Cathy Sharp - A Daughter’s Dream

‘I didn’t promise, Amy. I said I hoped I would be able to come, but things have changed since I spoke to you. I’ve been told there’s a big consignment due from the factory on Saturday morning, which means I shall have to stocktake all afternoon – and Sunday too, if necessary. I want to get the new lines out to the salesmen by Monday.’

‘But that’s not fair! Why should you have to work all the time? Surely the new line could wait a day or so?’

‘Business isn’t like that,’ Matthew said and I heard the note of impatience in his voice. ‘I’m sorry, Amy. I’ll come next week if I can.’

‘I suppose that means you’ll change your mind again at the last minute. You’re not being fair. It’s ages since I saw you.’

‘Not that long,’ he replied. ‘You don’t suppose I like having to work when I was hoping to see you?’

‘I don’t know what you like any more.’

‘Please don’t be upset, Amy. I’ll make it up to you when I come.’

‘ If you come!’

‘I’ll come as soon as I can, I promise.’

‘I’ve got to go now. I think you are being unkind. Your work seems to mean more to you these days than I do.’

I hung the earpiece back in its place, holding my tears inside. I was upset but I was angry too. It was Friday morning and I had been looking forward to his visit so much.

‘Is something wrong, Amy?’

Lainie had come into the parlour behind me. I turned to greet her with a sigh.

‘Matthew isn’t coming. He has to work.’

‘That’s a shame, but I suppose he can’t refuse.’

‘I don’t see why he has to work all weekend.’

‘You would if I asked you. He’s just trying to impress his employer.’

‘Well, I wish he wouldn’t!’

Lainie smiled and shook her head at me. ‘You’re so impatient, Amy. I was just the same at your age. I wanted everything now, at once, but I’ve learned to be more sensible. Sometimes you have to wait for the good things in life. Anyway, I came to tell you that Mary has arrived for her fitting.’

‘She’s early. It wasn’t supposed to be for another half an hour.’

‘I suppose it suited her to come sooner. She is on her own today.’

‘On her own?’ I was surprised. ‘I wonder why.’

‘Perhaps Mrs Holland had another appointment.’

‘Or Mary escaped?’

‘Amy!’ Lainie laughed. ‘I hope you won’t say anything of the sort to Mary?’

‘No, of course I shan’t. I’ll go down now.’

‘That’s right. You can have your break later.’

Mary was looking through the rails of afternoon dresses when I went into the showroom. Her face lit up with pleasure when she saw me.

‘I’m sorry if I came too early.’

‘Of course you’re not too early. I am sorry to keep you waiting. I was taking a private phone call just now or I would have been here when you came in.’

‘Not bad news, I hope?’

‘In a way …’ I screwed up my mouth. ‘Matthew can’t come up to town this weekend because he has to work. We were going out and I was looking forward to seeing him.’

‘How disappointing for you,’ she said. ‘It must be nice having a proper boyfriend. I haven’t met anyone I should like to marry so far; at least no one my father approves of. A lot of Daddy’s friends are older, though of course I do meet people of my own age.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t like many of them. Aunt Emily’s friends are so … snobbish.’ She glanced over her shoulder guiltily. ‘It’s a good thing she can’t hear me!’

‘Mrs Holland didn’t come with you today?’

‘She is lying down with a bad headache. She wanted me to cancel my appointment, but I told her I should be perfectly safe to come here alone, and she was feeling too ill to argue.’

‘I see.’ I smiled at her. ‘Shall we see how they are getting on with your dress?’

‘Yes, please. I feel quite excited.’

I took Mary into the dressing room I had reserved for her. The skirt and bodice were cut and tacked together but not yet sewn into place, so that we could make adjustments if necessary.

‘It is beginning to look like a dress.’

‘Yes – and the best thing is that we can alter anything you don’t quite like at this stage.’

‘Everyone wanted to know where the cream satin gown came from,’ Mary confided, looking shy as I helped her into the half-finished gown. ‘Aunt Emily went around looking like the cat that had gobbled up all the cream. I expect you will soon have more customers asking for you, Amy.’

‘We were very busy yesterday. I sold two afternoon dresses myself, one of which we are altering for a titled lady. It is the first time she has been to us. Lainie was very pleased to have her custom.’

I fastened the bodice at the back with pins, fitting it to Mary’s slender waist. She gave a cry of pleasure as she saw herself in the mirror.

‘Oh, it is beautiful, Amy. The colour is wonderful, and I love the way the neck sits and the flow of the skirt. It almost looks medieval.’

‘It’s the cutting that gives it that effect,’ I explained. ‘You get a flowing line, and the waist hasn’t got all those tucks and gathers you dislike, Mary.’

‘You are so clever!’

‘Margaret did the cutting for me – or most of it.’

‘But it was your design. I know it’s going to be marvellous when it’s finished.’

‘The beading is very simple, but it will set the whole thing off,’ I said, feeling pleased as I helped her out of the gown. ‘I’m glad you like what we’ve done so far.’

‘Very much.’ Mary was fastening the tiny pearl buttons at the cuffs of her white linen blouse. She gave me a speculative look. ‘I don’t suppose you would like to come for lunch with me on Sunday, as you aren’t going out with your young man?’

For a moment I wasn’t sure that I had heard her correctly. ‘Did you just ask me to lunch?’

‘Yes. Would you come? My aunt is going away for a day or two and I shall be alone. But perhaps it would be too boring for you?’

‘It wouldn’t be boring at all. I should love to come – but are you sure you want me to?’

‘Why shouldn’t I?’

‘I work in a shop, Mary, and I don’t usually visit people like you, though at college we all mixed in together.’

‘Don’t be a snob, Amy,’ Mary said and laughed. ‘I like you better than any of the girls Aunt Emily thinks I should know. Besides, this is 1923. We women have to stick together. An actress has just been elected as our third female Member of Parliament, did you know that? I think women should always be the equal of men, don’t you?’

I laughed as I saw the militant expression in her eyes. On the surface Mary appeared to be a shy, gentle girl, but she knew her own mind and I suspected she could be stubborn when she chose.

‘Oh, I do so agree!’ I said. ‘Thank you for inviting me, Mary. It will be lovely.’

‘I’ll give you my address,’ she said and took out a little silver card case from her bag. She wrote her address on a plain card and gave it to me. ‘I prefer these to those printed things. I only give my address to people I really like. Will you be able to get there all right – or shall I send the car for you? I can have a car if I ask for one.’

I saw that the address she had given me was in Hampstead.

‘Yes, I can find this. I can come on the tube and if need be I’ll get a cab from there.’

‘See how you get on this time. If it is too much trouble I’ll make sure one of Daddy’s drivers brings you home.’

‘I’m sure I can manage, Mary. I shall look forward to it.’

‘I had better go home and enquire if my aunt is better. I hope she is feeling well enough to go away as she intends.’