“Well, let’s just hope it will be home for a week,” Alison remarked. “Personally, I have my doubts.”
“Act One,” Chuck called, and the cast scrambled for the wings. “Places.”
At noon, Aunt Hetty presented herself at the theater and asked for two people to do a radio interview at the station in Merion Falls about twenty miles away.
“Anybody,” she said briskly, “as long as they’re part of the resident company. John Hamilton wants people from New York—and we’ll be gone all afternoon, Chuck, so give me someone you don’t need.”
“I need everybody,” Chuck said with a laugh, “but advertising is important too, so—let’s see.” He looked around at the cast. “Peggy, you’ll go—I need the rest of the family and Albert, but there should be a man along, too—Chris! Your scenes with Ruth are going well—I won’t need you today. Go along with Peggy.”
“Have fun, you lucky people,” Danny called after them. “This may be your first and last day off!”
“And don’t let on that there’s any doubt about opening!” Chuck reminded Chris and Peggy. “Tell them we’re doing fine!”
“Just fine!” Alison echoed, smiling grimly. Looking back at her, Peggy realized with sudden surprise that Alison wanted to go too! Why? Peggy wondered. Surely she didn’t think a local radio show was that important to her career? And then Peggy recalled what Rita had said. She looked curiously at Chris as he walked along beside her to Aunt Hetty’s car. Maybe Rita was right and Alison was interested in the leading man! Oh, well, it wasn’t any of her business, anyway, Peggy told herself as she got into the car.
“Sorry to take you off like this so suddenly,” Aunt Hetty was saying, “but it’s quite important. I promised Richard to get in as much advertising as I could while he’s gone, and John Hamilton requested this interview on the spur of the moment.”
“Will he ask us to play a scene?” Chris questioned.