A little later, when Lizzie had moved properly into the room she was sharing with Meg, she and the rest of the household gathered in the cosy basement.
Up the kitchen end, Meg and David were cooking something for supper. David had produced a lot of ingredients which would have impressed Mme Wilson but baffled Lizzie’s mother. Apparently, Meg told her, he shopped a lot in Soho. The market in Berwick Street provided all sorts of exotic produce as well as more usual things. Meg, seeing what he’d brought home, had become very excited. She and David loved food in a way that Lizzie and Alexandra admired but didn’t quite share.
In the middle, in front of the popping gas fire, Alexandra lay with her feet up on one of the sofas. Clover, the spaniel, was lying on top of her. Alexandra had propped her book against the dog and was happily engrossed inAngélique and the Sultan. Clover had fitted into the household as ifshe’d always been there. Although all three girls made a big fuss of her, it was David who’d taken her for a walk that morning. Clover adored him.
At the far end, Lizzie was trying to make a paper pattern from her new dress without taking it apart. She had the ironing board, a big table, an Anglepoise lamp and a sewing machine. She felt she was in heaven. Gina’s clothes, all lovely, all in need of adaptation, were back in their bag for now.
‘I know it’s very early days, but I love sharing a house with you lot,’ said Lizzie.
Alexandra looked up from her book. ‘Me too! I hope you agree, David?’
‘It’s bliss having someone who appreciates food as much as I do,’ said David. ‘Meg has actually heard of Elizabeth David.’
Meg laughed. ‘I feel so lucky to have found somewhere so lovely and a home for Clover.’
‘Clover is a very easy guest,’ said Alexandra, scratching the little dog behind her ears. ‘Although I don’t know if I’d describe the house as lovely. It’s very tatty.’
‘But it’s in Belgravia, darling,’ said Lizzie, imitating her mother, ‘and that’s all that matters.’
A few days after the large house in Belgravia had become a cosy home, it was the dressmaking class at the cookery school. Vanessa, one of the otherstudents, was struggling to lay the pieces of the paper pattern on her chosen fabric. She wasn’t the only one who was finding this hard but Lizzie liked her best. Unlike most of the debs, she was fairly friendly and possibly lacking in confidence.
‘It just takes practice,’ said Lizzie, rescuing the pattern piece which had drifted to the floor.
‘I don’t suppose you could do it for me? I was never any good at sewing at boarding school, either.’ Vanessa gave a shy, entreating smile.
Lizzie saw that the teacher, a friend of Mme Wilson – like all the people who taught the afternoon activities – was occupied elsewhere. ‘OK.’
Later, when the class was over, Vanessa came over to where Alexandra, Meg and Lizzie were sharing out shopping bags to carry home. ‘Would you three like to come to a dinner party?’
All three girls were a bit taken aback. Thus far, there’d been no social interaction between them and the other girls on the course.
‘It’s for my brother,’ she went on. ‘He’s been away for a while and has come home to live. My parents won’t be there. It’ll be fun.’
‘That sounds great!’ said Lizzie, eager to see what Vanessa’s house was like.
‘Yes,’ agreed Meg.
Alexandra was less enthusiastic. ‘OK.’
‘When is it?’ Lizzie asked.
Vanessa didn’t answer immediately and Lizzie was surprised. She’d have thought Vanessa would know this.
‘Well,’ Vanessa said slowly, ‘when can you all make it?’
Alexandra shrugged. ‘When would you like us?’
‘OK,’ said Vanessa. ‘During the week. Next Tuesday. Is that OK?’
When it had been agreed that it was, Meg said, ‘What are you going to cook?’
Vanessa looked at Meg as if she was completely mad. ‘Lord, I’m not going to cook! We’ll get caterers. Our cook is in the country with the parents.’
‘Golly,’ said Lizzie, and then wished she’d said ‘Lord’ like Vanessa.
‘Dress code?’ asked Alexandra.
‘Long, I think,’ said Vanessa. ‘More fun.’
