‘Just this one, actually.’ Posy hid a smile at the mischievous grin on Kit’s face as he spoke. ‘And you have to admit, they’re not exactly lacking evidence.’

The supposed curse was something Posy only knew about from internet rumours, googled on the way to and from her audition, but there were plenty of those to choose from. Starting with the reason that Posy had been brought on board as Dahlia Lively in the first place. If it hadn’t been for a traffic accident that put the original actress in hospital – and plaster and physiotherapy for months to come – Posy’s agent would never have got the call about the audition.

Then there was the investor who pulled out after a fraud investigation was launched into them, the fire at the stately home they’d originally planned to film at …

And then there was the script.

The first script, as Posy understood it, had caused a row between the production team and the Davenport family. The team loved it, the family thought it was ‘a travesty of everything Lettice Davenport stood for’, according to one report.

To make things worse, it had then been leaked by someone connected with the film – accounts varied on who – and released on the internet. Where hardcore Dahlia Lively fans and newcomers alike had panned it so completely that the original head writer had quit the business and disappeared indefinitely into the wilderness on some retreat – after being summarily fired.

That was when Anton had brought Libby on board to fix it. Or, Posy guessed, rewrite it from scratch.

She’d never heard of Libby McKinley before, despite all her years in the industry, but when she googled her last night, after Anton told her about the weekend and who’d be attending with her, it became clear that was because she hadn’t been paying attention. Libby might not make a big deal about it, or seek the spotlight or the media interviews, but she’d worked as a script doctor on scripts for seven out of ten of the biggest movies that had come out in the last decade. She was usually uncredited, but the internet knew everything.

‘Look, if everything goes well this weekend, we’ll have the script approved and be able to film at Aldermere House itself. Home of Lettice Davenport, people.’ Anton looked between them, apparently searching their faces for an appropriate level of excitement. Posy smiled and nodded in return, and saw the others do the same. ‘There’s no curse here! We are on the up. Okay?’

‘Right, boss,’ Kit said, still looking unconvinced, while Posy nodded again.

She needed this film. Cursed or not. But she’d really rather it wasn’t, when it came down to it.