Olivia's Winter Wonderland (18 page)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

By the interval, it was clear that it wasn't just Campion's that was a complete triumph; the Swan panto was a huge hit too. Several camera crews had arrived outside the theatre. More and more journalists had got wind that a story was unfolding and were trying to crowd into the back of the balcony.

“It's a complete sell-out,” said Georgia happily as she lifted her face during the interval and allowed Katie to reapply the make-up that had started to run under the hot lights.

“Not quite full,” said Eel. “Emmy and I spotted three empty seats right in the middle of the front of the balcony. Somebody can't have showed up. They'll be mad when they realise what they've missed.”

“I heard that Ella wouldn't sell those seats,” said Aeysha. “She wanted to keep them free. But the really odd thing is it's not just for tonight. She doesn't want them sold for any of the performances.”

“But why would anyone keep three seats free in a completely sold-out theatre?” asked Eel. “It's like laying extra places for every meal just in case some unexpected guests turn up.”

Olivia said nothing, but she felt certain she knew who those seats were being kept for.

By the time the second half was underway, the audience was breaking into spontaneous applause every few minutes, and at one point after a breathless tap-dancing display by Theo the entire audience had stood up and stopped the show for several minutes.

“I love this,” said Theo happily as he rushed into the wings. Olivia smiled at him. The panto horse had gone down a storm too. Particularly when the two of them had got up on the high-wire and done a little comedy routine in which the front feet and the back feet of the horses were entirely at odds with each other.

The show was nearing its end. The prince had been reunited with his princess. The
marriage was about to take place. Only the final long segment of the panto – which was called the walk-down – remained. Olivia and Tom were standing in the wings, watching. They had got so adept at getting their costume on and off that they always waited until the final moment to put it on, otherwise it got so hot inside it felt as if they were in a sauna. On the other side of the stage Ella was standing watching too.

The Swans were dancing and singing their hearts out. Katie and Kylie were swinging each other round, a look of pure pleasure on their faces. Georgia had just arrived in the wings wearing her wedding gown. The dress sparkled, but it was Georgia's face that gave off a thousand volts of happiness. Olivia caught several of the older boys glancing at Georgia admiringly, as if they had suddenly noticed her for the first time.

Olivia suddenly saw Ella look out from the wings into the auditorium and up towards the balcony. Her mouth was a little circle of surprise and her eyes were shining. Her hand was raised as if she was making a gesture that could have been a wave and could have been a blessing. She was obviously watching somebody and she was enraptured. Olivia's eyes followed Ella's gaze to
the front row of the balcony. For a moment she could see nothing, but as her eyes adjusted she spotted them: a boy, a girl and a woman dressed in the fashions of the nineteen fifties making their way along the front row towards the exit. Olivia glanced hurriedly around. Nobody else on stage or in the audience seemed to have noticed the children and their mother. Nobody could see them except her and Ella. At the exit, the children suddenly threw back their heads and roared with laughter, waved at Ella and Olivia, blew them both a kiss and disappeared. Above the music, Olivia could hear a single word: “Thank you.”

Olivia looked back at Ella. Tears were pouring down her cheeks but she was smiling. Arthur appeared as if from nowhere and squeezed her hand. “I saw them,” she whispered to him. “They've forgiven me. They let me say goodbye.” Arthur looked lovingly at her, then he cupped her face gently in both his hands and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Did you see that?” Tom asked Olivia.

“Yes,” said Olivia happily.

“It's funny,” whispered Tom as he helped Olivia into their costume. “I can't imagine why I
ever thought Campion's was spooky. It feels like the friendliest and happiest place in the whole world tonight.”

“That's because the ghosts have got what they wanted. Campion's is open for business again. They can rest now,” said Olivia.

“Ready?” asked Tom.

“Ready for anything,” said Olivia. The great chandelier suddenly sparked into life as Georgia and Kasha made their entrance, the orchestra music swelled and Campion's was lit up in all its glory like an exquisite mirrored chocolate box. The crowd went crazy.

“Let's go,” said Tom, and they galloped on to the stage behind the happy couple. Olivia listened very hard. The only sound she could hear was the audience clapping and cheering. She knew for certain that Campion's ghosts had made their final exit.

The entire cast crowded on to the stage. Ella and Arthur were lost somewhere in the throng but they really only had eyes for each other. Jon and Katie's mum had joined the cast on stage after the persistent calls from the audience for “director” and “designer”. Katie saw her mum's shining face and her own eyes welled
with tears. Kylie noticed, and quickly put her arm around her. Aeysha smiled and smiled and thought how much she would miss this when she didn't perform any more, and how she was going to squeeze every second of pleasure from it while she still did.

Kasha leaned towards Georgia to give her one last kiss and the audience heaved a collective sigh of pleasure. Jon signalled to the orchestra to begin playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and the whole cast linked arms and began to sing.

“This,” said Theo, grinning wildly and breaking into a spontaneous shuffle, “is quite simply one of the best nights of my life.”

“And it's just about to get better,” said Olivia, looking upwards.

From high up in the ceiling thousands of fake snowflakes begun to swirl and fall. The audience and Swans reached out their hands delightedly to catch the whirling flakes. The sound of their laughter was so loud that it spilled beyond the walls of Campion's Palace of Varieties and out into the snowy, silent streets, and was carried on the wind across the glittering city.