up the front walk.
Sheriff Wyndham looked up and cut the power on the mower.
"I'm Marsha Booth," Mrs. Booth said smiling. "We're looking for Jean Wyndham. The ad in the newspaper gave this address."
"You're at the right place, all right," the sheriff replied. He turned toward the house. "Jeanie," he called. Then he turned back to Marsha Booth. "Is this for dog-walker, piano teacher, mother's helper, or surfboard sander?" He grinned.
"Mother's helper," Marsha Booth replied.
A tall deeply tanned girl with long straight hair came out of the house and down the steps.
"Mrs. Booth, here, is interested in a mother's helper, Jeanie," the sheriff said.
"Hi, Mrs. Booth." Jean Wyndham smiled.
"And here are Alfie and Leonard," the sheriff continued with the introductions. "I met them yesterday. And I guess you already know Trouble."
Leonard scowled. "Watson," he said, not quite under his breath.
Jean bent down and patted the small dog. "Hiya, Watson!"
She couldn't have done a nicer thing. Leonard's scowl disappeared.
"Jean," Mrs. Booth began, "I'm a writer and I've a deadline to meet. So I just can't spend all the time with the boys I'd like to. It would be a big help to me if you could go around with them — play with them as a friend."
Alfie rolled up his eyes in despair, but Jean Wyndham didn't seem to notice. "Sure, Mrs. Booth. That'd be great." She turned to Alfie. "Are you the film maker my dad was telling me about?"
Alfie nodded in a haughty sort of way. "Yes. I'm making a movie."
Jean smiled. "I've always wanted to be in the movies. Do you think you could work in a part for me?"
Alfie's eyebrows lifted slightly. "What acting experience have you had?" he asked coolly.
"Oh, lots! I was Desdemona in our high school play
Othello
last year, just to name one thing."
Alfie didn't want to appear too interested, so he just said, "Okay. I'll try you. But remember, I said
try
. This isn't a contract."
A plan was forming in Alfie's mind. Maybe this mother's helper was a blessing in disguise. He needed a girl to play the part of Dracula's victim, and Jean Wyndham was pretty, he had to admit. "I'll begin filming tomorrow morning," he thought to himself. "We'll film on the beach with the lighthouse and the rocks for a background."
CHAPTER 5
The next morning when Jean arrived at the beach cottage, Alfie set his plan into action. "I think you'd better wear your swimming suit," he said to Jean. "And if you have a beach robe, that'll be good. I want you to look kind of angelic — and kind of
toothsome
too."
Jean nodded. "Toothsome for Leonard's fangs, I expect. Sure Alfie."
Alfie looked pleased. "That's it. And follow what I say, Jean. You know it takes a great director to make a great actress." He looked around at Leonard. "And that goes for you too, Dracula. Follow my direction."
Leonard blinked. "Alfie, you're never going to make a great
actress
out of me."
"You know what I mean, Leonard," Alfie said sternly. "Now go get your fangs and cape while Jean gets on her swimming suit. I'd like to catch the morning sun so I can get some interesting shadows."
The place Alfie chose for filming was on the beach near the lighthouse steps. "Now I'm going to switch back and forth between you for shots. Leonard's a little short for you, Jean. But I'll zoom in on both of you for the close-ups."
He reached in his pocket and handed Jean a small gold cross. "Here. When Dracula bends over your throat, you screech and hold this up. Everybody knows Dracula is powerless when a cross comes between him and his victim." He paused. "Now, Leonard — when Jean holds it up, you step back in horror."
"Why?" asked Leonard.
"Because the power of goodness is stopping you and you can't stand it."
"Okay, now. Positions, everybody.
Action
."
In spite of Alfie's clear instructions, when Jean screamed and held up the cross, Leonard looked at it, shrugged his caped shoulders, and walked away.
"Leonard! What do you think you're doing?" Alfie exclaimed
Sheriff Wyndham looked up and cut the power on the mower.
"I'm Marsha Booth," Mrs. Booth said smiling. "We're looking for Jean Wyndham. The ad in the newspaper gave this address."
"You're at the right place, all right," the sheriff replied. He turned toward the house. "Jeanie," he called. Then he turned back to Marsha Booth. "Is this for dog-walker, piano teacher, mother's helper, or surfboard sander?" He grinned.
"Mother's helper," Marsha Booth replied.
A tall deeply tanned girl with long straight hair came out of the house and down the steps.
"Mrs. Booth, here, is interested in a mother's helper, Jeanie," the sheriff said.
"Hi, Mrs. Booth." Jean Wyndham smiled.
"And here are Alfie and Leonard," the sheriff continued with the introductions. "I met them yesterday. And I guess you already know Trouble."
Leonard scowled. "Watson," he said, not quite under his breath.
Jean bent down and patted the small dog. "Hiya, Watson!"
She couldn't have done a nicer thing. Leonard's scowl disappeared.
"Jean," Mrs. Booth began, "I'm a writer and I've a deadline to meet. So I just can't spend all the time with the boys I'd like to. It would be a big help to me if you could go around with them — play with them as a friend."
Alfie rolled up his eyes in despair, but Jean Wyndham didn't seem to notice. "Sure, Mrs. Booth. That'd be great." She turned to Alfie. "Are you the film maker my dad was telling me about?"
Alfie nodded in a haughty sort of way. "Yes. I'm making a movie."
Jean smiled. "I've always wanted to be in the movies. Do you think you could work in a part for me?"
Alfie's eyebrows lifted slightly. "What acting experience have you had?" he asked coolly.
"Oh, lots! I was Desdemona in our high school play
Othello
last year, just to name one thing."
Alfie didn't want to appear too interested, so he just said, "Okay. I'll try you. But remember, I said
try
. This isn't a contract."
A plan was forming in Alfie's mind. Maybe this mother's helper was a blessing in disguise. He needed a girl to play the part of Dracula's victim, and Jean Wyndham was pretty, he had to admit. "I'll begin filming tomorrow morning," he thought to himself. "We'll film on the beach with the lighthouse and the rocks for a background."
CHAPTER 5
The next morning when Jean arrived at the beach cottage, Alfie set his plan into action. "I think you'd better wear your swimming suit," he said to Jean. "And if you have a beach robe, that'll be good. I want you to look kind of angelic — and kind of
toothsome
too."
Jean nodded. "Toothsome for Leonard's fangs, I expect. Sure Alfie."
Alfie looked pleased. "That's it. And follow what I say, Jean. You know it takes a great director to make a great actress." He looked around at Leonard. "And that goes for you too, Dracula. Follow my direction."
Leonard blinked. "Alfie, you're never going to make a great
actress
out of me."
"You know what I mean, Leonard," Alfie said sternly. "Now go get your fangs and cape while Jean gets on her swimming suit. I'd like to catch the morning sun so I can get some interesting shadows."
The place Alfie chose for filming was on the beach near the lighthouse steps. "Now I'm going to switch back and forth between you for shots. Leonard's a little short for you, Jean. But I'll zoom in on both of you for the close-ups."
He reached in his pocket and handed Jean a small gold cross. "Here. When Dracula bends over your throat, you screech and hold this up. Everybody knows Dracula is powerless when a cross comes between him and his victim." He paused. "Now, Leonard — when Jean holds it up, you step back in horror."
"Why?" asked Leonard.
"Because the power of goodness is stopping you and you can't stand it."
"Okay, now. Positions, everybody.
Action
."
In spite of Alfie's clear instructions, when Jean screamed and held up the cross, Leonard looked at it, shrugged his caped shoulders, and walked away.
"Leonard! What do you think you're doing?" Alfie exclaimed
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