The Midnight Rose Read Online Free PDF Page A

starred in but also her private life. The truthwas—Rebecca bit her lip as the plane continued its descent—that the “dream” relationship the world imagined the two of them had was just as much make-believe as her films.
    Even Victor, her agent, was encouraging her in her relationship with Jack. He had told her countless times that it could only benefit the trajectory of her rising global star.
    “There’s nothing the public likes better than a real Hollywood couple, honey,” he had said. “Even if your film career takes a dive, they still wanna take photos of your kids playing in the park.”
    Rebecca thought back to the amount of time she and Jack had actually spent together in the past year. He was based in Hollywood, she in New York, and often their hectic schedules had meant that they wouldn’t see each other for weeks on end. And when they were together, they were hounded wherever they went. Even yesterday lunchtime, they had eaten in a little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant and had been besieged by customers wanting pictures and autographs. Jack had ended up taking her for a walk in Central Park to propose in peace and quiet. She only hoped no one had spotted them there . . .
    The overwhelming claustrophobia she’d felt as they had taken a cab back to her SoHo apartment and Jack had pressed her for an answer had resulted in her sudden decision to take an earlier flight to England. Having the world scrutinize your every move, to be hounded on a daily basis by strangers who all felt that somehow they owned a part of you, was, Rebecca felt, unsustainable. The lack of privacy which came with conducting a high-profile relationship, let alone not being able to grab a bagel and latte from the local coffee shop without being mobbed, was slowly taking its toll.
    Her doctor had prescribed Valium a few weeks ago, when she’d been waylaid by photographers at the entrance at her apartment block and had ended up locking herself in her bathroom, crouching on the floor and crying hysterically. The Valium had helped, but Rebecca knew it was a road to nowhere. The slippery path to dependency to enable her to cope with the pressure she lived under loomed before her. Just as Jack knew all too well.
    He’d assured her in the first heady days of their romance that the cocaine he used was not a regular habit. He could take it or leave it. It simply helped him unwind. But as she’d come to know him better, Rebecca had discovered this wasn’t an accurate assessment. He hadbecome defensive and quarrelsome when she questioned his continual heavy usage and the amount of alcohol he was drinking. As someone who didn’t take drugs and very rarely drank, Rebecca loathed it when Jack was high.
    At the beginning of their relationship, she had thought that her life could not be any more perfect: a hugely successful career and a handsome, talented life partner to share it with. But between the drugs, the absences and the slow unveiling of Jack’s insecurity—which had culminated in a show of rage toward her when she’d been nominated for a Golden Globe six months before and he hadn’t—the rose-tinted glasses had begun to turn gray.
    The offer of a great part in a British film, The Still of the Night , set in the 1920s and focusing on an aristocratic English family, could not have come at a more opportune moment. Not only was it a move away from the lightweight parts she’d played so far, but it was also a huge honor to be chosen by Robert Hope, the acclaimed British director. Jack had even managed to put a damper on that, citing the fact that they needed her to be the Hollywood “name” in the film to satisfy the money men. He had then proceeded to tell her that her biggest attribute would be looking great in the array of period costumes she’d wear, and that she shouldn’t really get any ideas about her talent having won her the part.
    “You’re far too beautiful to be taken seriously, sweetheart,” he’d added as