The Legacy (15 page)

‘It’s semolina, with strawberry jam,’ she announced.

The two elderly boarders were fast asleep at the table.

Evelyne had a dress rehearsal in her rented room. First she practised her new hairstyle, then she sat for over an hour in just her camisole and bloomers with the hat on. She watched herself smiling … she had never been so preoccupied with her face or her body and she wasn’t as sure about her appearance as Miss Freda was, but she certainly did look quite nice.

The following morning, Evelyne was dressed and ready when Mrs Pugh called to her that there was a car waiting for her, and she slowly descended the stairs from her rented room as Mrs Pugh stared, open-mouthed. She was dumbstruck, the girl moving slowly, slightly unsteadily down the stairs couldn’t be Miss Jones … but there she was, looking as if she had stepped straight off the front of a French fashion magazine. Mrs Pugh looked up into the girl’s face as she passed in a cloud of sweet perfume, immaculate from head to toe. ‘My God,’ she thought, ‘the girl must have a fancy man, and a rich one at that.’ Well, any funny business and she’d pack the girl’s bags, she couldn’t afford any gossip, not just as she’d got her two regulars installed, and for life, judging by their ages.

The hired car had been Hugh’s idea. He’d told her, ‘Don’t go up in a ruddy horse-drawn carriage, they’re old-fashioned. Hire yourself one of the newfangled motors with a uniformed driver’. It had cost her one pound ten shillings, and she had the car for eight hours. Now as she stepped out of Mrs Pugh’s front door she knew it was right. The chauffeur moved smartly to open the door, and even gave her a tiny bow.

Mrs Pugh almost pulled her net curtain down from the window, she was so eager to see everything that was going on. All the nets along the road flicked. Mrs Pugh could see her nosy neighbours, and tutted to herself, they were always at their windows, she couldn’t understand why. That she was doing exactly the same thing never even occurred to her. The car moved slowly off and Evelyne sat back, savouring the smell of the leather upholstery and her perfume. So far so good. They drove slowly along the kerb as the chauffeur searched for the right house. Evelyne was so tense she sat forward on the edge of her seat. She knew exactly which house, it was printed indelibly on her mind, but she was taken slightly aback. The house didn’t look as grand as she remembered. The brass didn’t gleam as bright as hers back in the village.

She pressed back against the leather as the chauffeur walked up the path, rang the bell and waited. Her heart was beating rapidly and her lips felt dry. She licked them and tasted her rose-coloured lipstick. Her heart lurched as the door opened and Mrs Darwin stood framed in the doorway. She was nodding and speaking to the chauffeur. The years hadn’t been kind to her either, she was much fatter and more flushed than Evelyne remembered her. Her chins wobbled as she nodded her head up and down, and she looked past the chauffeur towards the car. She was trying to see inside, and Evelyne pressed even further back against the seat.

The chauffeur gave Evelyne no hint of what had been said as he walked back to the car and opened the passenger door.

‘The housekeeper said for you to go straight in, Miss.’ Evelyne was grateful for the chauffeur’s firm, white-gloved grip on her elbow. She walked slowly to the door. It had been left ajar, but Mrs Darwin had vanished from sight. There was no sign of Minnie either. The comforting grip on her arm withdrew as the chauffeur returned to the car. She was alone, and instead of being full of confidence she could feel her body trembling.

Mrs Darwin stood at the bottom of the stairs. She gave a small bob and gestured for Evelyne to enter the drawing room. The smell of the house - the strange mixture of polish and medical spirits - sent a shudder through Evelyne, and she was again the gawky girl who had come here with Doris Evans. Mrs Darwin didn’t recognize her.

‘It’s me, Mrs Darwin, it’s Evelyne, don’t you remember me?’

The big woman squinted, stared at her, and then her jaw dropped and she slapped her hands to her fat cheeks in total amazement. She went to give Evelyne a hug, then stopped, flustered. She flapped her apron, stared, turned away and stared again, and then her huge face crumpled into a strange, half-laughing cry.

‘Lord above, oh God Almighty, gel, if you don’t look like visiting royalty, then … can I kiss you?’

It was all right suddenly, and Evelyne bent right down and felt the plump, wet lips kiss her cheek.

Mrs Darwin ushered her into the drawing room. From below stairs came a terrible clatter, and Evelyne turned.

‘Is Minnie here?’

Mrs Darwin shook her head and laughed. Minnie now had three little ones and lived over in Carlisle Road. She turned and thudded out, yelling at the top of her voice to someone called Muriel.

Evelyne stared around the room. It was just the same, but smaller, not so overpowering. There was even a bowl of roses exactly as there had always been, except that they were dead, the petals fallen around the bowl. She went to the bookcase and looked at the titles; she had read all these books in the years since she had last been here, while Doris was alive.

Mrs Darwin came back in, carrying a tray with cake and biscuits.

‘Will you be moving in, Miss Evelyne? Only, we don’t know what to do, like? Not since he passed on.’

Evelyne, turned afraid.

‘What did you say?’

Mrs Darwin busied herself laying out the teacups.

‘The Doctor, miss, terrible it was, him a doctor and to be so poorly, couldn’t do a thing for himself at the end, you know, shocking. We had to make up a bed down here for him, I mean, I couldn’t carry him up and down them stairs, even though he was all skin and bone.’

Evelyne had to sit down, for a terrible moment she had thought it could possibly be David.

‘When did he pass on?’

‘Oh, it must be a year or more … now, I’ll just get that ruddy girl downstairs to bring up the tea. Shocking time you know, now, can’t get a good girl. Mind you, we’ve not been paid our wages, not a penny for months now, I was getting to me wit’s end, I was. I really was.’

When she had gone out, Evelyne looked at the tea tray. The biscuits were stale, soft, and a slice had been cut off the cake where it had gone mouldy. She heard the basement door slam and went to the window. She could see Mrs Darwin hurrying down the road, wrapping her shawl around her fat shoulders. Evelyne jumped as a thin, dreadfully scruffy girl stood in the doorway and sniffed.

‘I’ve mashed the tea. Mrs Darwin says she won’t be long.’

She hovered, watched as Evelyne poured the tea.

‘You bein’ here, does that mean we’ll have our wages?’

Evelyne stirred sugar into her cup.

‘I don’t know - Muriel, isn’t it? I’ll obviously have a lot of things to arrange.’

‘I’ll be downstairs if you want me, the bell don’t work so you’ll have to holler.’

Evelyne wanted to ask about David, but she couldn’t get the words out. She began to wander from room to room. The house smelt musty, dank, and there was a thick film of dust on everything. Ghosts of the past crept with her as she quietly looked into each of the ground-floor rooms. Then she mounted the stairs. They creaked, and even the banister was dusty. On all the walls were dark, empty spaces where pictures had been. The house had been stripped of every valuable ornament and there was an air of desolation to the place.

She went into the silent room she had shared with Doris. Nothing had changed but the mounting dust. She closed the door and went on to the bathroom, the memories flooding through her. Then she was standing on the landing looking towards David’s room. She remembered his half-naked body, bending over to untie his boots, remembered his silky hair. There was even now a faint smell of lavender …

Downstairs, David walked into the hall with Mrs Darwin. She took his arm, whispered.

‘Her name’s Evelyne.’

David nodded, looked up the stairs. He rested his arm on the banister rail and shouted.

‘Evelyne … Evelyne, come down!’

Evelyne dropped her comb and ran to the top of the stairs. She stood staring down at him, he hadn’t changed, he looked just the same if not even more handsome … and he was smiling up at her.

David thought she was lovely, just lovely. Turning to Mrs Darwin he gave a slight shake of his head, and she looked sadly up at Evelyne. Then David leapt up the stairs two at a time.

‘Evelyne … Evelyne, how are you?’ Catching her in his arms he swung her up in the air. Close to she could see that he had grown a small moustache and he was much thinner, but his hair, oh, his lovely, silky blond hair was just the same.

‘You remembered me? Oh, David, you remembered me?’

Taking her hand he bowed and led her down the stairs.

‘And who could forget such a beautiful gel? Come along, I refuse to let you out of my grasp … my hat, Mrs Darwin.’

Mrs Darwin held out his brown bowler.

‘Sir, don’t you think you should tell her …’

‘Now, Mrs Darwin, not another word.’

‘It’s litde Evelyne, Doris’ girl from the valley.’

David tossed his bowler in the air, ducked, and it landed right on his head. He gestured with both hands like an acrobat.

‘Can I take her away from you for a while, you great, fat, horrible woman, eh? I want to show this creature off… come along, dear heart, your chariot awaits.’

Bursting with happiness, Evelyne was ushered outside while Mrs Darwin blinked back her tears. For a moment David’s face changed as he looked at Mrs Darwin, hard.

‘Not a word.’

Her fat face wobbled as she nodded. ‘She danced with Lloyd George at the Warners’ ball, sir, when Miss Doris was here.’

David snapped, his face looked pinched.

‘Yes, yes, you said, we won’t be long.’

Evelyne stood on the steps as David danced down them two at a time, took off his bowler hat and bowed low, opening the door of his sports car, bright red with snazzy upholstery. After helping her in, he tucked a rug round her knees just the way he used to, then he leant over her, his face so close she gasped.

‘You smell like a fresh mountain flower, and so you should, I mean you are the girl who danced with Lloyd George, no wonder, m’dear, it’ll be the Princes of Wales next.’

David shouted to her as they careered round corners, they would have a celebration, this was a wonderful surprise. She laughed, and the sound of her laughter shocked her, it was so infrequent, the sound triggered the release of all the tensions and she didn’t want it to stop.

As they drove through the city centre, David tooted the horn and waved and called out to many people driving past. He seemed to know everyone. He appeared elated, as happy as Evelyne. They headed out towards the country.

‘You’ll meet some of my very best friends, we’ll be in time for the last race.’

The car roared up to the special enclosure at the race meeting. Everything was happening so fast, and there was a craziness to the whole afternoon. Evelyne was introduced to so many new faces, and everyone was friendly. She was accepted as part of the group; in fact, as die champagne flowed, several of David’s friends showed more interest in her than in the racing. Not that David allowed his prize to be taken from him more than a few moments, he wanted to introduce her to everyone. He told them all she was an old friend, and they smiled and proffered drinks. Evelyne remembered Freddy Carlton, older, redder in the face, but he was delighted to meet again the girl who had taken everyone’s heart at the midsummer dance.

David darted around, the centre of attention, especially with his strange, beautiful girl in tow. The women with their cute, bobbed hairstyles and short skirts seemed hell-bent on enjoying themselves, and when the last race was over no one seemed inclined to leave the private enclosure. Someone brought out a gramophone and couples danced on the grass or sat watching.

Having never danced to this kind of music, Evelyne remained slightly aloof, which only added to her attraction. She was also watchful of her new clothes; there was champagne flying around, sprayed from bottles all over people, so Evelyne moved further and further to the fringe of the crowd.

David stood on the roof of one of the long, shiny cars.

‘Everyone, listen, listen … we’ll all dine at Bianco’s, the party must go on, I’m in love …’ He tap-danced, jumping from one car to the next, tossing his bowler up and catching it on his head. ‘Who’s out of champers? Come along now, glasses at the ready, chaps.’

Evelyne felt as if she and David were royals; everyone followed him, and accepted her as being with him. They proceeded to get into their cars.

‘I say, look at the posters, be a jolly good wheeze, why don’t we go?’

The posters, in crude, bright red letters, were stuck to the walls on the stand, ‘freedom stubbs versus dai

“HAMMER” THOMAS’.

There was a rough sketch beneath the lettering of two boxers, fists up, about to fight each other. David immediately began charging around with his fists up, dodging, and tapping his friends with mock punches.

‘What say we all go to the fight, it’s a gyppo fair, chaps, should be jolly?’

Evelyne smiled with the rest of David’s crazy antics. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. A face loomed from the past - Captain Ridgely.

‘Well, well, hello there, I don’t remember meeting you deah gel, do tell me where he found you? Captain Ridgely at your command, at your feet, deah, lovely lady.’

David bellowed across the grass.

‘Ridgelyyyyy… Get off her, she’s mine!’

David leapt to Evelyne’s side and put a protective arm around her shoulders.

‘She’s mine, you no-good rascal … now, Evelyne, we are all waiting on your decision. Do we or don’t we go to the fight? What do you say, eh?’

Evelyne saw that everyone was waiting, and shrugged, smiling.

‘Whatever you say.’

‘It’s the fight, everyone, meet at Bianco’s first…’

The cars began to roar out, cheering passengers shouting to each other and waving their arms and champagne bottles. David got into his car.

He leaned back, slithering lower in his seat, and closed his eyes for a few moments. Then he turned his head, still resting on the back of the seat. ‘Where in God’s name have you been all my life, Flamehead, especially when I needed you? Why have you taken so long to come back, my gazelle, my strange, wonderful lady from nowhere?’