“But I’m enjoying the dance. I thought you were too.” She was dismayed that he should want to leave halfway through the event.
“I have enjoyed it, Petal, but that doesn’t mean I want to waste the whole afternoon.”
“But it’s not a waste if you’re enjoying yourself, is it?” she argued.
“I’d enjoy myself more with a beer inside me. Don’t be such a killjoy!”
“I can’t go with you. I’m not old enough.”
“Who would know?” Glenn took her hand and pulled her from her seat.
“I can’t, Glenn!” she insisted. “Won’t you stay here until the dance finishes? You could go to the pub after.”
“But I want a drink now,” he persisted. “I don’t understand why you won’t come with me.”
“And I can’t understand why you don’t want to stay and have fun with me.” She felt hurt that his mood had changed so dramatically. Now he wasn’t considering her wants and needs at all. “Haven’t we had fun here?”
“Yes, but I told the lads I’d leave at four. Look!” He pointed to two lads loitering near the door. “Gordon and Thom are waiting for me.”
Hazel felt a knot of anger tighten in her stomach. If he preferred the company of his pals to dancing with her, she wouldn’t make a show of herself by arguing about it. “Then you’d better go join them. We wouldn’t want them to feel let down, now would we?”
“Don’t be like that, Petal. We still have time to find some privacy before I go with them.” He winked suggestively. “If you get my meaning.”
She lifted her chin defiantly. This time, she was determined not to let him coerce her into doing something against her better judgement. “I understand you very well, Glenn, but it’s not going to happen! Especially as you’ll be leaving me again straight after.”
“Your loss, Petal.” He got to his feet.
She couldn’t believe he was planning to abandon her. “Are you really going to leave me alone here, in the middle of the parish hall dance?”
“You’re hardly alone. This place is heaving!” Glenn bent to kiss her cheek. “Besides, your little Ray of sunshine can’t wait to make a move on you.”
She followed Glenn’s gaze and saw Raymond glowering at them. “I told you, Eunice’s brother is just a friend.”
“Well, if I hear any different, he’ll have me to answer to.”
“What do you mean by that?” she asked, worried by his tone.
“If I get to hear you’ve been dancing with him, I’ll not be happy.”
“Then who can I dance with?” She demanded, feeling her anger boiling over. “How dare you tell me what I can or can’t do? You’re leaving me and giving me no choice but to dance with anyone else who asks me!” She took a breath and stared into his brooding face. “I will dance with whomever I choose, and you won’t be here to stop me!”
“But I’ll know, sweetheart. I have friends everywhere, and if they tell me you’ve been dancing with another, that poor chap will be sorry.”
“What will you do?” She pushed, feeling angrier than she’d ever felt in her life. “Just who do you think you are, giving me orders about who I can or can’t dance with?”
“I’m your sweetheart, remember?” He kissed her cheek, ignoring her angry outburst as if she’d never said a word against him. “I’ll see you next week.”
She wanted to stamp her foot and scream at him, but he was already walking away. She couldn’t understand how things had changed so rapidly between them. One minute they were dancing and laughing and having fun together, and the next, they were arguing. Would she ever understand Glenn Bradshaw? She sat down and stared at her feet. Did she want to understand him, she asked herself? Was it the mystery and mood fluctuations that attracted her? He was full of surprises. He was a hardworking miner who danced like an angel. His sweet-talking could charm his way into her knickers, but he could also swear like a trooper. His gentle caresses had the power to make her swoon, but his rough passion sent her spiralling into a world of ecstasy. Glenn Bradshaw was like two men rolled into one and she was confused by the love-hate feelings he had aroused in her just now.
“Penny for them?” Raymond sat on a chair beside her. “You seem miles away. I saw Bradshaw leave. Where’s he gone?”
“He had to leave early. He had a prior appointment.”
“With the bottom of a beer glass, I’ll bet,” Raymond quipped and ran a hand through his pale hair. “He’s a fool, leaving you alone like this.”
“Why is he a fool?” She felt the need to defend her sweetheart, even while she agreed with Raymond’s sentiments.
“If I were your sweetheart, I wouldn’t dare leave you alone for a second in case anyone else snapped you up.”
She read more into his words and knew poor Raymond had hopes of taking Glenn’s place in her heart. “It’s not going to happen, Ray. I love Glenn, and he loves me.”
Ray dropped his head. “If you say so, Hazel.”
“I say so, Ray.” She smiled at him. “Things might not be perfect between us, but that’s because we’re still getting to know each other.”
Ray glanced up. “Then how can you know that you love him when you still don’t know him well enough?”
“We have a kind of connection.” She touched her chest. “I feel him in here, and he feels me in the same way. I can’t explain it, but I know we are meant to be together.”
“So where is he now if you two are meant to be together?” Ray’s smile was guarded.
“We don’t have to be joined at the hip the whole time!” She quoted Glenn’s words and understood what he meant. “Just because he’s not here, doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me.”
The band began to play the second set, and Raymond’s eyes glowed with amusement. “They’re playing a swing number. Do you still want to learn the lindy-hop?”
She took his proffered hand. “You bet!”
Chapter 16 – Panic and Fear
The fashion show went well, and to Hazel’s relief, there was no time for the audience to gossip. When everyone was seated, Mrs Wilson took to the stage and conducted the evening without a break.
“My goodness, but I’m parched!” her mother complained when Hazel met her small party of supporters on the town hall steps after the show. “Not as much as a glass of water offered and no interval! How did you poor girls manage to keep on your feet for all that time?”
“We’re used to it, Mam.” Hazel linked arms with Eunice as they began to walk home. “We have water behind the stage.”
Mrs Wilson hurried over. “Excuse me, Mrs Harris.” She put out a hand to Audrey. “I’m Mrs Wilson, and I couldn’t let you leave before telling you how impressed I am with your daughter. You should be very proud of her.”
Audrey looked confused. “But I’m not Hazel’s mother.”
“Oh, really?” Mrs Wilson looked at Hazel. “But I was sure I’d seen you with… and err, with Hazel’s colouring, I just assumed…” The older woman seemed uncomfortable. “Forgive me. Oh, my word, how embarrassing. What a silly mistake to make.”
“I’m Mrs Harris.” Martha held out a hand for Mrs Wilson to shake. “I’m pleased to meet you, at last, Mrs Wilson. My husband holds you in high regard.”
“And I him, Mrs Harris,” Mrs Wilson gushed. “I simply had to let you know how pleased I’ve been with young Hazel’s performance. She could be a rising star in the making.”
“Really?” Martha looked at Hazel. “That’s lovely to hear.”
“She’s a hard worker, and that’s important in my field. The girls don’t get far if they aren’t prepared to put in the effort. Hazel has potential. I thought you should know.”
“Well thank you.”
Mrs Wilson turned to Hazel. “You might be approached by some agencies, my dear. I saw some faces I recognised as scouts in the audience, and one or two seemed interested in you.”
“Really?” Hazel was amazed.
“They might consider you a little young as y
et, but if you are approached, I would see it as my duty to guide you through the process. Please come to see me before you accept any offers, won’t you?”
“I’ll make sure she does, Mrs Wilson.” Martha smiled at Hazel. “Thank you.”
A voice on the town hall steps called to the older woman, and she excused herself.
“Well, fancy that!” Martha said as they all began to walk away from the square.
“I thought you looked elegant, Hazel,” Audrey remarked as she walked behind the girls with Hazel’s mother. “She looked quite the young lady, didn’t she, Eunice?”
“Yes, Mam.” Eunice sounded a bit down.
“And just think!” Her mother grinned widely. “This could be the start of a whole new life for you.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Mam. Nothing has happened yet.”
“No, but it might. You heard what Mrs Wilson said, didn’t you?”
Hazel noticed Eunice was quiet and leant to whisper, “Didn’t you enjoy the show?”
Eunice nodded but didn’t smile. “It was all right.”
“What about that gown I wore at the end? Wasn’t it divine?” Hazel loved the pale cream creation. She felt as if she was wearing next to nothing because it was so light and floated around her as she moved.
“I suppose so.”
Hazel began to think Eunice might be feeling low because of all the pretty girls she’d seen on stage. She didn’t like to see her friend upset and tried to lift her mood. “I see you’ve got some pancake on tonight and some rouge! You look lovely!”
“Do I?” Eunice didn’t sound enthusiastic.
“Doesn’t your Eunice look lovely tonight?” Hazel asked Audrey for confirmation.
Audrey smiled and nodded. “Eunice made a special effort for you, Hazel. She knows you’ve been mixing with all those model types and she didn’t want them to look down on her.”
“But they wouldn’t!” Hazel pressed Eunice’s arm. “They are nice girls. I’m sure you’d like them if you met them. And they’d like you! They aren’t stuck up at all.”
“I’m not like you, Hazel. I’d feel uncomfortable with girls like that.”
“Like what?” Hazel insisted. “They’re just like you and me.”
Eunice lowered her voice to a whisper and hissed, “They might be like you, but they’re not like me. I can see how you’d fit right in with your pretty face and slim figure. That’s why Mrs Wilson asked you to model for her. You even learned how to walk properly, and you’re starting to talk posh too.”
“I am not!” Hazel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What’s got into you?”
“I haven’t seen you for more than a few minutes together in weeks!” Eunice lowered her voice more, “And even last Saturday night, you kissed Glenn all through the film, and I had to sit with Kenny all night, whether I wanted to or not!”
“I thought you liked Kenny?”
“I do, but I like spending time with you too and, oh, I know you’ll think I'm petty and selfish, but I miss you!”
Hazel began to understand. She’d been neglecting Eunice while she concentrated on her modelling job and the poor girl was being pushed further away by her blossoming affair with Glenn.
“I’m sorry, Eunice. I’ve been the selfish one. Perhaps we’ll do something together tomorrow afternoon, eh?”
“I’d like that. I got some more material from that stall on the market. Would you help me make a dress for the next church dance?”
“Of course, I will. What did you buy?”
Hazel found it easy to cheer her friend. Eunice didn’t ask much of her, and now she felt guilty for taking their friendship for granted. She decided she would try to make more time for her friend, which should be easy now the show was done. There’d be no more modelling until the autumn season fashions came out, or so Mrs Wilson had said. Hazel didn’t mind. She had money in her pocket that would last a good while. Mrs Wilson paid well.
The girls had finished cutting out the linen blend red polka dot and were busy tacking the pieces together. Their heads were close as they chatted about the church summer dance that had been organised for the middle of June.
“Why don’t you ask Glenn to come and then you could pretend it’s the first time you’ve seen him and with your mam and dad there, it would all be above board. He could even ask your dad for permission to walk out with you. What do you think?”
“I think it would be asking too much of Glenn to pretend he’d never set eyes on me before. I don’t think we’d get away with anything like that.”
“You will ask him to the dance, though, won’t you?”
Hazel shrugged. She might be taking too big a risk to have him in the same room as her parents without telling them who he was and what he meant to her.
“So why don’t you say a boy has asked to walk out with you and you invited him to the dance to meet them?” Eunice suggested.
“Where will I say I met him?”
“Tell the truth. You met him at the cafe, didn’t you?”
“I suppose that could work.” Hazel’s heart fluttered when she thought about asking her father to meet Glenn. She hoped her sweetheart would be respectful and try to earn her father’s trust. If he cared about her, he should do all in his power to smooth the way for them to meet in the open.
“Do you think this would look better with big buttons down the front or small ones?” Eunice asked, holding up the dress pattern.
“I think big ones, don’t you?”
“Big ones it is. I saw some pretty ones in Marshall’s draper's store, but they’re expensive.”
“I’ll treat you. Mrs Wilson paid me well, and we can’t spoil this dress by cutting corners. I want you to look your best for Kenny at the summer church ball!”
Eunice blushed and whispered, “He kissed me last week.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hazel was pleased for her friend.
Eunice shrugged. “You haven’t been around much.”
“Sorry about that, but now the show is over, I’m all ears. What did you think? Did he make you feel as if you were about to swoon?”
Eunice shook her head and giggled. “His lips were too wet, and I didn’t like it much.”
“Then you should tell him you prefer dry lips when he kisses you.”
“I couldn’t do that!”
“Why not?” Hazel grinned. “If you like him, he’s got to learn how to kiss you nicely.”
“But he might be offended if I complain about his wet lips.”
“I think he’d be more offended if you stopped seeing him because he can’t kiss you properly.”
“Would you tell Glenn if he did something you didn’t like?”
Hazel paused in her sewing to think about it. “Yes, I think I would,” she said emphatically. “Especially in the bedroom department.”
“Oh, Hazel!” Eunice looked shocked. “You wouldn’t!”
“Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll have to, but you should hear what some of Mrs Wilson’s girls have to say about men in the bedroom. I tell you, I’ve learned so much from listening to them.”
“I didn’t think girls like that would be so forward!”
“Then you’d be wrong! They were nearly all experienced with men. Ally sleeps at her boyfriend’s house in the same bed with him! Imagine that!”
“What do her parents think about that?”
“She only has her mother, and I don’t think Ally is daft enough to tell her. She usually says she’s staying with a friend.”
“But what about his parents?”
“He has his own house. I think he’s much older than Ally. She’s in love with him, but she never mentioned getting married to him, so I wondered, well, one of the other girls mentioned he already had a wife.”
“Oh, my goodness! Who’d have thought it!” Eunice raised her head. “Here was I thinking you were getting above yourself with them posh lasses, and all the while they were dragging you deeper into the gutter!”
“I wouldn’t go that far, Eunice!” Hazel felt stung that her friend had thought she might be getting above herself, but was doubly offended to hear her opinion of her new friends. “Most of the girls are older than us and have more experience of life, that’s all.”
“Well, we can do without them kind of experiences, thank you. It’s a good job you won’t be seeing them for a few months.”
Hazel didn’t respond. She felt sad that she wouldn’t be seeing Ally and the girls for some time. They’d made her feel like one of them and didn’t condemn her for having a secret sweetheart. They thought it was romantic. Unlike Eunice, who took every opportunity to warn her off having a good time with Glenn. Her friend wanted Hazel to bring her affair into the open and have her sweetheart meet her parents.
Something deep inside told her that Glenn would not be the kind of man her father would approve of. No matter that he worked hard and earned an honest living, she knew Glenn was rough around the edges. She saw that as part of his charm, but she knew her parents would just see the roughness of his manner and not see beyond it to the romantic and charming man beneath.
“You’ve gone quiet? Is it something I said?” Eunice asked.
“I’ve been thinking, and I don’t know that it will be a good idea for Glenn to come to the summer dance, after all.”
“Why not?”
“You know what he’s like. He’s forward and can sound a bit brusque sometimes. It’s just his way, but when I think about him and try to see him through my dad’s eyes, well, you know what I mean?”
“I think so, but they’ll have to meet him sometime, won’t they? Once they get to know him properly, everything will be fine, you’ll see.”
“Do you think so?”
“Do you want to marry him?”
“You know I do.”
“Then the sooner you introduce him, the better, don’t you think?”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on marrying him soon!”
Eunice stopped her work and lifted her head again. “Did you get your monthly yet?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Hazel felt a prickle of unease.
“Did you?” Eunice insisted.
Happiness for Hazel Page 15