Having a Ball (15 page)

* * * *

Stevie returned to the kitchen to find Evelyn and Priya frowning at the
trays laden with food.

"What's the matter?"

"I think we've got too much food and nowhere to store it," said Evelyn,
pulling a face.

"I thought you'd sorted out fridge space with a number of people."

"I think we underestimated the amount of food," said Priya. "We can
house this lot, but we don't have anywhere for the rest of it."

All three of them looked at the food. It was a lot to waste. Not to mention
the fact that they needed it in order to cater for the event. Stevie felt panic starting
to rise in her throat.

Tom came into the kitchen and filled a pint glass with water. "What's the
matter?" he said, over his shoulder.

"We're running out of fridge space to store the food." Stevie glanced again
at the samosas. She knew this was only part of the food mountain. They were
supposed to be preparing fish cutlets the next day. They would need to be stored
too. Not to mention all the stuff that was to be made fresh on the day. Given the
summer heat, everything would dry up and go off if left lying around in the kitchen.
And the food poisoning risk didn't bear thinking about.

Evelyn groaned and sank into a chair. "This is awful. All this lovely food
and all that effort gone to waste."

Priya said nothing, but looked like she might burst into tears. Stevie sat
down next to Evelyn. As the party planner it was her job to sort out things like this.
She closed her eyes. They needed somewhere cool. It didn't have to be a fridge, just
something under five degrees. She opened her eyes. "You don't have an ice house
here, by any chance?"

Evelyn glared at her like she'd gone mad. "Of course not. This is a house,
not a stately home."

"Right. Sorry. How about a cellar of some sort? Somewhere cool."

Evelyn frowned. "I don't think so."

"What about the wine cellar?" said Tom, from near the sink. "That's
pretty cold. It's practically underground."

The wine cellar. Of course. A house this size would have a wine cellar. "Is
it rat free and safe for food?"

"It's definitely rat free," Evelyn said. "I can't stand rodents. I've put traps
and poison down anywhere that's likely to house them. I'm not sure about safe for
food. What do you mean?"

"I mean, is it cold and dry and reasonably clean."

"It's a bit dusty," said Evelyn. "It is a wine cellar."

Stevie stood up. "Show me," she said. "We might be able to clean it up and
use it. We only need the food to keep for thirty-six hours."

"Tom darling, could you get the key from my office?" said Evelyn, perking
up. "You know where it is."

"Better still," Tom drained his glass of water. "I'll show Stevie where it is.
Come on, Winfield."

Winfield. That's what Marsh's friends used to call him. For some reason
Stevie felt a shiver of resentment. It meant Tom still saw her as Marsh's baby sister.
Pulling her thoughts back to the task at hand, she followed him down various
corridors via Evelyn's office.

He led her round the back of the house into a sheltered area beneath the
fire escapes that she'd never noticed before. It was gloomy in contrast to the bright
sunlight on the courtyard outside. Steep steps ran downwards to a door. Only a few
inches of the door was visible from ground level. If Tom hadn't pointed it out, she
would have walked straight past it.

Tom put the old fashioned iron key in the lock and gave it a good twist.
The door rasped open, revealing a dark room. He disappeared into it.

"There's a light in here somewhere," he muttered. Stevie could just about
make him out as he ran his hand along the wall searching for the switch. She stayed
firmly outside.

"Ah." The light came on.

Stevie descended the last few steps. Tom moved along to make space for
her inside.

The drop in temperature was immediately obvious. She would have to
bring a thermometer in to be sure, but Stevie felt that it was probably cool enough
for their needs. The room was roughly rectangular and lined with shelving. Light
was provided by a single naked bulb in the middle of the room. The shelves
contained a scattering of things. Stevie took a jar down and read it. "Blackberry
jam," she read. "From last year."

Tom was farther down the room. "And here is Dad's wine collection." He
moved aside so that she could come and stand next to him. The back wall was a
huge wine rack full of bottles. Judging by the dust on them, the bottles had been put
there a few years ago.

Tom touched a bottle, almost reverentially. "This was my Dad's other
hobby. He'd buy wine when on holiday in France and lay it down." His hand moved
purposefully to one side of the rack. "Here," he said, pointing to about half a dozen
bottles with little tags on them. "These were laid down when Dan and I were born.
We used most of Dan's bottles when he got married and when Alice was born." He
pointed to the ones just below. "These are mine." He ran a finger along one of the
bottles. "We haven't found an event worthy enough to open these yet."

Stevie felt the tone of sadness in his voice and felt sorry for him. It must
have been hard trying to struggle out of the shadow of his brother. She would have
liked to have put an arm around him and comforted him, but she didn't trust
herself. Or him.

Leaving Tom still standing in front of the wine, she turned her attention
to the shelves. There was plenty of room. The trays of food could be stored here,
provided they were well covered. She ran a finger along the shelf. It was bare wood
and in need of a good cleaning. She frowned.

"What do you think?" Tom turned round so quickly that his elbow
brushed her back. His touch sent a bolt of electricity through her spine. Suddenly,
she had goosebumps.

"It'll do for the food," she said. "But it'll need to be cleaned out. We'd have
to wipe the shelves clean and line them with paper, just to be sure."

"Shouldn't take too long," said Tom. "I'll do it if you like."

"Oh no, you've got lots to do--"

"It'll do me good to get out of the sun for a few hours." he said with a grin.
"And I'm sure you've got more important things to attend to."

Stevie nodded and rubbed her arm. The goosebumps had very little to do
with the cold, but covering up would be a good idea, especially if Tom was going to
be around.

* * * *

www.Triphoppers.co.uk/forum/RandomChat/Pete<
br>LuvAshbysEyes
OMG! I've just had the BEST news. PETE
GOSLING is coming to my Gran's house. Not, like, for tea or anything.
For this charity ball thing we're having. Squeeeee!

##

TrippinHoppin
Wow! That's incredible news.
What's this charity ball all about? How comes Pete's
coming?

##

LuvAshbysEyes
Gran hired this party planner
woman who knows Pete. She talked him into coming. I still can't
believe it! In a few days' time Pete is going to be walking on the same
floors, sitting on the same furniture as me! And I get to meet him!!!!! In
person!!!

##

Penguin82
When and where is this party? Do U
need tkts? R there any still available?

##

LuvAshbysEyes
It's a charity ball. All proceeds go
to this project to buy equipment for a children's hospital in Sri Lanka. I
think there's a website. I'll see if I can find the URL.
Tickets - you
can email . I think she'll
take Paypal and then post the tickets to you.
I SO need a new dress.
And shoes.

##

Penguin82
I've emailed. I hope there are still
some tix left. Pete's my favourite!

* * * *

From: Human Resources

To: Tom Blackwood

Dear
Thomas
A panel from our Middle East HQ will be visiting on
Thursday afternoon. We are arranging for an informal meeting for the
shortlisted candidates. The meeting is scheduled from 11.30 until
15.30. Lunch will be provided.
Regards
Anne Weston
HR
Assistant.

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Human
Resources

Dear Anne
I confirm that I can
attend.
Regards
Tom Blackwood

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Looks like I'll be in on
Thursday to see the people from ME HQ. I'll try and pop by your office
in the am.
Tom

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

I thought you were on
leave?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

I am, but I can't refuse this,
can I? Besides, I can't leave Dierdre with the people from Doha HQ.
She'll try to tell them I'm crazy.

With two days to go to the ball, Priya had solved the lack of
entertainment, by getting a nephew to DJ for them. Stevie and Alice surveyed the
front room. This room had the least furniture to move out. Stevie picked up the
corner of the rug that covered most of the floor. There were polished floorboards
underneath. Perfect for a dance floor.

"We need to block out the windows somehow." Stevie pulled out her tape
measure. Blackout cloth could be expensive and these windows were so tall they
would need quite a lot of material. She ran her fingers over the sill. "Why is there a
hinge here?"

Alice looked over her shoulder. "I'd never noticed those."

The hinges were small and were about half way across the width of the
sill, a few inches from the edge. Stevie put her fingers on the edge of the sill and
pulled. Nothing happened. Alice crouched down and checked under the sill. "I think
there's a lid of some sort. It's been painted shut," she said.

"Do you think Evelyn would mind if we unstuck it," said Stevie. "I've got a
feeling this might be the solution to our light problem..."

A few minutes later, she was running a knife along the edge, trying to
dislodge as little paint as possible. She gave the sill another good tug. Protesting
slightly, the wooden flap came open. Inside was a compartment containing two
boards, one of which had bronze hooks on the top.

She pulled one partway out. Wisps of dust curled from it.

"What is that?" Alice said.

"I'm not totally sure, but I think they're blackout boards. From the war."
Stevie pulled the board all the way up. "I've heard of these. They should fit on the
windows." She spotted the two corresponding hooks on the top of the window
frame. They too had been painted over. "The one with the hooks fits on top and this
one fits the bottom. They should seal out the light completely."

She laid the board on the floor. Her hands were covered in grime. "We'll
have to give them a good cleaning."

"It's going to make a real mess of the paintwork," said Alice
dubiously.

"Doesn't matter for the ball. It'll be dark in here. We can sort it out after."
Still, it was probably best to run it past Evelyn.

* * * *

"I'd forgotten about those. Frank was really excited about them. I think
we tried them out in the library, just for fun. They do work really well," Evelyn said,
when they asked. "Of course you can dig them out. So long as you touch up the paint
work afterwards." She smiled. "It'll be rather nice to have those accessible. Make a
feature of it."

So Stevie and Alice spent the rest of the day in the back courtyard, wiping
years of dust off huge wooden boards, which were painted white on one side and
black on the other.

As they worked, Stevie commented on the number of emails that she was
getting requesting tickets.

"That'll be some of the people from the TripHoppers forum," said Alice. "I
posted a note on there."

"That would explain it," said Stevie. "I've sold nearly all of them now." She
paused to turn her board round. A sudden thought occurred to her. "Alice, these
people on your forum, would they mostly be teenagers?"

"Dunno," said Alice. "Suppose so."

"Um... You might want to mention that they can't have any alcohol unless
they've got ID."

Alice snorted. "Seriously? That's a bit lame isn't it? It's a party after
all."

"It's illegal to sell alcohol to under-eighteens. Your gran could lose her
license."

Alice said nothing.

"So, will you pop something on there, just so that they're aware?
Please?"

"Okay. If you think you need to," Alice said. "I think you're fussing over
nothing."

"I'm not. Trust me."

Alice merely grunted. She pulled out her iPhone and put on her
earphones. Stevie could hear a tinny version of the latest TripHoppers album
seeping out. She shook her head. Teenagers! They were all so full of attitude. She
wondered if she'd been like that at that age. She realised that Alice wasn't much
older than she had been when Marsh became her guardian. And Marsh had been
about the same age as she was now. She'd been a lot less sunny than Alice.
Goodness, what must Marsh have had to cope with!

* * * *

From: Jemima Eustace-Green

To: Stevie Winfield

Hi
Have you got
any tickets left for your charity ball? Can you confirm that Pete from
TripHoppers is coming?
What's the best way to
pay?
Thanks
Jem

##

From: Stevie Winfield

To: Jemima
Eustace-Green
I can confirm that
Pete Gosling has a ticket to the ball and should be coming.
To
pay--you can either send a cheque made out to the 'Norham Gardens Ladies
charity group' or pay by PayPal to my account. I will acknowledge
payment and send the tickets to you by first class
post.
Best
Stevie Winfield. Organiser.