Finger Food (5 page)

Chapter 10

To Yvonne's surprise the audience started to boo.

‘And Fiona will be sacked for being sick in a TV kitchen implement!' she added.

Bella looked at the blender in surprise.

There were more boos. For a moment Yvonne looked alarmed, but then turned the full force of her fury on Bella, and spoke in a hiss.

‘You may have lost me this pilot, Bella, and if you have I will personally see to it that your life is ruined. Now I have to go back and try and persuade Tony Trimble to give this show another chance.'

She turned and retreated upstairs.

There was a pause. Juliet eyed the knife in Bella's hand, as if deciding whether it might be safe to make a run for it.

From the gallery came the sound of Yvonne speaking in a little-girl voice which Bella had never heard before.

‘Tony, darling, once we get rid of Bella we can nail the audience figures! It's a fantastic idea of mine! You said so yourself.'

‘The audience seem to be finding Bella rather … engaging,' replied Tony.

‘Oh darling!' smooched Yvonne, ‘you're so sweet when you're puzzled. Come here. Come closer.'

‘Just for a quickie then. My wife promised to check in on the show.'

A ripple of shock ran through the audience.

‘Better than
Emmerdale
,' repeated the old man happily.

There was a sudden scream.

‘Noooooooo!' It was Fiona. She had just made sense of what Yvonne had said about her.

‘I need my job!' she raged. ‘Zee Zee and I are saving for our wedding. I can't be sacked!'

She swept the cakes off the counter and threw two wine bottles across the set. They smashed against the neon ‘Finger Food' sign.

‘Nooooo!' she yelled again, tearing apart the box of melon rubbish.

Bella ran to calm her down. But before she could get to her Fiona had dropped the box and was tearing off her shoes.

‘I'll show them, Zee Zee!' she screamed, aiming a shoe at the gallery. ‘If it's an insult for you, it's an insult for me!'

By this time Juliet had also understood what was going on up in the gallery. ‘Tony, how could you!' she asked in disbelief. She then decided that a fit of hysteria might be the best way to get attention. Trapped between Bella and Fiona, the strain was too much. She began wailing at the top of her voice.

In an instant, the St John Ambulance lady was on set, pushing Juliet onto the sofa and soothing her.

Normally Bella would have been interested to see the queen of daytime television reduced to wailing. But the moment Fiona had taken her shoes off, all Bella's attention was on her feet.

She pointed at Fiona's toes.

‘Fiona! Fiona, your toe.'

‘What about it?' Fiona asked, pausing mid shoe-throw, and wiggling her sixth toe.

‘I have one of those as well,' said Bella. ‘I have six toes too! It runs in the family,' she added, ‘on the mother's side.'

Fiona shrugged. ‘I never knew my mother,' she said. ‘I was given up for adoption as a baby. The papers said my mother was a Girl Guide who was forced to give me up because of her pushy mother. I've only just tracked down my real father 'cos Zee Zee said I had to, and he said that was all true. Oh …'

She slowly looked at Bella. Bella's mouth fell open. Could it? Could it be?' Your father,' she said very quietly, ‘what is his name?'

‘Ian,' said Fiona, equally quietly, ‘Ian Smith. I wanted to find my real parents because of the wedding. But I only found one of them.'

‘Fiona!' Bella could hardly breathe. ‘It was me! I was the Girl Guide! I was the one who gave you up. And I've wished every day since …' The words began to choke her. ‘Every day since, that I'd kept you.'

Fiona gasped. Bella threw off her shoes and waved her six-toed foot at Fiona who waved hers back. The audience went wild.

Bella ran to Fiona and they embraced.

There was a party atmosphere on set. The camera was rolling and it looked like a very happy TV show. Fiona's phone went and this time it really was Zee Zee. She gave him a long excited run-down of the events of the morning, leading to discovering her long-lost mother.

When she came off the phone she took Bella's hand.

‘Zee Zee's looking forward to meeting you!' she said. ‘He doesn't care that I'm out of a job and we can't afford to get married.'

Bella beamed back at her. She had found the daughter she'd always dreamed of. And, somehow, her dream of being a presenter seemed less important. TV could wait, she decided. She would introduce Fiona to Carmel's tea shop and they would catch up on all the years they had lost. She might try to reserve the window seat in advance.

Of course, there was just a tiny tinge of sadness, and who wouldn't be just a bit sad? Her career as a food presenter was over before it had started. But more importantly she felt sorry for Fiona. It was Bella's fault she was out of a job.

The soothing had calmed Juliet down. Now she was no longer wailing, Yvonne and Tony could be heard talking in the gallery.

‘My wife will pull the plug on everything if we can't justify the money spent on
Finger Food
,' said Tony.

Bella looked at the cameras. They had been rolling the entire time. She walked to the nearest one and asked the cameraman to give her the tape. He did so with pleasure. Everything Yvonne and Tony had said was on record. Even the things that Yvonne thought no one else could hear.

Bella cleared her throat.

‘Could I have silence please?' She called up to the gallery, ‘Yvonne! Here's an idea that might help you out of your tangled web. No one thought to tell you that your microphone has been on for this entire pilot. And down here on set we've all been able to hear everything. Everything.' Bella paused to let the words sink in.

‘If you give me back MY pilot as a series,' she continued, ‘with Fiona as floor manager, I will agree not to tell Tony's wife that Tony, you and Juliet are in a little trio. If you get me.' She waved the tape. ‘It's all been recorded.'

‘Tony? You and
Juliet
?' Yvonne spoke for the first time.

Tony sounded guilty. ‘It was only the once, Yvonne. Nothing happened.'

‘So.' Bella decided to make an offer to Tony. ‘Since Yvonne seems to be speechless I'll make youan offer you can't refuse. I present
Finger Food
, which is my idea in any case, and Fiona keeps her job.'

Tony emerged on the gallery balcony, straightening his clothing. He looked at the audience and then at Bella.

‘Bella, I thought you were magnificent,' he said. ‘The audience loved it. I think the show could really work with you at the helm. And,' he winked at Fiona and did that funny thing with his tongue in the cheek again, ‘the pair of you as a double act work perfectly.' He blew a kiss.

Bella waved her hand dismissively.

‘Oh, keep your kisses for Yvonne. She's such a trustworthy, open-hearted, kind, warm person how could anyone resist?'

The audience booed loudly.

Tony smiled. ‘It's a deal.'

Chapter 11

The church organist was playing a Middle Eastern melody with some difficulty. Three Moroccan folk dancers joined in as best they could with flutes and drums.

Under the hypnotic effect of the music the guests were swaying as if in a trance. Roses and crystals decorated every seat and a handsome young man was waiting anxiously by the altar.

Bella sat at the front, proudly awaiting the bride. She was wearing a rose-print dress with little crystals on the collar. Next to her sat Carmel in a cream suit and, on her other side, sat Bella's own mother, clutching a lace hankie in readiness. Once Fiona had been found, her grandmother had admitted that she too had always regretted the decision to give her away. She had carried her guilt all through Bella's career but had never once spoken of it. Their relationship had still not recovered – that would be perhaps too much to ask – but Bella's mother was thankful that her daughter had been generous enough to include her in the special day.

As the music changed pace they turned to see Fiona enter the modern, slightly wacky, church. She made her way up the aisle, which had been decorated with crystal roses and Moroccan carpets and bottles of musk oil. The latter were wedding gifts from Zee Zee's family.

All faces strained to get a look at The Dress.

Bella wiped away a tear. Here at last was her dream dress. No longer a dream, and worn by the most special person in her life.

At Fiona's side was a man she recognised. It couldn't be, but it was. Those hazel eyes and shy smile … Yes! Her boyfriend of all those years ago was walking his daughter down the aisle.

Fiona had said there might be the odd surprise, but Bella thought it was just the unusual drumming. She had prepared herself by bringing the earplugs she used for long coach journeys.

Bella looked again. He had hardly changed. A slightly stockier version and not bad-looking at all. Bella assumed he must have a lovely wife and family somewhere and felt a stab of regret. Perhaps he had other children. Perhaps there would be a step-family to meet. Bella drove away these thoughts. Instead she focussed on The Dress. It perfectly reflected Fiona's beautiful gleaming skin and bright hazel eyes. The rose and the crystals shone in the sunlight of the church. The antique lace fluttered, the chiffon sparkled and everything looked as it was supposed to do. It was surely a moment to savour.

The vicar had already proved himself a modern kind of vicar with a sense of humour. As Fiona reached for her husband-to-be's hand, Bella's mother and Bella held each other's hands to brace themselves for more bad jokes.

‘It seems this young couple have a lot to be thankful for,' said the vicar. ‘Not only is our bride a wonder at whipping up an audience, but her mother is just as good at whipping up a de-fuzzed coconut. A photo of which takes pride of place next to the collection box. Hint hint. Welcome to the entire audience of
Finger Food
 … Some of you camped out last night to get a seat today …'

The old people in the crowd cheered.

‘Go Fiona! Go Bella!'

Zee Zee roared with laughter and hugged his bride while he winked at Bella. Bella's mother looked quite shocked but managed a smile. She had to be on her best behaviour from now on. She had a lot to make up for.

At the wedding party afterwards, Bella tucked into the rose and crystal wedding cake. Through the happy crowd, Fiona approached, with a tall man on her arm. Bella felt her stomach twist at the sight of the familiar face.

‘Hello, Ian,' she said, battling to keep the tremor from her voice.

He still had the same twinkle.

Fiona leaned in to whisper in her mother's ear. ‘He's a widower, has been for years! Kids live in Australia. How neat is that?' And with a quick kiss on Bella's cheek, Fiona slipped away.

Ian cleared his throat and offered Bella a small object from behind his back.

A small slice of carrot cake with a rose and a crystal on top.