The Melody Girls (21 page)

Rising to her feet, she cleared her throat. She looked at Claire and Claire looked at her.

‘Thank you, very much—' Lorna began, but Claire cut her short.

‘Don't bother saying anything,' she said coldly. ‘I don't need any words, I can tell by the look on your face. You don't want me, do you?'

‘I thought you were very good, Claire—'

‘Oh, so did I!' Flo said quickly, moving to stand beside Lorna. ‘You have a very good voice, Claire, no doubt of that.'

‘But not good enough for you?'

‘To be a vocalist,' Flo said gently.

‘And why not, then? Could you please tell me why not?' Claire's eyes were hard as stones, her tone truculent. ‘I've been told by some very good teachers that I've got real talent as a singer. I believe that there's nothing the band could play that I couldn't sing. Yet you tell me I can't be a vocalist?'

‘It's a question of – it's hard to explain – presentation, I suppose you could say. A vocalist has to have a good voice, but also a way of putting a song across. So that it reaches the audience, sort of thing.' Flo glanced at Lorna. ‘Wouldn't you say that, Lorna?'

‘I would. She has to be able to present a song – and herself.'

‘And I couldn't learn that?' Claire snapped.

‘Well, I think maybe it's . . . inborn.'

A bright red colour had touched Claire's cheeks and her still hard eyes moved rapidly between Flo and Lorna.

‘This is just prejudice, isn't it? You've no real reason for turning me down, you just don't want me. Well, maybe I don't want you, either. I don't want your rotten little job in the rhythm section, with you two bossing me around the way you'd never have dared to do if I'd been somebody like Hannah. If I'd been to college, if I'd been promised recitals, you'd never have turned me down, would you? You bet you wouldn't!'

Snatching her coat from the rack, Claire began to pull it on, her face still red, her voice thick with tears. ‘I'm away,' she muttered, fumbling for the door handle. ‘You won't see me again. Find yourself another pianist – and a vocalist, if you can.'

‘Claire!' Flo cried, running to her and grasping her arm. ‘Now this is just a piece of nonsense! Nobody wants to boss you around, nobody gives a damn here about college or recitals! We want you to stay because you're good at your job. That's the truth, isn't it, Lorna?'

‘It is,' Lorna agreed, coming to Claire's side. ‘Why, didn't I tell you, Claire, that you were as good as your sister though in a different way? Please don't throw up your own career for no reason. We do want you in the band, honestly we do.'

As the two women gazed earnestly into Claire's face, they sensed her mood relaxing and knew that the battle was probably won. For the way she would see it, she was going to stay, not as a loser, but as a victor. They'd had to come, pleading with her not to leave them, though they must have known, as she knew, that they could probably find another pianist. But she was good, she had rhythm, they wanted her and it was her decision, whether she said yes or no.

In the end, as Flo and Lorna had guessed she would, she said yes. Grudgingly and with the same hard unrelenting gaze, she agreed to stay on with the band as rhythm section pianist, and it was tacitly agreed that no more would be heard of her bid to be a vocalist.

‘See you tonight, then,' Flo said cheerfully.

Lorna chimed in, ‘At the Carillon, Claire.'

With one last dark look, Claire muttered that she would be there, then snatched up her umbrella and went out, banging the door behind her.

‘Phew!' Flo whispered, sinking into a chair. ‘What a struggle, eh? Was it worth it? Do we really want her?'

‘I feel sorry for her,' Lorna murmured. ‘Otherwise, I'd have told her what she could do, when she started raving on about us.'

‘She's obviously got a chip on her shoulder big enough to sink her, but for heaven's sake, let's forget her for the moment. I've got news.'

‘Good, I hope?' Lorna sighed.

‘Very. George and I have decided to get married in April. Small affair at the register office, lunch afterwards. You coming?'

‘Oh, Flo!' Lorna rushed to give her a hug, crying she couldn't be happier. ‘Of course, I'm coming!'

‘Lovely. You can be my bridesmaid, if you like, if they have bridesmaids at the register office. And then after a wee honeymoon in London, we'll come back to George's flat. So, you'll be free of me, Lorna.' Flo smiled. ‘Have the whole place to yourself!'

‘Oh, Flo, I'm going to miss you.'

‘Well, I'll still be with the band, you know. As I said, there'll be no giving up work for me.'

‘And I'm grateful for that.'

When they were putting up their umbrellas outside the studio, Lorna glanced at Flo, a little frown between her brows.

‘Why do you think Josh Niven really came today, Flo? Just to find out how we got on in Germany? Seems odd, don't you think?'

‘No' really.' Flo locked the studio door and put the keys in her bag. ‘He had to find some excuse, I suppose.'

‘Excuse for what?'

‘To see you, of course.'

Lorna, astonished, burst into laughter. ‘Flo, that's ridiculous. Josh isn't interested in me. When we sat next to each other in Luke's band, he scarcely took any notice of me at all!'

‘That was because he was worried at first that you'd take all his solo spots, and then you were so striking to look at, he thought you'd steal his thunder. And when he stopped worrying about all of that, you'd made it pretty plain which fellow was interesting you.'

Lorna lowered her eyes as they began to walk home, dodging puddles, listening to the rain splashing on their umbrellas.

‘I still don't think you're right,' she said slowly. ‘Girls can usually tell if a man is keen.'

‘You just haven't been noticing, that's all. Mark my words, he's going to get in touch, now that there's no rival, so be prepared. And to be honest, it's about time there was someone in your life again. Why shouldn't it be the handsome Josh?'

‘You know why, Flo.' Lorna lowered her eyes. ‘Do I have to spell it out? I can't get involved with anyone.'

‘You're never thinking of Sam?' Flo's look was outraged. ‘Lorna, that's ridiculous! You can't live like a nun all your life because of that one mistake with Rod!'

‘Flo, I love Sam more than anything in the world, but I have to face facts. What man is going to want to take me on when I have someone else's son in my life? I couldn't ask it, could I?'

‘Of course you could!' Flo cried robustly. ‘If a fellow loves you, he'll be happy to take on Sam. These things happen, it isn't the end of the world. He'll understand.'

‘Think so?' Lorna looked unconvinced. ‘Well, I needn't worry about it at the moment, anyway. There's no fellow around that I can see, and don't mention Josh. You're all wrong about him.'

‘We'll see.' Flo put her hand on Lorna's shoulder. ‘Don't rule him out, is my advice.'

Thirty-Eight

At first, Lorna thought she had been proved right, for no move was made by Josh to contact her.

‘There you are,' she told Flo, ‘it's just as I said, Josh has no interest in me. Which lets me off the hook.'

‘Don't talk like that,' Flo said sharply. ‘I've told you, you can't cut yourself off from possible happiness because of what happened years ago.'

‘Oh, Flo,' Lorna sighed. ‘Don't go on.'

‘Well, Josh is coming to the wedding, anyway. George invited him, just like he invited Luke and his whole band, don't ask me why. And I bet Josh will make his number then.'

‘I can't think what I'll do, if he does.'

‘You'll know what to do, all right,' Flo told her firmly.

Still unconvinced that Josh was interested in her, Lorna couldn't help looking out for him at the wedding reception, and the curious thing was, as soon as he arrived, he appeared to be looking out for her. Or, at least, as soon as his dark eyes found her, he was swiftly by her side.

‘Lorna, there you are! There's such a crowd here, I couldn't at first see you.'

‘It was supposed to be a quiet wedding,' she said with a smile.

‘With two bands?'

‘Only one's going to play, and that's the Melody Girls.'

‘Minus you and Flo, of course.'

‘Of course.'

They stood together, each with a glass of something sparkling, eyeing each other as though they were strangers. What is he thinking? Lorna wondered, and knew that what she was thinking of him was that he had never looked so elegant as he did now, in his formal suit with a flower in his buttonhole and a crisp white shirt contrasting with his dark good looks.

‘You're looking very smart,' she murmured, and took a sip of wine. ‘As though you don't always.'

‘And you're looking very lovely – as though you don't always.'

‘I'm by way of being a bridesmaid.' She looked down at her dark blue dress with a smile.

‘Flo was fortunate to have you.'

‘She's looking lovely, that's for sure.'

Josh's gaze went to Flo, in the middle of a crowd of guests, looking spectacularly slender in a cream two-piece, with a wisp of a hat on her dark hair, and her face flushed and pretty.

‘She is,' Josh agreed. ‘I've never seen her look better. Don't they say all brides look radiant? Bridesmaids, too, I think.'

‘Never knew you were so practised at flattery, Josh.'

‘It's my Italian heritage,' he answered gravely, then relaxed and gave an easy open smile that quite transformed him. ‘Ah, Lorna, it's so wonderful to see you. I've been wanting to get in touch, but . . . I don't know – couldn't summon up the nerve.'

‘Since when have you needed nerve to speak to me?'

‘Since I've spent my time regretting I missed out in the early days, when you first joined the band.' Josh looked down at his glass. ‘Didn't exactly welcome you, did I?'

‘Let's forget all that now – there's someone I'd like you to meet.' Lorna was waving to her mother who was searching the crowded room for her. ‘Ma – over here!'

‘Lorna – I didn't see you!' Tilly came up, looking flustered in a patterned pink dress of her own making and a matching hat that was perched precariously on her newly waved hair. ‘Such a crowd, eh? I thought this was going to be a quiet wedding?'

‘Seems it snowballed. Ma, this is Josh Niven, who used to play sax for Luke – now he's with Jackie Craik. Josh, meet my mother.'

With a courtly gesture, Josh bowed over her hand, causing Tilly to look surprised and pleased. ‘Nice to meet you,' she murmured. ‘My husband used to play sax for Jackie – did you hear that?'

‘Oh, yes, and they still talk about him, you know. A great loss, they say.'

‘Aye, well, Lorna here is following in his footsteps. I see her band's gearing up to play now, and there's Luke Riddell watching.' Tilly laughed. ‘Realizing all he's missed, eh? Lorna, shall we go over?'

‘Yes, will you excuse me, Josh?'

As Lorna took her mother's arm, Josh said with a look of appeal, ‘I'll see you later, Lorna?'

‘Yes, of course. I just want to check that the band's OK. George is going to conduct for me.'

But out of earshot of Josh, Lorna quickly asked her mother about Sam. ‘He's all right with Auntie Cissie, Ma?'

‘Oh, happy as a sand boy! Cissie's always been good with bairns, and I didn't want to miss Flo's wedding.'

Of course not, Lorna thought, and an arrow pierced her heart as she realized it went without saying that young Sam couldn't come too. But she hadn't time to dwell on her feelings, for Tilly was looking back at Josh and murmuring what a nice, handsome fellow he was, then.

‘How come you never mentioned him before, Lorna, if you both played sax in Luke's band?'

‘Oh, I don't know. We weren't particular friends, I suppose.'

As her mother gave her a long considering look, Lorna knew exactly what was in her mind. Now with Sam in the background, might it not be hard for Lorna to be particular friends with any man?

‘Think these babies can manage without us?' Flo in front of the band asked cheerily, carefully not letting her gaze go to Luke who was standing to one side with Suzie.

‘As long as they've got George,' Lorna told her.

‘We should have been playing ourselves, eh?'

‘No, we should not. Flo, you're the bride, I'm the bridesmaid. Let them play for us for once.'

‘Well, George is the bridegroom,' Flo said reasonably. ‘But he was dying to conduct, anyway. George, George, what are you going to open with?'

Bursting with pride, George, in his dark suit and white carnation button hole, gave a grin. ‘“Ain't she sweet?”' he answered. ‘That's you, Flo! I chose it specially.'

‘Oh, get on with you!' she cried, embarrassed, but laughing. ‘Make a start, then.'

And at George's beat, the Melody Girls, all in their matching dresses, their hair specially done, their smiles wide, began to play, as the guests, Tilly among them, stood around, listening, and Flo and Lorna each felt identical rushes of sentimental pride.

Only one girl was not smiling as she played, Lorna noticed, and that was no surprise for it was Claire. There hadn't been many smiles from her since her failed audition, but at least she was still with them, playing her piano, contributing to the rhythm section. Flo, in fact, had said she thought there'd be no more trouble from her; they had, after all, fallen over backwards to make her happy. But then maybe she was not the type ever to be happy, whatever anyone did.