The Ballroom on Magnolia Street (6 page)

Kate saw Louise and Mary sitting near the dance floor, and guided Shirley to the other side of the hall. Kate’s face was hard to read but she had a defiant look about her. Shirley looked preoccupied, swinging a small purse on a chain, and biting her bottom lip hard.

Kate and Shirley made a couple of laps of the ballroom, talking briefly to anyone they knew, before finding vacant seats at the back of the hall, near the food bar. It wasn’t ideal, what with the aroma of beefburgers drifting across to them, but it was either that or stand all night. They’d lost their good seats a few minutes earlier when they’d tried to get chatting to Alex. They settled themselves in and decided to make the most of it. Kate knew she was looking fantastic, and she felt absolutely ready to take on all love rivals. But first, a little liquid courage must be purchased. She nudged her sister towards the bar. Shirley looked almost bored as she set off across the carpet, in a long yellow dress and matching headband. She wore a black velvet choker and three long black necklaces, as well as several bracelets on each wrist. Combined with the yellow gloves and the fake-fur coat, it was quite a striking look. The entire ensemble had been an impulse-buy from a new charity shop, and she was beginning to think yellow wasn’t really her colour. It didn’t help when she saw Louise and Mary laughing at her from across the floor.

‘My God, but Shirley’s like a giant bumblebee,’ observed Louise with huge satisfaction. ‘She didn’t get that little outfit in any normal boutique!’

Mary, watching Shirley rooting through her tiny handbag at the bar, began to feel some sympathy for Kate’s younger sister. This couldn’t be a lot of fun for her, either. Could this night really end up in a no-holds-barred cat-fight between Kate and Louise? For the first time, Mary began to feel uneasy about Louise’s obsession with Alex Stone. Maybe she could talk Louise back to some kind of normality, and end this feud with Kate at the same time? She decided to bring up the delicate subject of Alex’s inheritance. A rumour was going round the ballroom that he was about to come into money.

‘Louise, are you sure that Alex has a rich uncle? I never knew he was well connected. And if he is in line for a big inheritance, why is he holding up the wall in Hogan’s, and not working in the jewellery shops, learning the business?’

‘Because. I don’t know why. Does it matter?’

‘Well, I think it matters. I think he’s making it up. Aren’t you even a bit curious? How old is he? Twenty-nine? Thirty? Why isn’t he married already if he’s such a great catch?’

‘That’s it, Mary. You’re a genius! He’s hiding his wealth until he finds the right woman. He doesn’t want to be killed in the rush of greedy little gold-diggers like that Kate Winters. I wondered why she was interested in Alex, all of a sudden. Now I know. She must have heard the rumour too.
The hungry eye sees far
and all that. Keep a watch on my drink. I’m going up to the DJ.’

‘What for?’

‘To have a request played for Kate Big Liar Winters.’ And she set off, at a quick marching pace.

‘Lou, don’t!’ But Louise was already halfway across the ballroom.

Twenty minutes later, the DJ announced that he was playing a tune by popular band the Smiths, especially for Kate Winters, who was here tonight with her sister, Shirley.

‘And this request comes from a good friend of yours, Kate, and she says you will know who it is. So here it is, apparently this is your favourite song. I can’t say it’s one of mine. Well, it takes all sorts!’

Kate’s mouth fell open, and Shirley was glad she was standing far away from Kate at the crowded bar, as the plaintive sound of ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ filled the ballroom. Standing Stone and his mate, Sunny Jim, were doubled over beside the foyer doors. Their laughter could be heard even over the sounds of the record. Kate tried to smile, as if she was enjoying the joke too, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She couldn’t believe Alex was laughing at her. How dare he! A common bouncer like him, having the barefaced cheek to laugh at a beautiful woman like herself? Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kate felt a most unpleasant sensation – as if she was falling down a very long slide. Her stomach lurched violently, and she felt very cold. More disturbing than that, was the realization that she wanted Shirley to be at her side, germ-ridden purse and all. Even though she usually treated Shirley as nothing more than her personal assistant, now she realized that she
needed
Shirley badly. She prayed fervently that her younger sister would hurry back with the double vodka that would surely calm her down. But there was quite a crowd at the bar and Shirley would never push her way to the front, as Kate would have done.

A young man from the area, who was known to have psychiatric problems, ran on to the dance floor and began a frantic impersonation of the band’s lead singer, Morrissey. He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a snow-white, hairless chest and he pulled his oily hair up into a high point. Jerking his head and shaking one leg in the air, he leapt around the floor like a tethered firework. He knew the words to the song and he roared them out with all his strength. Thunderous applause broke out from the delighted audience, and someone threw a plastic flower from the balcony. The young man knelt down and picked it up with his teeth and continued the dance on his knees, and everyone in the hall laughed until their drinks came back up through their noses. To end his performance, he lay down on his back, and pushed himself to the edge of the floor with his feet. Both shoes had holes in the soles. Kate could not believe that one song could last so long. The humiliation seemed to have gone on for hours. Inside, she wept, but the smile stayed firmly on her face. A couple of the barmaids helped the young man up and took him to the cafe for a complimentary plate of chips as the clapping died away.

Kate was horrified to notice that her hands had suddenly become stone cold and were trembling slightly. She joined them together, very tightly, and, with every ounce of her remaining energy, willed Shirley to come back.

Louise and Mary made a high-five as they sipped their glasses of house white. The dance floor had emptied, as the song proved too challenging for the dancers to deal with. The DJ was very concerned about this state of affairs.

‘Come on, Kate! Kate Winters and Shirley, where are you? Let’s have you on the floor. Come on, now! “Bigmouth Strikes Again” – your favourite song in the whole world. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”. It’s nearly over! Come on, now,’ coaxed the DJ.

But Kate was frozen to her seat with fear, and Shirley was wiping the tears from her eyes, safely hidden in the mob at the bar. She hadn’t laughed so much in ages. Then, she caught the attention of one of the barmen. She dried her eyes, bought the drinks and hurried back to join Kate, feeling suddenly guilty about leaving her big sister all alone. As the song died away, the DJ took it off and replaced it with another one.

‘It seems Kate is too shy to dance tonight, ladies and gentlemen. So here is another disco smash, it’s Dollar and “Oh l’Amour”! Oh, I wouldn’t kick that Thereza what’s-her-name out of bed for passing wind! Come on!’ The floor was heaving in less than ten seconds.

‘You took your bloody time,’ snapped Kate, as she grabbed for her glass. ‘Why didn’t you come back here and support me? I cannot believe what has just happened.’

‘You told me not to come back without the vodka.’

‘Well, that was before I was publicly disgraced. Have you no common sense?’

‘I knew this would end in tears. They were laughing at me, too. I saw them.’

‘You should have been here with me, Shirley.’

‘I told you she would find out. Just be grateful you didn’t get a fat lip to go with the request. You’re playing with fire, Kate. You don’t pick a fight with
anyone
in this town unless you’re prepared to go all the way.’

‘Oh, shut up! We’ll stay for half an hour, for appearances’ sake, and then we’re getting out of here. I’m exhausted.’

‘Suits me. There’s no sign of Declan, anyway. Probably it’s too early for him.’

‘We’re not staying till the end of the night, Shirley! I don’t feel well.’

‘All right! All right! You’re the one who drags me in here every weekend, and now you want out again? Make your mind up, for heaven’s sake!’

The two sisters sipped their drinks in stony silence – Shirley slumped in the seat like a half-full sack of potatoes, and Kate trying to stop herself from bursting into tears and wondering where her confidence had gone. Could she be developing some deadly illness that made her tremble like this? She must ring the doctor, first thing on Monday morning. If she was still alive by then. Her chest was almost hammering with tension. She held on to the table as a moment of dizziness came and went. The music seemed far too loud tonight. It made her jump. What was DJ Toni trying to do to them all, having the music so loud? Louise and Mary were out dancing now, laughing like crazy, the two of them. Kate watched them with a sense of mounting dread. Could it be nothing more than that silly Smiths song that had upset her, she wondered frantically. She looked at Shirley for reassurance, but Shirley was scanning the balcony for a sign of Declan Greenwood. Poor Shirley. Declan Greenwood was a middle-class medical student from a fancy house on the expensive side of the Lisburn Road. That road was full of mature trees and BMWs, and the people who lived there employed gardeners and cleaning ladies. That kind of boy, and that kind of life, was out of Shirley’s league, and that’s all there was to it. Kate patted her sister’s arm, in a sudden rush of affection. Shirley’s wide yellow headband and jet-black hair did make her look slightly anaemic, Kate thought, but she hadn’t the heart to say it.

On the dance floor, Louise was having a great time. She even did a couple of twirls and one or two high-kicks. Lots of people were looking at them. Mary was mortified. She’d bet an entire vat of patchouli oil that this whole thing would end badly. Mary spied Kate’s face through the crowd; it was a picture of distress. But Louise was absolutely delighted. When they sat down again, Louise nudged Mary so hard that Mary threw her wine glass over the back of the seat.

‘Round Two to us, Mary!’ said Louise, with the light of triumph shining in her eyes. ‘I always knew that wimp Morrissey would be good for something.’

6. Romance and Ribbons

It was a sunny July morning. Marion smiled as she smoothed out the folds of a new gown in the window of the shop. It was incredibly expensive; much more expensive than the sort of gown she usually sold, but she just couldn’t resist it when the supplier showed it to her. A retro-style with a high collar, long sleeves, a tiny waist and billowing skirts; all in white velvet. There were thousands of pearls on the hem, and even tiny flowers embroidered on the inside of the bodice. The dress was so beautiful that Marion decided it would look perfect on its own, without the gilt chair and the vase of fresh flowers she normally kept in the window. She carried the chair to the dressing room and placed the flowers on the counter of the shop. She went outside to study her work from the street. It really was a fabulous dress, but maybe she did need something to fill that space in the corner – something heavenly? Candles! She would buy a tall, heavy candlestick and some church candles this lunchtime. It really would be perfect, and very much in the style of understated elegance she was trying to promote.

After that, it was down to the real work; the bread-and-butter work. Selling budget gowns to pregnant teenagers, and plain gowns to elegant women over forty, who were getting married for the second time. Marion hoped that someday soon a pretty girl would come through the door of the shop who was just born to wear the gorgeous velvet gown in the window.

She vacuumed the white carpet until it was immaculate, polished the huge antique mirrors in the fitting rooms and ironed the gowns that were ready for collection, filling up the sleeves with tissue paper. She had two appointments for fittings that afternoon, so she brought several pairs of silk shoes from the store and left them in the dressing rooms, ready for the brides-to-be, who always seemed to turn up wearing black boots. Then, she checked that all the fabric-covered tissue boxes were well stocked. Most of the brides-to-be wept with joy when they found their perfect dress after weeks and even months of searching. She sometimes wondered if they gave as much thought to their choice of groom.

Marion thought of her own wedding day in January 1968. Eddy waiting impatiently in the porch, with a tiny red rosebud pinned to the lapel of his new suit, terrified in case Hollywood Hogan would turn up and cause a scene. All through the ceremony, Eddy never took his eyes off her, his love for her almost overwhelming. As soon as the priest declared them man and wife, she felt so relieved. The stress of hanging on to Johnny Hogan was over at last, and it felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She thought only once, during their quiet honeymoon in Galway, of Johnny Hogan in his white jacket. The man she had loved so desperately, the man she had once left her beloved Eddy for, the man who was Declan’s real father. But she had waited a long time for him to propose, and even when the pregnancy was confirmed by her doctor, and she grew paler and paler, he didn’t notice a thing. And if he’d loved her, he would have noticed, wouldn’t he? Eddy knew she was unwell straight away, when she met him that morning in the street. He said she should eat something and he took her into Muldoon’s Tea Rooms for an early lunch, and she had cried over the chicken and chips and told him everything.

‘I love you, Marion,’ Eddy had said, suddenly. ‘I always have and I always will. Marry me and I promise you, you’ll never be sorry.’

‘I’d love to marry you, Eddy,’ she’d said at once, with her eyes full of fat silent tears.

When the baby was born (thankfully with Marion’s blonde hair colour), Eddy doted on him. That was when Marion started loving Eddy again. Because he loved Declan just as much as he loved his own daughters when they came along, over the years that followed: Emily, Eve and Eloise. The girls had the same dark curly hair and bright green eyes as Eddy, and the same gentle nature. They were the perfect example of a happy family unit.