Applause (The Dudley Sisters Quartet Book 2)

by Madalyn Morgan

  The bandleader offered her his hand, which Margot graciously accepted. After a brief exchange she turned to the audience. ‘Thank you,’ she said into the microphone, smiling, and she waited for the applause to die down. When it did, she nodded to the bandleader. The band began to play and Margot began to sing “A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square”.

  At midnight, after singing for almost an hour, Margot ended the set with “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” followed by “I’ll Be Seeing You”, to a standing ovation. She bowed to the band, thanked the bandleader and blew kisses to the audience. Then she made her way back to the table where Bill and her friends were sitting, smiling and thanking people on the way.

  ‘Bravo!’ George shouted as Margot approached the table. ‘You were wonderful, darling.’

  ‘Thank you, George. Pour me a drink, will you?’

  Bill pulled out her chair. ‘Sit down, Margot, you look exhausted.’

  ‘I am a bit. Cheers!’ she said, taking a glass of wine from George and drinking half of it in one go. ‘I needed that. It’s hot under all those lights. Bright too; given me a headache,’ she said, more to herself than to her friends.

  After congratulating her, Natalie and Anton got up and made their way to the dance floor.

  ‘Do you want to dance, Margot?’ Bill asked.

  ‘Not at the moment, darling, if you don’t mind,’ Margot said, leaning back in her chair and smiling lovingly at her husband. ‘Give me ten minutes to shake off this damn headache and I’ll dance you off your feet.’

  ‘I’ll dance with you, Bill,’ Jenny said, jumping up.

  ‘See you later, ladies,’ Bill called over his shoulder, as Jenny led him to the dance floor.

  George poured another drink. ‘Do you trust her, Margot?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Jenny.’

  ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘It’s probably nothing, but she’s been making eyes at Bill all night. Agreeing with everything he said and laughing at his jokes, which frankly weren’t all that funny.’

  ‘Making eyes at him and agreeing with him is one thing, but laughing at his jokes? That’s grounds for divorce,’ Margot said, putting her arm around George. ‘What do you think, Bets?’

  ‘I think she’s got a crush on him, that’s all. But there’s no harm in keeping an eye on her. Bill’s a good looking fella and they do spend a lot time together on the ambulances.’

  Margot scanned the dance floor until she found them. Bill stood head and shoulders above Jenny. With a straight back he held her at arm’s length. She waved the idea away. ‘Loyal to the core, my Bill.’

  ‘He might be,’ George said, ‘but is she?’

  ‘No, she isn’t!’ Margot’s eyes flashed with anger.

  ‘But I thought she was your friend,’ Betsy said.

  ‘She was. Bill thinks she still is, so don’t say anything. She tried to pinch him off me while we were touring with ENSA.’ Margot’s pulse quickened and she felt her cheeks flush. Not at the memory of Jenny, but at the memory of her own near indiscretion with Lieutenant Boyd Murphy on the second ENSA tour. If she hadn’t felt so guilty she might easily have--

  ‘What happened, Margot?’ George asked. ‘Margot?’

  ‘Sorry, I was miles away... She said she’d been bombed out and had nowhere to live, so Bill took her in.’

  ‘And had she?’

  ‘No. It was a pack of lies. Anyway, I threatened to tell Bill and she promised not to try it on with him again.’

  ‘Do you believe her?’ Betsy asked.

  ‘Oh yes! She knows if I told Bill it would put the kibosh on her working on the ambulances.’ Margot laughed. ‘She won’t try anything again. If she does, I’ll get her sacked.’

  ‘Shush, they’re coming back,’ George said.

  ‘I think this is my dance,’ Margot said to Bill when he and Jenny returned to the table. ‘Sir?’ She slipped her arm through his.

  Bill stood up very straight. ‘It would be my pleasure, Madam.’

  While they danced, Margot asked Bill if he’d noticed Jenny making eyes at him.

  Bill laughed and said he hadn’t. ‘I only notice when you make eyes at me.’ He held her tight, her body moulded to his.

  The last dance was a waltz. Margot laid her head on Bill’s chest and they danced closely and slowly, making up their own steps.

  ‘Right!’ Margot said when they were back at the table. ‘This place is about to close, but I haven’t had nearly enough fun. Let’s go back to our apartment and carry on the party.’

  ‘We must go home,’ Natalie said. ‘It’s been lovely, but it takes a while to get back to Hampstead.’ She took Margot’s hand. ‘Look after yourself, my dear, and get a good night’s sleep,’ she said, kissing her goodbye.

  Anton said goodnight to Bill, and Natalie said goodnight to George and Betsy, kissing each of them in turn.

  ‘You were wonderful tonight,’ Anton said, turning to Margot. ‘You won’t give up your theatre job now you’re a famous cabaret star, will you?’

  ‘How could you ask such a thing?’ Margot looked suitably shocked and kissed Anton goodbye. ‘I’ll be on stage at the Prince Albert Theatre on Monday morning, ten o’clock sharp, to work on my new songs.’

  ‘Bets and I are off too.’ George said, kissing Bill and then Margot. And while Betsy was saying goodnight, George said, ‘We’ll take Jenny with us.’ Jenny opened her mouth to protest, but George ignored her. ‘Bets and I are getting a cab,’ she said, looking sternly at Jenny. ‘It’s no trouble to swing by the East End, make sure you get home safely.’

  Jenny looked at Bill but, seeing Margot with her arms around him, she said, ‘If you’re sure?’

  Walking the short distance home, Margot said, ‘She’s got one hell of a crush on you, Bill.’

  ‘Who? George?’ he said, laughing.

  ‘No! You know who! And, cheeky, there’s nothing wrong with George,’ Margot said, defending her friend.

  ‘I know that, you silly goose. George is a good sort. I just don’t think I’m her kind of-- beau.’

  ‘You’re definitely someone’s kind of beau.’

  ‘If you mean Jenny,’ Bill said, as they turned into Oxford Mews, ‘you’re wrong. Jenny is just a nice kid who’s a bit lost.’

  ‘Is that what she is, a bit lost? We’ll see.’

  ‘Yes,’ Bill said, opening the street door to the apartment. ‘And she does a good job on the ambulances, so don’t be so horrible, Margot!’

  ‘Me? Horrible? That girl is infatuated with you. And if you can’t see it, Bill Burrell, you’re dafter than I thought you were.’ In the living room, Margot went straight to the drinks cupboard and took out a bottle of brandy.

  ‘Thank you!’ Bill took the brandy from her. ‘I think it’s time you went to bed.’ After returning the bottle to the cupboard, he helped Margot out of her coat and hung it up. ‘Come on, I’m tired.’

  She gritted her teeth. She was so close to telling Bill about Jenny and her lies. Another drink and she would have done. Serve the little bitch right. Bill too, for always taking her side. In a huff, Margot stomped into the bedroom.

  “‘The assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler may have failed, but thanks to the Americans – and the other allied forces involved in the Normandy landings – the major cities of Europe are being liberated,”’ Bill said, reading the newspaper to Margot when she entered the sitting room. ‘They’ve listed the cities – Cherbourg, Florence, Paris, and on October 14th, Athens. Hitler won’t last long now.’

  ‘Good morning to you too, Bill. Yes, I am well, thank you for asking. No, I didn’t sleep through the night, because I was in agony with my ankle.’ Seeing the concerned look on her husband’s face, Margot put up her hand. ‘But this morning it feels much better,’ she said, plonking herself down on the chair opposite him at the breakfast table. Leaning on her elbows, Margot put her chin on her hands and looked up at Bill through tired eyes. She sighed loudly.

  ‘Sorry, sweetheart.
For once the papers have some good news in them. Tea?’ He felt the pot. ‘It’s still hot.’

  Margot nodded. ‘Toast?’

  ‘Have this,’ he said, buttering the last slice in the rack and handing it to her. ‘I’ll put another couple of slices under the grill.’

  Returning almost immediately with the kettle, Bill topped up the tea pot. After taking the kettle back to the kitchen, he returned with two slices of toast. While he buttered them, Margot poured a second cup of tea.

  ‘It’ll be over soon,’ Bill said, picking up the newspaper again. ‘It says here, “June 6th 1944 will go down in history as the beginning of Adolf Hitler’s demise. Thanks to the amphibious invasion in Nazi-occupied France earlier this year, when allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and invaded the heavily guarded coastline, important headway was made towards overtaking Hitler's armies.” I told you, didn’t I?’

  ‘It hasn’t stopped him from bombarding us with flying bombs. Those damn Doodle Bugs have done more damage and killed more people--’

  ‘Not for much longer. Listen to this. “Allied paratroopers and glider units were dropped behind German lines along the coast, from Caen through Sainte Mere-Eglise beach--”’

  ‘I hope Claire isn’t there,’ Margot said, suddenly all ears.

  ‘What makes you think she might be?’

  ‘Because…’ Margot wished she’d paid more attention to what Bess had told her about Claire’s work in France.

  ‘I tell you, Margot, it’s going to be over soon. I can’t say anything, but Whitehall’s buzzing with optimism.’ Bill folded the newspaper and got up. Standing behind Margot, he bent down and kissed the top of her head. ‘And then, my love, we are going home.’

  Margot sighed. Going home to the Midlands wasn’t what she wanted. She loved her life as a West End star. She loved the work, the fame, being recognised in the street. She still felt a tingle in the pit of her stomach when she was asked for her autograph. ‘Why are you in such a rush to go back to the Midlands? I thought you were happy here?’

  ‘I am happy, if you don’t count dodging V1s and V2s every day on the roads, watching people die because you can’t get them to a hospital fast enough because the roads have been blown up, or trying to stop an old lady from going into what’s left of her home after it’s been blitzed. London was never going to be forever, Margot,’ he said, bending down and looking into her eyes. ‘We were only ever going to be here until the war ended. We said we’d go home once it was over and start a family. Or have you forgotten?’

  ‘No, I haven’t forgotten. How could I, you’re always reminding me.’

  ‘What? I can’t remember the last time we talked about going home, or starting a family.’

  ‘That’s because we don’t talk about it. You do.’

  ‘That’s not fair, Margot.’

  ‘I’m sorry. Of course I haven’t forgotten,’ Margot said, putting her arms around Bill’s neck. ‘It’s just that things are going well for us at the moment. We have a nice home, good friends--’

  ‘We’ll have a nicer home and make new friends. We can live wherever you want: Lowarth, Rugby, Coventry-- You choose,’ Bill said, resting his chin on her head and rocking her gently.

  ‘What about my job?’

  ‘There’ll be other jobs. I’m sure your old employers--’

  ‘You’re not listening, Bill. What about my job in the theatre, at the club and The Talk of London? How many theatres and clubs are there in Lowarth and Rugby? As for going back to working in a factory or an office, how the hell can I do that?’

  ‘But you said--’

  ‘That was five years ago, before the war. Before I’d worked in the theatre. It’s different now.’

  ‘No, Margot,’ Bill shouted. ‘It isn’t different! Nothing has changed except you are going back on your word. As usual it doesn’t matter what I want, it’s all about you and what you want.’ He stormed out of the room.

  ‘The war isn’t over yet!’ Margot shouted after him. Seething, she took the breakfast dishes into the kitchen. When she returned she heard the front door slam.

  Out of breath and drenched to the skin from running in the rain, Margot knocked on the door of the Ambulance Controller’s office. She didn’t wait to be invited in. ‘Did Bill come in to work this evening?’

  ‘Yes. They’ve just come back. I don’t know where they are, but you could try the cafeteria.’

  ‘I didn’t think Bill was on tonight.’

  ‘He wasn’t, but he was here when a couple of FANYs called in sick, so he went out on a shout.’

  ‘Who with?’ Margot asked, even though she knew what the controller would say.

  ‘Jenny was driving. Bill was her first-aider.’

  'Thank you.’ Margot forced herself to smile, and left. She hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps across the ambulance park towards the hospital’s main entrance when a strip of light, hardly more than a flash, cut through the darkness from a side door, attracting her attention. She peered through what was now driving rain. She hoped it was Bill. It was Jenny.

  ‘Looking for Bill?’

  ‘Yes!’ Margot said, misjudging the depth of the curb and stumbling. To save herself from falling headlong into a puddle, she put her right foot down heavily and twisted her already painful ankle.

  ‘Ooops!’ Jenny said, laughing. ‘Bit early isn’t it, Margot, even for you?’

  Treating the insinuation that she was drunk with the contempt it deserved, Margot carried on walking, her ankle throbbing.

  ‘You’ll lose him, you know,’ Jenny shouted after her, ‘but then you don’t deserve him anyway.’

  Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Margot spun on her heels. ‘What do you mean, I’ll lose him and I don’t deserve him? You know nothing about me, and even less about my relationship with my husband.’ She moved towards Jenny, who stepped backwards. ‘Yes! My husband!’ Margot spat. ‘Not yours!’

  ‘Not for long,’ Jenny said, regaining her confidence. ‘Look at you. You’re a drunk, Margot Dudley. You’re an argumentative, conceited, self-centred drunk! And when Bill sees you for what you are, he’ll come back to me.’

  Margot’s eyes blazed with anger. ‘Come back to you? How the hell can Bill come back to you, when he has never been with you? You’re deluding yourself again, Jenny.’

  ‘After my flat was bombed, Bill and me--’

  ‘What?’ Margot laughed out loud. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Your flat wasn’t bombed, Jenny – except in the twisted fantasy world you live in – because you didn’t have a flat. I went to your imaginary flat, remember?’ Jenny looked at Margot, her lips a tight line, her eyes black with hate. ‘You promised me if I didn’t tell Bill you’d made it up, you’d leave him alone.’

  Without taking her eyes off Margot, Jenny put her hands over her ears. Then, jerking her head from side to side, she started to sing. ‘La-la-la-la! La-la-la-la…’

  ‘You begged me not say anything to Bill,’ Margot shouted above Jenny’s insane chanting, ‘and I didn’t. I didn’t tell him, and I didn’t tell your controller, because you’d have been sacked if I had – and this is how you repay me!’

  ‘Bill would be with me now, if you hadn’t come back from ENSA before I had time to--’ Jenny looked wide-eyed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.

  ‘Time to what?’ Jenny didn’t answer. ‘Before you had time to what?’ Margot shouted.

  ‘Make him love me! And he would have done too, if you hadn’t come back and ruined everything. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. He loved me, I know he did. We’d have been happy if it hadn’t been for you,’ she screamed, and she lunged at Margot, knocking her to the ground. Standing over Margot, Jenny laughed hysterically. ‘Not so high and mighty now, are you?’

  Margot lifted her arms up to protect her face as Jenny kicked out. The toe of her shoe caught Margot in the ribs. As she turned to avoid a second blow, Margot saw a dim shaft of light coming from the door that J
enny had come out of. She saw a man pull on the collar on his coat before stepping out. It was Bill. ‘Bill!’ she shouted.

  ‘Margot?’ Seeing his wife on the ground, Bill began to run. ‘What the hell’s going on?’ Bill took hold of Jenny by the shoulders and dragged her off Margot.

  Jenny stumbled but quickly recovered. ‘She attacked me, Bill. I was defending myself. She’s drunk,’ Jenny cried, trying to put her arms round Bill’s neck.

  ‘Let go of me, Jenny!’ Bill bellowed.

  Jenny let go and stepped back. She shook her head in disbelief. ‘What are you doing, Bill? I love you, and you love me, you know you do.’

  ‘I don’t love you, Jenny. I have never loved you. I have never loved anyone but my wife,’ Bill said, helping Margot to her feet.

  Margot put her foot to the ground and cried out. ‘Good God, what have you done to her?’ he barked.

  I’m sorry, Bill. I didn’t mean to… Please don’t tell the controller. I couldn’t bear it if I lost my job. Please, Bill. It’s all I’ve got.’

  ‘Then you’d better get on with it, hadn’t you!’ Bill shouted, putting his arm around Margot. ‘Come on, love, let’s go home.’

  ‘You’re just in time for a cup of tea,’ Margot said, hopping across the sitting room to greet Bill. ‘Would you get it, love? It’s in the kitchen. I daren’t risk carrying it in case I drop it.’ Margot turned on her good foot and dropped onto the nearest chair. ‘Damn ankle.’

  Bill went to the kitchen and brought back the tea tray. ‘I’ll pour,’ he said, sitting next to her.

  ‘You’re quiet,’ Margot said, as Bill handed her a cup. ‘What did the controller say?’

  ‘He wouldn’t accept my resignation.’

  Margot sighed loudly. ‘As angry as I am with Jenny I don’t want her to lose her job, but if the controller won’t let you leave you’ll have to tell him you won’t work with her. And if he wants to know why, tell him. Serves her right,’ Margot said, taking a sip of her tea. ‘If he sacks her it’s her own fault.’