Emma turned to smile at Vic.

“Likewise. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

“You already have,” Talia said. “She’s been much more than accommodating with the date snafu and all the schedule rearranging.”

Emma frowned, making it clear this was new information for her.

“She didn’t tell you?” Talia said. “Our contract writers used American dates and—”

“And it’s all taken care of now.” Vic cut her off, forcing an airiness into her voice she didn’t feel.

Talia paused with a quizzical expression, and Vic willed her not to say anything else that might put a damper on this moment or Emma’s uninhibited joy.

“We’re all set now, and as I understand it, principal photo-graphy begins tomorrow,” Vic asserted, bringing them back to business.

“Yes,” Talia said slowly, seeming to pick up her tone. “We’re on schedule, thanks to your friend here. We owe all the smooth sailing to her.”

“Smooth,” Emma laughed lightly. “That’s our Vic.”

She brushed off the compliment. “I can’t promise there won’t be complications along the way, some of which we probably need to address sooner rather than later. We’ll need to know where you plan to shoot some of your early scenes, so we can have our archivist catalogue any pieces that need to be relocated.”

“Maybe we could do that with Emma here,” Talia offered. “No one will have a better vision for the rooms in the book than her.”

She nodded. “Should we also bring along your director?”

Talia made a slight grimace. “He was supposed to be here this morning, but I gather he’s a bit . . . indisposed.”

He’s an idiot. Sophia’s comment echoed through Vic’s ears as she read between the lines. She turned back to the actress and raised an eyebrow of her own this time. “Ms. LeBlanc, since you seem to have stronger opinions on the subject than he does, would you care to accompany us in his stead?”

A tinge of pink coloured Sophia’s cheek, or maybe Vic merely imagined the hint of pleasure at the invitation. As it quickly faded behind a more neutral mask, she said. “I suppose I’d probably better.”

••••

“This main circuit through the official state rooms will be off limits from ten till four-thirty every day, but I gather you will have significant outdoor filming to do when you have the natural light.” Vic glanced toward Talia, who nodded, but Sophia hung back and reserved her judgement on these updates to their filming regimen.

There were times she felt certain she had this woman pegged. For instance, the way she threw around terms like “governess quarters” and “garrets” with the casualness Sophia might use to say “station wagon” or “front yard” spoke of an almost mundane regard for the extravagant. Yet, at other times she seemed so walled off and carefully controlled, the very opposite of opulent.