‘How much would this one cost?’ she asked.
Shirley’s finger passed down the page to the small print. ‘It’s from Dickens and Jones, off Oxford Street, so it’s probably quite pricey. They let you pay in instalments, but what a gorgeous dress. It would be worth every penny.’ She turned her eyes earnestly to Lucy. ‘The magazines say that you need to invest in these things, make the right impression.’
More quietly, Lucy asked, ‘I don’t suppose you have any money I can borrow? I need to look the part if I’m to find a singing job. I want to try the West End, see if I have any luck.’
‘I can only lend you a little, I’m afraid, but maybe you should focus on finding a nice man here in the palace. I could ask Vernon to introduce you to some of them.’
Lucy pasted a smile onto her face. Why couldn’t Shirley understand? She didn’t need a man who wanted to tie her to a suburban kitchen sink. She had to catch a better class of man, someone who could make her into a star.
And as Shirley pored over the magazine, all that Lucy could think was how little her friend knew her. How she wanted adventure, glamour and romance. How she wanted to sing on great stages.
How she wanted tobesomeone.
CAROLINE
IT WAS TUESDAY LUNCHTIME WHEN CAROLINE HEARD ABOUTit. She was hurrying down to the staff dining hall, stopping in the ladies’ to wash her hands on the way.
There at the sinks, a couple of young maids were tidying their hair.
‘A dozen gardeners planting ceremonial pines in the palace gardens for the coronation.’ The taller of the maids giggled. ‘Just think of those strong arms.’
‘And those sexy Scottish accents,’ the other joined in. ‘I want first pick.’
The sound of their laughs merged into the background as Caroline’s pulse began to throb in her temples.
‘How long are they going to be here?’ the taller maid asked as they went to the door.
‘Only two weeks, then they’ll be back to Balmoral Castle,’ was the last that Caroline heard before the door closed behind them, leaving Caroline alone, her world colliding in on itself.
‘Gardeners from Balmoral,’ she murmured.
Could Angus be among them?
After the war, she’d heard that he was back working in Balmoral.
Could he be part of a group coming to Buckingham Palace?
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face, the chilly drops hard on her skin. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. How she wished she didn’t look so washed out! But that was life – well,herlife anyway.
She could barely bring herself to imagine the disappointment – or even revulsion – if they met.
Would he even recognize her?
‘You need to pull yourself together,’ she whispered at her reflection. ‘He might not work there anymore, and in any case, he’ll probably be married, too, not at all interested in having anything to do with you.’
Hadn’t he ignored her letters when he was at the front? If he cared, wouldn’t he have been in touch during these long seven years since the war ended?
‘Hadn’t I meant anything to him?’ The old pain reared its head, and she swallowed hard to fight back tears.
The sound of the door broke into her thoughts, and one of the head housekeepers walked in. A formidable woman of fifty, Miss Driscoll scrutinized Caroline as she flustered with the towel.
‘You’re looking a little dishevelled, Caroline.’ Miss Driscoll attempted a caring smile as she proffered a starched handkerchief, shaking it between two fingertips. ‘Anything I can help you with?’
‘No,’ Caroline said quickly, adding, ‘Something in my eye, that’s all.’ She made her way to the door.
‘If you’re quite sure,’ Miss Driscoll said. ‘We wouldn’t want anything to prevent you from giving the queen your very fullest attention, would we?’
Even though she didn’t have Caroline’s experience, Miss Driscoll had been her competitor for the assistant dresser job, hoping to use it as a stepping stone to be the queen’s confidant. The position could wield power, which is probably why the queen and Miss MacDonald saw fit to give it to Caroline. The trouble now was that Miss Driscoll was watching Caroline’s every move, trying to undermine her so that the position would once again become vacant.
