that be a problem?’
‘I might have to take another girl on in the sewing room if we can’t cope, but if we were making money out of the work … I suppose it might be worth it.’
‘Well, let’s see how it goes,’ I said. ‘They may not be satisfied with the dress when we’ve finished it.’
‘I don’t see why they shouldn’t be,’ Lainie said. ‘That dress you made for your eighteenth birthday party was rather lovely, Amy. I didn’t realize you had made it yourself until you told me last night.’
‘I think Margaret should do most of the sewing on Mary’s gown, and I shall do the beading myself, of course. That will leave Sally free to carry on with the alterations as usual, and I don’t mind working in the evenings to finish it on time.’
‘Well, you mustn’t work all the time,’ Lainie said with a smile. ‘How would you like to go out this evening? I thought we might go to the theatre to see Noel Coward’s play.’
‘Yes, I should enjoy that,’ I told her with a smile. ‘And I shall go to see my parents this weekend. After that I can really get down to work on Mary’s new gown.’
‘Did she give you permission to call her Mary?’ Lainie asked with a little frown. ‘Some of the customers do, I know, but it is a little familiar.’
‘I don’t even know her second name,’ I said. ‘She talked about her father a lot but neither she or Mrs Holland mentioned her surname.’
‘Well, I suppose it’s all right then. As long as you remain respectful, Amy. You have to be careful with customers, especially people like Mrs Holland.’
‘Yes, of course,’ I replied. ‘But Mary is so friendly, and I know how to treat Mrs Holland.’
I was a little resentful that Lainie should have thought it necessary to warn me to keep my place with the customers. I wouldn’t have dreamed of addressing most of them by their first names, but Mary was different.
‘How exciting for you,’ said my mother when I told her we were making up one of my designs for a customer of Lainie’s. ‘You draw some beautiful things, Amy. I think they are quite as good as any of the expensive designers I see the quality wearing at their social events.’
‘And when do you see them all dressed up then, Bridget?’ my father quizzed her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. ‘I didn’t know you’d been invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace!’
‘Go on with you, Joe Robinson!’ My mother pulled a face at him. ‘You know very well that the papers are full of pictures of the royal family and other members of the aristocracy.’
‘I didn’t know you were wasting your time looking at them.’
‘It’s little enough time I spend sitting down, but I do like to read the papers, and I have a magazine now and then as a treat.’
‘Now the secrets are coming out!’
‘Oh, do stop teasing her,’ I said and shook my head at him. ‘Lainie says she might have to take on another seamstress in the workrooms if my idea catches on.’
‘I hope she’s paying you extra,’ my father said. ‘You will be doing a lot more work, Amy.’
‘We’ve written my fees into the costing,’ I told him. ‘If I had sold my designs to one of the big stores I approached I would have received a fee, and Lainie insisted I include something for my time.’
‘So I should think,’ he said, but again there was a twinkle in his eye. ‘When are you expecting to see Matthew next?’
‘He wrote in his letter that he hopes to come up on Saturday and go back after tea on Sunday.’
‘You can bring him here for Sunday lunch if you like,’ my mother said. ‘But perhaps you would rather go somewhere on your own?’
‘Matthew talked about taking a picnic out to Epping Forest,’ I said. ‘But it all depends on the weather.’
‘Your mother always cooks far too much anyway. I expect there will be enough if you decide you want to come, Amy.’
I smiled at them. It was good to hear their friendly banter, and I liked being at home for a few hours, as long as I didn’t have to live there.
‘Are you sleeping well?’ My mother looked at me anxiously. ‘I must say you look very well, Amy.’
‘I feel fine,’ I told her. ‘We went to the theatre the other evening. It was a play by Noel Coward and it was really amusing.’
‘A play is it? You’ll be getting too grand for the likes of us soon, Amy Robinson.’
‘Don’t tease her, Joe,’ my mother said. ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do than sit around here with us?’
‘Now I’ve got my orders I’d better go and do some work,’ he said and grinned at us good-naturedly. ‘It was nice seeing you, Amy love. Be good – and I won’t say the rest or your mother will have my guts for garters!’
‘I should think not either!’ Mum shook her head at him, then smiled as he went out. ‘Now we can have a good chat by ourselves. You are happy at Lainie’s? She treats you well?’
‘Of course she does,’ I said. ‘She was a little bit doubtful at first about my designs, but then I showed her the dress I made for my eighteenth birthday party and she was impressed.’
Mum looked thoughtful, then nodded. ‘I was anxious about you going there to live, Amy, but I can see it suits you. I’m glad you’re happy.’
‘It’s good fun. I get on well with the other girls, especially Margaret. She’s very clever at what she does, and I enjoy talking to her – and I’ve been out with Lainie in the evenings a few times.’
‘Well, living up there you’ve got all the best theatres and cinemas to choose from,’ she said. ‘But you ought to have some friends of your own age, Amy.’
‘I don’t mind things the way they are for the moment. I’ve got plenty to do to amuse myself, and there are always Matt’s visits to look forward to. I like Mary though …’
‘She is the customer you are making the dress for, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, and she’s really nice, Mum. You would like her. She has lovely manners and she speaks softly, and she’s a little shy. And she talked to me about her mother and cousin. She loved her cousin but she was killed in France during the war.’
‘A lot of good people died during the war.’ My mother shivered suddenly. ‘What is Mary’s other name?’
‘She hasn’t told me,’ I said. ‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’
‘I shouldn’t think so, if she’s as nice as you say. It’s a pity you can’t make friends with her – but I expect that’s out of the question. A girl from that sort of family isn’t likely to mix with someone who works in a shop.’
‘Oh, that’s so old-fashioned, Mum. I know it used to be that way, but attitudes are changing a lot. Besides, I’ve been to college and I’m as good as anyone else.’
‘Possibly better,’ my mother agreed with a loving smile. ‘But be prepared for Mary’s friendliness to wane, Amy. I’ve met people like that before and they can be as nice as pie one minute and the very opposite the next.’
‘You’re as bad as Lainie, Mum. I think Mary is really nice, and I wouldn’t hesitate to be her friend if she asked me.’
‘The thing is, she probably won’t, and I shouldn’t like you to be hurt, love.’
‘Mary isn’t a snob,’ I said. ‘Besides, I’m not sure she’s out of the top drawer as they say. I think her mother was from a good family, but I think her father