‘I want this more,’ said Pauline, ‘than I think I’ve wanted anything in my life.’ Then, suddenly, harshly, ‘if you’re asking me what I’ll do to get it Joey, I’ll do anything.’ (And because of what she’d been thinking about before the phone rang a thought flashed through her mind: I’d have an affair with Joey. He loved me once. And then: I want to, Oh God I want to so much.) She heard her own sharp intake of breath. There was a silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Perhaps he heard her thoughts.

‘That’s what I understood,’ said Joseph finally. ‘But I was talking to Anthony again at the end of last week and he seemed to imply you weren’t so keen, that you were busy with the shop, he was making suggestions of other actresses he thought might be more suitable. I wondered what that was all about?’

Pauline felt the blood of anger rush to her face. Bastard bastard bastard. ‘Hold on Joey,’ she somehow said. Her face was suddenly so burning, bastard bastard, that she pulled off her woollen jersey even as she began speaking again.

‘Listen Joseph, I’m sorry to put you in this position: was one of the other actresses a woman we were at the Drama Academy together with, Molly McKenzie? I wouldn’t ask you this if it wasn’t of immense importance.’

‘Yes,’ said Joseph. ‘Molly McKenzie, I know her work of course, she’s very good, he did mention her, yes.’

There was a cracking, breaking sound. Pauline’s hand had smashed through the fragile base of an eighteenth-century drawer.

‘Are you all right?’ said Joseph Wain.

‘I’ll settle it Joseph,’ was all she said. ‘You can rely on me absolutely.’

‘I leave it to you then.’

‘But – but, don’t do anything more the mate’s way, through Anthony. Please at least let my agent know it’s on the cards, if we can – sort everything out.’

‘Of course I will Pauline, I’ll do it today. But remember what I said – I’m fighting for you, you know what this business is like. You will have to sort it out properly with Anthony very quickly, he could quite easily mess this up for you, it’s him the others want, they’ve all been to see Othello, he’s absolutely right for this.’

‘Trust me Joey,’ said Pauline, her voice harsh again and she put down the receiver.