Olivia's Winter Wonderland (16 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ella pulled out a photograph and showed it to Olivia and Tom. Olivia guessed immediately who it was. The photo was black-and-white and yellowing at the corners. But the three people in the picture – a young woman and two laughing children – looked full of life, as if they might just step out of the photo any moment and say hello. But Olivia knew that they had been dead for more than fifty years.

“My sister-in-law, Helen, and her twins, Elisabeth and David,” said Ella. “My brother‘s children. He was a bomber pilot in the war before he was shot down and killed. After that, Helen and the children came to live with me at Campion's, even though I told them that they'd be safer in the country. But they wouldn't
hear of it. They loved Campion's. All three of them. Lizzie and Davey played hide-and-seek and ‘it' all over the building. The children had their own special seats right in the front of the balcony. They'd sit there for hours, watching everything that was taking place on the stage. They acted in several Campion's shows over the years. It was in their blood. Helen had been a dancer here before the war. In fact, I couldn't have kept the place open during the war without her help. Those children never stopped laughing, not even when the bombs fell and we had to run to the Tube station and take shelter on the platform. They thought they were invincible.”

She pulled out another photo. “Here they are in their sailor suits as the Babes in the Wood. Oh and look, here they are walking the tightrope; not that they were ever as good as you and Tom, Livy. But when I first heard you laughing and glimpsed you on the wire, I thought that they had come back to me. Here they are in
Cinderella
too. I played Cinders and Helen was the fairy godmother and Lizzie and Davey were the white mice and assorted villagers.” Her eyes brimmed with tears at all the memories. “I suppose I
hoped that one day Campion's would be theirs to look after and cherish just as my brother and I had inherited and looked after it.”

“Ella, you don't have to tell us any more,” said Olivia.

“No, I want to. I need to,” said Ella. She took a deep breath.

“The three of them died six years after the war. An unexploded bomb had been dropped during the war but rolled down the embankment by the Henley Street railway bridge into the undergrowth so nobody realised it was there. It could have gone off at any moment. But it didn't: not until midnight on Hallowe'en nineteen fifty-one, when Helen and Lizzie and Davey were walking past it. They were the only casualties. Killed instantly. And it was my fault.”

“But, Ella, it was an accident. You couldn't possibly have been to blame. It was just terrible bad luck that they were there when the bomb exploded.”

Ella dabbed at her faded eyes with a tissue. “But they were coming to find me at the Tube station. They were worried about me. I was late back from a night out at the Glass Slipper. I'd promised I'd be home much earlier and when
I didn't come back they got worried and came looking for me. If I'd come home when I'd said I would, they'd probably all three be sitting here today.”

“The Glass Slipper? I've heard that name before,” said Olivia. “Gran mentioned it. It was a club, wasn't it?”

“Yes,” said Ella. “One of those new-style places that sprung up after the war when everyone fell in love with all things American. People were fed up with the past. They wanted brand-new shiny things. Campion's had done fine during the war but afterwards people turned their backs on it. They thought we were an Edwardian relic with our old-fashioned pantomimes and music-hall-style entertainment. They wanted something racier, something more sophisticated. Within a couple of years of the war ending we were in trouble. We were going to go under. I didn't dare tell Helen and the twins. I was desperate. Campion's had been in our family since it first opened; I couldn't bear to think that I might be the one to lose it.”

“But you didn't lose it. It's still here, and you've really looked after it and lavished it with love,” said Olivia.

“Yes, but I closed it down. You were right, Olivia, when you said that I turned it into a museum or a shrine. I was angry when you said that but you
are
right. A theatre isn't a theatre unless it's used. It's just another building, slowly falling into disrepair as you try to hold back the ravages of time. A theatre needs actors, an audience, dancers, orchestras, otherwise it's taken over by the ghosts. I gave Campion's to the ghosts; I gave it to the dead.”

“I still don't understand why,” said Olivia.

“Because I fell in love with a man who I thought loved me but who only wanted to take Campion's from me. His name was Hugo Prince. He was handsome, debonair and the owner of the Glass Slipper. He turned up here one night. There was almost no one in the audience. He was smart; he must have realised immediately we were in financial trouble. He showed an interest in me, asked me out for a drink. I was flattered. I'd been married to Campion's for such a long time. I was in my thirties by then and I didn't think I'd ever have a real relationship. But he seemed like the answer to all my dreams, a real-life Prince Charming. Hugo courted me,
said he wanted us to get married and that he wanted to invest in Campion's. He assured me that he wanted the place to stay the same. Livy, I can't tell you what a relief it was. I knew how important it was to Helen and the twins that Campion's carried on. And I loved Hugo. Or at least I thought I did. So we got engaged.”

“What happened?” asked Tom.

“On the night Helen and Lizzie and Davey died, I went to meet him at the Glass Slipper. I arrived a little early; he was in the supper area talking to the punters. I thought I'd surprise him and so I slipped into his office. I don't know why, but I hid behind a curtain. A few minutes later he came in, but he wasn't alone. He had his business partner with him and they were talking about Campion's and their plans for it, how as soon as we were married he was going to rip the heart out of it and turn it into a chrome and leather banquette supper club like the Glass Slipper and bring in American singers and cocktail waitresses.”

“Did you confront him?”

“No,” said Ella sadly. “I was too much of a coward. I just left my engagement ring on his desk and walked out. I wandered around the
streets for hours in a daze. I felt so betrayed. I don't think he ever loved me at all; it had just been a pretence to get his hands on Campion's. He wanted the name and the premises. I lost track of time. It was only when I heard the clock striking midnight that I realised how much time had passed and that Lily and the children would be worried sick about where I was. I caught the Tube and hurried towards Hangman's Alley. As soon as I saw the ambulances and fire engines at the bridge I knew immediately. Campion's has been closed from that day to this.”

“Did Hugo Prince ever try to contact you?”

Ella shook her head. “That's how I knew it wasn't love.”

“So you've been alone ever since.”

“Just me and Arthur. He was the stage manager and he refused to leave, even though he knew I couldn't pay him. Oh, and of course, the ghosts have been here with me too.”

“Ella,” said Olivia slowly, “do you think that it's time to let them go?”

Ella nodded. “Perhaps. Perhaps you and Tom were sent to set them free.”

“But it was just an accident that Tom's
glider flew in through the open window and we found Campion's,” said Olivia, frowning.

Ella smiled dreamily. “Believe what you want, Livy, and give an old lady the comfort of believing what she wants.”

Out in the auditorium, some of the Swans and Theo were getting ready to run through a scene from
Cinderella
. The whole atmosphere of Campion's was so magical that Jon was in raptures about its potential. Katie's mum had been overcome with joy when she had discovered the old Campion's backcloths that had been used for their productions of
Cinderella
since the nineteenth century. Most of them were too delicate to use any more, but she had been busy making careful copies and had suggested to Ella that she should contact a friend of hers who worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum and who could help in preserving them.

“They'll be fascinated by all your stage equipment too,” she'd told Ella. “It's extraordinary.”

Ella had smiled. “Just as long as it stays in the theatre and doesn't end up in a museum. I want Campion's to come back to life. I want it
to live again.
I
want to live again.”

And the thing was, it
was
coming alive. The Swans were busy all over the building, rehearsing or helping to bring the neglected areas beyond the stage and auditorium back to life. Even Theo was helping sweep and clean, and he had never looked happier. He tap danced as he worked.

Eel and some other Swans were helping Alicia clear up the bar area, which was thick with dust and cobwebs. Eel was standing on a chair rubbing hard at an old mirror and making it sparkle.

“You're doing a good job there, Eel,” said Tom encouragingly.

“I know,” said Eel. “I am.”

“Livy, could you help me?” asked Katie shyly. “I want to move this chest to get behind it. The skirting board is filthy.”

“Of course,” said Olivia.

Katie had seemed so much more relaxed over the last couple of weeks. She was no longer cutting herself off from the others, and often came and sat quietly with Olivia, Tom, Georgia and Aeysha, not saying much but smiling at their chatter.

The chest was heavy to shift. “Are you looking forward to the skating the day after tomorrow?” asked Olivia.

Katie nodded. “It'll be brilliant. But I'm not great at it. I always need someone to hang on to or I'll fall over.”

“We all need someone to hang on to,” said Olivia softly. “You're not the only one.”

“Livy,” said Katie urgently. “I want to say thank you. You and Tom and the others, you've all been—”

Olivia put up a warning hand. “Don't say anything, Katie. You're part of the gang now.”

At that moment, Georgia appeared at the door to show everyone her ballgown.

“Oh, Georgie, you look just like a princess,” said Eel.

Georgia glowed.

“As pretty as a picture,” said Alicia softly. Several Swans broke into a spontaneous rendition of “One Day My Prince will Come”. Georgia blushed. She was loving playing Cinderella, except for one thing: it was going to be so embarrassing having to kiss Kasha in front of all her friends. The Swans gathered around Georgia, serenading her and making her blush
all the more.

Katie watched her from a little distance. She was genuinely pleased that Georgia was going to play Cinderella. She had sensed how important getting Zelda had been for Georgia, and, as she had told Alicia when the whole sorry story of her involvement in the Zelda auditions had tumbled out, one of the things she felt most guilty about was that she might have deprived Georgia – the only other blonde in the running – of her big chance by her actions.

“I feel as if I've somehow cheated her,” said Katie sadly. “And she's always been so nice to me.”

“Even if you hadn't been picked, Georgia might not have got Zelda,” said Alicia. “We can speculate but we'll never know. Listen, Katie, you could confess, but why upset Georgia? She's happy playing Cinderella. Sometimes things fall out for the best.”

The crowd of Swans around Georgia melted away, leaving Katie alone with her.

“You're going to a brilliant Cinderella, Georgia. The best, the very best Cinderella in the whole world,” said Katie fiercely. “And you
so
deserve it.”

Georgia smiled. She was touched by Katie's good wishes but slightly puzzled by her intensity. It was as if it really, really mattered to her.

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Listen,” said Aeysha. “I need to talk to you. I've got something to tell you all.” The others looked at her expectantly.

“You didn't! You got it! You're going to play Zelda, aren't you?” squealed Georgia excitedly.

Aeysha shook her head, her dark eyes serious. “No, I didn't get it,” she said quietly. Georgia burst into tears.

“Aw shame, Aeysha. I'm really sorry,” said Tom. The others nodded their heads sympathetically.

“So that other girl must have got it? Kate Carmichael?” said Georgia.

Aeysha shrugged. “I guess so.”

“You should have got it,” said Georgia
loyally. “I bet you were the best.”

“It doesn't matter if I was the best or not,” said Aeysha. “I wasn't right for the part, or at least the directors and the producers didn't think I was right for the part. And that's what counts. They're the ones who have the power and they're the ones who decide.”

“Oh, Aeysha, I'm so sorry,” said Olivia, giving her friend a hug. “When did you hear?”

“More than a week ago,” said Aeysha. “But I didn't tell you all because I knew you'd all be disappointed for me and in any case I wanted to do some thinking and talk to my mum and dad and Miss Swan.”

“About what?” asked Georgia.

“Look,” said Aeysha. “I don't think there's any easy way to put this. I wanted to talk about leaving the Swan.” If she had punched them all in the stomach and then asked them a really hard maths question the others couldn't have looked more shocked.

Georgia burst into tears again. “Leave? You can't leave! The Swan? Us?”

Aeysha hugged her. “I don't want to leave you, Georgia. Or you, Tom, or Livy. You're my friends. The very thought of it makes me want
to cry. But I've thought about it, and I know it's what I've got to do.”

“I don't understand,” said Tom.

“Aeysha,” said Georgia tearfully. “You can't let not getting one poxy role make you give up. That would be so stupid. You can't throw away your career like this. You're really talented. Everybody knows that. Even Miss Swan would tell you that, and she never tells people to their face how good they are.”

Aeysha held Georgia's hand and smiled. “She has told me. She was very kind about my abilities. But even Miss Swan knows that in this business talent isn't enough. You need other things too: self-belief, an ability to bounce back from rejection, a hunger for it. Most of all what you need is luck.”

“What Gran always calls ‘a little patch of sunlight',” said Olivia.

“Exactly,” said Aeysha. “When she called me in to see her, she said I wasn't to feel rejected because actually it's almost nothing to do with me and almost everything to do with whim – perhaps even what the director had for breakfast on the morning of the final audition or whether he was too hot or too cold. That in this
instance the sun hadn't shone on me. But that if I continued to work hard and I was lucky it might on another occasion.”

“So, see, it will. I know it will and I bet Miss Swan does too,” said Georgia. “You don't have to give up because you didn't have the luck this time. Your number will come up.”

“Or maybe it won't,” said Aeysha quietly. “Maybe I'll never have my little moment in the sun. Lots of actors don't, do they? We always hear about the ones who do make it, who get the Hollywood movie deal or star in the West End. But what about all those who don't? The ones who mostly don't get chosen. Who endlessly wait in line to be seen at auditions, sometimes come close, but then never get the part. That's what it's like for most people in the biz. They have the talent and the dedication, they just never have the luck. That little patch of sunlight.”

“But you have to keep trying,” said Georgia plaintively. “You can't just give up.”

“Look,” said Aeysha. “That may be right for you, Georgia, and it is for an awful lot of people in theatre and show business, but it's not for me. Maybe I don't want it enough, but in any case wanting something doesn't mean
that you're going to get it. Wanting isn't enough. Otherwise all those people on those TV talent contests who say that it's their dream would win. But they don't, because they can't all win. What I do know is that I don't want to spend my life waiting to be chosen by somebody else and not having any control over it. I want to be able to make things happen for myself. If there's one thing that this audition process has taught me, it's that I don't like feeling powerless. If you study really hard for an exam, you know you're likely to be rewarded by a good grade. Of course, there's some element of luck in whether the questions you've revised come up. But if you've put in the graft, on the whole you get the result. Auditions aren't like that at all. You can have all the talent in the world and you might have put in the practice but you still might never be the one that gets chosen.”

“You really
have
been thinking about this a lot, haven't you, Aeysha?” said Tom.

Aeysha nodded. “Yes, I have, and for some time now. And the more I've been involved in the audition process for Zelda, the more I've realised that it's not for me. I love acting, and singing and dancing. I love being here at the
Swan with you lot. But I also know that I can't live my life waiting to be chosen, filling in with jobs behind bars or in call centres, waiting for my lucky break to come along.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Olivia.

“Well, I'm going to stay here until the end of the school year, and I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it. We'll be starting our GCSE courses next year so that's the moment to go somewhere else, to a school where I can do a wider range of subjects than I can here, and where I can spend the time I currently spend on singing and dancing working out what I really want to do with my life. Maybe I'll become a doctor and find a cure for cancer or win the Nobel Peace Prize or write poetry.”

“We're going to miss you so much,” said Georgia, and a big tear plopped down her cheek.

“I think you're being very brave,” said Olivia.

“Me too,” said Tom.

“Stop it,” said Aeysha, “or you'll make me cry too.” She hugged Georgia. “You are silly. We've still got two whole terms together. Let's enjoy it. Every second.”