“No, a faerie servant to the faerie queen,” Beth answered.

Casey frowned. “I’d rather be the queen. Do you have any books about queens?”

“Real queens or make-believe?” Beth asked.

“Real,” Casey said. “Because when I grow up I’m going to be a real queen.”

“Follow me,” Beth said. “We can start with Cleopatra and work our way through history to Queen Elizabeth, who has the same name as me.”

“Elizabeth is a good name for a queen,” Casey said. “You should be a queen and not a faerie.”

Lindsey and Ann Marie watched them walk toward the children’s area where Casey’s mother stood, holding a baby.

“Why is a queen better than a faerie?” Beth asked.

“Please.” Casey gave her an exasperated look. “More power.”

Both Lindsey and Ann Marie ducked their heads so that Casey didn’t see them laughing.

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Ann Marie said.

“No doubt,” Lindsey agreed.

“So, is it true what I heard about Robbie Vine?” Ann Marie asked.

“That depends. What did you hear?”

“Well, aside from the fact that he’s a perfect male specimen, is it true that both his wife, Kitty, and his girlfriend, Lola, are here to perform in the show and that they are all renting a beach house together?”

“Violet did say something to that effect, yes. She’s hoping that the three of them can anchor the show and coach our amateur actors and actresses to a bit higher caliber, given that it’s the bard and all. I met Kitty; she’s fairly terrifying. I saw Lola in the theater yesterday but onlyfrom a distance.”

“How does a man juggle a wife and a girlfriend?” Ann Marie asked.

“From what I heard him say, his marriage is over,” Lindsey said. “And when Nancy pointed out Lola to me, she said that she’d heard that they had broken up. Whatever that means.

“Actors are different, aren’t they?”

“Yes. Yes, they are,” Lindsey agreed. “I’m going to be in my office if anyone is looking for me.”

“Would anyone include tall, fair-haired and dreamy?” Ann Marie asked.

Lindsey glanced up to see Ann Marie looking past her at the door. Lindsey turned just in time to see Robbie Vine stroll into the building.

5

Deep dimples bracketed his perfect smile as soon as Robbie spotted her, and Lindsey couldn’t help but smile in return. She heard Ann Marie gulp, and turned to see that the pretty brunette was staring openmouthed at Robbie.

“Oh, why did I wear this frumpy old outfit?” Ann Marie wailed. “I look like I should be scrubbing the toilets.”

Lindsey glanced at her. In her khaki capris and powder-blue, collared blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, Ann Marie looked perfectly poised and professional. She’d been growing out her short hair, and it was now a nice, medium length.

“You do not,” Lindsey said. “You look fantastic, really.”