The Gown(80)

“I’m sure it is,” Heather said dutifully.

“New York and Toronto are not very far from one another, are they?” Miriam asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“They are not, but I hardly know Daniel. I wouldn’t want to presume—”

“It would make me very happy if you were to become friends. That is all.”

“Okay,” Heather acceded. She really had only just met the man, and no matter how much she liked both him and his grandmother she wasn’t about to start picking out an engagement ring.

Longing to change the subject, she returned to the problem of the tickets for Buckingham Palace. “Are you sure I can’t pay you back? I tried to buy one, but they were sold out.”

“Of course not. Consider it, instead, a partial repayment of the kindness your grandmother once showed me. She helped to convince me I should begin work on my embroideries, you see.”

“The Vél d’Hiv ones?”

“Yes. She was the first person, in all my life, to tell me that I was an artist. And I never had the chance to thank her.”





Chapter Twenty-Two


Ann


October 7, 1947

The envelope was sitting on her chair when she returned from morning break. Miss Ann Hughes, it read.

“The guard at the back door called up to say someone had left it for you. I needed to stretch my legs, so I popped down to fetch it,” Miss Duley said. “Go ahead and have a look before you get stuck in again.”

Dear Ann,

As I haven’t your address I resorted to leaving this at your work—it was that or wait for you outside. I only wish to say that I am sincerely sorry for my rudeness on the day of the royal ladies’ visit, and while there is no excuse for such ungentlemanly behavior on my part, I do wish to try to make it up to you as best I can. Do say you’ll dine with me as soon as you’re able—any night at all. I await your telephone call most eagerly.

Your devoted admirer,

JTM

She read it a second time, just to be sure, and then tucked both it and the envelope in the pocket of her coveralls. The others were back and taking their places at the great frame that held the princess’s train, and she’d only end up having to answer a hundred questions if they noticed her goggling over the note. So she bent her head to her work and tried to sort out just what was bothering her.

Had Jeremy hurt her when he’d pretended not to know her? He had, but she could understand why he’d done it. It must have been a shock to see her there, of course, and it wasn’t as if she had been entirely forthcoming with him. No wonder he’d been taken aback.

When dinner came she set off in search of a telephone box that wasn’t occupied, and found one on New Bond Street. She dialed the number, holding her breath as it buzzed and buzzed at the other end.

“Hello, Thickett-Milne speaking. Hello? Ann? Is that you?”

“I, uh . . . it is.”

“You got my note?”

“I did.”

“Oh, good. I am terribly sorry about what happened. It’s only that you took me by surprise. I’d absolutely no notion you worked at Hartnell.”

“I’m sorry I never told you. Really I am. It’s only that with our having the commission for the wedding we aren’t supposed to talk about work with anyone.”

“I understand. And now you know about my top secret job, so we’re even.”

“Are you an aide to the queen?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“To Queen Mary, yes. And that’s about all I’m allowed to say. At any rate, I was hoping you might like to come to dinner.”

“Are you sure? Now that you know what I do for a living?”

“I don’t see why that should affect anything. Why don’t I collect you after work one evening this week?”

“That would be lovely, but I can’t leave any earlier than half-past six.”

“Then why don’t we say seven o’clock? I can wait for you at the corner of Bruton and Berkeley. Is there any particular day that suits you? How about tonight?”

“Tonight is fine,” she heard herself say.

“Very well. I’ll see you there at seven this evening.”

Miriam and Walter were spending the evening with their friends Bennett and Ruby, whose new baby had arrived a fortnight early, so Ann told Miriam that she, too, was going out, but wouldn’t be that late. She took her time in the cloakroom after work, waiting until the other girls were gone before powdering her nose, combing through her hair, and fixing a button that was threatening to come loose on her coat.

When she did walk to the end of the street, a few minutes before seven, Jeremy was already there, standing next to his car, bareheaded in the cold. “Don’t you look lovely. That scarf brings out the green in your eyes.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and opened the passenger-side door for her, waiting until she was settled before closing it softly. “I was thinking we’d go somewhere quiet for supper, but first I need to collect my gloves. I can’t believe I forgot them at home.”

It seemed odd that he would need his gloves badly enough to return home for them, for it was warm inside the car, and presumably they wouldn’t be outside for very long. But there was no point in being a pill about it.