‘I don’t see Ronan,’ said Lily, looking anxiously at Credo.
‘He’s –’
‘Lily?’ Ronan’s voice reverberated across the empty space.
She spun round as he emerged from a doorway on the far side of the room. ‘Ronan!’ Lily ran towards him. ‘Thank goodness.’
‘What are you doing here?’ He stared at her gown. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I – I had to see you . . .’ She reached out to touch him and stopped. Now that she was here she wasn’t sure what to say. How did you tell the guy you loved that he was about to be arrested for selling drugs? ‘Something’s happened and I – I need to tell you . . .’
‘You’ve cut your hair,’ he said.
‘Yes,’ replied Lily.
‘Why?’
Lily ran her hand fretfully through her shorn locks. ‘It’s not important. I had to see you, to tell you – to warn you that the police might be coming here.’
‘The police?’ echoed Ronan, frowning. ‘What for?’
Lily hesitated and then the words burst from her. ‘Maybe . . . maybe to arrest you.’
‘Arrest me!’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Is this because of your grandmother?’
Lily stared at him. ‘My grandmother? No, it’s because this afternoon Darcy Johnson told the Drake that you’d sold him cocaine!’
She saw the anger flame in Ronan’s eyes. ‘And you believe that?’
‘No! I –’
‘Ronan?’ A woman’s voice interrupted. ‘What is happening? Are you all right? Who is this?’
Lily turned and found herself face-to-face with the dark-haired woman. She stared at Lily, her arched black eyebrows raised in haughty curiosity, before she turned to Ronan. ‘I heard her mention the police.’
‘It’s all right, Mam. Lily’s just trying to help. She’s a . . . a student from the Drama Academy.’
Lily tried to smile as Alondra Carver’s deep green eyes bored into her. ‘You mentioned drugs,’ she said disapprovingly. She put her hands on her hips. ‘Are you threatening my son?’
‘No!’ cried Lily and Ronan in unison.
‘Lily’s a friend, Mam. She came to give me a message.’
‘I will hear this message,’ said Alondra firmly.
‘It’s private.’
‘There is nothing this girl can say to you that I cannot hear,’ pronounced his mother. She waved an imperious hand at Lily. ‘Tell us this message.’
Lily looked uncertainly at Ronan. ‘I . . . I’m not sure . . .’ she faltered.
He shrugged. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide, so you might as well tell me what’s going on.’
Lily sighed. ‘I know you don’t sell drugs, Ronan, but Darcy told the Drake you did so I wanted to warn you. Darcy followed me and Max up the tower. He told us the police were coming to arrest you and then he locked us in. I managed to escape and I told Rachel to let Max out, only I don’t know if she did.’ She frowned. ‘I have to go back to the Academy. I don’t have my phone and I need to make sure Max is okay.’
‘You’re not going anywhere,’ said Ronan firmly. He pulled his phone from his pocket. ‘I’ll ring Dawkins and get him to go over and check on Max. He owes me a couple of favours.’
She opened her mouth to argue but Ronan was already talking urgently into his phone. Lily watched him anxiously until she realised that Alondra was regarding her with something very like hostility in her eyes.
Lily faced Ronan’s mother and tried to smile. ‘I’m sorry for bursting in on you like this, but I was so worried that Ronan . . . that the police . . . that perhaps he might be in trouble.’
Alondra lifted her chin. ‘My Ronan does not get into trouble.’
Lily pushed the image of Ronan in the duck pond firmly from her mind and nodded. ‘I want you to know that I never thought he did drugs.’
‘Never would he do such a thing,’ declared Alondra. ‘Ronan is a good son and a great artist.’
‘His work is amazing,’ agreed Lily, before adding boldly, ‘I think Ronan’s a wonderful person, Mrs Carver. I admire him tremendously and I hope you won’t mind us being friends.’
‘All sorted,’ said Ronan before Alondra could answer, and Lily wondered if he’d heard her declaration to his mother. She felt the colour rise in her cheeks.
‘That’s great news,’ she said brightly.
‘Yes, so now maybe you can explain why Darcy would accuse me of selling drugs and how you got here. If Darcy locked you in the tower . . .’
Lily’s blush deepened. Suddenly, she didn’t want to tell Ronan how she’d got out of the tower. She said hurriedly, ‘Darcy’s the one dealing drugs, Ronan, and he also told us that it was his brother, Piers, who got you kicked out of Chancellor.’
‘Sorry?’ said Ronan, startled. He stared at her. ‘Are you telling me that Darcy is Piers Johnson’s brother?’
Lily nodded. ‘It was Piers who told Darcy about Snake and –’
‘Snake!’ yelled Ronan. ‘Are you kidding me?’
‘If this Lily knows Snake, then I say she is not a suitable friend for you, Ronan,’ interjected Alondra, glaring at Lily.
‘I don’t –’ began Lily, but Ronan got in first.
‘Lily doesn’t know Snake, Mam.’ He glanced across at Credo and Bolt, who had moved closer and were silently listening. ‘It was Snake,’ he said.
‘Told you he was trouble,’ said Bolt, his mouth a thin line of disapproval.
‘We’ll fix the geezer.’ Credo crunched his knuckles.
‘Can you handle it?’ asked Ronan.
‘Leave him to us,’ said Bolt.
‘Father Doyle will know where to find him,’ added Credo.
‘And Johnson, was it?’ queried Bolt, loping towards the door.
‘Piers and Darcy,’ said Ronan.
‘If the police show up, you send ’em along to the Padre,’ advised Credo. ‘He’ll know what to tell them.’
‘They won’t,’ said Ronan. ‘Go easy on Snake, will you?’
Bolt looked at him.
‘Okay, okay,’ said Ronan, grinning. ‘Just don’t frighten him too much.’
Credo grinned back at him and followed Bolt out the door.
Ronan turned to his mother. ‘It was Snake, Mam. Snake who dropped me in it at school. If I’d only known about Piers I could’ve sorted him sooner.’ He smiled at Lily. ‘Now we know about Piers and Darcy, Bolt and Credo can deal with Snake once and for all.’ He paused. ‘Which just leaves one question, Lily D.’
She shifted uncomfortably. ‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘How the hell did you get out of the tower?’
‘Oh, that,’ replied Lily, not quite meeting his gaze.
‘Ronan, what is this tower of which you keep speaking?’ asked his mother. ‘I do not understand the things this Lily is saying. And why is she wearing this most beautiful gown, which is covered in dirt? And her hair – it is very strange. I do not think she is a suitable friend for you –’
‘Hush, Mam,’ said Ronan firmly. ‘Let Lily explain.’
‘Actually, Ronan, I really need to go,’ said Lily, stepping back. ‘It’s Grandmama’s reception tonight and I’m super late and she doesn’t know where I am and –’
‘Lily!’ cried a voice.
‘Grandmama!’ Lily spun round to find her grandmother, resplendent in mauve silk, hurrying across the room towards her, while behind her, to Lily’s dismay, came Arathula Dane.
‘Are you all right?’ demanded the Comtesse, hugging her fiercely.
‘I’m fine, Grandmama. I’m so sorry I –’
The Comtesse released her. ‘My dear child, so long as you are safe. When your friend, Maximilian, called Charlotte and told her what you’d done and where you had gone, I was terrified that you might be hurt.’
Lily stared at her, suddenly unsure of her meaning. Did Grandmama mean physically hurt or was she worried that Ronan might distress her in some way? She watched the Comtesse gaze intently at Ronan and felt a sudden surge of affect
ion for the grandmother she was only just beginning to know.
‘I promise I’m fine, Grandmama. I was about to leave for your reception.’
‘There now, Lenny, what did I tell you?’ said the Dane, patting the Comtesse’s shoulder reassuringly. ‘I was sure Lily would be all right. She’s a very resourceful young woman.’
‘That’s all very well, Panda,’ retorted the Comtesse, ‘but I had to be certain.’
‘G–grandmama?’ stuttered Lily, her brain still trying to absorb the impossible fact that Arathula Dane had just called her grandmother ‘Lenny’ and been called ‘Panda’ in return.
‘Yes, Lily.’
‘You – you’re here with Arathula Dane . . .’
The Comtesse nodded. ‘We were both very concerned about you, child.’
Lily took a deep breath. ‘But that means – I – she – she knows I was out of bounds – that I broke the rules, so the Director will –’
‘Know nothing,’ said the Dane. She smiled at Lily. ‘I’m not here in an official capacity, Lily. Your grandmother and I are old friends – known each other since we were teenagers, haven’t we, Lenny?’
‘Indeed we have, Panda,’ said the Comtesse with a smile. ‘We’re practically family.’
‘Almost,’ said the Dane, nodding.
Lily stared from one to the other and, suddenly, she understood. ‘It was you!’ she cried. ‘It wasn’t Dad at all, was it, Grandmama? It was you who asked the Dane to give me an audition!’
The Comtesse looked ruefully at her friend. ‘I am afraid we are found out, Panda.’
‘Which means, Lily,’ said the Dane gravely, ‘that we both have a secret to keep. I will say nothing about tonight’s escapade, if you will promise to remain silent about your audition. Will you do that?’
Lily nodded vigorously. ‘I promise.’
‘I also expect you to abide by the rules from now on,’ the Dane continued, ‘so no more visits to the South Tower. I don’t want to have to be any harder on you in class than I already am.’
Lily stared at her. Did the Dane mean . . .?
‘You have considerable talent, Lily, but I would be failing you if I allowed my friendship with your grandmother to affect how I treat you. I meant everything I said in last week’s critique. I hope you will remember it.’
‘I will,’ breathed Lily. Had the Dane really just told her she had talent? She hardly dared to believe it.
‘I am relieved to hear it,’ said the Comtesse. ‘Perhaps we can return to our guests now, Lily? Henri is waiting outside with the car.’
‘Yes, Grandmama,’ replied Lily. ‘I didn’t mean to worry you.’
The Comtesse touched her cheek gently. ‘I confess that when I learned that you had climbed out of the tower in order to protect Mr Carver, I feared –’
‘You climbed out of the tower?’ said Ronan.
‘I –’ began Lily.
‘In that?’ He waved his hand at her golden gown.
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I thought you were in danger.’
‘You could have been killed!’ cried Ronan, his voice rough with anger.
‘Well, I wasn’t,’ replied Lily. ‘So you don’t need to –’
But Ronan wasn’t listening. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
‘Ronan!’ remonstrated his mother.
‘Lily!’ protested the Comtesse.
Lily and Ronan broke apart to find the two women staring angrily at each other. For a moment Lily couldn’t decide who looked haughtier. Alondra Carver’s eyebrows were two high arches of disapproval, while the Comtesse’s elegant nose was practically quivering with dislike.
Her grandmother spoke first. ‘Lily, you know I do not approve –’
‘This girl is not a suitable person for you, Ronan,’ interrupted Alondra.
‘I beg your pardon?’ said the Comtesse, visibly startled.
Alondra swept her with a haughty gaze. ‘Your granddaughter, she is not refinado – not elegant. I do not like her for my son.’
‘Well, your son is not good enough for my granddaughter,’ snapped the Comtesse, drawing herself up to her full height and looking down her nose at Alondra.
Ronan’s mother tossed back her hair and waved her hands dismissively. ‘You are wrong, señora. My son is a gentleman – a caballero. But this Lily, she is too wild – she climbs out of towers in an evening dress and her hair is desaliñado. I think maybe she is a little loco –’
The Comtesse looked outraged. ‘My granddaughter is not mad! And, if her hair is a little unkempt that is because – because –’ She broke off and turned to Lily. ‘Why is your hair cut in that abhorrent fashion?’
‘I – I made Max cut it, Grandmama,’ stammered Lily.
‘Why would Max cut your hair?’ asked Ronan curiously.
Lily looked at him defiantly. ‘Because I had to get out of the tower and there wasn’t any rope!’
‘Lily!’ exclaimed her grandmother. ‘Are you mad? I thought – this tower – what –’
She broke off as Arathula Dane laughed. It was a rich, full sound that echoed around the gallery and ended in a triumphant chuckle.
‘Something amuses you, Panda?’ asked the Comtesse coldly.
‘Oh yes, Lenny,’ replied the Dane. ‘I did not know until this moment just how like you Lily truly is – right down to cutting off her hair for a man!’
And, to Lily’s astonishment, her grandmother blushed. ‘Now, Panda,’ she said. ‘That was a long time ago.’
‘Well, maybe Lily feels about Ronan the same way you felt about my brother, Hunter,’ replied the Dane.
‘Hunter Dane,’ whispered the Comtesse softly. ‘Now, there was a man. If only –’
‘It was a different time, Lenny,’ said the Dane gently. ‘He knew your parents would never approve of you marrying a black man.’
‘And your parents disapproved of me just as much,’ sighed the Comtesse.
‘So, are you sure you want to bust up this romance?’ asked the Dane.
‘No,’ said the Comtesse, ‘I’m not sure. If this boy is Lily’s choice, then I suppose I must respect that.’
‘And you,’ the Dane turned to Ronan’s mother, ‘if you love and trust your son, then shouldn’t you let him decide for himself?’
‘I trust my son,’ declared Alondra. ‘But I do not know this girl.’
‘Then let me introduce you, Mam,’ said Ronan, drawing Lily forward. ‘May I present Lily de Tourney, who climbed out of the tower to rescue me.’ He pulled Lily close and faced his mother. ‘She’s brave and honest and beautiful and . . .’ He lifted his chin. ‘And I love her.’
‘You love me?’ whispered Lily incredulously.
‘I do,’ said Ronan.
‘But I love you too,’ she breathed and gently kissed him.
‘I do not know what to say,’ said Alondra uncertainly.
‘I think your son has excellent taste,’ declared the Comtesse, smiling.
‘My son is a connoisseur –’ began Alondra. ‘Oh.’
Ronan grinned. ‘And Father Doyle totally approves.’
His mother gazed at Lily for a long moment. ‘Father Doyle approves?’ she said at last. ‘Then, ¡Dios mío!, who am I to argue?’
EPILOGUE
The applause was thunderous as Lily and her classmates bowed, and bowed again. It was the final night of the Christmas play, Main Theatre was packed and everyone was on a high.
As she watched Charlotte and Harry take their bows as Titania and Oberon, Lily heard Max’s, ‘Pssst.’
‘What?’ she whispered.
‘Did you hear? Queen Charlotte’s got a boyfriend,’ he muttered.
‘Harry?’
‘No, Imran. Apparently his Bottom really impressed her.’ Max grinned.
Lily choked. ‘His Bottom is excellent,’ she murmured back, ‘but your Demetrius is better.’
‘Yes, but will it win me the Thorngold Trophy?’ asked Max, sotto voce.
‘I hope so �
�’ Lily stopped as the house lights came up and Marshall Drake strode onto the stage.
‘Good evening. I hope you have all enjoyed tonight’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I think you will agree that our first years have done the Academy proud. I know their teachers think so.’ The Director waited until the applause had died away. ‘It is an Academy tradition to award the Thorngold Trophy on the closing night of the Christmas play and I know our students are eager to learn the name of this year’s winner.’
Down in the stalls Lily saw Ronan whisper something to her dad and Simone, before leaning forward in his seat and giving her two thumbs up.
Lily smiled and shook her head slightly. She’d loved playing Puck and she’d learned tons over the past couple of months, but she had no chance of winning the Thorngold Trophy; the competition was way too fierce.
As if he’d read her mind, the Director said, ‘This year’s selection was extremely difficult and I feel compelled to mention Annabel Freame and Jacob Toomua, whose performances earlier this year in A Streetcar Named Desire were much admired by the staff. They were not the only contenders, however, and the final vote was the closest on record with two students tying for first place. In the end, we found it impossible to separate them and so, for the first time in its history, the Thorngold Trophy will be shared.’
A gasp rose from the audience. Marshall Drake held up the magnificent winged statue and announced, ‘This year, the London Drama Academy is delighted to award the Thorngold Trophy to . . . Gemma Jones and Lily de Tourney!’
There was a moment’s silence and then the applause began. It rolled like a giant wave through the theatre and across the stage, washing over Lily, who stood transfixed. Surely the Drake could not have said her name?
She began clapping with the rest as Gemma, her mouth open in disbelief, ran forward to receive the award.
Lily felt someone’s hand on her back. ‘Go on,’ whispered Max. ‘What are you waiting for?’ He gently pushed her forward.
‘He can’t mean me,’ Lily whispered back.
‘Of course, he means you,’ insisted Max. ‘I told you, you were damn good as Puck.’
As if in a trance, she crossed the stage to where the Director was waiting. ‘Congratulations, Lily.’ He smiled and whispered, ‘I think your trial is officially over.’ He turned to Gemma. ‘A side each perhaps.’ The Drake held out the Thorngold Trophy to them.
The Rapunzel Dilemma Page 29