Applause (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 2) Madalyn Morgan (chromebook ebook reader txt) đ
- Author: Madalyn Morgan
Book online «Applause (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 2) Madalyn Morgan (chromebook ebook reader txt) đ». Author Madalyn Morgan
Margot flung her arms round each of her friends and kissed them before taking them up to the apartment. As they entered the sitting room there was more hugging and kissing. When they had finished greeting each other, Anton filled everyoneâs glasses with champagne, Natalie found plates and Margot unpacked the hamper.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Margot caught a break in the traffic at Lancaster Place and ran across the road. She sidestepped around the water tank outside the Savoy Hotel and looked at her wristwatch. Half an hour until she was due to meet Nancy. She enjoyed being with her fellow dancers, loved the camaraderie, the chatter and laughter, but tea with her beautiful mentor on Thursday afternoons was special, something she looked forward to all week. Sheâd better get a move on; she didnât want to be late.
There was still so much she needed for the new apartment, but every week there was less in the shops. Earlier in the day Margot had called in to the Imperial Ironmongery off Leicester Square, but there wasnât a saucepan, frying pan, or pie dish to be seen. âThey are using metal to repair aeroplanes,â the snooty shop assistant said â as if Margot didnât know. âYouâll just have to make do.â
With next to nothing in the windows of the shops going south on the Strand, Margot crossed over at Charing Cross station. There was less produce and even fewer goods in the windows on the north side. She looked at her reflection in the empty window of Duttonâs Hardware, and sighed. A sign saying No Kitchen Appliances or Utensils looked back at her. Oh well, she would have to do what everyone else was doing. She straightened her hat. She would make do.
As she passed Simpsons Confectionery a Thorntonâs poster caught her eye, reminding her of the chocolates left at the stage door by American servicemen. She felt a warm blush on her cheeks. She had quite a few American admirers. They were harmless enough. Most of them were very young. Some, like so many British servicemen, didnât look old enough to go to war. She passed a newspaper stand. âAT LAST THE YANKS ARE HEREâ and âIKE WILL SHOW HITLERâ. Almost every week for the last two and a half years the newspapers had reported on the US situation. One week the Americans were on their way to help Britain, the next the war in Europe was nothing to do with them. But since the Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour in December 1941 the country was slowly becoming flooded with American servicemen. Margot stifled a giggle. They didnât leave flowers like the English stage door Johnnies, they left silk stockings, chocolate and sweets, which they called candy. The girls preferred stockings to flowers. The American boys â GIs, they were called â could be a bit loud and sometimes made cheeky comments during the show, but they were harmless, and they were very generous.
Margot was miles away when she felt someone touch her arm.
âExcuse me, Miss Dudley, can I have your autograph, please?â
Margot turned to see a young woman standing at her side. âYes, of course. Whatâs your name?â
âDoreen. Doreen Adams.â The girl dove into her shopping basket and brought out a programme.
âOh, youâve seen the show. Did you enjoy it?â
âYes,â the young woman gushed. âYouâre my favourite. Well, you and Miss Jewel. Sheâs very beautiful, isnât she?â the girl said with a sigh that was almost a swoon.
âYes, she is. Sheâs very nice too.â Margot took a pen from her handbag. âTo Doreen, best wishes, Margot Dudley. There you are,â she said, returning the programme.
âThank you ever so much.â The young woman made no attempt to leave.
âWas there something else?â
âWell.â She cleared her throat. âI was wondering if youâd take the programme and ask Miss Jewel to sign it for me. Iâd go to the theatre and ask her myself, but Iâve got to meet my mother at Lyons Corner House. She doesnât like it if I keep her waiting.â
âOf course I will. Iâll ask her as soon as she comes in. Iâll leave it for you to collect at the stage door. Will that be all right?â
âOh yes.â The excited young woman handed over her programme, said goodbye, and skipped off.
Margot turned, dropped the programme into her bag, and walked in the opposite direction. Who would have thought it? Me, Margot Dudley, signing autographs. It wasnât the first time, of course. Every night there were at least a dozen people at the stage door with their programmes. And each time she wrote her name was as exciting as the first time. âDreamerâ, they used to call me at school. âMargaret is a bright girl if only she concentrated.â âMargaret could do better.â The head mistress wrote that, or something similar, on her school report every year. Well, Miss âPinkyâ Pinkerton, I think you would agree that I have now done better!
Margot looked at her wristwatch â it was almost six. If she didnât get a move on sheâd be late for tea with Nancy. Tonight was a big night. Nancy was performing a new song at the end of the show â a love song that had been written specially for her â and it was beautiful. Most shows ended with an uplifting number which was meant to distract the audience from the death and destruction going on all around them. That wouldnât be the case tonight. Tonight there wouldnât be a dry eye in the house.
Nancy had taken Margot under her wing, helped her and given her confidence when she took over from Kat â as she had when she took over from Goldie. Margot smiled, remembering how Nancy and Lena had helped her to learn Katâs routines and dances so that when Richard Smiley auditioned her
Comments (0)