'Couldn't have put it better myself,' I said ironically. I looked at Mark. 'Shall we go and start packing?'

Mark nodded and got up from his seat. All this time he'd said nothing and his face gave away nothing of what he was feeling.

'It's all right for you two!' Carla accused, staring belligerently at us. 'You and him with his f.u.c.king Ferrari. You've obviously got enough cash between you not to worry about the odd fifty k. It might be peanuts to you but what about the rest of us? What are we supposed to do?'

Something in me snapped. I'd had just about enough of Carla. 'Oh, for G.o.d's sake, will you shut up, Carla!' I shouted. I'd always hated mouthy women who kicked off and threw their weight about. Carla had done it repeatedly all through rehearsals, arguing and turning the air blue with her crude outbursts. She wasn't all that good in her part and I'd often wondered how Paul and Mervyn kept their tempers. Now I knew.

'We're all in the same boat here. Some of us have put more than others into Paul Fortune's scam but we've all been well and truly conned, and there's nothing we can do but face it. We're going to have to chalk it up to experience.' I grabbed Mark's arm and left the cafe with him in tow.

It was only a short walk to the hotel and neither of us spoke until we were in our room. I kicked off my shoes and sank onto the bed, bitter tears of disappointment, anger and frustration streaming down my cheeks. Mark came and sat beside me. He didn't speak, just slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled my head onto his shoulder, pushing his handkerchief into my hand.

Once I could trust myself to speak again I looked up at him. 'I can't believe it, Mark,' I said. 'How could anyone be so evil?'

He gave me his lopsided, rueful grin. 'The thought of all that money, that's how,' he said. 'I reckon if all the cast members invested even half of what we did he must be the richer by at least half a million.'

I blew my nose. 'I still can't understand it. Why did he need to do it? He's a talented musician and the play-'

'Face it, Lou. The music wasn't bad but the play was rubbish.' He kissed my forehead. 'He knew how to play a bunch of failed actors, darling, and he pulled us all in like a net full of little fishes. He played on our vanity our dreams of success. In a way it serves us all right.'

'How can you say that?' I stared at hm. 'And what do you mean failed actors? It's OK for you. You probably won't even miss the money you invested, whilst I I put most of what I had into this this disaster.' The tears began again. 'I was going to be a star. It was my last chance and now now ...'

'I know,' he pulled me close. 'Hey, for what it's worth, you'll always be a star to me.'

I sniffed and shook my head. 'All my money I can't believe it's gone.'

'I know,' he said. 'It's awful for you and for most of the others too. I happen to know that some of the poor devils put their life savings into the project, but we should all have known better. Didn't you ever wonder how he thought he was going to hit the headlines in the West End with no big names in the leading roles? We all had our heads in the sand me as much as anyone. All we saw were our names up in lights. He held out that tempting bait and we fell for it.'

'And now it's all over,' I said bleakly. 'So I suppose there's nothing for it but to go home with our tails between our legs.'

He hugged me. 'Tell you what, why don't we stay on down here for another few days? Have a little holiday.'

I stared at him. 'A holiday! I've got to get back to London. I've got to go and see Harry and he's got to find me some work. He owes me that much after this fiasco. I'm broke, Mark. I'm homeless too. How could I laze about here and enjoy myself?'

He sighed. 'OK, I see your point. We'll go back this afternoon. And you must come and stay at the flat.'

Relief flooded through me. Thank goodness for Mark.

It was quite late in the evening when Mark drove into the underground car park and hauled our cases out of the boot. My two held all my worldly goods as I'd moved out of the bedsit. We travelled up in the lift and Mark took out his key and let us into the flat. Cathy, his sister, came out of the kitchen. She was small and dark with gla.s.ses, not at all as I'd imagined her. She stared at us both in surprise.

'Mark! I wasn't expecting you back again so soon.'

Mark sighed. 'It's a long story. Cathy, this is Louise, by the way. She'll be staying here for a while.'

'Oh?' she said shortly, looking me up and down. She looked at Mark enquiringly. 'So why are you here? What happened?'

'It's all fallen through, Cath,' he said. 'There's no show after all. We've all been taken for a ride but I'll tell you more later.'

She gave a cynical little laugh. 'Well, I can't say I'm surprised.' She glanced at me. 'If you will play at being the thespian and mix with a bunch of dodgy theatricals, can you wonder? You should know by now that you can't trust them. I always said it would end in tears.' She looked at me again with undisguised distaste. 'I expect you'd like to freshen up,' she said, inferring that I was dishevelled and sweaty. 'And I'd be glad if you'd both keep your voices down. The children are asleep.' She sighed resignedly as she turned back towards the kitchen. 'I suppose I'd better put the kettle on.'

Mark looked at me. 'Put your things in my room. We can sort everything out later.'

In Mark's room I unpacked my overnight things. It was all too clear that Cathy didn't welcome the prospect of having me to stay. I 'freshened up', as she put it, in the en suite and then went back out into the hallway. Outside the half-open kitchen door I hesitated. Mark and his sister were clearly having a disagreement.

'Why are you with her?' she demanded. 'Don't you remember how she messed with your head all those years ago? You never stopped weeping on my shoulder about how badly she treated you.'

'We were just kids back then,' Mark said. 'We're both different people now.'

'Her kind of leopard doesn't change her spots, believe me, Mark. I know her sort. She's got her eye on your money now.'

'Of course she hasn't.'

'Anyway, I can't have her sharing your room.'

'Why not?'

'I'd have thought it was obvious. What kind of example would that be to set Kevin and Sharon?'

'Where else do you expect her to sleep, then?'

'Well, the sofa's available as long as it's just for one night, or do you expect me to wake the children and turn them out for her?'

'Don't be absurd, Cathy.'

'What do you see in her anyway?' Cathy went on. 'What happened to that nice girl you were engaged to what was her name Felicity?'

'Francesca.'

'That's right. Your letters were full of her for months. You even sent photos of the two of you together. You were completely besotted, then all at once she was out of the picture.'

I didn't wait to hear any more. Back in Mark's bedroom I waited for him. When he appeared a few minutes later he looked sheepish.

'Lou, darling, there's a slight problem. Cathy ...'

'I heard,' I said. 'I was coming to find you and I heard.'

He winced. 'I'm so sorry. It's just that Cathy thinks ...'

'Cathy obviously thinks I'm a trollop,' I interrupted. 'I must say I'm surprised at you, Mark. It's your flat and your life so why does she think she can call all the shots? Anyway, I thought you said she was moving out.'

'She hasn't exchanged contracts on the house yet.'

'I see, so in the meantime she expects to have all the say in what you do?'

'She's just thinking of the children.'

'Well, obviously she and her kids have to come first! I'll stay for tonight,' I told him. 'Unfortunately I don't have a choice. I've nowhere else to go, but don't worry, I'll be out of your way first thing in the morning. I wouldn't want to be an evil influence on innocent children.'

'Don't take it like that.'

'How do you expect me to take it? Your sister obviously thinks I'm not good enough for you not like the saintly Francesca.'

Mark turned pale. 'She didn't say that.'

'No? What do you call it, then? She even accused me of being after your money.'

He sighed. 'She gets a bit resentful sometimes about my inheritance.'

'Did your uncle leave her out of his will?'

He nodded. 'I told you; he didn't leave a will.' He reached for my hand. 'Let me take you out to dinner. We'll go somewhere nice to make up for everything.'

'No.' I s.n.a.t.c.hed my hand away. I couldn't believe he'd stand there and let his upstart of a sister insult me without a word in my defence. 'I obviously count for very little as far as you're concerned. Anyway, I'm too tired and too disappointed. This has been the day from h.e.l.l and I just want it to be over.'

I couldn't sleep. Not that the sofa was uncomfortable. Cathy had grudgingly supplied me with a duvet and pillow, but she hadn't offered either Mark or me anything to eat and my stomach wouldn't stop rumbling. I couldn't get Paul Fortune's ma.s.sive con trick out of my head. My dreamed-of chance of success. All I had ever worked and prayed for, not to mention Dad's legacy all gone in a puff of smoke. It hurt like a knife twisting in my heart. And as if that wasn't enough, there was Mark's betrayal. If he really loved me, why hadn't he put me first and told his bossy sister where to get off?

At last, in spite of the hunger pains and the disbelief of what was happening to me, I dozed off into a restless sleep in the early hours, only to be rudely awakened by two boisterous children jumping on me.

'Who are you? What are you doing in our flat? What's your name?' They shrieked questions at me, whilst bouncing all over the sofa. I sat up and gathered the duvet round me, fleeing in the direction of Mark's room. In the hallway I was stopped by Cathy.

'Where are you going?'

'I need to shower and get dressed,' I told her.

'Not in Mark's room,' she instructed. 'You can use the bathroom.'

'But my clothes my luggage is in there.'

She sniffed. 'I'll get it for you.' She went into Mark's room and emerged a minute later, holding out my suitcases as though they were something she was putting out with the bins.

'Is Mark awake?' I asked.

She shook her head. 'No, and I'd be obliged if you'd allow him to sleep.' The two brats joined her and she slipped an arm round each of them. The girl put her tongue out at me. 'I'll be taking the children to school by the time you're finished.'

'Really?' I looked at them with distaste. 'Well, let's hope they learn some manners there. They certainly haven't been taught any by you!' I picked up my cases and walked towards the bathroom.

She aimed her final shot at my retreating back. 'I'd quite like you to have gone by the time I get back.'

'With pleasure. I can't wait to get away from here!' I slammed the bathroom door and sat on the edge of the bath, despondency sweeping over me afresh. Were things ever going to get better?

I took a cab to Charing Cross Road and climbed the stairs to Harry's office, leaving my suitcases in the lobby. Sally ushered me in and Harry began speaking the moment I walked in.

'Louise I can't tell you how sorry I am about all this.'

'Not nearly as sorry as I am,' I interrupted. 'We've all been well and truly stuffed and there's nothing we can do about it now, but I'm not here for a post-mortem, Harry. I'm broke. I need a job and I need it now.'

He winced. 'I know, love, but look at it from my point of view. It's the end of May. All the summer shows are booked about to open any day now.'

'Then find me something else,' I demanded. 'A touring play anything. You know how versatile I am.' I leaned towards him. 'You owe me, Harry. You owe me big-time.'

'I know, love, and I feel for you, honestly.' He a.s.sumed a pleading expression and spread his hands. 'But I can't work miracles, can I?'

'Well you'd just better try,' I told him. 'You're supposed to be my agent and you've lost me a shed-load of cash and landed me in an unholy mess. If I don't hear from you in twenty-four hours, I'll make sure that everyone in the business knows about this scam you were involved in. And I still haven't made up my mind whether to sue you or not. Right?' I got up from my chair and stood glaring at him.

He shrugged resignedly. 'OK OK.'

I was lugging my suitcases back into the street when my phone rang. I put the cases down and fished it out of my handbag. It was Mark. I switched the phone off in disgust.

Back in Stoke Newington, I tapped on my ex-landlord's door. No, I couldn't have my old room back. He'd already let it. But he did have one on the floor above (sloping ceilings and a dormer window). Only problem was, it wasn't available till the week after next! Did I want it? Its only advantage was that it was cheaper than the one I'd vacated. An offer I was in no position to refuse.

'By the way, you owe me a couple of weeks' rent,' he reminded me with a smile. 'Oh, and I nearly forgot. You had a visitor yesterday,' he added. 'She said she was your mum.'

Chapter Twenty.

As Susan put her key in the lock, she heard the telephone ringing. Dumping her shopping on the floor, she rushed to answer it.

'h.e.l.lo, Susan Davies speaking.'

'Mum, it's me, Karen. I wondered if you could have Peter for me this afternoon?'

'Of course, love. Are you all right?'

'Yes, fine. It's just that I've got an interview.'

'I see. Well, just bring him round when you're ready.'

'Thanks, Mum. You're a lifesaver.' She paused. 'Mum I had a text from Louise this morning. She had the cheek to ask if she could come and stay for a few days. I told her absolutely no, not after last time. If she rings you-'

'She asked to come home?' Susan interrupted. 'But I thought she was down in Bournemouth, about to open this musical.'

'Well, she's obviously not,' Karen said. 'She didn't go into any details. Anyway it's irrelevant to me. All I care about is that she stays away from us. So, Mum, if she rings you, don't be an old softie again and say yes.'

'I wonder what's gone wrong,' Susan mused.

'Mum! Are you listening? You won't let her come and walk all over you again, will you?'

'What? No oh, I don't know, Karen. I'm making no promises. We're all she's got and ...'

'Yes, and she plays on the fact that you're a pushover! Promise me, Mum.'

'What time did you say you'd bring Peter round?'

'About two. Did you hear what I said?'