Chapter thirty-two - Sir Ieuan

Sir Ieuan's office filled one corner of the house, with windows looking out over the gardens in both directions. It was a lived-in room, filled to the brim with all manner of curiosities. A large flag bearing a red dragon hung on the wall, while a battered rugby ball and a cluster of fossils sat next to odd bits of movie memorabilia and old props.

The shelves were full of books. Mostly old cloth-bound hardbacks, but there were also some new books, children's books and large, glossy coffee table books. A couple of them had images of Sir Ieuan on the cover; a craggy, weatherbeaten yet noble face, browned by his frequent exposure to the Californian sun. He was as tall and as handsome now as he'd ever been in his youth, but the lines on his forehead and around his eyes reflected his true character. He'd refused to bow to the pressure of botox or plastic surgery, choosing instead to grow old disgracefully.

In recent years, Sir Ieuan was known for playing authority figures: army generals, politicians, royalty, the Pope. In his career, he'd leaned towards tense dramas, or high-stakes action, but seemed capable of turning his hand to any genre.

Everyone in the world knew his voice, once described as "gravel wrapped in honey", regardless of the accent he used. Yet, she was still surprised how that familiarity wrapped around her when he spoke. "Miss Lyons, come in and sit down. Do you mind if I call you Jessica?"

She slipped into one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "No...not at all."

He surprised her again by sitting in the chair next to her, instead of behind the desk. "You had no trouble getting here?"

"No, the train was fine." Although her voice remained calm and professional, Jess' inner fangirl was grinning like a maniac. She still found it hard to believe she was sat next to the Sir Ieuan Hall-Jones, having a conversation, as if that was the most normal thing ever.

Gone were the silver strands that usually clustered around his temples. His hair, commonly thought by ardent fans to be one of his most striking features, was today an unnatural black. With his tanned skin, he looked Spanish or maybe Italian. A year-round resident of Wales—or any other part of the UK for that matter— would have struggled to carry off such a hard shade without it making him look half dead. His tanned skin made the difference in colour less stark.

"And are you all settled in? Is your room comfortable? Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, thanks. It's great, but—"

"Good...good. Did you have a look at the script Carys gave you?"

"Yes, but before we talk about that can...can I ask you something?"

He gave her a wry smile. "You just did, so it appears you can."

Jess' nerves were fighting against her, sat so close to a Hollywood legend, but she tamped them down and forged on. "Why me? Why, out of everyone, did you choose me?"

Sir Ieuan relaxed back into his seat. "A good question." One, it seemed, he was not immediately interested in answering.

"It can't be because of my previous experience, because I've never done anything like this before."

"Well, Jessica...you know, I'm always on the look-out for fresh, new talent, and I liked what you did with the character in your audition. You also impressed my casting director and her assistant. But, apart from that, I had another reason for choosing you."

He was going to mention Gareth, and the two of them working together during the summer. She was certain of it. Even if Gareth hadn't specifically talked about her, there had to be some connection.

Sir Ieuan cleared his throat. "You may not remember, but you and I have met before."

Although outwardly she remained calm, Jess was sifting through her memory, wondering how it was possible to forget meeting anyone as famous as Sir Ieuan. "I don't think I could forget meeting you."

"Oh, you were very young, nine or ten perhaps. You'd recently moved in with your aunt and uncle. Will and Hetty had invited me to dinner. You came downstairs because you'd had a nightmare and your uncle was still getting used to having a little girl in his house. He knew I had children and he was desperate for my advice. We were working together in Yorkshire at the time. It was the theatre at Richmond, wasn't it?"

Uncle Bill and Aunt Hetty had been living in Richmond the year she'd moved in with them, although Jess couldn't recall the night he'd described. Uncle Bill had spent his whole career in the theatre. Her childhood had been full of different faces and names, some changing every week, and most passing in a blur.

Sir Ieuan's smile was the reassuring smile many of his fans were familiar with. It mirrored the DVD cover for one of his best-loved films, , standing on a shelf just behind his head. "I worked with your uncle and aunt a number of times over the years and they were both good to me...good to all of us, in fact. I remember one other visit. I called in on my way home when they were living in Shrewsbury. You were there, sitting at the kitchen table, doing your homework. I helped you with your English essay. I hope Hetty and Will are both in good health. Apart from the odd Christmas card, we don't keep in touch as much as I'd like."

"Yes, they're both very well, thank you." Her automatic response hid the surprise she felt. It was entirely possible that she'd met Gareth's father as a child, without being aware of it. Her aunt and uncle never made a fuss, even when their visitors were famous. That might have been why so many actors liked spending time with them. "They're semi-retired now, and living in New Zealand."

"I'm sure they deserve it, after all their hard work. Still, you must miss them, being so far away."

Jess put on a brave face but knew she hadn't been entirely successful when she saw the sympathy in his eyes. "Of course I do, but they deserved to follow their dreams, after everything they'd sacrificed to give me a stable home life. They're having fun now, rebuilding an old community theatre. I'm old enough to look after myself now."

"Of course you are." He turned to look out of the window, as though lost in his thoughts.

Still, he hadn't answered her question. How had he become aware of her after all that time? "So you choose me for this part as a favour to my aunt and uncle?"

"Not exactly. We first noticed you in the promo pics from Exley Hall."

So it was connected to the Austen week. Had Gareth shown her photo to his father? Had he mentioned her name? "The pictures of us in costume?"

"Yes." At this point, Sir Ieuan's grin turned somewhat sheepish. "I know I'm not supposed to get involved in Gareth's career, but at the end of the day I'm still his father, and when you're sitting around, waiting for them to set up a scene in the middle of nowhere, it's hard not to scroll through the internet and take a peek at what he's been up to."

"You were stalking him!" Jess almost laughed out loud as Sir Ieuan squirmed in his seat.

"Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that. I understand why he wanted to build his career on his own, but as a proud parent I like to keep in touch with the work he's doing."

She felt more relaxed, knowing at least one mystery had been solved. "You should have been there. Gareth really made an excellent Mr. Bingley."

"I can imagine. He certainly looked the part, as did you. You were a perfect choice for Miss Bennet. In fact, that's what initially drew me to the photographs. Out of everyone there, you looked most like the Elizabeth Bennet I always imagined whenever I read the book."