But Caroline was still looking at Miranda as a wordless understanding seemed to pass between them.
LUCY
AT LONG LAST IT WAS THURSDAY,AND LUCY COULDN’Twait to slip away to Guest Room 33. With the beauty contest, her passage to the big stage and a handsome new man, Lucy knew she was finally finding her true path.
Shirley might be content with settling down, but she didn’t understand Lucy at all. On Monday night she’d come to an audition with Lucy, accompanied by Vernon of course, but when Lucy came out after a disastrous performance, rejected and humiliated, they were gone. Lucy was left to trail home in the rain, every step making her more determined to pour her energies into Richard and the beauty contest.
She’d even walked past the Apollo Theatre to see the posters outside. Among the plays and bingo nights, there it was:
MISS SPRING SUNSHINE
BEAUTY CONTEST 1953
Entrance: £10
Winning Prize: £1,000
RUNNER-UP:
A WEEK IN A BUTLINS HOLIDAY CAMP
Instead of being a forgotten little nobody, she’d be Lucy Jones, Miss Spring Sunshine 1953. After years of being ignored and put down, she’d be a beauty queen.
Cautiously, she tiptoed up to Room 33 and knocked.
Inside her mind, Richard had become the answer to all her worries. If her life were a Hollywood movie, he was the hero who would whisk her out of the gutter and into a life of glamour and romance.
He might even help with another problem.
Money was becoming increasingly short. Her meagre wage barely covered the rent. She couldn’t afford even a down payment for the yellow dress, and how would she pay for the haircut she badly needed? Without the right style, how was she supposed to perform in the West End, be the glamorous woman on the arm of an important man?
She had to see Richard, make sure she didn’t let his attention slip away.
‘Come in,’ a voice called, and as she opened the door, excitement mingled with nervousness as her eyes landed on him.
Today, he was seated at the desk, surrounded by documents. Standing beside him, the sandy-haired assistant was going through some kind of a list, far more absorbed than Richard, who immediately got to his feet, grinning as he strode over.
Her eyes pricked with relief – finally someone who was happy to see her!
‘Oh, my Sleeping Beauty!’ In a single, fluid motion, he took her into his arms. ‘You came to find your Prince Charming again!’
She blushed. Could he read her mind?
‘I d-didn’t know if you’d be too busy to see me,’ she stuttered. ‘Shall I come back another time?’
‘No, no, no!’ He made a sweeping gesture to the assistant. ‘We can catch up on this later, Morris.’
‘But the meeting is in an hour, sir.’ Morris began shuffling documents into a battered briefcase.
However, Richard had already taken Lucy’s hand and was leading her to the sofa. ‘Some things are more important. Now, be a good chap and run along.’ As the door closed, Richard turned his entire attention to Lucy. It was disarming yet thrilling. ‘Do excuse Morris. He’s a bit of a taskmaster, and we all know how dulltheycan be, don’t we?’
Lucy covered a giggle, suddenly feeling a little shy.
‘I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me.’ He moved closer. ‘I wanted to apologize.’
‘Whatever for?’
‘For being so horribly drunk the last time we met. Goodness knows what you must have thought of me.’ He hung his head in mock penitence, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
