theatre about health and safety. A letter typed on
pale pink paper was pinned to the middle of the board:
Attention!
Miss Molly
Douglas invites you to Frau Lilia Delvard’s world-famous salon following
Thursday evening’s performance.
After a light supper of schnapps, frikadeller, gherkins and
rollmop herrings, Miss Delvard herself may be persuaded to perform some of her
most famous numbers.
Places are limited, so please put your name below and see Molly for
directions to Kit-Kat Cottage, Long Buckby.
Quite a
few people had already signed up for the event: Peter, Roger, Renata (who
played Katisha in the show and was a middle-aged actress of the Joan Collins
ilk, with quite a lot of what might be called ‘go’ in her still), the wig
mistress Christine and the three stagehands, Sam, Marcus and Michael. Some of
the cast had yet to arrive at work and Molly had a feeling that most would be
too intrigued to stay away.
Just
then Roger appeared behind her. ‘You know what actors are like when there’s an
offer of free food and drink. Bloody gannets. Still, I can never say no
myself.’
Molly
laughed a little uncomfortably. ‘What I don’t understand is how this notice
got up here at all. Lilia only told me she was planning a party last night.’
‘Oh,
she came in this afternoon,’ Roger said. ‘She flew in, pushed that into my
hands and asked me to pin it up for her, then dashed out. She must have been
parked on the double yellow outside. I thought I caught a glimpse of a car
anyway — it was one of those special tall ones with room for a wheelchair in
the back.’
‘What
time did she come in?’
‘About
half three.’
Just
when I was sleeping, Molly realised. ‘She needn’t have driven into town, daft
old dear. I’d have put it up for her.’ She stared at the notice again. It was
odd to see her name up there like that, as though she’d written the invitation
herself.
Roger
gazed at her. ‘Everything all right at that place?’
‘Oh,
yes, yes, absolutely fine,’ Molly said at once. ‘Lilia’s a sweetheart. I love
her to bits.’ She had a flashback of the old lady climbing into her bed and
snaking her arm round her waist. That hadn’t been quite so pleasant. She shook
her head. She’d resolved to forget about it. After all, Lilia needed some
allowances made for her age, eccentricity and faded-star status.
‘As
long as you’re sure. She’s a funny one.’ Roger sniffed. ‘You be careful, that’s
all. One young lady who stayed there said she was treated like a glorified home
help. You’ll be painting her toenails green and trimming her manky old minge
before the week’s out, if you’re not careful. I hate to tell you but I’ve seen
it all before.’
‘Oh,
no,’ Molly said stoutly. ‘She’s been fine with me. Completely fine.’
Roger
fixed her with a beady stare. ‘From London, are you?’
Molly
nodded.
‘Thought
so.’ He sniffed. ‘I used to live in London. I was on the stage door at the
Vaudeville for years, but I gave it all up and moved away just over a year and
a half ago. Got so damn sick of that place — the people, the noise, the dirt,
everything … and when I met my partner, we decided it was time for a fresh start.
So here I am.’ Roger rolled his eyes. ‘Glorious fuckin’ Northampton.’
‘Don’t
you miss London?’
‘Naah.
Not really. I think I’m made for the quieter life.’
Molly
smiled and nodded but she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but the big city.
She was hit by a jolt of homesickness. Don’t worry, she told herself, only a
few more days and then I’ll be home with Daniel and all this will be forgotten.
Simon woke up late and lay
for a long time staring up at the cracked ceiling and raking through the events
of the night before. Once he’d got a fairly clear idea of what he’d been up to,
and had managed to get control of his shaking limbs and aching head, he rolled
out of bed and headed to the
pale pink paper was pinned to the middle of the board:
Attention!
Miss Molly
Douglas invites you to Frau Lilia Delvard’s world-famous salon following
Thursday evening’s performance.
After a light supper of schnapps, frikadeller, gherkins and
rollmop herrings, Miss Delvard herself may be persuaded to perform some of her
most famous numbers.
Places are limited, so please put your name below and see Molly for
directions to Kit-Kat Cottage, Long Buckby.
Quite a
few people had already signed up for the event: Peter, Roger, Renata (who
played Katisha in the show and was a middle-aged actress of the Joan Collins
ilk, with quite a lot of what might be called ‘go’ in her still), the wig
mistress Christine and the three stagehands, Sam, Marcus and Michael. Some of
the cast had yet to arrive at work and Molly had a feeling that most would be
too intrigued to stay away.
Just
then Roger appeared behind her. ‘You know what actors are like when there’s an
offer of free food and drink. Bloody gannets. Still, I can never say no
myself.’
Molly
laughed a little uncomfortably. ‘What I don’t understand is how this notice
got up here at all. Lilia only told me she was planning a party last night.’
‘Oh,
she came in this afternoon,’ Roger said. ‘She flew in, pushed that into my
hands and asked me to pin it up for her, then dashed out. She must have been
parked on the double yellow outside. I thought I caught a glimpse of a car
anyway — it was one of those special tall ones with room for a wheelchair in
the back.’
‘What
time did she come in?’
‘About
half three.’
Just
when I was sleeping, Molly realised. ‘She needn’t have driven into town, daft
old dear. I’d have put it up for her.’ She stared at the notice again. It was
odd to see her name up there like that, as though she’d written the invitation
herself.
Roger
gazed at her. ‘Everything all right at that place?’
‘Oh,
yes, yes, absolutely fine,’ Molly said at once. ‘Lilia’s a sweetheart. I love
her to bits.’ She had a flashback of the old lady climbing into her bed and
snaking her arm round her waist. That hadn’t been quite so pleasant. She shook
her head. She’d resolved to forget about it. After all, Lilia needed some
allowances made for her age, eccentricity and faded-star status.
‘As
long as you’re sure. She’s a funny one.’ Roger sniffed. ‘You be careful, that’s
all. One young lady who stayed there said she was treated like a glorified home
help. You’ll be painting her toenails green and trimming her manky old minge
before the week’s out, if you’re not careful. I hate to tell you but I’ve seen
it all before.’
‘Oh,
no,’ Molly said stoutly. ‘She’s been fine with me. Completely fine.’
Roger
fixed her with a beady stare. ‘From London, are you?’
Molly
nodded.
‘Thought
so.’ He sniffed. ‘I used to live in London. I was on the stage door at the
Vaudeville for years, but I gave it all up and moved away just over a year and
a half ago. Got so damn sick of that place — the people, the noise, the dirt,
everything … and when I met my partner, we decided it was time for a fresh start.
So here I am.’ Roger rolled his eyes. ‘Glorious fuckin’ Northampton.’
‘Don’t
you miss London?’
‘Naah.
Not really. I think I’m made for the quieter life.’
Molly
smiled and nodded but she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but the big city.
She was hit by a jolt of homesickness. Don’t worry, she told herself, only a
few more days and then I’ll be home with Daniel and all this will be forgotten.
Simon woke up late and lay
for a long time staring up at the cracked ceiling and raking through the events
of the night before. Once he’d got a fairly clear idea of what he’d been up to,
and had managed to get control of his shaking limbs and aching head, he rolled
out of bed and headed to the
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