The Exciting Life (19 page)

‘
Hello Iris,’ he said. ‘This is a nice surprise.’

‘
Hello Kenneth,’ she replied.

‘
I’ll go and get another seat,’ Leo said, beckoning to the
deckchair. ‘You sit that pretty little backside down in there. Can
I get you a drink? Or do you want to share my joint? Kenneth won’t
partake.’

‘
I’d love a gin and tonic please,’ she said, sitting down in
the rather rickety deckchair.

‘
Coming up,’ he said, and he went into the house. Iris looked
at Kenneth and thought how different he looked when he was relaxed.
He really was quite handsome, with strands of his honey blonde hair
falling onto his forehead, and where he’d caught the sun on his
face, it highlighted his blue eyes. It was strange how they’d both
inherited Norma’s colouring, and yet Annie was so dark. Knowing her
mother, it was quite possible the three of them had different
fathers.

‘
Leo’s been telling me about Cannes,’ he said. ‘Did you enjoy
yourself?’

‘
It was wonderful,’ she sighed. ‘Made me wonder why I came back
to England.’

‘
Yes it is rather splendid. I remember the summer Annie and I
went to stay with our cousin Alana in Los Angeles. I was about
fifteen at the time, it was so beautiful there. So sunny and warm,
I just wanted to stay forever.’

‘
It must have been a thrill for you, being with Alana,’ Iris
said. Thinking it ironic that only she knew the beautiful movie
star was their cousin by blood. To Kenneth, they were only related
by marriage.

‘
She was rather too much for me if you must know the truth. You
know me Iris, I’m a modest man. Alana lives in this fantasy world
of movies and famous people and parties – all the things I hate.
Most of the time I would go walking along the beach by myself.
Those were the times I loved the most. The solitude. Just me, God
and the sea. It was beautiful.’

Leo came
back out with Iris’s drink and a dining chair, which he put down
alongside the deckchairs. In typical Leo fashion, it didn’t worry
him that he was wearing skimpy shorts and smoking an illegal
cigarette whilst sitting in a small patio garden that was
overlooked by all the other terraced houses on his street. Anyone
could have looked down and saw him, and called the police when the
smell of marijuana wafted through their windows.

After
just a couple of sips of gin, Iris suddenly felt very morose. She
was so used to gin that it normally had hardly any effect on her;
but she felt as though a black cloud had passed over the beautiful
blue sky – blocking out the sun. To her horror, she started crying.
Normally she hated crying and would do all she could to stop it –
usually only using it as a way of manipulating some stupid man. But
today it was like someone had dropped the floodgates and she
couldn’t help herself.

‘
Hey what’s the matter?’ Leo asked, reaching out and putting
his hand on her knee. ‘Who’s upset you?’

‘
Patrick,’ she sniffed. ‘I went to see him to tell him about
the offer Ralf made me, and he laughed at me.’

‘
Ralf Silver?’ Kenneth asked.

‘
Yes,’ she sniffed. ‘He wants me to go into business with him.
I thought Pat would be pleased for me, but he just
laughed.’

‘
Did you ask him for money?’ Leo smiled.

‘
I would have paid it back!’ she protested. ‘Every penny.
Ralf’s inundated with commissions since the fashion show. I’d soon
make the money back. Pat would rather me work for Annie and be at
her beck and call.’

‘
Annie wouldn’t be very pleased, you going into business with a
rival designer,’ Leo said. ‘That’s probably why Patrick objected.
Annie’s his business partner and you’re his girlfriend. He probably
wants as little trouble as possible.’

‘
Well Iris can’t pass up on a golden opportunity just because
it might upset Annie,’ Kenneth said brusquely. ‘Besides, she
designs shoes. Ralf designs dresses. So they’re hardly in
competition with each other. How much does Ralf want
Iris?’

‘
Five hundreds pounds.’

‘
That’s quite a hefty amount,’ Leo said. ‘I’d be surprised if
Patrick even has that sort of money.’

‘
Oh he’s got it. His dodgy deals bring him in a fortune. Then
of course he’ll make money when this film’s made. I bet I don’t see
any of it though.’

‘
I’ll lend it to you,’ Kenneth suddenly announced.

Iris
wiped away her tears and looked at him.

‘
I beg your pardon?’ she sniffed.

‘
I’ll lend you the money to invest in Ralf Silver’s company,’
he said. ‘I saw for myself that Ralf is a good designer, and there
was a lot of interest that night at the fashion show. Call it a
repayment for your help with Tanner Beresford.’

‘
Do you mean it?!’ Iris gasped. ‘You’d do that for
me?’

‘
Yes,’ he smiled – a rare occurrence. ‘Why don’t you come to my
office tomorrow? We can draw up a contract and come to an
arrangement about repayments.’

‘
Thank you!’ she gasped. ‘Thank you so much. I’ll pay you back
every penny, I promise.’

‘
I know you will,’ he said with a wise nod. ‘I think you’re
capable of so much more than just modelling Annie’s shoes. This
will give you the chance to prove yourself.’

‘
Yes it will,’ she uttered, another tear falling onto her
cheek. ‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.’

Chapter Twelve

Late
August 1959

Annie felt sorry for Eddie. He was doing his best to make the
atmosphere cheery. It was a beautiful summer’s day. He had the top
down on the car. The wireless was playing
Move It
by Cliff Richard and Eddie
was singing along – out of tune, trying to make Annie laugh. But
all she could do was sit and scowl. Too deep in her funk to get out
of it. They were on the A23 heading down to Sussex, and Norcross –
the official seat of the Duke of Loxborough. It was supposed to be
a romantic break for her and Eddie, as well as a chance for her to
go through some designs with Fiona Miller. But her mood had been
ruined by her brother and that scheming bitch Iris Lindholm and she
couldn’t shake it off.

‘
I do hope you’re not going to be like this all weekend,’ Eddie
said. ‘You shouldn't let them get to you.’

‘
That's easy for you to say. You don't have a brother, and your
sister adores you.’

‘
Kenneth's just had his head turned by Iris, that’s all. From
what you say, he hasn't had much female attention and he's just
probably impressed by a beautiful blonde being nice to
him.’

‘
She's only interested in his money. He's richer than Patrick
so she’s latched onto him.

‘
I suppose you can't blame him for investing his money
elsewhere. It's just a shame he's chosen to invest in a fashion
house.’

‘
He's always been like it. When we were children living in
Oxfordshire, there were some other evacuated London kids staying in
the village. Two big boys called the Powell brothers. They used to
wait for me down the lane on the way to school and jump out and hit
me. One day Kenneth was with me and they started on me and he stood
there egging them on.’

‘
Little bastard, why did he do that?’

‘
I was sick the previous Sunday and hadn't gone to church. So
Kenneth told me it was God's punishment for me not
going.’

‘
He's a strange one your brother. But leave him to it. Ralf
Silver's no threat to you. He's a fashion designer, You design
high-class shoes and bags. Besides I've not seen one famous person
in his clothes. You're a guest of the Duchess of Loxborough for
goodness sake.’

‘
I know,’ she sighed. ‘I’ve got to try and have fun haven’t
I?’

‘
Yes. Now put that lovely smile on your face and get ready for
a weekend of mixing with the landed gentry.’

Norcross
was a beautiful mansion on the outskirts of Brighton. Going there
was not as exciting for Annie as it was for Eddie. As a teenager,
her best friend had been the Earl of Egerton’s daughter and she’d
spent several summers at their mansion house in Wales. But for
Eddie – the son of a Jewish cobbler from Bethnal Green – this was a
big deal. His world was populated with new money – pop stars,
models, the odd gangster. He’d not mixed with the aristocracy much
and Annie could see the look of trepidation on his face as they
pulled up outside the house, and a fleet of servants automatically
came out to tend to their every whim.

Down the
stairs came Fiona, carrying a little black fluffy poodle. Next to
her was the Roland, the Duke, and they looked the picture of
respectability in their tweeds. No one would have ever guessed
Fiona was a docker’s daughter from South London.

‘
Hello,’ she said, as she came to greet them. ‘Thank you for
coming down.’

‘
How was the honeymoon?’ Annie asked, as they kissed on both
cheeks and the men shook hands.

‘
Wonderful, but it went too fast. Come into the drawing room.
We can have a chat.’

Eddie
made Annie laugh as they sat in the small, cosy drawing room,
drinking tea and eating the lemon drizzle cake the cook had made.
She tried not to giggle out loud, but he looked comical, holding
his teacup daintily within his big fingers. His pinky sticking up
like some maiden aunt in an Ealing Comedy.

‘
So do you shoot?’ Roland asked Eddie.

‘
Sorry?’ he replied.

‘
Do you shoot? Thought we two could go out tomorrow morning
when the gals are discussing the shoes, and shoot some grouse. What
do you say?’

‘
I er…I er…’

Roland
burst out laughing, rocking back and forth.

‘
Of course not you idiot! I’ve got a pool table in my games
room. Fancy a game?’

‘
Definitely,’ laughed Eddie. ‘You had me there with the
shooting. Only thing I’ve ever fired is an air rifle.’

Everyone
laughed, and as Annie did, she felt all the blood rush to her head
and the room spin. She’d never experienced such a thing before and
it shocked her. She made up her mind that all of the stress of
recent weeks had got to her. Every time she was with Eddie she
would be racked with guilt at what had happened with Patrick. But
at the same time a part of her wished he’d change his mind and
decide he wanted her. She wondered if she should take a holiday –
go and see Nesta in Switzerland. One of her friends, Kiri, had
fallen in love with the Swiss owner of ski resort when they went
there in ’56. Maybe she could stay with them. The thought of fresh
Alpine air and no work or men for a week or so, seemed like
heaven.

The men
went into the games room, while Fiona took Annie on a guided tour
of the house. It was over three hundred years old and large parts
of it were in dire need of repair. Fiona confessed that the family
didn’t have enough money to do the works and that the time might
soon come when they would be forced to sell part of it off,
although everyone hoped that with her profile raised so high
through marrying Roland she would earn enough money to plough back
into Norcross and it would be kept intact for future
generations.

They
took lunch on the veranda overlooking the beautiful grounds, and in
the distance the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters could be seen.
Annie envied Fiona living here. She missed Elliott House and wished
she still had it to go back to; but that was impossible because her
brother had destroyed it, and the grounds would soon be covered
with ugly council houses.

‘
These shoes are beautiful,’ Fiona said, looking through the
book of sketches Annie had brought with her. ‘I’ll be spoilt for
choice.’

‘
I’m very grateful for your patronage,’ Annie said. ‘I’ve
brought some of Clarissa’s sketches for bags too, if you’re
interested.’

‘
Yes of course. I’m off to Hollywood for six weeks at the end
of September, I know the press are going to be following me, so
it’ll be good to have some decent shoes and
accessories.’

The
butler emerged from the French doors carrying a tray with two gin
and tonics on it. He laid on the table, and the two women took a
glass each; but as soon as Annie took a sip of hers, she felt sick
and started spluttering.

‘
Are you alright?’ Fiona asked.

‘
Yes, I’m fine. I just feel a bit queasy that’s
all.’

Fiona
looked up at the butler.

‘
Fetch Miss Holland a tonic water won’t you Haines?’ she
asked.

‘
Yes Ma’am,’ he replied and he went into the house.

‘
I’m alright, honestly,’ Annie said. ‘It’s been such a tough
year for me, I think it’s making me ill.’

‘
You need a holiday by the sounds of it.’

‘
Yes, I was thinking of going to visit my friend Kiri in
Zermatt. I could maybe go and see my Aunt as well. She’s in a
convalescent home in Geneva.’

‘
You look really peaky Annie. Are you sure you don’t want me to
call for a doctor?’

‘
No I’ll be fine,’ Annie smiled bravely. ‘Let’s get back to the
shoes.’