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Chapter 12

Thursday involved filming a number of medium-close-up and close-up inserts of Guy and myself together with a few other riders in the background. These were to be interposed between the longer hunt scenes to give more variety. The inserts were taken from static cameras although they did involve a degree of horsemanship, (or perhaps in my case horsewomanship) leaping over hedges or across brooks.

The planned ‘fall’ sequence proved to be totally without danger either to myself or to Moonbeam, indeed the horse seemed to enjoy the game as we had to repeat the exercise several times so that it could be filmed from several different angles. I was, encouraged by Frank to use my ‘inner thespian skills’ and let out a little girlish cry before launching myself onto a pile of mattresses placed just out of shot. Amy, dressed in the duplicate costume, then took over from me so she could stare lovingly into Guy’s eyes and exchange a few breathless words with him. Then, I took over once again so that Guy could help me regain my mount and ride off to re-join the hunt. At that point we stopped for coffee from flasks whilst the crew set up the next shot.

‘Do you think that last scene will be ok. It somehow seemed a bit artificial and staged to me?’ I asked Alison, one of the Assistant Directors.

‘Of course it seems staged, that’s what we do when we make movies. Once the film editors have got hold of the footage and some appropriate mood music has been added to the soundtrack, it’ll probably prove to be one of the most memorable scenes in the film.’

Over the last ten days I had learned so much about the fascinating process of creating a convincing visual representation out of the ideas in some guy’s head written down more than a century and a half ago. I would love to continue to be a part of this process, if I could, although in what capacity wasn’t then clear to me.

The final sequence of the day only required Guy and the Master of the Hunt so I was released early to take Moonbeam back to the stables, where I managed to dismount without assistance.

‘Well, old girl, we’ve certainly had some interesting times together over the last fortnight,’ I said whilst stroking the pony’s forehead.

The horse stirred, seeming to appreciate the attention shown to her.

‘I’m going to miss you, Moonbeam, but it’s now time for me to look for another job.’

As I was speaking to the horse, Alan, my former flat mate, and Jerry Ruderman the owner of the company providing the horses, came into the stable yard. This time I didn’t feel in the least self-conscious about the way I was dressed.

‘We saw you on Moonbeam during that gallop scene yesterday morning, it was most impressive, said Jerry. ‘Thank you for taking such good care of Moonbeam..

‘It’s been my pleasure,’ I replied with a smile. ‘When will you be taking the horses back to Ireland?’

‘Tomorrow. The horse transporters will be arriving first thing and we have an afternoon ferry crossing to Rosslare.’

‘How about yourself? What plans do you have?’ asked Alan.

‘I’m due to change back to my old self first thing on Saturday and then I’ll have look for another job, probably in London.’

‘Will you look for a job in films?’

‘It would be a nice idea, but I don’t think this kind of opportunity comes up more than once in a single lifetime.’

‘No, I suppose not. Well good luck,’ he continued.

‘Thank you and the same to yourselves. Please take care of Moonbeam for me.’

‘We will,’ Alan replied.

With a final farewell pat on the horse’s forehead, I left the stable and made my way to the costume and makeup caravan to change out of my riding costume for the last time. Amy was there having already changed and was talking to Sue, who now turned to address me.

‘Ah Nikki, tomorrow we will be filming Amy and Guy together with a few extras. We will require your services to stand-in for Amy during the lighting set-up and camera rehearsals whilst they are getting ready. You won’t need to be in costume and should be finished by midday.’

‘Will there be anything else during the afternoon?’ I asked.

‘No, that’ll be it for the time being, but I’m sure that Frank will want to thank you for your services. They have helped us a lot.’

After dinner, Amy and I spent an hour or so going through her lines ready for the next day and then a further hour addressing envelopes for the photographs that I’d signed on her behalf, before going to bed.

The following morning, I was to be responsible for my own dress and makeup. The weather was fine and sunny so I put on the summer dress that had been loaned to me for the bowling match and was just finishing my makeup when Amy came into my room carrying a cardboard box with a pink ribbon and bow, together with a pink birthday card.

‘Happy birthday, Nicola,’ she said handing the card to me as she kissed me on the cheek.

I opened the card, it was endorsed ‘To my good friend Nicola, my beautiful Stand-in. With love from Amy xx.’

Before I could respond she handed me the box.

‘These are for you to wear this evening, I wanted you to have something special to go with my dress.’

I opened the box. Inside was an expensive looking lingerie set in light grey satin with a lace trim. There was a matching bra, panties, chemise, suspender belt and basque together with a matching pair of stockings.

‘Thank you, Amy,’ I answered, stunned, ‘I wasn’t expecting anything like this.’

‘Well those clothes I bought for you at the beginning were not exactly feminine and you have been so good at embracing your new persona that I thought you deserved to have something luxurious to wear on your birthday.’

‘I don’t know what to say,’ I replied blushing.

‘The ‘thank you’ will be enough; now I will have to leave you to go to costume and you are due on set in ten minutes. You will find I have laid both our dresses for tonight on my bed together with a couple of clutch bags, the shoes and some jewellery for us to wear. We’ll also need a couple of shawls in case it gets cold tonight. Would you mind taking my things over to the costume department for me this afternoon so I can get changed into them as soon as I come off set.’

‘Yes of course. Are you sure that you don’t mind me borrowing your clothes to wear?’

‘You are welcome, although I’ll be wanting them back - except of course for the lingerie and the clothes I bought for you a fortnight ago – they are yours to keep.’

‘My duties on Friday morning were not particularly arduous. A young rigger and I were required to stand in for Amy and Guy while the remainder of the crew worked out the lighting and camera angles, but this proved to be a little more time consuming than normal. Then, just as they finished; a bulb in one of the spotlights blew, which set everyone back for nearly half an hour whilst a replacement was found. Thus, the crew were nearly an hour behind schedule before they could start filming and I could see Amy and Guy waiting impatiently off-camera.

‘Make sure you’re ready and everything is ready for me by the time I come off set,’ Amy said as we exchanged places.

‘Don’t worry, everything you need will be waiting for you,’ I replied.

I took an early lunch and then made my way to Amy’s caravan where I had a shower and washed my hair. Whilst waiting for it to dry I put on the luxurious underwear that Amy had bought for me. By this time, I’d worn a variety of female costumes from both the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries but I’d never before worn a basque, a suspender belt or stockings which took me some time to get right. Once I’d finished, I stared at my image in the mirror for some time, unsure what to think. I didn’t want to create too much of a spectacle so I put on the dress I’d been wearing and decided to take our clothes for the evening to the costume and makeup caravan and get dressed there. In any event, Sandra liked to work with a clean slate so I did not renew my makeup after my shower.

I went into Amy’s bedroom to collect the items she had left out for us to wear that evening. The two dresses lay on her bed with a shopping bag containing two dainty pairs of high-heeled shoes each one intended to co-ordinate with one of the dresses, two embroidered shawls neatly folded, and a plastic box containing various items of jewellery. I checked this to see what she had chosen for me to wear. There were two expensive looking necklaces, two bracelets and two pairs of diamond earrings, except that one of the earrings was missing. I opened the drawer in her dressing table where she usually kept her jewellery and soon found the misplaced earring, but in doing so I noticed a blue plastic bag containing several grams of a fine, white, crystalline powder. The powder had a sweet floral scent, but with chemical undertones. I was not well acquainted with the drug scene, but I knew enough to be able to identify cocaine, and to realise that Guy’s information source had been correct.

I sat on the bed and pondered what to do. Amy had been so good to me and there was no way that I was willing to spoil be our last evening together by confronting her with my discoveries. I would not even speak of them to anyone else in case the story should get into the press, However, her recent reckless behaviour suggested it would be only a matter of time before it did so.

I turned up at the costume and makeup caravan just after three bringing with me everything that Amy and I were going to wear. Chloe and Sandra were just finishing a coffee as this was their quiet period whilst the performers were working on set.

‘Hi Nikki, we’ve plenty of time before Amy is due to finish. So we may as well make a start on your hair and makeup, said Sandra.

‘Slip out of the dress you’re wearing whilst I find you a dressing gown to put on,’ suggested Chloe. ‘You can hang the others on the rack over there.’

I did as she instructed.

‘Wow, just look at you,’ said Sandra admiring my new underwear.

‘They were a birthday present from Amy,’ I said blushing. ‘This is going to be my last night as Nicola.’

‘In that case I’ll have to make sure the birthday girl looks her best for the evening.’

I took the offered dressing gown.

‘Before we start, which is that the dress that you are planning to wear tonight?’ she asked.

I took it from the rack and held it up in front of me.

‘Amy is lending it to me, what do you think?’

‘It’s a lovely dress, I think I’ve seen Amy on television wearing it before now.’

‘So you don’t think it is over the top for me?’

‘Not at all, I’m sure you'll look stunning. I would love to have the opportunity of wearing a dress like that.’

Sandra was an expert at her job and over the next two hours I had the pleasurable experience of sitting back in my chair whilst she carefully shaped my eyebrows, trimmed and styled my hair and made up my face. As she did so we chatted to one another and she explained to me what cosmetic colours and textures she was using and the effect she hoped to achieve.

‘I’d no idea there was such a science to what you do.’

‘Oh yes it involves both art and psychology. People wear makeup for two main reasons, seduction and disguise.’

‘I’m not planning on seducing anybody tonight, so I suppose it is for purposes of disguise. But I admit that I do feel more confident when I’m wearing makeup.’

‘Do you mean more confident than as Nicholas, or as Nicola without makeup.’

I thought for a while before replying.

‘Both, I guess. Nicholas never felt entirely comfortable in his skin or sure of what he should be doing with his life.’

‘And Nicola?’

‘Nicola has so far had a great time, but it has only been for a fortnight and it will all be finishing tomorrow.’

So what plans do you have Nikki, now that the horses have left us?’

‘I’ve really no idea. I suppose you will be finishing here tomorrow?’ I said.

‘Yes, as far as this location is concerned, then we have a fortnight in the studio. We are due on location again in Hertfordshire in July.

Once she was finished with my hair and face, Sandra helped me into Amy’s dress and the shoes that went with it. Whilst we waited for Amy to arrive I put on the jewellry and inserted the earrings into the holes in my ears, which had now settled down. I then stood in front of the full-length mirror.

‘You look so lovely in that outfit, and though I say it myself, I think I’ve done a pretty good job on the birthday girl,’ Sandra commented.

‘Thank you,’ I replied, unable to think of anything more intelligent to say.

At that point Sue entered the caravan.

‘Wow, Nikki you look great,’ she said.

‘Thanks,’ was all I could think to say as I was still captivated by my reflection.

However, I was eventually able to gather my thoughts.

‘But whatever has happened to Amy?’ I asked.

‘That’s what I’m here to tell you. They’re running nearly an hour behind schedule, and they must finish filming tonight.’

She left us to re-join the set.

‘Whilst we are waiting for Amy why don’t I replace your nail extensions?’ suggested Sandra.

‘But you only put them on for me a week ago?’

‘I know, but I could do a better job. I held back last weekend as it wouldn’t have been practical to have long nails when you were filming or horse riding, but you have finished now.’

Are you sure? They look alright to me,’ I said examining my nails.

‘Amy has already paid me for my time and I have nothing else to do whilst we wait for her.’

‘Alright then go ahead.’

Sandra had just put a second coat of varnish onto my newly extended and shaped fingernails, when Amy arrived, in costume and looking flustered.

‘I’m so sorry to be so late, everyone, but they were determined to finish the scene as Guy was not going to be available from tomorrow onwards.’

‘No problem,’ said Chloe who helped her to change out of her costume and store it away safely whilst Sandra helped her clean off her film make up. Amy then took the briefest of showers before emerging dressed in her underclothes.

‘I’ve got just over half an hour before our taxi is due to arrive and I’d rather not keep him waiting. Will you do what you can for me please?’

‘OK I’ll do my best for you,’ Sandra replied.

‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ I asked.

‘Not really, thanks. Just sit over there and let your nail varnish dry under the UV drier. I wouldn’t have time to do it again if you mess it up.’

Inevitably the taxi arrived ten minutes early.

‘We could ask the driver to come back in half an hour if you are not quite ready?‘ I suggested.

‘No. we’d better not keep Frank waiting too long. Go out and have quick word to say we’ll be ready in ten minutes.’

I returned after a few minutes.

‘The driver doesn’t mind waiting, but I’m afraid he mistook me for you and called me Miss O’Donnell. I didn’t have the heart to correct him.’

Amy grinned.

‘Well you are my stand-in after all. I suggest we swap bags for the journey. Then you can give him a decent tip and one of the photographs of me that you signed.’

Amy always looked good, but Sandra had only half an hour to do her hair and makeup compared to the two and a half hours she had spent on me. Amy looked perfectly presentable but I looked stunning and felt both guilty and self-conscious as she first looked in the mirror and then at me.

‘Ah well, I suppose it isn’t your fault I was late, and it is your birthday today, Nikki,’ she commented in a resigned voice.

She gave me a squirt of her expensive perfume.

‘Let’s have you smelling as good as you look and then we’ll go and find out what Frank wants to talk to us about.’

 

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Next week: Dinner with Frank

This is the delayed chapter from last Friday. I will publish Chapter 13 over the weekend and then try and get back to the normal Friday postings. Thanks for the comments and corrections everyone. Feel free to keep them coming.
Louise