A Holiday Fling by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online Page B

schoolteacher precision.
    "We included the horn dance because it’s a specialty of this dance group, and it looks impressive," Jenny added. "Excuse me while I go change into my costume. Patricia, can you help?"
    The two women disappeared, leaving Greg with the doctor and Ken Holmes. Ken, an engineer, was asking technical questions about film editing when the sisters reappeared. Jenny had traded her jeans for a flowing gown of burgundy velvet with gold embroidered borders, topped by a headdress with a diaphanous golden veil. The medieval finery gave her an otherworldly air at odds with the approachable woman who warmed his nights. "You take my breath away," Greg said honestly.
    She dimpled and curtsied gracefully. "‘Tis honored I am to make your acquaintance, Sir Gregory of Ohio."
    Their teasing was interrupted when Alice Lyme appeared. Greg had met her several times at the tithe barn, where she helped as needed. A silver fox version of her beautiful daughters, she usually had an unflappable quality that reminded Greg of his own mother, but this evening she was frowning. "Bad news, I’m afraid."
    "What’s wrong?" Jenny asked.
    "I’ve just learned that the Carthage Corporation has changed its deadline. Originally we had until June thirtieth to meet their price. Now they say we must have the money by January first."
    "They can do that?" Greg asked, startled. "Don’t you have an option contract of some sort?"
    Alice shrugged. "It was a gentlemen’s agreement, which tends to be worthless when dealing with corporations. Last summer Carthage had the barn appraised and told us if we could raise the amount of the appraisal by the time the lease expired, the barn would be ours. But nothing was in writing."
    "Probably they’ve received a higher offer," Patricia said cynically.
    "They know the center can’t raise so much money on such short notice." Jenny looked stricken. "When we fail, they accept the other contract. Come June, we’re out."
    Greg swore under his breath. Jenny had said once that the center had a good chance to raise the money, but it would take the six months they’d been counting on to edit and polish the Revels production and sell it to television.
    Or would it? "Did they say in writing that they would let the village buy the barn if it raised the money by New Year’s?"
    Alice raised a paper she had brought in. "Yes, the cowards faxed me rather than telephoning. But what good does that do us?"
    "The key is television sales," he replied. "Jenny has plenty of London contacts, and I know some people in American TV. If we can produce some good sample material quickly enough, maybe we can get commitments to buy the finished film for next year. With those in hand, you might be able to get a bridge loan from a bank. I doubt the corporation would dare back out since you have their written promise to sell at the appraisal price. It would look nasty in the newspapers if they reneged, and corporations don’t like looking like bad guys."
    "Can that all be done in such a short time?" Alice asked doubtfully.
    Jenny bit her lip, calculating. "It’s possible. Barely. If Greg can pull together some fabulous footage in the next day or two. Can you?"
    "I think so. I rigged the lights to give even illumination, which means I can shoot the full dress rehearsal tonight digitally. Sean has a similar camera and he would love to act as second unit. Does anyone in Upper Bassett have a really good digital editing setup on his computer?"
    "I do." Ken Holmes smiled self-deprecatingly. "We engineers love gadgets."
    "He also has first-class recording equipment taking up far too much of the house." Patricia smiled at her husband affectionately. "He records music at our church and we sell the CDs. The sound is professional quality."
    "Then let’s go for it." Greg swallowed a last bite of supper and got to his feet. "We’ll shoot and record the rehearsal, edit tonight, and by tomorrow morning we should have something that will convince