The Melody Girls (12 page)

‘I just want him to put us
up
!' Flo retorted, but after a few moments of consideration, seemed calmer and agreed to wait until they returned home before tackling Luke.

‘I'm wondering if she's right to wait,' Lorna said worriedly to Rod. ‘I think we should have this pay business out in the open. We girls need to make a stand.'

‘I don't agree,' Rod said firmly. ‘It's always best not to do anything in the heat of the moment.'

‘You just don't want me to get the push and depart,' she said teasingly, but his face remained serious.

‘Wrong. If you get the push, Lorna, I might have more chance of getting you to marry me.'

Her smile faded. ‘I thought we'd agreed to put talk of marriage on hold, Rod?'

‘For now,' he answered softly.

Twenty-Two

Lorna's first tour, which had not in the end been as enjoyable as she'd hoped, finally closed in the ancient border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Long a battleground between England and Scotland, continually swapping nationality depending on which side had most recently won, it was now officially English, but very appreciative of a Scottish band. Which at least gave the players a warm feeling of a job well done, as they piled into the coach for the last time.

‘Not much to look forward to now,' Flo sighed, taking a farewell look at the wide mouth of the Tweed and the sea that lay beyond.

But Ina smiled and said, ‘Oh, I don't know.'

‘Well, of course Dickie's recuperating back in Glasgow, eh? Nice to know someone's happy.'

Lorna, loosening her hand from Rod's, leaned over the back of her seat to tap Flo on the shoulder. ‘Don't worry,' she whispered. ‘It'll be all right. Luke will have to see our point of view.'

‘Think so?' Flo turned round, her eyes wary, for George had come to sit beside her. ‘We'll soon know, anyway.'

‘What's all the mystery?' George asked genially. ‘You two cooking up something good?'

‘Why, George, you know we can't cook!' Flo answered with a laugh, and Lorna, sitting back, glanced at Rod whose face was expressionless, yet conveying his feelings, all the same.

‘Wish you'd stop being so disapproving,' she whispered, but he only covered her hand with his.

‘How could I disapprove of you, Lorna?'

‘Maybe just of what I do.'

‘Never!

She wasn't sure she could believe him.

They had just one day to sort themselves out back home, Luke had decreed, and then he'd be calling a rehearsal for their new engagements. Not only two spring balls, but a week's playing at the Royal – second only to top of the bill, so they'd better sharpen up after the tour.

‘Aye, he's like a cat in the cream over all this,' George said, grinning. ‘And guess who'll be arranging into the small hours – yes, you're right, yours truly!'

‘Oh, why is George always so cheerful?' Flo groaned, as she and Lorna arrived back at their digs. ‘Thank God he doesn't know what we're up to.'

‘What's the plan, then?' Lorna asked, putting her key in her door. ‘See Luke after the rehearsal?'

‘No, before. We'll get there early, catch him in his office.' Flo tightened her lips. ‘When I say we, I mean just me, Lorna. I really don't want you to be involved.'

‘Want some beans on toast? I'm starving.'

‘You're just not listening, are you?'

‘No, I'm not. Look, come in when you're ready, and I'll open the tin.'

‘Rod not coming round?'

‘I told him I wanted an early night, which is true. But I do want to work out exactly what I want to say to Luke tomorrow.'

‘That's if I let you say anything,' Flo said firmly.

Luke seemed surprised when they arrived early at his office the following afternoon, and unwilling to be interrupted.

‘You both want to see me?' he asked, staring from Flo to Lorna, his brows drawn together. ‘I've got George here, we're going over his arrangements.'

‘Luke means he is,' George said, rising from his chair. ‘Putting a note here, a note there, the way he always does.'

‘I know what I want,' Luke said shortly. ‘OK, you two had better come in, then, but whatever you want to say, make it snappy, eh? You won't mind if George stays?'

‘As a matter of fact, Luke, we'd like to speak to you on your own,' Flo told him. ‘This is personal.'

‘No trouble.' George, carrying an armful of scores, moved into the rehearsal hall, his look curious, but he made no further remark. Only gave them a grin as they shut the office door.

I expect he's guessed what we're going to say, Lorna thought, taking a chair next to Flo, her mouth dry, her hands damp. And probably Luke had, too. But what his answer would be was anybody's guess.

‘So, what's this all about?' Luke asked, sitting at his desk and pointedly looking at his watch. ‘Not come to complain about young Simpson, I hope? He's only holding the fort, you know.'

‘Only holding the fort?' Flo's colour had already risen. ‘But very well paid, all the same.'

‘Ah, so that's it, is it?' Luke's smile was pinched. ‘Money. I should have known. Perhaps I did. It's not the first time, you've raised the subject, Flo, but I'm sorry to see that this time you've involved Lorna here.'

‘Flo didn't involve me!' Lorna cried. ‘I wanted to speak to you myself because I feel the same as she does.'

‘Well that's a shame, then, because I'm just going to have to tell you what I tell her, it's not possible to pay you girls any more.' As they opened their mouths to reply, he held up his hand. ‘I'd be going against all accepted practice. Women get less than men. Can't be helped, it's the way things are.'

‘And you don't think it's unfair?' Flo asked, breathing fast. ‘To pay an inexperienced player like Sorley more than you pay me?'

‘You're not doing too badly, Flo, in the circumstances. As for Lorna, I shall be increasing her wages after she's been with us a little longer. I might remind you, that both of you are earning more than many working men at this time.'

‘That's beside the point,' Flo declared. ‘We're only comparing our wages with people who do the same as we do, and sometimes no' as well as we do. And if you're going to say that men need more money because they're the breadwinners, Sorley isn't keeping a wife and family, any more than I am!'

Very deliberately, Luke rose to his feet. ‘I'm sorry, girls, you can argue as much as you like, but the truth is I can't change the situation. Now, if you please, you'll have to excuse me, I've things to do before the rehearsal.'

‘That's it?' asked Flo, rising to her feet. ‘You're no' going to listen to anything else we have to say?'

‘There's no more to be said.'

‘There is from me, then.' Flo, shaking with emotion, glanced at Lorna. ‘Only me, though, Luke, Lorna's out of this.'

‘What do you mean?' Lorna cried. ‘I'm with you all the way, Flo!'

‘No, because there's no need for you to say what I'm saying.'

‘Which is what, for God's sake?' Luke groaned. ‘Flo, will you get on with it, so that we can get back to work?'

‘But maybe I won't be going back to work.' Flo took a deep breath and steadied herself. ‘Because I have to tell you, Luke, that if you can't see your way clear to paying me what you should, I'll have to think about leaving the band.'

There was a long moment of silence, during which Luke's eyes locked with Flo's and Lorna gave a low groan. Then Luke strode to the door and opened it.

‘No need to think about leaving the band, Flo, you are leaving it. You've made it plain you aren't happy with me, you do nothing but moan and complain, and quite frankly, I've had enough. Yes, you're a competent guitar player but not indispensable, so, I'm putting you on a week's notice, which I can do according to your contract, and after that, I'd like you to go.'

As Flo stood very still, her face pale, her eyes flashing darkly, Lorna cried, ‘Luke, you can't do that! You can't sack Flo!'

‘Think yourself lucky I'm not sacking you as well,' he answered coldly. ‘I'm prepared to keep you on, Lorna, because I think you've been led astray by Flo, but I don't want to hear one more word from you about money, is that clear?'

‘You won't hear any more from me on anything,' Lorna retorted, trembling. ‘If Flo goes, I go. I'll take a week's notice as well.'

‘No, Lorna, no!' Flo shouted, but Luke only shrugged.

‘So be it. If that's what you want, Lorna, that's fine by me. Better get going now, we have a rehearsal due in ten minutes.'

‘Never mind the rehearsal.' Flo suddenly stretched out her hands towards Luke. ‘Please, Luke, don't sack Lorna. She's worked so hard for her job and she's first rate, you know she is. You can't let her go, just for trying to support me!'

‘I don't want to let her go, but it's her decision. Isn't that right, Lorna?'

‘It's my decision and I'm going,' Lorna said quietly. ‘Now, if you want us to join the rehearsal, we will. I don't want it said I didn't honour my contract, so if I'm supposed to be working a week's notice, I'll work it.'

‘Well done, Lorna!' Luke cried. ‘That's the right attitude. Now, as I say, I've things to do, so can we bring this meeting to an end?'

‘So, that's it, then?' Flo muttered to Lorna, as they stood in the rehearsal hall, watching members of the band beginning to drift to their places. ‘Luke's won and we've lost. I've never been so humiliated in my life.'

‘He didn't humiliate you, Flo. You stood up to him, you told him we wanted what was right!'

‘And look where it got us.' Flo shook her head. ‘I'm out of a job and so are you, and that's upset me, Lorna. I told you I didn't want you to be involved.'

‘I'd never have forgiven myself if I'd stayed on when you had to go. Anyway, it's for the best, isn't it?'

‘For the best? How can you say that?'

Lorna's eyes were sparkling. ‘Because it'll make us do what we should do.' As Flo only stared, clearly lost, Lorna clapped her on the shoulder. ‘Don't you remember what you said you wanted?'

‘What? What did I say I wanted?'

‘Your own band, of course!' Lorna's face was triumphant. ‘Now's our chance, Flo, to strike out on our own. We can do it together, create an all-girl band here in Scotland. Wouldn't that be worth getting the sack for?'

‘Oh, Lorna!' Flo was looking as though she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. ‘It sounds wonderful, but it isn't possible. We could never have our own band. For a start, you'd need capital and we've none.'

‘We could get it. We could get all we need, if we try hard enough. How does anybody start in this business? We can succeed, if we want to – it's as simple as that.'

‘You're so young, you don't appreciate the difficulties—' Flo was beginning when Lorna put her fingers over her lips.

‘Ssh, don't say any more just now. I see Rod coming over. Let's talk about it later. But it's something to think about, eh?'

‘You can say that again!'

‘Hi you two,' Rod said, smiling. ‘What's going on? You look like you're planning to blow up the Houses of Parliament, or something.'

‘I wouldn't mind blowing up somebody,' Flo said tightly. ‘No name, no pack drill, as they say.'

‘Tell me after the rehearsal.' Rod jerked his head towards the office door. ‘Here comes His Nibs. We'd better get moving.'

Twenty-Three

After the rehearsal, Rod asked Lorna if he could come back with her to her bed sitter.

‘You know I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms all the time we've been on tour,' he said in a low voice.

‘Missing me?' she asked. ‘But I was always there.'

‘Missing your room, where we could really be alone. Didn't you feel the same?'

‘Yes, I did, but we won't have much time together now, when we have to play at this ball Luke's booked us for.' She hesitated. ‘Besides, I've something to tell you.'

‘Just as long as I get to kiss you first.'

That would be just as well, Lorna thought. After she'd given him her news, they might not feel so much like kissing.

In fact, in her little bed sitter, where the tea she'd made grew cold in the cups, Rod soon sensed anyway that something other than his kisses was on her mind, even though she appeared to be as passionate as he and might have fooled someone less understanding.

‘What is it?' he asked at last, drawing away and studying her face. ‘Lorna, what's wrong?'

‘Nothing's wrong.' She made a nervous attempt to tidy her hair. ‘Between us, anyway. But Flo and me – we've got the sack.'

Rod's eyes widened; he caught his breath. ‘You asked for more money? Both of you?'

‘Yes, today, before the rehearsal.'

‘I told you that was a damn fool thing to do. You know what Luke's like – why in hell did you still risk your job by tackling him?'

‘It's the principle of the thing, Rod. He's wrong and you know it, to pay somebody like Sorley Simpson more than Flo – and me so little, come to that. We had to speak to him, we had to make our case.'

‘And the result was, he sacked you both? Just like that?'

‘Well, Flo said she was thinking of leaving the band if he wouldn't consider paying her what he should, so he told her she would be leaving the band anyway. As for me, if I agreed not to talk about my wages, he said I could stay.'