood. Their daughter was nowhere in sight.

  A young woman, played by Audra Parker, ran amid the bombed devastation. In her arms a small puppy whimpered and struggled to get free. She held him tightly to her and kept running, her head moving from side to side searching for her loved ones. With each dead body she was forced to see, her face contorted even more until it was scrunched up so much, her eyes were barely visible. Tears ran down her face, and she sobbed as she ran toward the destruction.

  The underground’s steps came into sight, their railings torn away or bent beyond repair. She headed for them, and the hope on her face that her family had made it to the shelter was evident. Once there, she found her parents’ bodies. But her sister, where was she?

  The young woman squatted down next to her mother, leaned over and kissed her blood-soaked face softly. She was about to do the same to her father when his body shifted slightly. Could he possibly be alive? The moving continued and grew stronger, until the small, dirt-filled face of nine-year-old Helen Ashley Shores finally managed to pop out from under him.

  “Is it safe to come out now, Victoria?” she asked.

  ♥♥

  As the lights flashed on after the movie ended, Stacia was embarrassed for the others to see the tears covering her face. She wiped the bottom of her eyes with her fingers and erased the moisture gathered there, but she couldn’t control the emotions raging through her. The trials Victoria had endured. The love she had for Dean. The happiness and the sadness throughout the film. She wished she knew how Audra Parker felt acting in London Affair. She was superb in the lead role, and Stacia wondered how she could follow such an accomplished actress.

  Hal seemed to sense how emotional she was and told the others Stacia and he had to leave immediately. He guided her out the door and walked with her to her limo parked in the studio lot, where he climbed in next to her. He sat silently, waiting for her to regain control of herself.

  “Your mother was great in that movie. Winning an Academy Award must have been a thrill for her,” she said, exhaling a large sigh and making one last swipe at her eyes.

  Hal frowned. “It was a difficult time in her life, definitely the most traumatic thing that has happened to her. I believe she has never fully recovered and probably never will.”

  “I don’t understand,” Stacia said.

  “Sorry, Stace, but I‘m sworn to secrecy. Maybe someday she’ll tell you herself.”

  “I learned a long time ago to respect another’s privacy, and I do respect hers.”

  “I’ll tell you this much because it’s public knowledge. Audra Parker was killed in an accident shortly before the film’s premiere. Her co-star, Mark Bennett, who she was set to marry in two weeks, died later.”

  Stacia wondered how their deaths affected Mrs. Shores when she was nine years old. It was understandable how traumatized Helen, at such an early age, must have been having to face the deaths of two people she’d been close to.

  Hal reached for the door handle and started to turn it.

  “Wait a second,” Stacia said. “There’s something else I want to discuss with you. Besides seeing Clay, I’m hoping London will also help me with my character.”

  “How will today’s city help you with a movie that took place during World War II?”

  “There might be something that will. I don’t know. The original actors filmed part of the movie in London.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “I’m not sure. I have no other commitments until filming starts, except I would like to talk with your mother before I leave. Possibly tomorrow, if she’s free?”

  “Let’s find out right now…if I can.” He took his cell phone from his jacket pocket and punched in a number. He drummed his fingers on his knee while he waited for an answer. “Good, you’re home. I’m sitting here with Stacia. She wants to know if you’ll have lunch with her tomorrow to discuss her character.” He waited for a moment, and then he spoke again. “The rush is she’s leaving for London in a couple days. She seems to think you can teach her something about acting.” He winked at Stacia. “You’re free tomorrow? Perfect. Thanks, Mom. Here, I’ll put her on, and you two can make your plans.” Hal handed the phone to Stacia to confirm their luncheon date.

  “Sounds like everything’s settled then with you two,” Hal remarked when Stacia handed him back his phone.

  “One more thing…could I not wait until Friday, but sign my contract tomorrow also?”

  “Let’s find out.”

  A short time later, her contract date was scheduled for late afternoon the next day. “If there’s nothing else you need, I’m out of here. I’ve got an appointment at my office in exactly...” He checked his watch. “Thirty-three minutes.”

  “Thanks, Hal. For everything. Are you coming to lunch with us?”

  “And horn in on all your girl talk?” He shook his head and grinned. “Maybe next time.”

  He exited the vehicle and waved back at her as he climbed into his own limo.

  Stacia told her driver to take her home. Once there, she realized she was thirsty and headed for the bar off the living room. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she went to her bedroom closet and started pulling out clothes and tossing them on the bed. Shoes. Dresses. Jeans. Pants and blouses. Purses and a warm coat. London might be cold this time of year, she remembered someone telling her once. In the middle of packing, she thought about her passport and removed it from the wall safe.

  When she had everything in order, she started filling her suitcase. Stacia always enjoyed getting ready for a trip. She hadn’t traveled much when she was younger, so the anticipation of going somewhere was exciting to her, and packing seemed to make her forthcoming trip a reality.

  At last her work was completed. She plopped on the sofa with the remote and turned on Entertainment Tonight just as their entertainment reporter, Nancy O’Dell, was making an announcement.

  “Starlit Studios released information today about a new idea for an old movie. It seems that the producer-director team of Nathan Sterling and Arthur Keyes will begin shooting a remake of 1950's Academy Award winning movie, London Affair. This remake will be unique because the duo will use the entire movie as it was originally shot – all the actors, settings, costumes, scenes will be intact except for Audra Parker’s role. With the computer mag
ic of the film’s screen editor – another hat producer Keyes wears – actress Stacia Saunders’s image will replace Audra’s in the movie.”

  Photos of Audra and Stacia flashed side-by-side on the screen. “Look how they resemble each other,” Nancy continued. “Does this all sound intriguing? Or maybe just confusing? Well, we’ll show you the first pictures of this new movie as soon as Starlit Studios releases them to us, hopefully in about three weeks. We’ll also try to include an interview with Stacia, and perhaps screen legend, Helen Ashley Shores, who was nine years old at the time and took home an Oscar for her role. Good luck, Stacia, on this new remake venture. Now, Rob Marciano will tell you about the tragedies that occurred right after the original film’s shooting.”

  “There have always been mysteries and secrets concerning the stars of the original movie,” Rob began. “In 1949, unlike today, studios had power and influence over the media. If they didn’t want an event to be known to the public, they could stop it dead, and this was what happened in the case of Audra Parker and Mark Bennett, the stars of London Affair.

  “Little has been written about their deaths. Audra supposedly was killed in a car accident when she lost control of her car in a canyon near Hollywood. The details of her accident were never revealed, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation and rumors about what really happened.

  “Off screen, Audra and Mark were deeply in love, and their wedding was planned. I’ve researched interviews made when they were alive, and it seems everyone thought they were born to be with each other. Rather like the way people viewed the relationship between Clark Gable and his actress wife, Carole Lombard.

  “When Audra died though, unlike Clark Gable after Carole was killed in an airplane crash, Mark Bennett couldn’t handle Audra’s death. He moved to their cabin retreat in Northern California near the infamous Donner’s Pass. He stayed there over the winter season, snowed in and cut off from everyone and everything. In the spring, sheriff’s deputies found his body after being notified by Bennett’s grounds’ caretaker. Mark reportedly kept a journal during the last weeks of his life. The contents of this journal were not made public, nor is it known if this journal actually exists.