A Daughter’s Dream

Two

‘I’ve changed the single wardrobe in your room for a double one,’ Lainie said as she helped me carry my cases up the back stairs. ‘You’ll need more space now that you’ve come for a longer stay.’

The new wardrobe wasn’t the only change she’d made. As we went into the bedroom I saw that she had hung pretty cream lace curtains at the windows and the bed was covered in a quilt edged with the same lace. Lainie had cleaned the dark walnut furniture with lavender-scented polish, and there were lace mats under the rose-patterned china pots on the dressing table. A vase of roses had been placed on a table by the window.

‘It looks lovely,’ I told her. ‘You’ve been to so much trouble for my sake.’

‘It wasn’t any trouble,’ she assured me. ‘I’m pleased you’ve come, Amy. One of my best girls is leaving to get married soon and I need someone I can trust.’

‘I don’t know much about the business, Aunt Lainie.’

‘You will soon learn. Just watch the other girls for a start. I’ll show you how to pack a gown myself – there’s an art to getting it right so that it doesn’t crease during delivery – and the till is simple to work. If a customer wants to pay by account come and ask me first. Quite a few of my better-class ladies ask for the account to be sent to their husband, but there are one or two with outstanding accounts to be settled. In that case I shall deal with it myself.’

‘That must be a little embarrassing for you – if you have to say no.’

‘Not at all. It just means that I promise to deliver as soon as a payment is made. I keep the gown for a week and then it goes back on sale if the account isn’t paid. Business is business, Amy. If you let people get away with things they walk right over you.’

It was when she spoke in that tone of voice that people thought she was hard. Lainie could be tough when she needed to, and I suspected that life had taught her to look out for herself. I was certain now that something unpleasant had happened to her when she was younger, and that it had been something to do with the mysterious man my mother seemed to fear.

‘So will you be able to settle here?’ Lainie was looking at me anxiously.

‘Yes, of course, it’s lovely.’ I smiled at her. ‘I’m looking forward to starting work.’

‘Well, that won’t be until tomorrow. We’ve got the afternoon to ourselves, Amy, which is why I suggested you come on a Sunday. I thought we might have tea somewhere and listen to a concert in the park. Or we could go to the pictures?’

‘There’s a new Valentino film on at the Regal Cinema,’ I said. ‘Or have you seen it already?’

‘Yes, I did go with a friend,’ Lainie said, and I thought I detected a faint flush in her cheeks. ‘But I wouldn’t mind seeing it again with you.’

‘He’s so good, isn’t he?’ We laughed together, feeling a little silly but sharing our enthusiasm for the film star who had had women swooning ever since his first picture was released. ‘Mum said she wouldn’t cross the road to see him, but I think he’s wonderful.’

‘Bridget always was sensible,’ Lainie said and then pulled a wry face. ‘It’s a pity I wasn’t more like her … But that’s water under the bridge. I’m going to put the kettle on now and make us a cup of tea. You unpack your things, Amy. I’ll call you when it’s ready.’

‘Thanks, Lainie.’

I hung my clothes in the spacious wardrobe, packing my underwear and three brand new packets of Red Seal silk stockings into the chest of drawers. The stockings had been a gift from Matthew before he left for Manchester.

‘Think about me when you’re wearing them,’ he’d said with a naughty look and then kissed me. ‘I shall lie in bed and imagine you putting them on. You have the most fabulous legs, Amy, especially when you wear that French outfit.’

My father had bought me a little suit in the new style made fashionable by the French designer, Coco Chanel. It had a very short skirt, which finished only just below my knees, and a jacket that was soft and looked like a tailored cardigan. The style was so much more relaxed than the fashions women had worn before the war, and my mother had been slightly shocked when she saw me wearing it for the first time.

‘It’s hardly decent, Amy!’

‘Everyone is wearing short skirts now, Mum.’

‘I’m not – at least, not that short.’

‘Daddy bought it for me.’

‘Sometimes I wonder if your father has the sense he was born with, so I do.’

She always resorted to her Irishness when she was losing an argument, but I could see she was laughing inside.

‘You’re teasing me, Mum!’

‘O’ course I am, Amy. You look very pretty, so you do – a young lady of the twenties, very modern and stylish. I’m glad you haven’t had your hair cut short, though. It’s so pretty as it is.’

My hair was dark brown and hung in soft waves to my shoulders. Matthew liked it that way, and begged me not to when I had thought of having it cut into a fashionable bob. He said my eyes were green when I was angry, but I thought they were really more of a hazel colour. My mother and Matthew both said I was beautiful, but they were biased in my favour. The truth was probably that I was an attractive, modern young woman who liked to look nice.

I hung up the outfit Matthew liked so much. Lainie had provided me with more than enough space for my clothes, and I left the bottom drawer of the chest empty. I would buy something every week for my new home, such as pillow-cases or towels – just little things we would need when we got married.

‘Oh, Matt,’ I sighed as I glanced at myself in the wardrobe mirror. ‘It’s going to be such a long, long time without you.’

Picking up my folder of designs, I flicked through them, quickly becoming absorbed as I thought about some new ideas I wanted to work on. If I couldn’t see Matthew, I would just have to spend more time on my work.

I had been staying with Lainie for a week when I found the gun in the top right-hand drawer of the bureau in her sitting room. She had run out of postage stamps when writing out accounts in her office downstairs, but remembered having put some in her personal writing bureau.

‘Would you pop up and fetch them for me, Amy?’ she asked.

‘Of course.’

‘I think I left them in the top drawer, the one on the left.’

I nodded and went through the door at the back of the office to the stairs leading to her private apartments. Running up the stairs, I opened the drawer to the left first, but after hunting for a few seconds I discovered the stamps were not there. So I opened the drawer to the right, and there, lying on top of what looked like some old letters, was the gun.

The shock of seeing it there made me go cold all over and I shut the drawer quickly. Why did Lainie keep a pistol in her desk? Could she use it? I suspected she could or she would not have bought it. When my aunt made up her mind to do something, she did it properly.

‘I came to tell you the stamps are in the silver box.’ I turned to find Lainie watching me. ‘You found the gun, of course. I keep it for protection, Amy. A woman living alone can’t be too careful.’

‘Would you use it?’ I was fascinated; a little shocked at this revelation.

Something flickered in her eyes. ‘If it came to the point where I was desperate – yes. Yes, I would, Amy. There are certain circumstances when self-defence is not only permissible, it is vital.’

‘If you were being threatened by an intruder?’

‘Yes, exactly. I knew you would find the gun when you couldn’t find the stamps. That’s why I came after you. I wanted to explain.’

‘You don’t have to tell me anything.’

‘I was hurt badly once. I don’t intend anything like that to happen again, either to me or to you.’

‘Do you want to tell me what happened?’

‘No. I don’t think you need to know that, Amy. It wasn’t very pleasant and it was a long time ago. Besides, I’m over it now. I just wanted you to understand why I keep a gun. I’ve never had to use it, but it’s there just in case.’

‘I hope you will never have to use it!’

Lainie smiled. ‘I don’t expect I shall. I’m going out for a while now. Don’t forget about the account customers. Just look in my black book if you’re not sure. If they are blacklisted they will be in it; if not it’s safe to let them take what they want. Ruth will know if they’re regular customers anyway.’

‘I’m sure we can manage for a while.’

Lainie nodded her encouragement. ‘You’re doing very well, Amy. You have a talent for picking exactly what will suit someone. Within a few weeks you’ll be capable of running this place single-handed.’

‘I think it’s going to take a bit longer than that,’ I said and laughed.

I was pleased by her praise. Going back down to the shop I forgot about the discovery I had made. Lainie had explained that the gun was just in case, and I didn’t think it very important. We were never likely to need it.

There were four customers being served when I went into the showroom and only two girls to cope with the sudden rush. Ruth shot me a look of relief as I went to assist her.

‘Mrs Holland has brought her niece in to buy an evening dress, Amy. It is for a very special dance. I’ve shown them several gowns but none of them were quite right. Could you suggest something?’

I glanced at the young lady sitting with the rather severe-looking matron. She was pretty with soft brown hair and a gentle, sweet face. She seemed unsure of herself and was clearly at a loss as to what to choose.

‘Did you show them the cream satin?’

‘Yes, but Mrs Holland said the neckline was too low. I think her niece liked it, though.’

‘Let me see if I can persuade her to try it on.’

I took the dress from the rail and approached Mrs Holland, who had bought a dress the previous day for herself.

‘Ah, there you are, Amy. I wondered where you had got to. Can you find a pretty dress for Mary? She wants something that isn’t too sophisticated.’

‘I thought this might suit her?’ I offered the cream satin dress.

‘The neckline is much too low!’

‘But we could alter that quite easily. The ruching could be eased at the neck here, and a silk flower placed at the point where it dips. That would give it a more youthful style and the colour would be good on Mary.’

‘It’s just right for me if the neckline were different,’ Mary said. ‘And it’s the only dress we’ve seen all afternoon that I like, Aunt.’

‘You are so difficult to please.’ Mrs Holland sighed. ‘I had hoped we wouldn’t have to have all your clothes made, Mary. It would be so much easier if we could buy at least some of them off the peg. Otherwise we shall be spending weeks on the fittings.’

‘Why don’t you let Mary try the dress on?’ I suggested. ‘I could have the alterations done by tomorrow – and if you don’t approve, Mrs Holland, we can return it to the rail.’

‘Would Miss O’Rourke be prepared to do that?’ Her eyes narrowed intently.

‘I think my suggestions will make the dress look perfect on Mary.’

‘Very well, you may try it on, Mary – but I want to see what it looks like before the alterations are done.’

I followed Mary into the changing rooms. She gave me a shy but grateful smile as I helped her slip the gown over her head.

‘Thank you for persuading my aunt into letting me try this,’ she said in a soft, nervous voice. ‘I loved it when the other girl showed it to us, but Aunt Emily said it was too sophisticated.’

‘Let me fasten the back for you … There. Now look at yourself.’

Mary twirled in front of the mirror. ‘It is beautiful, but I suppose the neckline is a bit low. I couldn’t wear it like that. My father wouldn’t approve. He likes young ladies to look modest.’

‘That’s easy to sort out.’ I took a pair of scissors and snipped through some stitching at the back of the heavily ruched neck. ‘We’ll make this much softer here and put a silk flower just there so that you can’t see it has been altered – do you see?’

‘Oh yes, that looks much better. You can’t see so much of me, can you?’ Mary looked pleased with the result of my work. ‘May I show my aunt?’

‘Let me just pin a flower. This isn’t the one we’ll use, but it gives you more idea of what it will look like.’

‘That’s even better. You are so clever, Amy.’

‘It’s what I should like to do – design gowns for people like you.’

‘You should do it,’ Mary said. ‘Let’s show Aunt Emily.’

We went out to the showroom where Mrs Holland was waiting. Her eyes went over Mary critically and then she nodded her approval.

‘That was very clever of you, Amy. How did you know what to do? Most shop girls wouldn’t have the first idea.’

‘I took a course in dress designing at art college,’ I replied. ‘It’s what I’d like to be doing – if I could get someone to buy my designs.’

‘Have you done many designs of your own?’

‘I have a folder of them upstairs. I draw them to amuse myself in the evenings.’

‘I would have thought an attractive young woman like yourself would be courting?’

‘Aunt Emily! That is so personal.’ Mary blushed and looked at me awkwardly.

‘I don’t mind. My young man is working in Manchester for six months. He has to save for another year or so before we can get married.’

‘He sounds like a thoroughly sensible young man.’ Mrs Holland looked thoughtful. ‘Will the alterations be done in your own workrooms?’

‘Yes, we do everything ourselves. Sally and Margaret are very good.’

‘The proof of that will be in the finished article. We shall see what you have made of this gown tomorrow. Come along, Mary. We still have to find you some shoes.’

Mary pulled a face at me as her aunt swept from the shop. I smiled at her but I was thoughtful as I took the gown into the workroom and explained what I wanted done.