Forgotten Dreams (23 page)
Lottie and Merle invited Angela to go with them but the show at the Britannia was due to finish before that at the Wellington and she was already busy helping her parents to prepare for their move. Accordingly, Merle and Lottie climbed aboard the bus by themselves one wet afternoon and set off.
They were impressed with Cromer, a delightful old-fashioned little town, perched on its cliff high above the beach and the grey and sullen sea. The pier, when they reached it, was much smaller than their own and it was from here that the lifeboat was launched. Naturally enough they examined the theatre with interest, but it was closed until the evening performance started and by then the girls had to be back at the Wellington. So Louella’s cunning plan to discover how the opposition were doing had to be abandoned.
As the month advanced, the rain disappeared again and a boating trip on the broads, which had had to be called off, became a possibility once more. Management had cancelled the matinées, since these were poorly attended, which meant that the girls had two more full days off, though they still had to work in the evenings.
By mid-September, everyone was eager to enjoy their last couple of weeks at the seaside. Angela and her parents had already left for their next engagement, so Lottie could either make up a threesome with Jerry and Merle – or with Max and Louella for that matter – or go about by herself. Merle and Jerry always assured her that she was welcome to join them, but she thought this was just politeness and anyway playing gooseberry was not her favourite pastime.
So it happened that, on a particularly pleasant and sunny Saturday morning, Merle announced her intention of spending the day with Jerry, shopping for new shoes, a smart new pleated skirt and a lemon-coloured blouse. Lottie decided that such an expedition would not be her cup of tea at all. She hated shopping and knew that Merle would visit every shoe shop in the town before finally deciding which shoes to buy, so she told her friend that she meant to catch a bus or a train into the country, but would be home in time for the start of the evening show.
Having examined all her options, Lottie decided to walk up to Southtown station and catch a train to Oulton Broad. Oulton was a small village which they had visited earlier in the season. On that occasion, they had taken a picnic to the Nicholas Everett Park. They had walked round a part of the broad, but had not actually hired a boat since neither Merle nor Louella fancied doing so.
Now, Lottie decided that she would enjoy it even more by herself, particularly if she could hire a boat and row a short way. She had never learned to row but thought it would be easy enough, or perhaps there would be a guided tour which she could join. The broads were beautiful and she had been fascinated by the gorgeous butterflies and dragonflies, the neat little water voles and the many breeds of ducks and geese which they had seen from the park.
She was walking down Nelson Road, knowing that presently she would have to cross the river, for the Southtown station was on the further bank, when she glimpsed ahead of her the colourful market stalls and remembered that since it was Saturday the market would be in full swing. She plunged a hand into the pocket of her jacket and fingered her money. She had meant to have a meal at Waller’s restaurant, but if she were to buy a picnic from the market stalls it would cost far less and would probably be more fun as well. I won’t spend more than a bob, or perhaps one and a tanner, she told herself, as she arrived at the first stall. I’ll get some fruit as well, though I’m pretty sure there will be somewhere in Oulton to buy a drink.
She glanced around her, for the market was crowded, and was surprised to hear herself hailed. ‘Lottie! Hey, Lottie! What are you doing here? Don’t say you knowed I were comin’ ’cos I didn’t know meself till a couple o’ days ago.’
Lottie’s heart gave an enormous thump. She swung round and there was Baz, grinning from ear to ear. He was wearing his porter’s uniform, but carried a small bag in one hand which he chucked on the ground as she ran towards him in order to lift her up and whirl her round before giving her a kiss on the forehead and standing her back on the ground once more. ‘Baz!’ she gasped. ‘I can’t believe my eyes! What are you doing here? Earlier in the season we expected you to come across and see us, but you never did. Oh, Baz, don’t say you’ve lost your job!’
‘No, course not; I’m too bleedin’ useful for the boss to dispense with me valuable services,’ Baz said, grinning. ‘But I’ve not taken so much as a couple of hours off since I started work so when I said I’d appreciate a long weekend to go and see me girl, the boss made it right. Why, I’ve even got somewhere to lay me head, ’cos one of the porters at Lime Street has gorra brother what works at Vauxhall station and he’s lettin’ me use his spare room for a couple o’ nights. I’m gettin’ it real cheap because the holiday season’s comin’ to an end, so he’s only chargin’ me a few bob, and that includes breakfast.’ He looked around him. ‘But where’s Merle? I made sure the pair of you would be together.’ He glanced down at Lottie and a puzzled look crept over his face. ‘You’re different,’ he said. ‘You look . . . oh, I dunno. Older, I think. Prettier, too.’
‘It’s my hair,’ Lottie said quickly, feeling her cheeks grow hot at the unexpected compliment. ‘It’s my real colour because Louella doesn’t make me have it lightened now. I think it’s the only thing that’s really different about me.’ Her mind was racing furiously, for after her first pleasure in seeing Baz she had remembered where Merle was. What on earth should she say to him? If she told a downright lie, then she had no doubt they would walk slap bang into the couple as soon as they left the market. She wondered whether she could persuade Baz to accompany her to Oulton, but this seemed unlikely. He had undertaken the long and arduous cross-country journey in order to see ‘his girl’, and was not likely to allow himself to be palmed off with a boat trip.
But he was still staring down at her, a frown beginning to crease his forehead, so Lottie burst into speech. ‘Merle? Well, honestly, Baz, if only you’d let us know! You could have sent a telegram! As it is, Merle will be heartbroken to have missed you, but she and a friend have gone off for the day, I’m not sure where. They’ve gone shopping – she needs some new shoes and an outfit to match – so they could have gone to Norwich, but even if they have they’ll be back in time for “Beginners please!” You know what Louella’s like about always arriving at the theatre long before your call.’
Baz’s face had fallen but now he began to smile again. ‘Norwich? I had to change there. There’s a river, and some lovely old buildings. What say you and meself catch a train back to Norwich and see if we can run her and her pal to earth? What’s her pal’s name?’
‘J-Jerry,’ Lottie mumbled. ‘But I don’t think . . .’
‘Cherry? Nice name. Is she with the theatre? I suppose she must be because I can’t see my Merle taking up with a girl who’s not connected with the stage,’ Baz said. ‘Well, what d’you say? Shall we go to Norwich?’
Vastly relieved that Baz had not heard her correctly, Lottie was about to agree when it struck her that Merle might really have decided to visit the city, so she shook her head firmly. ‘No, you’ll have to count me out, Baz,’ she said. ‘I’d planned to take myself off to the broads and I don’t mean to miss what might be my last chance of a boat trip. Shopping bores me to tears, to tell you the truth, so we’d best go our separate ways.’ She smiled at him and was pleased to see his face fall. Absence, it seemed, made the heart grow fonder, or perhaps it would be truer to say that young men are seldom really keen on shopping trips. And though Baz had only had a glimpse of Norwich, he must realise that his chances of running Merle and her friend to earth were pretty slim. If Lottie played her cards right, however, she might yet save the situation. ‘You’ll have to go back to Vauxhall station. My train leaves from Southtown in ten minutes, so I shall have to get a move on.’ She started to move away but Baz grabbed her arm.
‘No sense in my going all the way back to Norwich on a wild goose chase,’ he said. ‘I’ll come with you. I dare say you won’t mind my company instead of Merle’s for a change?’
‘Oh, Baz, I didn’t like to suggest it, but it’ll be much more fun to have you along,’ Lottie said fervently. ‘What a good thing I didn’t buy any food; now you can perishin’ well treat me to a lunch because I know Mrs Shilling will give you a hot dinner with the rest of us before we have to go to the theatre. She’s the best cook in the world – her food is prime. And remember, you’ve got all day tomorrow to be with Merle, right up to bedtime, because there’s no show on a Sunday.’
‘That’s true,’ Baz said. ‘But I’ve got to leave first thing Monday morning. It’s a helluva journey, with so many changes you wouldn’t believe, but I knew it would be worth it to see my Merle.’
‘And your dad, and Louella . . . and meself of course,’ Lottie said, rather reproachfully. ‘And Merle and me have done the journey too, remember.’ Before Baz could reply, they were crossing the bridge which led to Southtown station and Lottie broke into a trot. ‘C’mon, or we’ll miss it,’ she panted. ‘We have to take the Ipswich train as far as Haddiscoe, where we’ll catch the Lowestoft train; that’ll take us to Oulton Broad.’
‘It sounds a pretty complicated journey,’ Baz said breathlessly, as they hurried towards the station.
Lottie laughed as they skidded to a stop in front of the small ticket office. ‘It won’t take more than twenty minutes to reach Haddiscoe, and then another ten or fifteen to get to Oulton,’ she informed him. ‘Thank goodness it’s such a lovely day. Oh, Baz, we are going to have fun!’
‘Well, I reckon we’re in for a real treat, queen, and I’m glad I came,’ Baz said later as they climbed cautiously aboard the small boat he had hired. Lottie had asked him whether he could row and he had pretended to be insulted. ‘I’ve been rowin’ small boats ever since I were old enough to get meself over to the lake in Prince’s Park,’ he had said. ‘We’ll buy ourselves some bread rolls, a bag of tomatoes and a chunk of cheese and have a picnic, seeing as how the weather’s more like July than September. How will that suit you?’
Lottie had thought it sounded fun, and now she stowed their food under the thwarts and took her seat a trifle apprehensively. Baz had said he could row a boat, but then boys, she knew, thought they could do everything, and suppose he could not row at all but overturned them, forcing her to swim fully clothed to the nearest shore and making it imperative to explain to the boat-owner that the accident had not been their fault? Only five or ten minutes convinced her, however, that he knew what he was doing, and once she was sure of his ability she simply leaned back in the stern and relaxed. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze blew, and the water was so clear that she could see weed moving gently and fish darting to and fro in the crystal depths. Feeling beautifully secure and dreamily enjoying the sunshine on her bare arms she trailed one hand in the water, thinking that people would believe her to be a young lady out with her boyfriend, but she hastily pulled it back inboard when Baz reminded her that there were enormous freshwater pike in the broads, which might mistake her fingers for a delicious snack. ‘And what would Louella say if I took you home minus your finger ends?’ he asked, grinning and looking so like the old Baz, the laughing boy of the before-Merle period, that Lottie felt all her former affection for him flooding back. ‘And talking of snacks, are you ready for a bite, ’cos I’ve spotted a good place for a bit of a picnic; see those willows? There’s like a little cove underneath ’em, and we can tie the boat up to them big roots . . . what d’you say?’
Lottie agreed that she was a trifle hungry and that Baz had chosen a good spot, and presently they disembarked from their small craft and Baz moored her to a willow branch. Then they spread out the picnic and settled down to enjoy their meal in the dappled shade beneath the trees. As well as bread, cheese and tomatoes, Baz had bought sausage rolls, apple turnovers, a bag of jam doughnuts and a large bottle of ginger beer.
‘I say, Baz . . . they must pay porters awfully well, much better than they pay Merle and me,’ Lottie said with considerable respect. ‘What a feast! Poor Merle, missing all this!’
‘Poor Merle, missing all me,’ Baz said with mock boastfulness. ‘As for me pay, don’t forget I’ve been savin’ up for this trip ever since you Laceys left. I can afford to splash out, especially as you assure me your landlady will give me a hot dinner for nowt but a few words of thanks.’
‘She will, and if she wouldn’t, your father would pay,’ Lottie reminded him, sinking her teeth into a sausage roll. She spoke thickly through her mouthful. ‘He’s ever so generous, is Max. Pass me a tomato, would you? Oh, Baz, just look at that butterfly!’
‘Swallowtail,’ Baz said casually through a mouthful of his own. ‘Did you see that? Wharrever was it?’
‘Kingfisher,’ Lottie said, trying to sound equally casual. ‘Aren’t they the most beautiful creatures? I’ve never seen one before but there’s a picture in Jack Russell’s book on birds and animals of the broads.’
‘Oh aye? Do you realise, Lottie, that we’re the only craft on this particular bit of the waterway? Nice, after bein’ stuck on Lime Street station all day and havin’ to fight me way back home on a tram when I come off shift. Then goin’ round to the Brocklehurst’s for a meal . . . my, how them kids argue and fight if their da isn’t home! I tell you what, queen, all this peace and quiet makes me wish things were different.’
‘I guess that’s how most of us feel,’ Lottie admitted. ‘We’ve all had a grand time in Yarmouth and no one much wants to go back to the Gaiety . . . well, we do in a way because all our friends are there, but we’ll miss the seaside, and the country. But the pier management have said they’d be glad to have us again for the next summer season, so we’ll have something to look forward to.’
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