Manor of Convenience

The Meddlers

"She thinks she's cupid now," I said.

Sophia held her arms out as if she were holding a bow and arrow. "Too right. I aim, I shoot, and I never miss."

...

"I cannot hear you!" Meg shouted at the actors from the back of the church hall as we rehearsed one day closer to opening night. Every time I looked at my cousin, she was scowling or hissing.

I could see some eye-rolling from the cast as they were interrupted again mid-performance by Meg who had turned into the director from hell. She was wonderful at the creative side of it but her people-skills needed fine tuning. Every time she upset one of the actors, I was forced to apologise most swiftly before we had a bigger strike than the general one.

"Diction! Diction!" she hollered.

"Meg, is it possible you could critique in a more...quiet manner?" I asked, avoiding eye-contact with her and instead glancing like a coward over my script.

"There's nothing wrong with tough love, Toby. I'm not here to be liked."

"Well that's good because nobody does."

"Fine!" She looked at the cast. "Let's all take a five-minute break to have a think about where we are!"

"Meg, you can be tough without being rude. It is possible."

She sighed, sat down and lit a cigarette.

"You're smoking!"

"Do you blame me with this lot? Eleanor's not bad but her voice level is like a mouse and the others well..."

"They're amateurs, Meg, may I remind you of that?"

"Alright, Toby darling, I'll go easy if I can."

I smiled then as my Georgie came into view. I wasn't certain where he disappeared to but he was never one for socialising with large groups so I knew that whenever he had vanished, he had found some quiet little nook to escape to. He was red-faced when he greeted me. "Good lord. I was standing outside for some fresh air when a stampede of your cast nearly knocked me flying."

"Meg called a break. They took their chance."

"Indeed. That Lady 'Kleptomaniac' Hendon has the face of someone sucking a sour lemon."

"She's peeved that she's playing the role of resident old lady and not the young lead. She should be grateful she isn't a tree."

"I bet she's even more peeved that she has to work with so many peasants. Have you seen the state of some of our male cast?"

"George, don't be rude. They don't exactly have our privileges."

"I wasn't being rude, far from it. Think it's rather attractive. Maybe you should rough yourself up a bit from time to time, Toby. Skip a bath or two for extra authenticity."

When the cast re-entered, Sophia was with them, leading the way, all clean, fresh and beautiful like the spring morning it was. She honestly looked like an angel as she walked the aisle toward us and in her cream and white dress, it was as though she were about to get married. All of the actors were watching her too— I'd never really thought deeply about that. My wife was a considerably beautiful woman and men noticed her. If I was her husband than should I have acknowledged that I noticed? Should I have pretended I was jealous of this attention? Had I made it obvious that my affections were merely platonic? Surely, I shouldn't play the role of one of those insufferable jealous husbands?

Why was I becoming side-tracked when the play was the focus?

We resumed the rehearsals and the four of us sat and watched as our performers carried on with the run through. I must say it was a rare sight, the four occupants of the manor presiding over things like members of a court. Meg clearly in the role of the prosecutor and me as defence.