Outback Sunset by Lynne Wilding Read Free Book Online

the public milling around to congratulate and, occasionally, criticise the performance. Champagne flowed freely, and there was a lot of noise, laughter and compliments,sincere and otherwise. After years of experience she knew that by the time the critics’ reviews went to print, she would be pleasantly exhausted and her cheek muscles sore from so much smiling.
    From the other side of the stage Kerri Spanos gave her the thumbs up sign. Yes, she too believed the audience had loved the play.
The Glass Menagerie
had been originally made memorable by the late English actress, Gertrude Lawrence, long before Vanessa had been born. She hoped none of the critics would compare her performance to the legendary Gertrude’s. She had played the role the way she had felt it, not copying it from any past performances.
    Someone touched her on the shoulder. She turned around to see who it was.
    ‘Vanessa Forsythe, I presume?’ A deep voice with an Australian accent spoke, corrupting the renowned Stanley meets Livingstone introduction.
    ‘Oh!’ She looked into a pair of grey eyes that were studying her intensely. They belonged to a ruggedly attractive man in his early thirties. ‘It’s you.’
    A shiver of delight went through her. She knew him, didn’t she, but from where and how? Something about him … She pondered over the tingle of recognition, her brown eyes sparkling as the memory clicked into place. ‘Aahhh! The jackaroo with two left feet, from Darwin.’
    ‘The same. But how unkind of you to remember my two left feet, considering I only trod on your toes once,’ Bren threw back at her with an engaging grin.
    His answer made her smile, slowly. He’d been nice, she remembered that. Friendly and easygoing,a lot different to the average uptight, straight-backed Englishman. And, she recalled admitting as she had packed her bags that night … there had been a momentary regret that they’d been like ships passing in the night.
    ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘Combining business with pleasure,’ he fibbed convincingly. ‘Inspecting livestock breeds in Middlesex and staying with an old school friend in London.’ He waggled an accusing finger at her as he said, ‘You could have told me you were
the
Vanessa Forsythe. The actress who has articles written about her regularly in women’s magazines, who’s been nominated for several acting awards and has already won one.’
    Wanting to know all he could, over the last two months he had compiled a dossier on Vanessa, thanks to her fan club. He had press clippings from her Sydney performances. He knew about the death of her fiancé, David Benedict. Knew a little about her parents, her on-the-stage grandmother …
    ‘Forgive me. I was on holiday, travelling incognito.’ She jiggled her eyebrows melodramatically. ‘I chose to be an ordinary person. That’s not always easy for me in the United Kingdom.’
    ‘You could never be ordinary, Vanessa.’ His voice rang with sincerity. ‘Though I understand the reason for your secretiveness.’
    ‘Thanks, but I’m afraid you have the advantage. I’m sorry, I can’t recall your name.’
    He stopped the wince before it started. Of course she couldn’t. Why would she? ‘Brendan Selby of Amaroo Downs. People call me Bren.’
    ‘Bren. Yes, of course. Come meet my agent, Kerri Spanos. She’s standing beside the lighting control panel over there, giving us the “stare”. Kerri’s very protective and, clearly, wants to know who you are.’
    Vanessa took hold of his hand. ‘She’s a dear friend as well as my business manager and,’ she giggled as she admitted her agent’s greatest flaw, ‘when it comes to her clients, the world’s biggest stickybeak.’
    ‘We can’t disappoint the world’s biggest stickybeak, can we?’ he agreed. Following her, they wove their way through the crowd until they’d made it to the other side of the stage.
    ‘Kerri, meet Brendan Selby from Australia.’ Vanessa made the simple