The Exciting Life (29 page)

‘
It's nothing compared to what I owe you.’

They
returned to the party and Norma went to talk to Alice - leaving
Annie and Patrick alone. Annie was still clutching the envelope and
Patrick looked at it in puzzlement as she sat down.

‘
What's that?’ he asked.

‘
Three thousand pounds.’

‘
What?!’

‘
Norma sold one of her husband's paintings and has given me the
money to buy Eddie out.’

‘
How did she know about it?’

‘
Alice told her. This means I can keep the factory. I was
thinking maybe we could rent machines out to other companies and
get money that way. What do you think?’

Patrick
smiled and kissed her.

‘
I think you should pay off your old boyfriend. Get your
business sorted out and then, before you blow up like a barrage
balloon, let me take you off to the South of France for a
week.’

‘
Sounds wonderful. Things aren't going to be easy for us when
we get back. I’ve upset a lot of people and something tells me they
won't let it lie.’

Chapter Seventeen

December
1959

Iris
couldn’t believe what a year it had been. Just twelve months ago,
she’d been a high-class hooker, with nothing to look forward to
except eventually losing her looks and being thrown on the
scrapheap. She never imagined that she would end the year as Mrs
Leo Andersson. Her new husband may have been twenty years older
than her, a divorcee and totally without morals; but she was very
fond of him. He was rich and he was willing to take a child on that
he didn’t even know was his.

As well
as this, Iris was the part owner of a burgeoning fashion house.
Whilst Ralf still made dresses for the daughters of East End
gangsters, and the odd starlet on the lower end of the variety
bill; they were getting regular commissions and had a steady, if
not small, income; and for the first time ever, she didn’t have to
compromise herself to earn a living. Sometimes being spoken down to
by Annie was just as humiliating as the way some of the punters had
treated her when she was a hooker.

She
couldn’t have been happier as she and Leo held court at their
wedding reception in the ballroom of The Stables Hotel in
Knightsbridge. They’d got the room for free because the owner went
to school with Leo. That was how Leo got most things – from his
family connections. Now she was part of that family and she still
couldn’t quite believe it. The ballroom was filled with his rich,
influential pals. Most of them as corrupt as he, and even the ones
with uptight, respectable looking wives - according to Leo - got up
to all sorts behind their backs. There was also Mary, Leo’s mother,
a formidable lady in her late sixties, who was very glamorous, and
her Spanish origins were evident in her black hair and olive skin,
although Iris guessed the hair was probably died. Mary was here
with her latest beau, a rather portly, jowly man called Hector. Leo
explained he was only one in a long line of many beaus, and it
seemed Mary was a bit of a ‘goer’.

Iris had
very few guests – friends weren’t something she’d collected over
the years. But there was Ralf, and he’d brought Rosemary and
Eileen, their models and that was it. But Iris didn’t care. She
felt as though her life was starting today. This time next year
she’d be a mother as well as a wife, and she couldn’t wait. Her
baby was going to have everything she never had.

The
corset she was wearing under her white, lace suit was pressing on
her baby bump and made her keep wanting the toilet. She made her
leave, kissing her new husband goodbye once more, and went into the
toilets. When she came out, she got the shock of her life to find
Kenneth at the top table, sitting next to Leo, chatting to him.
Iris hadn’t seen her brother since the mighty showdown at Bruno’s.
And whilst he’d never asked her for the money that he’d invested
into the business back, she got the feeling he didn’t want to know
her because of her past. She wondered if she should leave them to
it, but as she looked over at him, he gave her a slight smile and
nodded, and she saw this as an olive branch.

Iris
walked up to the table and sat down on the other side of
Leo.

‘
Congratulations,’ Kenneth said.

‘
Thank you,’ Iris replied. ‘Can I get you a glass of
champagne?’

‘
No. It’s okay. I’m on my way to a meeting. I just thought I’d
pop in and wish you both well.’

‘
What are you doing for Christmas old chap?’ Leo asked. ‘The
wife and I will be spending it down at Calderwood House. I wondered
if you fancied joining us. Unless you’re spending it en famille of
course.’

‘
No I’m not,’ Kenneth replied snootily. ‘I can’t believe Annie
has welcomed Norma into the family. How can she forgive her after
all that she’s done? She was a prostitute for God’s
sake.’

‘
I see you haven’t changed,’ Iris said.

‘
It’s different for you,’ he said. ‘The way I see it, she
forced you into doing things you didn’t want to do. At the end of
the day you’re my sister and it would be nice to see you over
Christmas.’

‘
Thanks,’ Iris smiled, genuinely touched. Deep down - just like
anyone else - she wanted a family, and since getting to know the
Holland’s, she’d felt closer to Kenneth than Annie. ‘It means a lot
to me.’

‘
Me too,’ he smiled. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to go. Are the pair of
you honeymooning?’

‘
Yes, I’m taking this beautiful creature to New York for a
week,’ Leo said, putting his arm around Iris. ‘Pooky Sissons has
arranged for us to fly first class on one of his old man’s
planes.’

‘
I’ve never flown before,’ Iris shivered. ‘I’m
nervous.’

‘
I’m sure there’s nothing to it,’ Kenneth replied. ‘Maybe we
could have lunch when you come back.’

‘
I’d like that,’ she said. ‘I’d like that a lot.’

Kenneth
shook hands with Leo, kissed Iris on the cheek and left. Iris felt
strangely emotional. Something that had happened a lot since she’d
got pregnant. She wiped a tear away.

‘
That was nice,’ Leo said to her. ‘It’s good for you to have
family.’

‘
And I have now,’ she replied. She ran her hand over her
rounded stomach. ‘Viva’s going to have the best life. I’m going to
give her all things I never had.’

‘
Viva?’ he laughed.

‘
Years ago I shared a flat with a drag act called Viva Prowse.
I thought it was the best name. I want to call my daughter
Viva.’

‘
What if it’s a boy?’

‘
It’s a girl, I can sense it.’

‘
Well my grandmother’s name was Victoria, so maybe she can be
called Victoria and Viva for short.’

Iris
laughed and looked up, and got the shock of her life to find Eddie
Glass striding through the crowd, Ralf running along at his side to
try and keep up. Iris hadn’t seen Eddie since before he split up
with Annie, and she didn’t think she’d ever see him
again.

‘
Hello Eddie,’ she said as he reached the table. ‘This is a
pleasant surprise.’

‘
Hello Iris, Leo,’ he smiled, and all Iris could take in was
how handsome and rugged he was and wonder why Annie couldn’t have
been happy with him, and left Patrick to her.
‘Congratulations.’

‘
Thank you,’ Leo replied. ‘Have we met?’

‘
Leo this is Eddie Glass,’ Iris said. ‘He used to go out with
Annie.’

‘
Oh
that
Eddie,’ Leo said, offering him his hand. ‘Nice to meet you old
chap. Champagne?’

‘
In a minute. Could I have a quick word with Iris and
Ralf?’

‘
Of course, of course,’ Leo said, standing up. ‘I should go and
mingle anyway. Go on, take my seat.’

Eddie
did as he was instructed, and Ralf sat in the seat that Kenneth had
been on. Iris wondered what the hell was going on.

‘
I’ve come to make you both a proposition,’ he said. ‘I’ve
finally settled the sale of the factory today and I’m two and a
half thousand pounds better off. I was wondering how you’d feel
about branching out into shoes Ralf.’

‘
Shoes?’

‘
Yes. I’m buying another factory in Stratford. I was wondering
if you fancied designing shoes and bags.’

‘
I’ve never done it before. I’ve always designed
dresses.’

‘
Well you could always take a shoe designer on. My cousin Luke
is at St Martins. I’m sure he knows a few young shoe
designers.’

‘
Is this about you getting revenge on Annie?’ Iris asked
wisely.

‘
Of course it is,’ Eddie said. ‘That bitch shafted me, and I’ll
do anything to bring her down. She shafted you too Iris. She stole
Patrick off you.’

‘
You’re not wrong there. I’m not bitter. I’m more than happy
with Leo.’

‘
Doesn’t matter. She crossed a line and she’s got to pay for
it.’ He put his arms around the back of their chairs.

‘
So?’ he smiled. ‘What do you both say? I invest my money and
we make House of Silver the biggest design house in the
country?’

‘
And we get Annie back in the process?’

‘
Absolutely.’

Iris
picked up her half empty champagne glass and raised it in Ralf and
Eddie’s direction.

‘
I’d like to raise a toast,’ she said. ‘To the House of Silver
and Glass.’

To be
continued…………

COMING SPRING
2013…..

Never Tear Us Apart

The
explosive sequel to The Exciting Life and book three of the Never
Forget Saga. It is now the 1960s and the lives Annie, Iris and
Kenneth are changing dramatically;

Annie’s
marriage to Patrick is falling
apart following the birth of her daughter Ellie – who looks
suspiciously like Eddie Glass. Annie’s business empire grows
rapidly, but her personal life looks set to destroy her.

Kenneth
continues to create trouble
between Annie and Iris; finally confiding in his half sister
exactly why Annie means so little to him.

Iris
is now the semi-respectable
upper-class wife, with a beautiful house and her gorgeous daughter
Viva. But her sordid past is never far away and comes back to haunt
her. Causing her to make a decision she hoped she’d never have to
make.

Never
Tear Us Apart will be released spring 2013

For further updates, check
www.authorkarenmason.wordpress.com

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