‘And yours isn’t that bad either,’ she replied clinking his glass.
The following day Felix had arranged for Emma to meet Laurence at the recording studio. Laurence started by playing the theme tune on a keyboard. It was, like he’d said in the meeting, a jaunty, upbeat melody, reflective of the drama. The music was very reminiscent of the roaring twenties, but, as Laurence had also previously stated, cried out for lyrics. When he’d passed the song sheet to Emma, her eyes had lit up.
‘Oh, it’s so apt!’ she cried, reading the lines with glee. This seemed to please Laurence.
‘I’m glad you think so. Now, shall we have a practise?’
Emma gave a deep breath. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for her whole life.
‘Let’s,’ she replied as confidently as possible.
Felix put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
‘Try to relax,’ he whispered soothingly.
She gave a wobbly smile. ‘I’ll try.’
‘You’ve got this,’ he winked.
Emma was given headphones and directed into a glass booth. Grasping the song sheet tightly, she waited for Laurence to give the nod. He played the opening bars and signalled Emma’s introduction. Shoulders back, she sang her heart out.
‘Lady Scarlett, super sleuth,
With her emerald eyes and raven hair,
She’ll figure it out,
Without a doubt,
Such a quick mind and elegant flair!
Lady Scarlett is on the trail,
Hunting for clues and fingerprints,
She’s on the case,
Looking for a trace,
The culprit will get caught in an jinks!’
She finished and stared directly at Laurence, who thankfully was beaming. Giving her the thumbs up, he spoke through the headphones.
‘That was great, Emma.’
Oh, the relief!
‘Let’s try again, taking a slightly longer pause between the two verses, yeah?’
‘OK,’ she nodded. Felix gave her another encouraging wink. Off she went again – and again, until finally Laurence clapped his hands in approval.
‘I think we’ve got it!’ he proclaimed.
Emma could have cried for joy. Her life’s ambition was fulfilled. Her voice had been recorded.Shewas about to sing to the nation.
