11. New Talulah, old problem – 1978
Anton was waiting on the corner for her.
It was something he’d been doing most mornings for some time now.
Since that night they went for a drink, actually.
Too often for it to be a coincidence, although at first, he’d tried to make it look as though he just happened to be there.
But he’d stopped that pretence weeks ago.
Ursula didn’t mind really. In fact, if he wasn’t there, she missed him.
It wasn’t like they said a lot, but it was nice to know he cared enough to wait for her.
Especially today because it was freezing.
‘Good morning, Ursula.’
‘Good morning, Anton.’
‘You have a new coat.’
‘It’s an early Christmas present from my mum.’
‘I see. I wonder, are you free at lunchtime? I have to buy a gift for someone and I would appreciate some help.’
‘I could be I suppose.’ She’d refused his other offers for more drinks but this wouldn’t do any harm, would it? Anyway, she was curious to see who he was buying for.
His smile was so grateful she wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything was going to be all right. ‘Shall we meet here at twelve-thirty?’ He even knew the time of her lunch hour.
‘We shall.’ She was teasing him with his funny old-fashioned way of speaking, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Just before she went inside the shop, she looked back.
He was still there, watching her. She waved.
He smiled that same grateful smile again.
Maybe one of these days she’d ask him why he was so sad.
She turned to see Cass watching from the window.
Everybody was watching her today. Maybe it was the new coat.
The shop was empty now. The walls had just been painted red, quite a change from the previous pastel colours. ‘What do you think?’ said Cass.
Ursula stood next to her. ‘I like it.’
‘It’s not too oppressive?’
‘I don’t think so. You could put something on the walls if you’re worried. Some big black and white photos would break it up.’
Cass turned and looked at her, as if she were really, really looking at her. ‘That’s a great idea. By the way, I’ve been meaning to say. It’s three months today since you started with us. Did you know?’
‘Yes.’ Obviously she did. She’d been waiting for Cass to mention it.
‘So, what do you want to do?’
Ursula asked herself what Andi would say, although there was no need because she already knew what Andi would say. ‘I’d like to stay if I can.’
‘Good. That’s settled it then.’
The first thing Ursula did when she got up to the sewing room was tell Andi and Wanda the news. Andi was over the moon. ‘That’s just brilliant. Did you ask for a pay rise as well?’
‘No. I was just so surprised, I couldn’t think about anything else.’
‘I would have. She’s paying you a pittance.’
Wanda looked up from her sewing. ‘We can’t all be as brazen as you, Andi. Just be glad she’s been given a job. Go and put the kettle on. And don’t forget to make one for Cassie. And be nice to her. Less of that scowling. She’s got a lot on her plate at the moment.’
Andi put on a scowl and laughed. Wanda shook her head. ‘She only gets away with it because she’s so good. Anyone else would have been out on their ear ages ago.’ She picked up a piece that Ursula had been working on yesterday. ‘You’ve ruched this really well. Who taught you to be so neat?’
‘My mum. We’ve been sewing together since I was little.’
‘I thought I recognised the style.’
‘You knew my mum?’
Wanda smiled. ‘I worked for the Frys before I came here. I remember Gillian on her first day. She was already better than most of the other girls and she was only fifteen.’
‘She works in an office now. She still sews though. She made me this coat for Christmas.’
Wanda looked it over, examining the coat as only another dressmaker would. ‘Beautiful. It’s beautiful. Did she design it herself?’
‘Yeah. She’s really good at it. I want to be as good as her one day.’
Wanda patted her hand. ‘She was always the talented one. Imagine what this place would have been like if Bernard hadn’t messed everything up.’
‘I don’t understand.’ said Ursula.
‘Talulah was Gillian’s idea. Her dream. This business was supposed to be for her and Cass. Cassie was never meant to do it on her own.’
‘Tea’s up. And I even managed to give Cass hers without mentioning pay rises.’ Andi breezed through the door with a tray of drinks and stopped dead. ‘Did I miss something?’
‘Nothing at all,’ said Wanda. ‘Now then, Ursula, do you know what a princess seam is?’
All morning Ursula had been careful not to show it, but this new revelation of Wanda’s had upset her.
She knew the Frys had owned a string of bespoke dressmakers and tailors’ shops across the Midlands before opening up a clothing factory.
And it was no great surprise that her mum had been one of their star dressmakers.
But it was news to Ursula that her mum had been robbed of her dream.
Lately, hardly a week went by when she didn’t find out some new wrong that had been dealt to her mother by her father and his family, and each new outrage made her hate them all the more.
The only problem was, Cass was part of that family.
How could she work for her now? Ursula really wanted to talk to Andi about it but as she’d agreed to meet Anton, it would have to wait.
He was in his usual place on the corner. ‘Twelve-thirty-five. You’re almost punctual.’ His smile was enough to break her heart and brighten her mood all at the same time. How was that possible?
‘I suppose you’ve been here since twenty past,’ she joked.
‘Yes.’ He probably wasn’t joking. ‘I thought Rackham’s would be a good place to start. I believe the lady in question shops there.’
‘And how old is this lady, roughly?’
‘A little older than me.’ Aha, so he did have someone then.
‘Is she your wife or girlfriend?’
‘My secretary.’ His smile dropped. ‘Do you think I have a wife?’
‘Or girlfriend. You must have someone.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you’re twenty-eight, and a catch.’ A catch? She’d turned into her nan. It must be Anton with his old ways.
‘I am pleased that you think I’m a catch, Ursula, but disappointed that you also think I’m the kind of man who would flirt with a woman if he was already involved with someone.’
‘You’ve been flirting with me? I didn’t realise.’
‘Now you’re teasing me. Unless, Ursula, you are flirting with me?’
She slapped his arm. ‘I am not flirting with you.’
‘Pity.’
Her mouth opened wide and she let out a little squeal. ‘Anton, you naughty man.’
‘I would like to be,’ he said, quietly and without looking at her.
They’d reached Rackham’s already. He held the door open for her. ‘I thought perhaps a scarf. She often wears a scarf instead of a necklace.’
‘A nice silk one then. Does she like colourful things?’
‘Yes, quite colourful.’
She picked one out with a bright green and navy abstract design that she knew her mum would like. ‘What about this? Would your secretary like it?’
He frowned so much she thought he was going to put it back. But then he said: ‘I think it will suit her very well.’
‘You know, a colourful scarf would suit you too. How about a nice red one?’
He screwed up his nose. ‘Red is such a loud colour.’
‘Be adventurous, Anton. You might like it.’
He winced. ‘I will try to be. But only because you’ve asked me to.’
She laughed. Enough thinking about family betrayals. Perhaps this strange man with his funny little ways was exactly what she needed today. ‘We’re having a re-opening event at the shop next week. Do you want to come?’
‘Perhaps. I will think about it.’
After long talks with Andi and her mum, Ursula had decided not to leave Talulah.
As her mum had said, she may as well get her training from Wanda, who was one of the best in the business, then she could move on somewhere else.
She could even work in London if she wanted.
Andi had said: ‘Why shouldn’t you screw the Frys as much as they screwed you?
’ They’d said it differently, but they both meant the same thing.
It was as well she’d stayed because they were working really hard to be ready for the grand re-opening.
There was the new collection to finish and rails to fill with other outfits that had been brought in.
There were last-minute decorations to complete and preparations for the re-opening event.
Ursula and Andi had been put in charge of the music, and they’d spent most of their free time making tapes to play on a cassette recorder Cass had bought specially.
Now that the big night was here, Ursula and Andi were in the office.
They each had five outfits from the new collection that they were going to model.
Wanda was helping them get dressed in double quick time.
Cass was in the shop doing her best to persuade the guests to leave them enough room for a walkway, while managing the cassette player.
Ursula stuck her head through the curtain that had been put up to separate the front of the shop from the back.
There were too many people in there to see if Anton had come.
She hadn’t seen him since she’d invited him because she’d been arriving early, skipping lunch, and leaving late, so she still didn’t know if he was going to be here.
She gave Cass a thumbs up to let her know they were ready.
Cass changed the tape and as the sound of ‘Supernature’ blasted out, Ursula took a deep breath, imagined she was a top model and half-walked, half-danced into the shop to cries of ‘Ooh’ and ‘Gorgeous.’ She turned in a circle and saw Anton in the far corner, at the very front of the shop.
He was wearing his suit; he must have come straight from work.
She held her arms out to show the full effect of her top’s billowing sleeves and did another twirl before returning to the back of the shop as Andi came through the curtain.