Sometimes life has a habit of creeping up on you and sending you careering down a different and unexpected trajectory. Nicola – the stand-in Chapter 10 by Louise Anne Smithson Copyright © 2021 Louise Anne Smithson All Rights Reserved.

The bowling match in the beer garden at the Swan Inn in the village proved to be a great success at bringing together those members of the cast and crew remaining on location. All concerned seemed to have had a great time, myself included. I was not aware of anyone present treating me with disrespect and I even noticed one or two admiring glances from both men and women. Frank, who was in the same team as me, looked approvingly at me at one point although he said nothing beyond a smile and polite greeting. In the event, it turned out that although the high-heeled sandals suggested by Sue looked good, they were not the correct shoes to wear for a match on a bowling green, but several other ladies had made the same mistake. It was quite acceptable for us to slip off our shoes and bowl barefoot when it was our turn to go, and I was pleased that Sandra had painted my toenails for me. But apart from this one minor gaffe I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Thus, I soon grew in confidence, and was pleased to have been invited. I was not particularly good at playing bowls but was nowhere near the worst and so did not let my side down.

‘Will you be coming to join us for a drink in the bar to celebrate our victory, Nikki?’ asked Jenny once the match was over.

‘Alright, but only for one drink, if you don’t mind. I promised to finish some secretarial work for Amy before she gets back from London tonight.’

‘I trust that she will be paying you,’ she said.

‘No, but she has been really good to me over the last week, it will be a means of my repaying her.’

‘So what would you like to drink?’

‘A white wine and soda, please.’

A few minutes later Jenny and I were in conversation.

‘I was looking at the rushes for Friday and Saturday this morning. You really have done well over the last few days, everyone there commented about how well you have adapted to your new gender role,’ she began. ‘Amy will have to watch her step or you will be taking over from her.’

I smiled politely, knowing that she this last comment was not serious.

‘I thought you had reservations about my body language.’

‘That was just a minor hiccup on your first day. Ever since you’ve been fine and there has been nothing that we can’t use. In fact, the scenes with you on horseback impressed Frank so much that he’s talking about adding to the shooting schedule next Thursday to try and get in some more action shots focussing on you and Guy Lemon.’

(Guy Lemon was the actor playing Lord Lufton, the male second lead, who was also an accomplished horseman.)

‘Really? He hasn’t said anything to me.’

‘I know but he never says much to the actors when all is going well. You would know soon enough if he was unhappy.’

At that point we were joined by Sue and several others and I was pleased that our conversation moved on to other more general topics. The talk was relaxed and friendly and I was happy to stay for a while although conscious that I’d promised to do some work for Amy. After half an hour or so at the bar I was about offer to buy the others a drink before I left, but Frank got in before me and offered to buy a round. Sue and I politely declined as we were just about to leave.

‘How did it go this afternoon, Nikki?’ asked Sue as we were walking back to the set.

‘Alright thanks, our team came second.’

She smiled.

‘I was asking how you got on. Have you enjoyed yourself this afternoon?’

‘Yes, I think so. It was fun. For the first time as a girl I felt that I was not in Amy’s shadow or hiding behind her and personality.

‘I’m glad to hear that. Now remember what I told you earlier and be your own person.'

I returned to Amy’s caravan where I finished typing the address labels and practised her handwriting and signature on a few spare ones. I concluded that, if she wanted me to do so I might be able to sign and respond to her fan mail, just as her personal assistant had done in the past. I suppose I might have changed into a more comfortable dress or the trouser suit, as I now had plenty of clean clothes to choose from but I felt so good about the way I looked and felt that I was unwilling to break the spell. I was also looking forward to Amy’s reaction upon seeing me..

Soon after eleven o’clock I heard a sports car draw up outside the caravan, followed by voices, a car door closing and the car driving away again at speed. A minute or two later Amy appeared at the door of the caravan looking flushed but quite elated.

‘Hi Amy, how did the TV awards go?’ I asked.

‘I didn’t win, but it was useful publicity for me to be shortlisted and I’m only twenty so there will always be another time to win.’

‘I’m sorry about that.’

‘No problem, the main thing was that I was photographed and interviewed on the red carpet, and there was a great party afterwards. ‘

‘Maybe the present film will get you noticed once it is released.’

She smiled.

‘We’ll have to see.’

‘So how is your sprained wrist?’

‘I think it has pretty well healed now, thanks Nikki,’ she said, ‘although maybe you could give me a hand lifting my case on to the rack in my room.’

I stood up from the desk where I had been sitting ready to give her a hand.

‘Are you sure you are ok, you appear to be perspiring,’ I commented.

‘Oh that’s nothing, just a runny nose due to my hay fever, I’ll be fine in the morning.’

She seemed to want to change the subject.

‘Well, I must say Miss Stevens, you’ve made great strides with your appearance over the last week. I remember last Sunday evening it was a struggle to get you to wear a dress, let alone heels, but just look at you now! You look great.’

I blushed but I also felt pleased with her comment.

‘Thank you’.

‘Have you been out on a date or found yourself an admirer while I’ve been away?’ she asked.

Before I could answer, she threw in another question.

‘And where did the lovely outfit come from?’

‘Sue, the costume supervisor loaned it to me so I could go out for a bowls match this afternoon. I’ll have to return everything at the end of this week.’

‘And who did your hair and makeup?’

‘Sandra did my nails for me, I said holding out my fingers for inspection, ‘but everything else is due to my own efforts.’

‘Very smart. I think you’d better come through to my room and tell me what has been going on while I’ve been away, whilst I unpack my case.’

Amy seemed quite restless and not at all inclined to go to bed, so over the next half an hour or so I explained everything that had happened on set since the Friday.

‘So, they seem to have made good progress with filming whilst I’ve been away. But you still haven’t told me the details of why you are wearing that lovely dress.’

‘As I said, this afternoon Sue and her staff arranged for some social activities between those members of the cast and crew who were remaining on set for the weekend. It was a bowls match followed by a drink in the local pub. They were short of lady members of the cast so she loaned me this dress from the Costume Store as otherwise I would have had nothing to wear.’

‘I’m now sorry to have missed the fun, particularly with you looking the way you do. Although maybe it is just as well as I might have been overshadowed by my own stand-in,’ said Amy with a grin.

I blushed and changed the subject by showing her the pile of addressed letters and cards now waiting for her signature.

‘Thank you so much for doing these, I’ll try and get them all signed tomorrow evening and then we can post them.’

‘I did try one or two examples where I have attempted to copy your handwriting for the greeting and signature. If you’re happy with the idea I have no commitments tomorrow and probably won’t be needed on set. I could perhaps sign them all for you.’

I handed Amy a couple of examples of my forgeries.

‘Nikki, you’re an angel! Yes please,’ she replied, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

‘There’s one other thing I wanted to ask you.’

‘What’s that?’ replied Amy.

‘When will you be returning to London?’ ! asked.

‘We are scheduled to finish on Friday afternoon. I’ve arranged a car for Saturday afternoon to give me time to pack. But I will be back on location somewhere in Hertfordshire two weeks later.;

‘I’m due to finish my filming commitments on Thursday evening but have been asked to be on stand-by on Friday just in case of any retakes or I am needed as an extra by the second unit. So they won’t be changing me back into Nicholas until Saturday morning. Friday is going to be my twentieth birthday and so I wondered whether we could perhaps have dinner together at the local pub, since it will be my last full-day as Nicola.’

I would not have dared to ask Amy out when I was Nicholas, but somehow as Nicola it seemed to be alright. After all, I wasn’t asking her out on a date or anything like that, merely to join in my birthday celebration.

‘Do they provide meals there?’

‘Yes, I checked this afternoon. It will be my treat. I could even wear this dress again if you wanted me to. I don’t need to return it to Sue until the following day.

After a moment’s consideration, she smiled.

‘Yes, alright, I’d be happy to go out with you for dinner on Friday. It’s not exactly the ‘girls’ night’ out’ I had in mind for our last night together, but it will be better than staying in. I should be finished by about six thirty and so we can take a walk down there as soon as I’m changed.’

‘Thanks. I’ll now go and get that dress that you loaned to me before you left. It’s washed and ironed.’

‘No, that’s alright, you can hang on to it for the time being and maybe you could wear it on set tomorrow.’

‘But the other clothes that you bought for me last week are all now clean, and in any event, I don’t think I’m going to be needed on set tomorrow.’

‘Some of the clothes I bought for you last week were a little bit dull, but now that everyone has seen how good you look wearing a dress and makeup, I think you should continue to do so, even though you may not be working. The more practice you get before our meal on Thursday evening, the better.’

‘Alright then,’ I replied with a smile.

I went to bed but I heard Amy moving around the caravan for some time afterwards.

The following day Amy appeared to have recovered from both her hay-fever and her sprained wrist so she left early to go to costume and makeup prior to filming the missing shots with the second unit. In the meanwhile, I followed her advice and wore her dress and put on some makeup before appearing on set to check that I wasn’t going to be needed that day. The first person I came across was Joan, who seemed quite pleased to see me.

‘Good morning, Nikki, I was just coming to find you. Frank is arranging a briefing at eleven o’clock in the marquee for everyone involved with the hunt scenes.

‘No problem, I’ll be there.

‘Some of the meeting will be technical and only involve the crew but he wants you and Guy to attend for the first twenty minutes or so.’

‘Fine, is there anything else I’m needed for?’

‘Not as far as I’m concerned.’

Two hours later I attended the briefing, which mainly concerned the technical crew and those who would be organising the hunt. Joe Stanley, the locations manager begun the proceedings.

‘As you know, the hunt sequence is going to be a drag hunt, where the dogs will follow a deliberately laid scent-trail. No animals will be hunted or killed during the proceedings, although we will be adding some stock shots of a running fox at the editing stage. The last thing we want is to be accused of animal cruelty or illegal hunting in the press. It will be up to the whips to keep the pack together and prevent the hounds from rioting or chasing after any other quarry. This should ensure that the hunt follows a predictable course where the cameras are ready and that no wild animals are killed in the process.’

Frank went through the shooting schedule for the next three days.

‘Tuesday will be largely devoted to wide aerial shots, taken by a combination of crane shots, drones and a helicopter hired for the purpose. The whole hunt sequence is going to be expensive to stage so the aim will be to get as much footage as possible to give the editors a good choice for the final cut. There will be plenty of room so make sure that you don’t foul one another’s shots.’

‘Where would you like Nikki and I to be for these scenes?’ asked Guy.

‘You will just join the other riders for tomorrow, the Assistant Directors will show you exactly where they want you to be. Then on Wednesday we aim to get various medium full and full shots from static cameras at good locations and also using cameras mounted on a couple of off-road buggies. These will attempt to keep up with the horses and dogs. We are going to need some shots with you and Nikki in frame together, so please try and stick together as much as possible in the gallop.’

‘Thursday will be reserved for a series of medium action shots taken by static cameras at specific locations where there are water jumps. These will centre on Guy and Nikki together with several of the extras in the background.

Guy turned to me and whispered with a smile.

‘This is all your fault, Nikki, they have added an extra day to the schedule, when they discovered that they had a competent lady rider to stand in for Amy.’

‘I’m sorry about that.’

‘That’s all right in fact I am quite looking forward to it.’

Nikki, you will be wearing a veil so it ought to be possible for the cameras to get in close without giving away that we are using a stand in for Amy.’

’

The remainder of the meeting was quite technical and concerned such things as camera angles, bridging shots, axis of action or available light. Thus, Guy and I were excused for the rest of the day. I asked and was granted, permission to take Moonbeam out on one further practice run before filming. I quickly put on the 1850s riding habit and feathered hat, but this time also added the veil which many women of the time wore to protect their faces. Riding side saddle dressed in Victorian ladies’ costume certainly provided challenges. quite apart from that of maintaining my seat. For example, the side saddle rider is unable to give directions to the horse using the pressure of her right thigh and must therefore gently use a whip which she holds in her right hand, which the horse needs to get used to. However, Moonbeam was a well-behaved horse and after a couple of hours of practice riding in both the woods and open fields. I returned her to the stables, satisfied that we would probably be alright.

Thanks for the comments and corrections everyone. Feel free to keep them coming.
Louise