Remember Me (27 page)

‘Sorry about that,’ said Maddy, breathing a sigh of relief once she had her back turned towards her stepbrother and his dining partner. ‘I’m really sorry, and I do owe you an explanation. It’s my stepbrother, you see. And he’s with someone that I’m quite sure he shouldn’t be with.’

‘Oh dear! Playing away from home, is he?’ grinned Freddie.

‘It seems like it,’ she said. She could still feel her heart racing. ‘He’s my Aunty Faith’s son, Samuel,’ she explained. ‘I told you, didn’t I, about my father marrying Faith? But Samuel…well, he’s never got on all that well with the rest of us. And he was supposed to be seeing Hetty…a friend of mine.’ It was far too complicated to explain that Hetty was a half-sister from the other side of the family. ‘I’m sure he’s still writing to her, and I know she’s become very fond of him. Oh…I feel dreadful now; I knew I should have warned her about him…but I didn’t.’

‘Perhaps it’s all quite innocent,’ said Freddie. ‘Like…you and me. Perhaps she’s just a friend.’

Maddy shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’ From the glimpse she had caught of Samuel and his companion she had got the impression that the two of them were far more than friends. They had been leaning close together with their hands clasped, looking into each other’s eyes. She was a blonde woman who bore no resemblance to Hetty and, what was more, she looked at least ten years older than Samuel. What her grandfather would have called a ‘floozy’.

Freddie glanced now in their direction. ‘Mmm…yes, I see what you mean. But you’re not going to let it spoil our evening, are you?’

‘No, of course not,’ said Maddy. But she didn’t feel comfortable until ten minutes or so later when Samuel and his lady friend rose and left the restaurant. They walked right past their table, but Samuel was far too engrossed in his companion to notice his stepsister, cowering behind her menu.

Chapter Twenty-One

‘P
hew! That was a close thing,’ said Maddy, putting her menu down and leaning back in her chair with a sigh of relief. ‘Now I can look forward to my main course.’

‘It would have served him right, wouldn’t it, if you’d gone and spoken to him,’ queried Freddie, ‘instead of hiding away?’

‘Maybe,’ she replied. ‘But I was in such a flummox I didn’t know what to do. It’s complicated…’ she added. ‘Samuel and me…well, something happened between us, and I wouldn’t want him to think I was being spiteful.’

‘Oh, I see. Family problems, eh?’

‘Sort of,’ she replied. ‘All right then, cards on the table.’ She placed her hands flat on the table, leaning towards Freddie. She had decided it would be best to be truthful; Freddie was such a good friend. ‘He’s not to be trusted,’ she began. ‘I found that out for myself. I’ve known Samuel for ages, ever since I was a little girl when our families became friendly. And…well, I must admit I thought he was wonderful. He’s four years older than me…and I fancied I was in love with him. He knew
only too well how I felt and so…he took advantage of me. He…he tried it on – if you know what I mean – and when I wouldn’t do what he wanted, he got quite nasty with me. And things have never been the same with us since then. I changed my opinion of him completely. Even his own sister – my friend, Jessie – knows that he’s not a very nice sort of person. Although I’ve never told her about that – what I’ve just told you.’

‘And all this happened before you met Dan, I take it?’

‘Oh yes, of course. When I met Dan I realised how different it could be if you really loved somebody… Sorry,’ she said, seeing a flicker of consternation pass across Freddie’s face. ‘I didn’t mean to mention Dan. I’m trying not to think about him. In fact, I haven’t really thought about him very much for ages.’

‘That’s good then.’ Freddie smiled again. ‘And you think that he – this Samuel – was supposed to be courting your friend, do you?’

‘Not exactly courting,’ she replied. ‘But I know they’ve been out together several times and she was getting fond of him. That’s another complication,’ she added. ‘You see, Hetty is my half-sister.’

And whilst they were enjoying their main course she told Freddie a little more about her complicated family. ‘I shall have to see how the land lies when I get back to Scarborough. It might be all over between them, but if it’s not, then I think I will have
to tell Hetty. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like that.’

‘Well, don’t worry anymore about it tonight,’ Freddie told her. ‘Now, how about a pudding to finish with?’

‘I don’t think I could eat another morsel,’ said Maddy, putting a hand over her full stomach. ‘Or maybe something very light.’

They both decided on vanilla and strawberry ices, and after a cup of strong coffee Freddie settled the bill, then they strolled back through the city streets to their lodgings near to the railway station. They chatted in a friendly manner and Maddy linked her arm through Freddie’s; it felt good to be with him. He hesitated on the landing outside their bedroom doors, then he leant forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.

‘Thank you for a lovely evening, Maddy,’ he whispered.

‘Thank you too, Freddie,’ she replied. ‘It’s been ages since I enjoyed myself so much.’

And that was quite sufficient to send Freddie Nicholls off to bed a happy man. But he must tread carefully. He knew she was not yet ready for a romantic friendship, but he felt sure he would get there in the end.

When the Leeds booking finished there was to be a break of two weeks before they all met again in Scarborough. The Melody Makers went off to their respective homes and families in the towns of
Yorkshire or, for some, near to the Lancashire border.

There were all sorts of matters to be sorted out before the summer season began in mid-May. One task was to collect the Pierrot costumes for the newest members, Freddie, Jeremy and Dora. They had been ordered from Louisa Montague; she had been informed that all three were of a medium size, two men and one lady. Louisa had been making costumes for the troupe for several years. She was an old friend of the Moon family, well advanced in years now, but she still had given no thought to retiring. Maddy had worked for her for a couple of years after she had left school at thirteen, learning the dressmaking trade, until she had joined the Pierrots and the touring company. And long before that, Maddy’s mother, Clara, had worked there for many years. Louisa Montague had been like a mother to the orphaned girl, and it had been there, in the little shop on Eastborough, that William Moon had met and fallen in love with his first wife, Clara. Louisa’s friendship with the Moon family had continued right to the present day.

Susannah offered to go and collect the costumes. She and Frank had settled into their lodgings on Castle Road a few days before the shows were due to start.

The bell of the quaint little shop gave a friendly jangle as Susannah opened the door. She stepped forward to greet the assistant standing behind the
mahogany counter, then she stopped dead in her tracks.

‘I know you, don’t I?’ she said, frowning a little in puzzlement. Then ‘Yes, of course I do!’ she exclaimed as recognition dawned.

‘You’re Emily, aren’t you? We met last summer…’ It was the same woman whom Susannah had intercepted leaving love tokens for Benjy. But she didn’t want to mention that, fearing it might be a source of embarrassment to the woman. And what a rumpus it had caused, to be sure, even though she, Susannah, had put a stop to it. She still felt guilty, though, about the way she had lied to the woman.

‘Yes, I’m Emily Stringer,’ said the assistant cheerfully. ‘And you are Susannah Brown, of course. Do you know, chatting to you did me a world of good. I decided there and then that I must do something with my life. And the very next day I saw a notice in this window, about a position for a shop assistant. So here I am! And I’m helping Louisa – that’s what she insists I must call her – with the sewing as well. Believe me, Susannah, I’ve never been happier, and it’s all thanks to you.’

‘I’m very glad to hear that,’ said Susannah. ‘It’s wonderful news. I’ve come to collect the Pierrot costumes… I don’t suppose you realised, did you, when you were offered the position, that Louisa makes all our costumes? Where is she, by the way?’

‘She’s gone across the road to the Market Hall to
buy her vegetables and fruit for the weekend. She should be back soon… No, I didn’t know about the connection with the Pierrots. It was quite a surprise to me. Nor did I realise, until later, that Louisa is a great friend of the Moon family, that lovely Madeleine’s father and his wife and son. I’ve met them all; they’ve been so kind to me, and I’m looking forward so much to meeting Madeleine. I’ve got over all that silliness, by the way…about Benjy.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘But you weren’t exactly truthful with me, were you?’

‘Telling you he was married?’ Susannah shook her head. ‘No, I wasn’t, but I did it with the best intentions. I’m sorry. I didn’t like lying to you, but Benjy…well, to be quite honest, he’s not interested in ladies!’

‘Yes, so I’ve heard.’

‘Who told you?’ asked Susannah. ‘I didn’t want to say too much – we all keep our thoughts to ourselves about Barney and Benjy – so that was why I took the easy way out and said he was married.’

‘I understand,’ said Emily. ‘It was Louisa who told me that the two men were very close friends.’ She smiled. ‘She’s a worldly-wise old lady and there’s not much she doesn’t know about what goes on in the town. She’s full of titbits of news about the Pierrots, in the nicest possible way, of course. There’s no malice in Louisa. And as for me, well, I may have led a sheltered life, Susannah, but I keep my eyes and ears open, and I have learnt to put two
and two together. I’ve never told Louisa, though, how silly I was about Benjy. What a fool I was, wasn’t I?’

Susannah laughed. ‘You weren’t the first, and I don’t suppose you will be the last. I’ve had my share of admirers in the past; chocolates and flowers from deluded men in the audience. But I’ll let you into a secret… I’m getting married soon!’

‘Ooh, that’s exciting!’ said Emily, clasping her hands together in delight. ‘May I ask who the lucky man is?’

‘Yes, it’s Frank. You know, the ‘Music Man’, the one who shares my act sometimes. We’ve been waiting for…well…for things to be sorted out. And we hope to get married here in Scarborough before the season ends. And you must come to the party, Emily!’

Emily’s cry of joy was interrupted by the door opening as Louisa entered the shop. She was a bustling little woman, no more than five foot in height, still very agile and active in spite of her seventy-odd years; nobody was quite sure how old she was. Her bright eyes peering out from beneath her summer bonnet – for she was always fashionably dressed – missed nothing.

‘Hello there, Susannah,’ she greeted her. ‘We’ve been expecting you. How very nice to see you back again. I trust everyone in the company is well?’

‘Very much so,’ replied Susannah, ‘and raring to go.’

‘That’s good to hear. So you have already met my new assistant, Emily?’ commented Louisa. ‘She’s a treasure. I don’t know how I managed before she came, although perhaps I shouldn’t let her hear me say that. She’ll be asking for a pay rise!’

‘Indeed I won’t!’ retorted Emily. ‘I am highly satisfied, and very contented as well. I’ve just been telling Susannah what a stroke of good fortune I’ve had, coming to work here.’

‘And what about the costumes?’ asked Louisa. ‘Have you parcelled them up for Susannah?’

‘Sorry…no.’ It was Susannah who replied. ‘We’ve been too busy chatting. Emily and I have met before, you see, and I had quite a surprise when I found she was working here.’

‘I’ll see to it right away,’ said Emily. She disappeared into the room at the rear of the shop, behind a curtain, and emerged a few minutes later with three costumes over her arm. Dazzling white Pierrot costumes: two sets of baggy trousers and one ankle-length skirt, and three tunics with ruffles at the neck, trimmed with bright red pompoms. The conical hats were made elsewhere. Percy kept a supply of them in a standard size and beneath the hats the men – but not the women – wore a tight-fitting black skullcap.

‘Just the job,’ said Susannah, as Emily cut a large sheet of brown paper and made a parcel of the outfits, securing it with string and sealing wax. ‘Our new members will be thrilled to bits with
these.’ She settled the bill with the banknotes Percy had given her, and in addition to the money she handed over two tickets for the opening night of the show, to be held towards the end of May.

‘We’ll look forward to it,’ said Louisa. ‘Won’t we, Emily?’

‘Yes indeed,’ agreed Emily. ‘Especially since I’ve heard such a lot about all you Pierrots.’

‘Please don’t think that I gossip,’ said Louisa with a twinkle in her eye. ‘I haven’t said a wrong word about any of you, but you are all such interesting people.’

‘You don’t know the half!’ laughed Susannah. ‘Come early, won’t you, then you can get a seat on the front row.’

Percy had decided that Uncle Percy’s Pierrots would need to charge more for the seats at the performances this season, in order to make ends meet. The rent for the pitches had been increased dramatically by the Corporation over the last year. Gone were the days of ‘a bob a nob a week’, which had not amounted, over the four months of the season, to a tremendous amount; certainly less than two hundred pounds a year. Now the rents had been more than doubled. They had increased their prices a little last year, but now they would need to charge even more for the deckchairs, also for the programmes and souvenir postcards, and for the entries to the various events, and hope that the members of the audience who chose to stand rather
than sit would be more generous in parting with their pennies and sixpences when the bottler came round.

Percy Morgan and his troupe had reigned more or less supreme on the North Bay of the town over the years, but on the South Bay it was a quite different state of affairs. Will Catlin was becoming a force to be reckoned with. His all male troupe had been one of the first to perform on the Scarborough sands, although always on the South Bay, and over the years he had become more and more of an entrepreneur. There had long been rivalry between Catlin and another showman called Tom Carrick, who had already been established in the town when Catlin arrived in 1894. The two men vied continually for the prime pitches on the beach, which were auctioned each season by the Corporation. A couple of years previously Will Catlin had managed to secure all the pitches along the South Bay, causing his rivals to move on to other venues.

And now Catlin’s reaction to the council’s demand for a higher rent was a flat refusal to pay. To the anger of the town council he had moved his company to a new site near to the Grand Hotel; and when, subsequently, the council retaliated by declaring the site unsafe, he purchased a plot of land on the promenade, again quite close to the Grand Hotel; a prime position to attract visitors from the southern end of the resort. He had erected
a permanent wooden structure with a roof to guard against the inclement weather, with scope for further expansion to stage more elaborate shows.