The curtain fell to loud but scattered applause, and the actors, too enervated to rush to their dressing rooms tonight, stood about on stage longer than usual. Peggy was talking to Rita about _Charley’s Aunt_, when a movement in the wings caught her eye, and she turned to see a sight so astonishing that she literally dropped onto Mr. Bladen’s couch.
Bill Slade, accompanied by two other men, was walking onto the stage and heading straight for Chuck Crosby with a purposeful air and a broad smile.
Peggy gasped, unwilling to trust her eyes! The men were all talking to Chuck now, and he seemed as flabbergasted as Peggy.
Rita pulled on her sleeve, “Who are they, Peggy? What’s it all about?”
“That’s Bill Slade, one of them,” Peggy said. “I don’t know who the others are.”
“Bill Slade!” Rita exclaimed in disbelief. “Well, for heaven’s sake!”
Suddenly the little group laughed, and Bill turned to smile at Peggy. “I took your advice, you see,” he said, coming over to her. “I know I’m a little late getting here, but I wanted to bring someone with me. Peggy, this is Ford Birmingham!”
Ford Birmingham! Everyone heard the name and stared openly. Mr. Birmingham was an interesting, distinguished-looking man, younger than Peggy had imagined, with streaks of premature gray in his hair. As he spoke to her, Peggy felt a quality of integrity in everything he said.
“I’m so sorry that I didn’t come on my own initiative sooner. I feel that I owe you all an apology—particularly in view of the superb play I saw tonight! I’m afraid I misjudged you. I had no idea it would be like this.”
He was kind enough to see each member of the company personally and offer his apologies. Peggy was struck by the graciousness of the gesture. It couldn’t be easy for him.
“So that is Ford Birmingham!” she exclaimed to Bill. “He’s so—so entirely different from my picture of him!”
“Thought you’d like him.” Bill smiled. “And I think there’s another surprise for the cast, Peggy!” He indicated the other member of the trio, who was still deep in conversation with Chuck.
“Who is he?” Peggy asked curiously. But before Bill could answer, Chuck, grinning from ear to ear, asked the cast to gather around.
“Someone here has a proposition for us,” Chuck said, introducing Mr. Eugene Vincent, the entertainment director for Lake Manor, a huge resort hotel three miles down the highway.