I would not sell Wuthering Heights for Edgar or anyone. What would he ask of me after that? Someone who loved me would not ask that of me.
We were over.
Unlike Heath, I knew Edgar would not chase me all over the country. His love for me was conditional, Heath’s love for me had no boundaries, he would have taken me back in whatever form I came to him. Edgar could not celebrate my victories but chose to blame me for what had befallen him. His determined request would eventually extinguish my love for him, once I recovered and anger took over.
I slipped my engagement ring off and placed it on the glass coffee table beside me. Next to it, I placed the key to his apartment.
‘I understand, Edgar, what you need from me,’ I said, softly, ‘but I won’t part with Wuthering Heights.’
He glared at me; I don’t think he expected that response, not for a moment. I suspect he thought I would do whatever was required to keep him and to marry him.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Thank you for your love and our good times together. Please don’t be a stranger if we meet in the future, I love and respect you.’
I stopped talking because I couldn’t speak anymore. The lump in my throat was huge, I was on the verge of tears but I wanted to end as I began the relationship, admiring him.
I left. It all seemed so futile over so little. Maybe it always was.
Chapter 40– Three months later
It was surreal and after all the drama and excitement had settled down, I found that I was Catherine Earnshaw, a single woman, an award-winning actor, a friend, stepsister, daughter, and a college graduate.
I originally came to the city to challenge myself and to stand on my own two feet but I went from Heath to Edgar, both of them boosting my career. So for the past couple of months after that night with Edgar, I was just me. I went out with Nelly and her man, and my friends; I worked with Jaz—my agent—on potential projects; I did interviews as organised by the publicists to promote my two films that were currently screening; I prepared stock standard answers to the Heath and Edgar question … something about respect and awe for their talents, blah, blah, blah; and I privately regrouped.
It was impossible to avoid information about Edgar and Isabella, but not so hard with Heath as he kept well away from social media. I knew the Lintons—Edgar and Isabella—were both seeing someone else or several someones. Edgar’s actions really cut me. Before I would even consider another relationship, I needed that time to recover.
I had a BAFTA – did I mention that? I still couldn’t believe it. I looked at it all the time like it wasn’t quite real. It made me stronger, I was moving forward. Heath had one too. Ah, Heath.Miss you, love you, want you, hate you – no, not so much hate now.
Then, I did something that I knew would make me happy and it was something that I knew Nelly wanted to do as well. Hopefully, Lockwood could wrap up his work gig and join us. We wanted to work together, so what was stopping us? Well money, but hey, there were ways around that. Nelly and I came up with the plan over a few drinks at our favourite pub and in the cold, hard sobering light of morning, it still had legs! Luckily her guy—who had a brain for figures—thought it was feasible too, and that gave us wings.
I wanted to stageLes Miserables– not the musical, the drama. I wanted to play Fantine – the pretty, poor and abandoned young mother who becomes a prostitute to support her illegitimate daughter … yes, another tragic character but a wonderful role. Nelly wanted to direct or co-direct and we wanted Lockwood as stage manager. With an award behind me and some funds in the bank thanks to my two films andWyldecommercial, I was happy to also co-produce and put up a sum of money as an investor.
Nelly and I met with our agent Jaz, and with Tamara—whom we hoped might cast talent for us—to discuss who might be interested in backing and staging the production. We didn’t care if we started in a small theatre in the backwater, but Jaz wouldn’t have that. She said it wouldn’t be good for my career now, and it had to be staged in the West End – a small theatre – and then it could go on the road for a season. To say Nelly, Lockwood and I were beside ourselves with excitement was an understatement. Even our BAFTA-nominated hair and make-up colleague was keen to come on board with us – she wanted some stage make-up practice after working in the film industry for the last year.
Jaz organised a lunch with a producer and a financier friend of hers, along with Tamara, Nelly and me. Having Jaz and Tamara supporting us gave us cred. It had been at least eight years or more sinceLes Miserableshad been on stage so it was due back. The backers were interested and liked our enthusiasm. They liked the networks we had and the possibility to draw a crowd given the recent hype and my award. Plus, with my films both out there at the moment – I was in people’s facesone way or another. No one mentioned Heath or Edgar. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I was keen to go back on the stage; Heath would be smirking.
A few days after our meeting, Jaz called and said the backers would give us the green light if we were open to two conditions. Hell yeah, we were open to anything – it was going to be another milestone, another step in our careers. Nelly and I went in to meet Jaz and hear what we needed to do to secure the deal. We spent our cocktail hour the night before thrashing out what we thought the deal breakers would be and I thought it might be that we needed more experience or star power. It turned out it was a little of both.
Back in Jaz’s office, and doing our best to look professional, I took a breath before Jaz delivered the ultimatum; the producer and financier would back our London season and consider touring us depending on the London success if Nelly worked with a co-director who had a little more experience and could guide her. Basically, if she was happy to be the first assistant director. That was fair enough as she didn’t have a lot of runs on the board and Nelly agreed, happy to have the experience and the credit. So far so good. They were fine with Lockwood as the stage manager as long as he hired experienced stagehands, especially stagehands who had worked on productions ofLes Miserables.
The second condition was all about the casting of the lead male role – Jean Valjean. He was a convict, hero and Fantine supporter, and he had to be a known name for the deal to be done. Our backers had a name in mind.
Nelly and I exchanged glances and Jaz said she would give us time to think about it, but that was not necessary, we agreed we were happy with both conditions if the lead male actor agreed to sign on the dotted line. We thanked Jaz and went away to work on the requests. We wanted to make this happen.
That night, I stood on the balcony of my and Nelly’s apartment. I drank in London, the cool night air, and all the possibilities ahead. I took a deep breath and finding the name and number on my phone that I had not called for over a year, I rang with an offer – the part of Jean Valjean opposite my role of Fantine inLes Miserablesto open in London’s West End.
Heath answered straight away.
The End.