Chapter 380

Oxford, as a city within a university, could be said to be a university entirely on its own. With over 40 colleges spread across the city, Oxford University was a true academic hub.

Kate Beckinsale attended New College, one of Oxford University's oldest, largest, and wealthiest colleges.

"There's always some royal gossip in Britain," said Arthur, flipping through a newspaper while sitting on a sofa in a cafe near Trinity College, Oxford.

Recently, Prince Charles had publicly declared his love for Camilla on television, responding to Princess Diana's bold attire at a Hyde Park gala: a black off-shoulder V-neck dress.

Kate Beckinsale, sitting next to Arthur, explained with a smile, "The Princess is rebelling, trying to break free from the royal constraints!"

"They're already separated, living their own lives," Arthur shook his head. "Why not get a divorce?"

"Alright, let's head back. There's an event at the bar near New College tonight," Kate Beckinsale said, pulling Arthur up.

They left the cafe and got into an Audi A4, with Kate Beckinsale driving Arthur back to his apartment first.

"Everyone else drives on the right side with left-hand drive cars, but Brits just have to be different with right-hand drive cars on the left," Arthur couldn't help but complain.

Kate Beckinsale chuckled, "Most Commonwealth countries drive on the left too. Canada, right next to the U.S., drives on the right."

"But Japan also drives on the left!"

Back at the apartment, Arthur noticed a script titled Haunted and the original novel by James Herbert on the bookshelf.

After casually flipping through, Arthur found that the script deviated significantly from the novel.

"The production team wants you to play a ghost sister involved in incest with her brother, huh? The plot is too mundane and lacks logic. They're probably just using your sex scenes as a selling point," Arthur said, expressing his thoughts on Haunted.

Kate Beckinsale sat in Arthur's lap, "At least it's better than that script from earlier this year, Dark Smiles, but since I'm attending school, I won't have time to film."

"Supporting roles in movies like Much Ado About Nothing, I can prepare for during the summer," she continued.

"As a newcomer actress without much background, I can only seek opportunities in these somewhat risqué art films," Kate Beckinsale likely would have dropped out to enter the entertainment industry if she hadn't met Arthur. She would have accepted roles in Dark Smiles and Haunted.

Arthur smiled, kissed her, and slipped his hand under her shirt, feeling the youthful vitality of Kate Beckinsale.

"Now that you have me, you have a strong backing!" Arthur said, fondling her gently.

"Hmm," Kate Beckinsale responded, taking off her shirt and unhooking her bra, pulling Arthur's head close to her chest.

Arthur started kissing her beautiful, fair breasts...

...

Meanwhile, preparations in London for Sense and Sensibility were progressing smoothly. Director Ang Lee led the project. The film featured Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, heartthrob Hugh Grant, and up-and-comer Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had just gained attention from Legends of the Fall this year.

Despite the smooth progress, the film wasn't ready to start shooting just yet. Costume and set design for Sense and Sensibility were still under discussion, and Ang Lee was meticulously reviewing Emma Thompson's various drafts of the adapted screenplay.

"This script was actually adapted three years ago. At that time, Lindsay Doran at Mirage worked with me on Kenneth Branagh's Dead Again," Emma Thompson explained in Buckinghamshire at the MGM UK studio office while chatting with Arthur.

"Then Lindsay asked me to help adapt Jane Austen's novel, Sense and Sensibility, into a screenplay," she continued.

Arthur nodded. Kenneth Branagh was Emma Thompson's husband, after all. They had married in 1989 and collaborated on several literary adaptations. Though, there were rumors in the papers that Kenneth Branagh was having an affair with Helena Bonham Carter.

Seems it was true.

Emma Thompson, 35, was a critically acclaimed British actress. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for Howards End, and this year, she'd starred in two Oscar-nominated films: The Remains of the Day and In the Name of the Father.

"How did you decide to choose Ang Lee to direct Sense and Sensibility?" Arthur asked, admittedly a bit puzzled.

Emma Thompson smiled, "James Schamus, who's a friend of mine, recommended I watch Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. I thought he was perfect for handling such delicate emotional material and was skilled at portraying internal struggles."

Arthur agreed, "He certainly has a talent for that."

"Ang Lee is taking his first Hollywood project very seriously. He's studying both Jane Austen's original novel and all my initial drafts," Emma Thompson reassured Arthur, who might have had reservations about an Asian director adapting British literature.

Arthur smiled, "Don't worry. When it comes to literary adaptations, you all are the experts. If you all believe Ang Lee is the right director, I won't object."

Sense and Sensibility was an art film for sure. For Arthur, it didn't hold the same level of importance as a commercial movie.

...

While in London, Arthur mainly focused on GoldenEye.

"The 007 series truly draws in the big sponsors," Arthur mused, looking at the variety of new car models in the prop warehouse - Ferrari F355 GTS, BMW Z3 convertibles, which hadn't even been officially released yet. There were also Mercedes 280E, Aston Martin DB-5, and even some Russian brands like Volga and Moskvitch.

"Of course, it's a James Bond film. Its popularity is unparalleled," Elizabeth Hurley replied with a smile.

"Alright, let's get back to filming. Everything seems fine here. I'm heading home tomorrow," Arthur said, originally planning to visit Catherine Zeta-Jones, but she was busy filming the TV movie Catherine the Great in Germany, so he decided against it.

"Oh, when will you be back, Arthur?" Elizabeth Hurley asked, already looking forward to their next meeting.

Arthur smiled, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, "I'll tell you when we get to bed tonight!"

"Then I'll prepare something special to make it memorable for you," Elizabeth Hurley kissed Arthur on the cheek, her tone laden with temptation...

*****

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