‘Looks aren’t everything,’ Fliss replied.
‘Says the voice of experience.’ Tilly laughed.
Tilly looked at herself in the mirror. She felt a little self-conscious. She had never worn anything like it before. The skirt was a bit long, as Fliss was taller than she was, but a quick adjustment to the hem made it fit perfectly. The dress was a deep petrol blue. It had a tight-fitting bodice and a nipped-in waist, the skirt flared and the shiny satin fabric rustled and swung about Tilly’s legs when she moved.
‘Give us another twirl,’ Fliss said. ‘That’s it, the skirt moves beautifully, gives them more than a glimpse of your lovely legs, just enough to tease them.’
Tilly’s face coloured up. She wasn’t used to such direct comments and she certainly wasn’t used to showing so much.
‘Right, let’s be off then,’ Fliss said. ‘Let’s hit that dance floor.’
Tilly’s heart fluttered. She hoped that Jonathan Burrows would be there.
They heard the burst of sound as they approached the hall and, when they handed their coats over at the cloakroom, Tilly’s face glowed with anticipation as they entered the hall. The whole room buzzed and hummed with the sound of music and laughter. A parade of glamorous people flowed around the dance floor, swaying to the rhythm of the band. The hall had been decked out with streamers and a twinkling mirror ball had been hung from the ceiling. The band was playing ‘In the Mood’ and couples were gliding all around the floor. Tilly scanned the room to see if she could spot Jonathan Burrows, but the floor was quite crowded. Fliss suggested they get a drink and try to find a table. The next tune that the band played was a Lindy Hop and Tilly noticed two young men walking across to their table.
‘Would either of you young ladies care to dance?’ the taller and skinnier of the two asked.
Fliss nudged Tilly and whispered, ‘Now’s your chance to show off your skills, girl.’
The dance floor was crowded and Tilly’s partner was not so adept at leading her around the floor. They kept bumping into people. Tilly hoped that Fliss’s partner was more skilled. Just as the band was finishing, Tilly glanced across at the door. Two smartly dressed young men came in and stood, surveying the dance floor as if they were working out where to make their move. They exuded a confidence that made people turn in their direction. They were by far the most stylish of the men in the room, wearing wide-legged trousers, two-tone shoes and homburg hats that were perched at a jaunty angle. They found themselves a table. Tilly recognised Jonathan Burrows. She observed him from a distance as he took in the dance hall and selected a very attractive young woman. He asked her to dance and Tilly watched enviously as he took her in his arms and ledher expertly around the floor in a foxtrot. His friend stood and approached their table. He extended a hand and asked Tilly to dance. She accepted. Perhaps Jonathan would notice her if she danced with his friend.
Each time she accepted the offer of a dance, she looked to see who Jonathan was dancing with. Finally, he was coming her way. She became breathless when he drew close and, when he extended his hand, she almost fainted with excitement.At last, she thought. Tilly was so happy that it was a waltz and he held her tightly. His hand was firmly placed in the small of her back and he guided her smoothly around the dance floor. She was close enough to smell his cologne and notice that his eyelashes were uncommonly long for a man. He was not so forward as to allow his hand to slip low onto her bottom, as some men did, but held her close enough that meant her breasts were pressed against his chest. She hoped he couldn’t feel how hard her heart was thumping against her ribs. When the music stopped, she excused herself from his presence saying she needed the ladies’ room. She had to draw breath and calm down. Her brain was racing way ahead of itself. She had to take a moment to gather herself together.
When she returned to the hall, he had disappeared from view. She was disappointed. Hopefully that was not their first and last dance of the evening. She scanned the dancehall looking for Fliss. Just as she spotted her, surrounded by a group of would-be suitors, she was distracted by a disturbance behind her. A group of four men had entered the dance hall, followed by the doorman. There seemed to be some sort of disagreement going on between them and the doorman appeared to be arguing with them, looking flustered.
Tilly heard him say, ‘This is a private party, sir. Can I see your tickets please?’
‘Where’s the notice that says it’s private?’ a gruffly spoken, muscly young man asked. ‘All we want is a dance. What’s the harm in that?’
She thought she recognised him. It was Mather, a rather objectionable patient who had groped her and made suggestive remarks at the hospital. She remembered his clammy hands all too well.
‘But you can’t just stroll in off the street,’ the doorman said. ‘You need a ticket.’
‘Look, Mister, we can pay, if that’s the problem,’ Mather said. He glanced around the room. ‘Seems to me that there’s not enough men to dance with all these lovely young women here. Isn’t that right, love?’ he asked, turning to Tilly. ‘So, here we are to save the day, aren’t we lads?’ His companions nodded in agreement. ‘This young lady knows me, don’t you, Nurse Truscott? She’ll vouch for my good character, won’t you, love?’
Tilly’s voice stuck in her throat. The last thing she would do was vouch for him.
The doorman looked at Tilly. ‘Is that right, Miss?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know this man,’ Tilly said.
Mather turned and grabbed Tilly by the arm, pulling her onto the dance floor.
‘You can’t deny we’ve met, can you, Tilly? Come on, darlin’, let’s see your moves. I bet you can give any man the run around. So, let’s see what you can do. It’s the Lindy. My dance.’
Tilly took a step backwards.
‘Is this man bothering you?’ a voice said. She turned. It was Jonathan Burrows. Tilly resisted Mather, but he held her arm so tightly that she couldn’t pull free of him. She looked towards Jonathan.
‘The young lady doesn’t want to dance. I suggest you let go of her arm and leave,’ Jonathan said.
Mather scowled at Jonathan, but slackened his hold on Tilly. She took the opportunity to pull away from him and threw herself into Jonathan’s arms. Mather, not to be outdone, reached for Tilly’s shoulders. Jonathan moved Tilly to one side and let go of her, swinging quickly around and landing a punch directly on Mather’s nose. Mather fell to the floor. The move took him completely by surprise. His friends came to help him to his feet. He put his hand to his face and felt the blood spilling from his nostrils.
‘You’ll regret that, you snobbish little git,’ Mather said. Mather’s mates joined in the furore and a heated argument ensued.
Before Tilly knew it, there was a full-blown fight developing between the gatecrashers and a group of young doctors. When Tilly recovered from the initial shock of being manhandled by Mather, she felt the anger surge up inside her. How dare he grab her in that way? She was screaming at him and calling him every name she could think of. She almost shocked herself. Fliss, having finally noticed that something was going on, came to Tilly’s aid.
‘Whatever’s going on?’ Fliss asked. ‘I leave you alone for a few minutes and all hell breaks loose. I saw you dancing with your young doctor and thought I’d leave you to it. Next minute you’re in the middle of a brawl looking like you’re ready to floor any man who comes near you.’
