‘Well done, Maisie! She has been practising that for so long,’ she revealed to the other guests.
‘What an achievement,’ said Alice. ‘It is certainly true that practice makes perfect.’
‘Did I keep my legs straight, Mummy?’ asked Maisie.
‘You did! Alice is right, all of that practice has paid off.’ She smiled at her daughter.
Later, as the night began to close in, and the friends grazed on the last of the buffet, they sat with drinks listening to the sound of the pretty fountain gently trickling. A row of solar lights along the garden fence had begun to quietly glow in the semi-darkness.
Talk turned to dancing, and of course the fact that Alice had been a Tiller Girl became the topic of conversation.
‘That must have been exciting,’ said Carol as she sipped a glass of white wine. ‘I would have loved to have been a dancer, but I don’t think I have the build. My legs are too short.’ She laughed. ‘Not like Jess’s, lucky thing.’
‘And yet I had no desire to be a dancer.’ Jess smiled. ‘Such is life.’
‘Oh, it was an exciting life,’ agreed Alice. ‘I have met some wonderful people. But you know, the most interesting people I have met have not been famous people, but ordinary folk. Like the man who owned a kiosk near the Palladium, where me and the girls would buy cigarettes,’ she reflected. ‘A habit I abandoned years ago, I hasten to add. He would tell us the most wonderful tales of his homeland.’
‘Where was he from?’ asked Jess with interest.
‘He came from Morocco. I bombarded him with questions about his homeland and one evening he invited me and a friend to his family home. It was filled with such warmth and love, and of course the food was amazing. We marvelled at all the bright colours and spicy flavours which were completely new to us, but it was wonderful. The company is far more important than the food, though. I enjoyed that evening far more than the one with Tony Bennett at the Ivy in London.’
‘You’re kidding.’ Carol looked stunned.
‘No really. It wasn’t uncommon for some of the performers to take a shine to some of us Tiller Girls and ask us out to dinner after the show. I never felt physically attracted to anyone,though, apart from one but I knew he was married.’ She took a sip of her drink. She would never reveal his identity but remembered feeling sorry for his wife.
‘I bet you could write a book,’ said Jess.
‘I imagine I could,’ agreed Alice. ‘Although maybe not write it myself, but I would certainly have the tales for a ghost writer to jot down my memoirs.’
Maybe she ought to have done that, thought Alice. Leave behind a legacy. Her younger years were pretty exciting, she supposed, but maybe she was not famous enough to write an autobiography that anyone would be interested in reading.
As darkness descended the group headed inside and made themselves comfortable in Mark’s lounge, that had a huge corner sofa. She tried not to think of how many more gatherings there would be like this. And not just with the future of Wisteria House unclear. Better just to live for today.
THIRTY-ONE
JESS
When Maisie and Libby began to yawn, Jess decided it was time it call it a night.
‘You stay,’ she told her mum, who was chatting away to everyone. It was a glimpse of the old Carol that Jess was pleased to witness. Wisteria House was starting to have that effect on everyone who passed through its doors, it seemed.
‘Are you sure?’ Carol seemed uncertain.
‘Course I am.’ Jess smiled.
‘Okay, but I won’t be far behind you, love. I’ll just finish my drink,’ she told her.
‘I’ll walk you to the door,’ said Declan, who was dying to get Jess alone and ask her if she fancied a game of indoor golf at an immersive experience, complete with a DJ spinning club tunes through the night. He thought a light, fun evening might be the right thing for a first date, rather than a candlelit meal somewhere.
Outside Jess’s flat, Declan tentatively suggested the night out to Jess.
‘That sounds perfect.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve been thinking I could do with a bit more fun in my life these days,’ she admitted.
‘Brilliant. I’ll get it booked,’ said Declan, hoping they still had an available slot.
‘Night, then.’ He stood a little awkwardly for a second, before leaning in and kissing Jess on the cheek, whilst Maisie and Libby giggled.
‘Goodnight, Declan.’
