aid station. “So we still could be sunk, unless Mr. Stuart can pull another actress out of his hat at a moment’s notice.”
Marcie made an impatient sound. “He found you, didn’t he? And besides, Mr. Miller is so infatuated with her, he’d find a way to keep her in the show even if she croaked like a frog.”
Vi glanced at Marcie in surprise. “You think he’s got it that bad?”
“Haven’t you noticed how he stares at her during rehearsal?”
“Well, no. I’ve been too busy learning the dances.”
“I have,” Frances said. Then she arched her perfectly drawn and shaded eyebrows as she continued, “But I doubt they’re a couple anymore, considering how hard he made her cry last night.”
“What’s that?” Marcie asked, suddenly all ears.
Nothing like the prospect of gossip to make friends out of enemies, Vi thought with a mental eye roll. And where had Frances found time to apply full makeup between reveille and roll call?
“Are you sure it was Mr. Miller who made her cry?” Doubt pinched Gertie’s forehead as she joined the conversation. “That doesn’t sound like him at all. He’s so nice!”
“I think he was breaking things off,” Frances speculated in a hushed voice. “Those two have been thick as thieves since day one. Perhaps things were getting too hot and heavy between them.”
“You mean they were . . . ?” Gertie’s gray eyes widened. “But that’s against the rules!”
Frances burst into laughter. “Oh, Gertie. Lord love you. Luciana’s a star! Remember? And when did stars ever have to follow rules?”
“Wait,” Vi said, her attention caught. “Luciana is a star?”
Frances waved her hand dismissively. “Only if you count landing the role of an understudy in last year’s premiere of Oklahoma! at the Saint James. Which is what she should have been in this show, too. Everyone knows she can’t cut it as a lead.”
Marcie snorted. “You’re just jealous because you can’t face the fact that Luciana has a better voice than you and has sung with some really famous bands.”
“And you’re just sore because I’m twice the dancer you are,” Frances shot back.
“Stop it, both of you!” Gertie’s sweet face crumpled as if about to cry. “Shouldn’t we be pulling together as a family? That’s what my acting coach always said.”
“It’s all right, Gertie,” Vi said soothingly, her heart going out to the sensitive girl. “Even the closest of sisters snipe at each other once in a while. It doesn’t mean we aren’t all on the same team.” She shot a meaningful glance at the other two dancers. “Right?”
Marcie came, somewhat surprisingly, to Vi’s aid and hugged the slender girl. “That’s right, Gertie. Don’t worry. We’ll be like one big, happy family soon, warts and all—which is why I didn’t like it that Mr. Miller made Luciana cry.”
Frances made a gagging face. Vi elbowed her and got a not-very-sisterly glare in return.
From across the field, Sue narrowed her eyes at Gertie and Marcie and then came over. “Is everyone all right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Frances said, stepping forward with a bright smile. “Gertie was just feeling a mite homesick, so we were cheering her up. Gotta take care of each other.”
Vi rolled her eyes. Of course Frances would take credit for the idea. The other dancer was so obsequious around Sue it made Vi’s teeth hurt. Still, she had to give the brunette credit for trying to butter Sue up. It’s what she would’ve done if she had actually given a damn about advancing her alter ego’s career. The truth of it was, she intended to ditch Miss Virginia Heart as soon as the tour was over and it was safe to return to Chicago.
The rest of the actors joined them.
Ann rubbed her injured knee and looked around. “Where’s Luciana? Shouldn’t she be back by now?”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Victor said soothingly, while Sue counted heads to make sure everyone was there.
“Speak of the devil; here she comes.” Matt pointed toward the dirt road, and everyone turned to look. “Lucky girl. I swear she was probably watching, waiting for the exercise to end.”
“Do you blame her,” Victor said, sounding amused, “considering how close our Ann came to losing her leg in that net?”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Ann said. She waved as the other actress got closer. “Luciana, thank God. I was afraid the army had done you in already, leaving the rest of us to figure out how to stage the show without a villain.”
“You’d still have Victor.” Luciana stopped at the edge of the group and smiled