‘Although one way or another she’s got us a lot of new business so we’re grateful to her too,’ Meg went on. ‘Nessa, did you find anything of Mum’s you fancied wearing?’
‘You mother has offered me a couple of lovely dresses, but they’re all a bit long.’
‘That’s where I come in!’ said Lizzie. ‘Now, let’s have a look …’
As she watched Lizzie pin up Louise’s dresses while Vanessa stood on a chair, Meg explained her and Letty’s accommodation. ‘All the rooms on the top floor were part of the nursery quarters of the house. There are bars on the windows and I hope they don’t make you feel like you’re in a prison.’
‘Do you remember that fateful weekend when we all stayed in the nursery for Hugo’s party?’ asked Lizzie. ‘Those nursery quarters were enormous!’
‘These aren’t as big but still quite spacious.’ Meg looked at her watch. She was restless now. Supposing Cherry couldn’t shout loud enough to tell her if Justin rang?
Lizzie obviously guessed what Meg was feeling. ‘Now, don’t run off yet, Meggy,’ she said, her mouth full of pins. ‘I know that you won’t have bought yourself a new dress for ages.’ She gestured to a rather large suitcase and a cotton garment bag that someone had kindly brought upstairs.
Meg looked anxiously at her friend’s luggage. ‘Mum has given me a couple of nice things …’
‘And I’ve been sewing for you. I know your measurements and unless you’ve changed hugely …’ Lizzie got up from pinning Vanessa’s hem and opened the suitcase. ‘Here!’
She held up a short, high-waisted dress with a scoop neck, fitted sleeves with a deep frill at the elbows. ‘Try it on. It’s supposed to be a Dolly Rocker.’
‘Oh, it’s lovely, Meg!’ said Vanessa.
Meg decided to stop thinking about Justin and try on the dress.
It fitted perfectly. ‘Gosh! I feel so – modern!’ said Meg. ‘And the last time I bought anything was from the market in France, when I was with Alexandra.’ She sighed. ‘It feels a lifetime ago, now.’
‘I bet it does,’ said Vanessa, who was definitely more cheerful this morning.
Lizzie hadn’t finished with adding to Meg’s wardrobe. ‘I also made this.’ Lizzie turned to the garment bag and unzipped it. She lifted out a dress. ‘I had the material left over from a dress I made for Patsy. She insisted I did something with the bits.’
The dress was in pale gold brocade with a dark blue velvet bodice. It had an A-line skirt coming out from under the bust. It was for parties and wouldn’t look out of place at a ball.
‘It’s beautiful, Lizzie,’ said Meg. ‘But when would I ever wear anything like this?’ She felt mean saying so, but it was the truth.
‘David told me there was going to be a party after the performance, definitely,’ Lizzie said.
‘But I’d be working – Nessa could wear it though?’
‘Try it on. Let me have the satisfaction of seeing you in it.’
‘I’ll borrow something from your mother,’ said Vanessa. ‘Let me help you with it …’
Meg did feel quite unlike herself in the beautiful dress. It was very stylish and made her look taller, slender, elegant.
‘I don’t look like me at all,’ she said, looking at herself in the mirror on the door of a wardrobe. She couldn’t help wondering what Justin would think about her in it.
‘You look so beautiful!’ said Lizzie. ‘I imagined you’d look like that. It’s so satisfying that my design worked so well. Patsy will be thrilled. I must remember to take a photograph. I’ve borrowed Hugo’s camera.’
‘It is quite thrilling looking so different,’ said Meg, who couldn’t stop staring at the elegant stranger in front of her who looked a bit like she did.
‘Can we show David? And your mother?’ asked Lizzie.
Meg was doubtful. ‘I’m not walking through the hotel looking like this. Suppose someone saw me?’
Lizzie shook her head, smiled and sighed. ‘Honestly, Meg, why would you mind anyone seeing you looking so beautiful?’
‘I’m staff, Lizzie!’
‘You’re practically family from what I hear. Anyway, even staff are allowed to look lovely sometimes.’
