Lottie buttoned her coat and grabbed at the door handle. ‘You’ll have to explain another time – if you really want to, that is,’ she snapped. ‘I’m off. I mustn’t be late.
You
know that.’
Looking considerably chastened, Merle nodded. ‘Yes, I know; but I’ve changed me mind. I’ll come to the theatre with you, then I can talk as we go.’
‘Suit yourself,’ Lottie said ungraciously as she opened the front door, waited for Merle to emerge, then locked it and slipped the key through the letterbox. ‘I’m sorry Number Two isn’t good enough for you but I’m sure you can get lodgings somewhere else once you get your first wage packet, and don’t tell me Uncle Max pretended he lived in a lovely modern house because he and Louella are always talking about moving somewhere better, only Victoria Court is right handy for the theatre, and it’s cheap as well and near the public baths.’
‘I expect it was me pa getting in a muddle,’ Merle said. ‘He’s a real family man is me pa. When us three girls split up, I had several offers of work but Pa thought I’d be better off if I stayed with the family, so to speak. You’ve not met my pa, have you? He’s only a year younger than Uncle Max, and they’re like as two peas in a pod, an’ real fond of one another. Pa knew Uncle Max would do right by me an’ not let me be cheated or taken advantage of. Otherwise I’d have gone with the Dynamos, ’cos Reggie – he’s the youngest – was real keen to start up a song and dance routine, as well as what he does already.’
‘What does he do already?’ Lottie enquired politely. She was not in the least interested but recognised an olive branch when she heard one. ‘Was he at your theatre in Birmingham?’
‘No, the Dynamos are with Pa’s circus. They do a motorcycle act,’ Merle explained. ‘They’re very good, honest they are, but of course they’re all fellers and anyhow I’ve missed Baz and wanted to work with him again, so I settled for Uncle Max.’
By now they were turning into the jigger which led to the stage door and Lottie put a detaining hand on her companion’s arm. ‘Hang on a minute,’ she said urgently. ‘Baz has never done anything in the theatre, so far as I know. I told you he is a porter on Lime Street station – well, you saw him yourself. Max wanted to teach him conjuring and magic, all that sort of stuff, but Baz said he weren’t interested. He says he’ll be a train driver one day, or maybe work on a country station, but even if he doesn’t do that I’m certain he’ll never want to go on the stage. He says he hates folks staring at him and you’ve got to like it, you know, or it shows.’
Merle had stopped dead in her tracks but now she began to move forward again, though more slowly. ‘Yes, I remember when I were standin’ in for you, he never would come on stage, or only to change props when there were no one else around to help,’ she said. She was frowning, but then her brow cleared. ‘Oh, but he’ll be free evenings and weekends when the show’s over an’ I’m telling you, he’ll love Great Yarmouth. So will you. There’s beautiful white-gold sand and all sorts of shells cast up by the tide, and a wonderful prom, with all sorts of sideshows and attractions. There’s two piers with a different show at each of ’em, and an old fishing harbour where boat trips go right out to Scroby Sands, so’s you can see the seals and their babies – they call ’em pups – stretched out on the banks as though they were sunbathing. There’s a great huge fairground, and one year Levallier – he’s the ringmaster – took the circus there for the whole month of August. The big top were packed every night an’ we took more money in that month than for the whole of the previous three. Yes, you’ll love Great Yarmouth, and so will Baz.’
‘But he won’t be there!’ Lottie shouted. She was beginning to suspect that Merle did not listen to a word one said. ‘He’ll be in Liverpool, working as a porter and keeping Number Two Victoria Court warm for us. Mrs Brocklehurst next door is going to give him his meals and keep the place nice, so you see he won’t be anywhere near Great Yarmouth.’
A glance at Merle’s face told her that she had got through this time, for the older girl looked shattered. ‘But me main reason for joining Uncle Max was so’s I could see more of Baz,’ she said, sounding so miserable that Lottie felt almost sorry for her. ‘Mind you, we’re only in Yarmouth for the season, ain’t we? Then we’ll come back here.’
‘Ye-es, but the season’s nearly four months,’ Lottie reminded her. She risked a grin. ‘You’ll have to make do with me for that time,’ she said.
Merle grinned too, and for a moment Lottie saw that the other girl might be quite fun if she could just make the best of the situation in which she found herself. ‘Well, we’ll see how the act goes,’ she said. ‘I suppose there’ll be quite a few young men in Great Yarmouth keen to give a girl a good time so mebbe I’ll not miss Baz too badly after all.’
At this point they reached the stage door and were greeted by the doorman. ‘Evenin’, Miss Lottie,’ he said, and, noticing Merle, he gave her a nod. ‘Evenin’, miss. Are you goin’ round the front to watch the show or comin’ in with Lottie here?’ His eyes returned to Lottie. ‘Friend of yourn, miss?’
‘No,’ Lottie said rather unwisely and saw, with a feeling of guilt, the colour deepen in Merle’s cheeks. ‘I mean, yes, she is a friend of mine but she’s joining the company as well,’ she amended hastily.
‘In you go then,’ the man said, stepping back so that they could pass him. ‘You’re in good time, Miss Lottie; your mam and Mr Magic only went to the green room ten minutes ago and Jack hasn’t arrived yet.’
‘That’s good; we’ll have time for a cup of tea before the show starts and I can introduce you to everyone,’ Lottie said as they hurried along the gloomy passage towards the green room where, Lottie guessed, she would find all the cast beginning to assemble.
In fact, the only people there were Max and her mother. Lottie announced that their guest had arrived and saw her mother’s eyes widen with surprise as they fell on Merle, but Louella rushed forward and enveloped the girl in a scented embrace. ‘My dear, I would never have recognised you,’ she said, stepping back but retaining her hold on Merle’s shoulders. ‘I was expecting to welcome a child but you’re a young woman, and a very pretty one too. Dear me, what a surprise!’
There was a rather uncomfortable silence which Max broke in his usual tactful manner. ‘It certainly is a surprise, and a very pleasant one, too,’ he said warmly. He turned and flung a casual arm round his niece’s shoulders. ‘We mustn’t forget that the last time you and Louella met you really were a child, but now you’re a glamorous young woman. When the three of you are on stage together you’ll have audiences eating out of your hands in no time.’
Merle cast her uncle a grateful look, then turned a somewhat measuring glance on Louella. ‘I know we’re going on stage as the Lacey Sisters,’ she said, ‘but you and I are almost the same height, Louella. Somehow, I’d imagined you would be taller, I don’t know why. But I suppose we can do our routines with Lottie here between us.’
‘Oh, I’ll be taller than you on stage,’ Louella said airily. She looked meaningly at Merle’s court shoes. ‘You can’t tap-dance in high heels, you know, and when you leave them off you’ll lose two or three inches. And we’ll have to see about that hair, young lady, because a sisters’ act means we should look alike and . . .’
‘I’m not bleaching my hair, Louella,’ Merle said at once. ‘It would ruin the texture, and remember I’ve got my whole career to consider, not just this summer season. And if you ask me, little Lottie here shouldn’t be bleaching hers either.’
Louella was so surprised that for a moment she simply stared at the younger girl, saying nothing. But then she spoke, her voice cold. ‘I suppose I can’t insist that you bleach your hair, Merle, but I shall certainly not allow you to interfere between me and my daughter. If I say she must bleach hers . . .’
‘Louella, I think Merle’s right,’ Lottie said, her voice very small but as determined as she could make it. ‘My hair is growing to feel harsh and horrid. I’m very sorry because I know you think it’s important, but I do agree with Merle. I did talk to the hairdresser last time I went there and she said if you were dead set on having a blonde daughter, then you should buy me a blonde wig. She said my hair’s growing brittle from too much bleach and she wants to shingle it so I’ll look like a boy and let the bleach grow out. It would make it easier to wear the wig as well. I’m sure it would be all right, Louella, and no one would guess that it wasn’t my own hair.’
Louella began to reply just as the door opened and Jack Russell bounced into the room. He was already dressed in his stage clothes of a ridiculously exaggerated pair of plus fours, a tartan jacket and a huge checked cap, and burst into speech before even shutting the door behind him. ‘Have you heard the latest?’ he demanded. ‘Miss Tideswell – only she’s Mrs really of course – is in the fambly way. Her old feller told me just now; he’s pleased as Punch, though of course he’ll have to find someone to take her place when she begins to show.’
‘Bella? Having a baby? Oh, the poor darling,’ Louella said, her mind temporarily diverted from her own troubles. ‘It’ll be the end of her career on the stage, you mark my words.’
Bella and Andrew Tideswell blacked up and did an act called ‘Down the Mississippi’ in the course of which they sang Negro spirituals and performed old-time dances. They were popular with audiences and actors alike, and Lottie could not see what was wrong with having a baby. The Tideswells did a good deal of their act aboard a Mississippi steamer made from cardboard, and Lottie thought that audiences were unlikely to notice Bella’s condition provided she sat down behind the cardboard gunwale, so that only her top half showed. She started to say as much but was rudely interrupted. ‘My dear child, you know nothing about it. You think a baby is all sweetness and light, but that isn’t the case at all. Babies ruin a girl’s figure and need constant attention. Feeding, cleaning, washing nappies, making sure they don’t howl and annoy people . . . stage folk simply can’t afford to have families, and that’s the truth.’
Lottie looked across at Max and saw that he was frowning, though he said nothing. He had been left to look after a small baby, but his career had not suffered, and she knew other theatricals who had families. ‘But Louella, you had me and I don’t think I’ve ruined your career,’ Lottie said in a small voice. ‘Do you – do you think you’d be on the London stage by now if it hadn’t been for me?’
Louella promptly ran across the room and gave her daughter a consoling hug. ‘Darling, what a thing to say! You were a perfect baby, good as gold and a great asset so far as my career was concerned. No one ever minded looking after you whilst I was on stage, because you never cried or made a fuss, and as soon as you could toddle you were a part of my act. I was tremendously lucky and I knew it, but I would never take the chance of having another baby. Remember, I was a mere child when I had you and I got my figure back within a few weeks of your birth. That’s the way of it when you’re young, but neither Bella nor myself could claim to be girls any more. So I think she’s mad to have allowed herself to get caught, and even if I were married I’d make absolutely certain I didn’t get pregnant ever again.’
There was a short silence and then Max spoke. ‘I like kids,’ he said mildly. ‘I’m sure we all understand your point of view, Louella, only you must keep it to yourself. Andrew told me ages ago that he and Bella wanted a family very badly indeed, and you wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings, I’m sure.’
Louella turned her sweetest smile upon him. ‘Darling, of course I wouldn’t dream of saying anything to Bella except congratulations,’ she said at once. ‘Each to their own, I say, and I’m sure Bella will be just as happy being a housewife and a mother as she has been on the stage with Andrew. And now let’s change the subject.’ She looked enquiringly at Jack. ‘You’re in your stage costume! Why on earth . . . ?’
Jack wagged a finger. ‘I’m in my stuff because I’m doing my warm-up in ten minutes,’ he said, ‘and you’re second act tonight and you’re not ready, and nor, I see, is little Miss Lottie.’ He glanced around the room and, noticing Merle, gave her his cheekiest grin. ‘’Ello, ’ello, ’ello, I spy strangers,’ he said. ‘Ho no I don’t, I reckon I spy the beautiful Miss O’Mara, what’s goin’ to swan off to Yarmouth with us for the summer season. Is that right, queen? I guess they’ll have told you old Jack’s goin’ along as well. My, Great Yarmouth won’t know what’s hit ’em.’
Merle smiled prettily, but Louella’s mood was not improved by the realisation that Jack was right. She was meticulous about timing and was usually ready long before her call, and now she and Lottie would have to scramble into their stage clothes or risk Jack’s having to ad lib in order to give them time to get on stage. She shot a glance at the clock, and would have hustled Lottie out of the room had Jack not detained her. ‘Your mam’s right about babies in some ways,’ he said quietly. ‘But I reckon Bella’s littl’un will be an asset because she’ll be able to black it up and sing some of them Negro lullabies to it. Be nice that would, and audiences would love it, you mark my words.’
Louella looked back and addressed Merle. ‘You’d better go out front and watch from there; you might learn something,’ she said nastily. Then, as she and Lottie hurried towards their dressing room, she turned on her daughter. ‘Didn’t you notice the time? We’ll have to get a move on – I don’t intend to be late on stage just because that cheeky little madam took my mind off my work. As for you, Lottie, I’m disgusted! You should have told me what the hairdresser said so that I could decide what best to do. Of course, the woman’s quite right: bleaching is bad for one’s hair, though it doesn’t seem to have done mine much harm.’