‘Press alert,’ said Allegra. ‘I’ve been asking around about Mr Perfect and it appears that he’s not. I think you were starting to realise that anyway.’
‘So what have you found out?’
‘He’s Mr Charm personified and he uses that to get off with as many girls as he can. I saw him chatting up loads of different ones at the Zoom festival – that’s when he wasn’t too stoned to stand – and there’s a whole list of girls here at school who were wooed, won then dumped once he’d made his conquest. Although that might be because he’s looking for the right one, which might be you. What does your gut tell you?’
It wasn’t Alex’s face that came to mind, it was Niall’s, but I reminded myself that I didn’t really know him that well either. ‘To take my time. I’ve been so obsessed with the CD and finding the mystery boy and now we know it was two boys, Niall and FB. And I also feel confused because I genuinely did feel chemistry with Alex and now I do with Niall too. How can I feel attracted to two boys?’
‘There will probably always be chemistry with different boys but knowing which ones are good for you and which bad for you is part of growing up, I think.’
‘I guess. I—’
‘You don’t have to make your mind up right now. It will become clear in time. Just leave it. Maybe hang out with Niall and FB. Email Alex. See what happens.’
‘You are very wise, my blonde airhead friend.’
‘I know,’ said Allegra. ‘Just call me Alleguru. Oh, and Paige, if you see FB, tell him I said hi.’
Hi to FB? I thought when we’d finished our call. Interesting . . .
Over the following few weeks I spent time with FB and our friendship was as comfy as ever. He got that we weren’t going to be a love affair and seemed happy to just be mates especially since I’d passed Allegra’s message on. They’d been texting and emailing and made a plan to meet up next time she was in Bath, which according to her would be soon. When I told Mum and Dad about FB’s amazing masks, they asked him to make some Georgian ones for the shop, which he agreed to do. He didn’t mention the CD again and nor did I. It was as if we’d both made the decision to put it behind us and move on.
Niall had clearly come to a similar decision and took his Will.i.am page off Facebook. He added me as a friend to his Niall page though and we often chatted online after school. It was as if we’d both decided to give each other another chance and get to know each other better. I found out that he was studying art at A level so it was great to be able to talk to him about it as well as FB. I even found out that the mate that had made the Shakespearian masks on FB’s wall had been Niall and so we were able to talk about those too.
Most nights there would be some message from him, sometimes a quote or a poem or a link to a piece of music or painting. In turn, I sent him things that I’d seen or heard that I liked. I told him all about my art project and he sent me loads of links to portraits. He suggested that the three of us, FB, him and me, went out some time taking photographs of people that I could work on. He also told me that he was doing exams and hoped to go to college to do graphic design. I told him he’d be good at designing books, CD or DVD covers. That was the only allusion I ever made to Songs For Sarah though I still listened to the song tracks. It would always be a favourite.
At the weekends I often saw Niall and FB at the usual hang-out places when I went to meet Tasmin and Clover in town or down by the canal. Like with FB, my relationship with Niall was growing into a friendship and I found him easy to talk to because he listened to what I had to say as well as talked about what he was into, unlike some boys who only like to talk about themselves. I was also finding myself increasingly attracted to him. Sadly, I wasn’t the only one. He always seemed to have girls hanging round him, though I couldn’t see that there was anyone special. Tasmin had recovered from the alcohol scare and had sworn off the stuff for life, though Clover teased her and said never say never about anything, a conclusion I had come to about boys.
FB and I would often see each other after school. I helped him with some of the masks he was making for the shop and it felt good to have a shared purpose – though the masks weren’t the only thing we had to talk about. He took every opportunity to ask about Allegra. They had clearly hit it off at the Zoom festival and I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for him.
I’d catch Niall looking at me occasionally but he always looked away before I felt the lovely warm feeling that had passed between us at the Zoom festival. I started to wonder if he just wanted to be friends, in the same way that I just wanted to be friends with FB. Love is hard, I thought, especially as in the last week, there appeared to be a new girl hanging out with our crowd and whenever I saw Niall in town, she was there too.
Molly Myers. Dark glossy hair, same colour as mine. She went to Prior Park College and was really cool and funny. Apparently they’d got off to a bad start too when they first met but had got to know each other since. Niall always seemed to be laughing when he was with her. I wanted to ask Tasmin to find out what was happening but she’d probably say something to blow my cover so I kept my mouth shut. I knew that boys liked a challenge and to do the chasing so I didn’t want Niall to know that my feelings for him were growing. If I’d had any doubts about him, the spark of jealousy that I felt when Molly showed up made things mega clear to me. I liked him a lot. But I wanted him to choose me. So many girls seemed to go for him. I wanted to be different. I just hoped that it wasn’t too late and Molly Myers and he weren’t going to become an item.
Mum and Dad had wasted no time getting the new business up and running. On the last Friday in June, Allegra came to stay and after meeting her at the train station, we went into town to see how the shop was shaping up.
‘Awesome,’ I said as I looked around. The last time I’d seen the space, it was an empty shell with no colour or character. Since then, while I’d been out at school, Mum and Dad had been busy. The main room had been decorated in typical Georgian fashion, complete with fireplace and heavy old curtains that Mum had sourced on ebay, plus huge gilt mirrors from a shop in town that did house clearances. They’d also found furniture, lamps and paintings from the same period to make the room look more cosy. ‘It’s like stepping back in time. You’ve done a great job. It’s exactly what people come to Bath for.’
Dad nodded. ‘I think we’re about ready for the opening tomorrow.’
I felt so good as I took it all in – proud of Mum and Dad but also that it had been my idea. On one side there was a rail of costumes, some that Mum had made, others she’d sourced in vintage shops or on ebay with Clover’s help. On the other side there was a counter and area set up for the photographer. Dad had been interviewing all week and had come up with three employees, two men and one woman, who were to take the photos.
Allegra and I had a great time going through the rails to pick our costumes for the Regency Parade, which was happening the following morning. She mentioned that Alex had said he might come for the weekend but I no longer cared about him. I’d moved on.
FB came to meet us and it was obvious that he and Allegra wanted to be alone for a while so I made up some excuse about having to do something at the shop for Dad so that they could go off for a while on their own.
At first, Dad had dismissed the idea of opening the shop on the same day, saying everyone would be in fancy dress so why would they come in the shop? Mum’d talked him round though telling him that lots of people would see crowds walking around Bath in costume and be inspired to take part so when they came across the shop, they’d come in, try on costumes, get their photo taken and feel part of the day. The plan was that Tasmin, Allegra, Clover and I were going to go out with flyers to advertise. We’d be dressed up in period costume too, though Tasmin balked at the idea at first. She relented when Dad offered to pay her. In the evening, there was to be a ball and banquet at the Guild Hall. Half of Bath would be attending and Mum and Dad had booked a table for us all. It was going to be a top day and I felt a buzz of exc
itement just thinking about it.
Chapter Thirty-One
Allegra and I were up early in the morning to go and walk about, Regency style. She was as excited as I was about the day but more because she’d be meeting up with FB again than about the Parade. ‘He’s the first boy I’ve met in ages that doesn’t play games and is straight about how he feels. I like that.’
I was as pleased as she was – two of my favourite people together.
Tasmin and Clover came over around nine and after coffees and croissants, we got dressed in the costumes that Mum had brought home for us the night before.
‘Uck,’ said Tasmin when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked so sweet and girlie in a white muslin dress with pink ribbons. She immediately hoiked the long skirt up on one side and tucked it in her knickers. She added a pair of sunglasses, a slick of red lipstick then looked in the mirror again. ‘That’s better. I reckon I could start a trend. Sort of post-Austen punk.’ She did look great and had made the outfit look cool, plus she hadn’t gone back to the heavy make-up she wore before her makeunder.
Allegra looked like she had just stepped out of a BBC costume drama in her pale blue dress, matching bonnet and soft curls. ‘The perfect English rose,’ I said.
‘Thorny and has mildew,’ she replied with a laugh. I knew she was joking – she knew she looked the business.
‘You look like a proper lady of the times,’ said Clover. She managed to look exotic even in Regency dress. She wore a short scarlet jacket that fastened just under the bust on top of a long olive-green dress, and a red bonnet with green feathers and a scarlet parasol.
My dress was honey coloured with a plum-coloured cape over it and Mum had found me some matching velvet slippers. I put my hair up in a comb at the back and looked in the mirror. A girl from another time stared back at me.
‘You look good,’ said Tasmin. ‘It suits you.’
‘What? Prim and proper?’
‘No. Actually I think you look sophisticated and interesting,’ she replied.
Clover acted faint. ‘A compliment from Tasmin. Press alert.’
Tasmin replied by making a rude gesture with her fingers.
‘Ever the lady,’ said Clover.
We set off for town in bright sunshine and any shyness we felt soon disappeared when we saw other people dressed in costume. It was as if we’d somehow stepped into a time machine and gone back to another era.
‘The location lends itself to people dressing from the period,’ said Allegra as a tall handsome boy in a velvet coat and knee-high leather boots walked past. He saw us looking at him and bowed like an old-fashioned gentleman.
We all curtsied back except for Tasmin who rolled her eyes and then popped a piece of gum into her mouth.
‘So unladylike,’ said Clover.
‘Whatever,’ said Tasmin then winked at the boy.
While the girls were busy eyeing up the boy talent in the crowds, I popped into the shop to collect our flyers. Mum and Dad had been there since early morning and looked handsome in their Regency dress, Mum in peacock blue and Dad in dress coat and cravat.
‘You both look great,’ I said. ‘Romantic.’
They grinned back at me. ‘Just get those customers coming this way,’ said Dad.
‘Hand the flyers out to everyone,’ said Mum as she passed the heavy bag of leaflets.
‘She means everyone not already in costume,’ Dad added.
‘Don’t worry, we will,’ I assured her. The sooner we get rid of this weight, the better, I thought as I went out to join the others. I divided up the leaflets for them, then we headed over to the Pump Room where the parade was to start.
There were hundreds of people there: old, young, men on penny-farthing bicycles, boys dressed as soldiers in red regimental uniforms, others in long coats and top hats. The women in empire-line dresses with short jackets on top, bonnets, feathers and hats, some with pretty parasols, some with fans, most with their hair up with ringlets at the side. The sun was shining, it was an amazing spectacle and everyone seemed in the best of moods as they noted and commented on each other’s choice of dress.
‘I feel like I’m on a film set,’ said Clover as she looked around.
‘I feel like we’ve gone back in time,’ I said.
‘Sexy,’ said Allegra as we watched another boy walk past. With shoulder-length black hair, dress coat and the high leather-boots typical of the period, he looked really good.
‘So much more romantic than modern dress. I think we should dress this way all the time,’ said Clover.
‘For puke’s sake,’ said Tasmin. ‘No way.’
We weren’t the only ones who had noticed the boy. As he made his way through the square he was frequently stopped and asked to pose for photographs with various women and girls. Allegra and I had both brought our cameras so we spent the next hour partly doing our job and handing out leaflets, which were disappearing fast, and partly posing for photos with each other or people from the crowd, or when we saw a good backdrop like one of the Georgian terraces or cobbled streets.
As we walked up to the Royal Crescent, we saw lots of people we knew from school – some boys watching the parade but not participating, a few dressed up with family or friends, loads of girls who dressed up like us. I spotted Niall in the crowd ahead of us. He looked so handsome, dressed similarly to the boy we’d seen earlier in the square, in calf-length brown velvet coat and high leather knee-boots. On his arm was Molly, who looked lovely in an apple-green dress and bonnet. She was looking up at him and he was smiling at something she’d said. I watched as a group of three girls, also in costume, went over to join them and they took turns having their photos taken.
I felt a stab of jealousy as I watched him put his arm around Molly’s shoulder for one of the shots. They made a perfect-looking couple. He hadn’t noticed me so, feeling like a sad stalker, I made myself turn away and go back to the girls, who had targeted a group of tourists and were handing out the last of the leaflets and giving directions to the shop. I could see that Mum and Dad were going to be busy.
‘Do you think we should go and get more leaflets?’ I asked after I’d handed out the last one to a little Japanese lady.
‘Not yet,’ said Tasmin. ‘Let’s go and have some fun.’
Clover nodded. ‘I’ve sent so many people down to the shop that they’ll be maxed out, so yeah, I’m with Tasmin – let’s go and have some fun.’
I glanced ahead to see if I could still see Niall but he’d disappeared into the crowd. I have to let it go, I told myself. I didn’t want seeing Niall with Molly to ruin the day as it did hurt that it wasn’t me he was with. Although Tasmin had told me that I was naive when it came to boys, there was one thing I did know and that was that if a boy was interested, he wouldn’t go swan-ning off with someone else on his arm.
I looked around me. The sun was still shining and Bath, with its honey-coloured stone, had never looked more picturesque. As I looked over at Clover and Tasmin, chatting away and doing crazy faces for the camera, I reminded myself how things had changed since I’d first arrived. I had a lot to be happy about. To my right was Allegra, my old friend, and to my left, my new friends, Tasmin and Clover. All my worry about the distance between Allegra and I going to different schools hadn’t changed things between us one jot. Within minutes of seeing each other, we were right back where we always were. Boys. Who needs them? I told myself as I got my camera out to take more photos.
In the evening, we took seats at our table for the banquet in the Guild Hall. The dinner and dance were to take place in a vast tall room decorated in cream and pale green where enormous chandeliers sparkled down from the ceiling. There were long tables set with tablecloths and flowers, and a stage at the far end where a group of musicians were playing violins. I recognised loads of faces we’d seen earlier on the parade but no sign of Niall.
At our table were Mum and Dad, Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike, Jake, Joe and Simon, all dressed in period costume, tho
ugh the boys didn’t look too happy about it, and Allegra, Clover, Tasmin and I. We’d had the most brilliant day just walking about the city watching what was going on and I’d taken some great photos. My favourites were of Tasmin dressed in her costume tucking into a McDonald’s and smearing ketchup up her cheek, and another of FB (who was in costume) and Allegra doing their version of Regency dance in the middle of Milsom Street. FB had come to help us distribute leaflets but I suspect he had an ulterior motive, which was to spend more time with Allegra.
Mum and Dad were in a great mood, having had a successful day at the shop.
‘If every day is like this, I think we have ourselves a business,’ said Dad, his face beaming. ‘We didn’t stop at all from first thing this morning.’
‘No reason why it shouldn’t be,’ said Uncle Mike. ‘Tourists arrive daily by the train and coach load and you’re well placed to attract them in.’
‘And we have so many ideas for developing things,’ said Mum. ‘Once we get the feel of it, we can expand into more merchandise and maybe even a café area so people can have a drink while they wait for their photos.’
I saw her look over at Dad and smile at him. I felt a lurch of happiness. Everything was going to be OK. The sadness that we’d felt when we left London now seemed like ancient history. As soon as I thought that, I remembered Niall’s words about Sarah. Ancient history. I wondered where he was, who with and what he was doing. Mustn’t think about him, I told myself. He’s clearly not interested and I’m not going to let a boy ruin the day.
After a fabulous dinner of salmon, new potatoes and asparagus followed by strawberry mousse and shortcake, more musicians joined the others on the stage and people began to line the hall ready to dance. When the music started, it seemed as if they all knew the steps from time gone by. I was transfixed as I watched them gracefully move around the room and it felt like we really had gone back a couple of centuries.
‘I bet Jane Austen even came and danced here,’ said Allegra, picking up on my thoughts. ‘All we need now is a couple of Darcys.’
Playlist for a Broken Heart Page 16