The Proud and the Prejudiced Read Online Free Page A

forensic pathologist who will not rest until he avenges the
murder of his wife? No wonder you embodied your role on COD. ”
    He smiled at her. Oh, dear Lord, he’s smiling
at me .
    “I take your point,” he said, “and thank you for
the compliment.”
    She rolled her eyes. Shit . She had complimented him.
    “Regardless, I feel uncomfortable portraying a
character that belonged to another actor. Should I be watching tapes of his
performance? I should have an original –”
    “I am surprised you care so much, Mr. Walsingham.
With our cheap sets and implausible plots, we both know even appearing on a
soap is far beneath you.”
    He stared at her, the smile now gone, replaced
with…nothing – his face completely blank.
    She let a few moments of silence pass between them
before she spoke again. “Listen, you are here for a limited run. I do not have
time to create a new character and develop a new romantic storyline with Sienna.
Tristan already has a backstory and a previous relationship with Sienna that I
can work with.”
    “Was that before or after she went into the
convent?”
    “Before. I think. I don’t know; that was before my
time. We have researchers in charge of continuity.” When she stood up, he did
as well, and she walked around the desk. “I am sure you can understand why it
needs to be that role. Forget the previous actor – you’ve been ‘changed by the
sea.’ Make the role your own.” She opened the door and stepped back to invite
him to leave.
    A crease formed between his eyes flicking back and
forth between her and the doorway.
    “You shouldn’t frown like that; you’ll get
wrinkles between your eyebrows.”
    He ignored her. “Do you think the audience will
believe that Eileen Meyer and I could be brother and sister?”
    “Why? Because she’s a neurosurgeon? I’m sure they
will just assume she got all the brains in the family.”
    She took advantage of his confusion to usher him out
and close the door. Then she leaned back against it and blew out a full breath.

CHAPTER 3

The Edge of Darkness

Chapter 7
     
     
    The summer before my junior year of high school,
I went through a tremendous metamorphosis. My face cleared up, I had my hair
cut and styled, and I lost all the weight. With a surge of confidence, I knew
this year would be different.
    Although our high school was also all-girls, we
were close to an all-boys school and served as their sister school. We cheered
for their sports and had co-ed clubs. That year, one of the first things I did
was join the drama club and audition for Godspell. Even though I only got a
part as an understudy, I had never been so thrilled in my life. I might not be
performing, but I had been chosen over so many other girls. And for the first
time, I had friends – lots of them – and the cast and crew spent all their time
together when we weren’t in school.
    I worked hard on Godspell. Not only did I have
to do all of the duties of an actress, in learning lines and blocking, but I
also worked on the tech crew. But with the excitement and fulfillment of
working on the production, the work didn’t bother me at all. Plus I was the
envy of my classmates because I worked with Sean Hooker, the heartthrob of high
school. I hated to admit it, but even I had a bit of a crush on him. Besides
being the most gorgeous senior on the boys’ campus, he was a professional
actor, working on plays outside of school and even commercials, which made him
completely irresistible.
    I understudied for Lisa, and she frequently
missed rehearsals, so I had to work closely with Sean in several scenes. I
couldn’t help feeling shy around him. I tried to treat him like all the other
actors, but he would look me right in the eyes and I would melt.
    After opening night, I hugged the others in the
cast, but to Sean I only offered my hand. I refused to let him believe I was
another co-ed in love with him. It had gotten to the point where one day at
tech, Sean was forced into