Page 55 of Mirrors of the Past

To divert her attention, Viola chanced a glance out of the window. The snow was falling more thickly now. She was glad of the hot drink her hands were wrapped around.

‘Well, the viewing of my dress only took a few minutes, granted, but you did spend a few more minutes downstairs here, did you not? On your own?’

‘Elsie!’ Laurie sounded horrified. ‘I knew it — you planned that delay, didn’t you. Vile sibling!’

‘Perhaps. Really, I just need to make sure you two are happy in each other’s company before you escort my daughter down the aisle at my wedding. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is a definite frisson when you two are together and—’

‘And nothing, Elsie!’ He clattered his cup down onto the tray and stood up. ‘Viola and I are perfectly capable of deciding when we speak to one another, and, even, if we speak to one another. We don’t need you creating drama and talking about “frissons”.’ He cast a glance at Viola. ‘If we want to walk down that damned aisle in a frosty silence, then . . . So. Be. It.’

‘Laurie!’ Elsie actually looked a little startled — a look Viola had never seen on her before. It made her look rather young and rather vulnerable. ‘I’m only trying to . . .’

‘To make sure we don’t spoil your wedding. I know. Well, here it is, El. We won’t. But we don’t need you to manipulate us, thank you very much. We are both adults, and, well, we don’t even like each other that much. You can blame being emotional, or whatever it is you want to blame, or the fact you’re in an interesting condition — you know, the condition we don’t know about yet — but please don’t treat us like idiots. I’ll see you soon, no doubt. Goodbye for now — and I want no more invitations to see your dress or to be thrown together with Miss Arthur at any point before the wedding. Understood?’

He gave a short bow and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

‘Well now.’ Elsie stared after him. She pulled herself together, placed her cup and saucer neatly on the tray next to Laurie’s abandoned one, and looked at Viola. ‘If that doesn’t prove there’s a frisson there — I honestly don’t know what will!’

Viola wasn’t quite sure what to say next, so she took another sip of her tea. ‘I’m not sure about a frisson,’ she said eventually. ‘But I do know we are both stubborn creatures and nothing and nobody will make us do anything we don’t want to do. But you have my word as well — I promise we won’t spoil the wedding. And, for what it’s worth, I adored coming to see your wedding dress and I can’t wait to wear my bridesmaid one!’

‘The final fitting for that is a few days before the wedding, isn’t it?’ said Elsie. ‘In case you’ve ballooned or shrunk terribly since we took the measurements, I assume.’

‘I won’t be doing either of those things!’

‘I might be ballooning.’ Elsie looked down and patted her stomach. ‘I’m eating far too much right now. We will see. Regardless, do you know why I chose so many of you as bridesmaids?’ She grinned at Viola, the cross words of her brother apparently forgotten or passed over.

‘Because you have a large number of sisters and cousins and friends’ daughters?’ Viola knew that Isolde, Medora, the four cousins from Wheal Mount and Lily’s daughter Evie were part of Elsie’s day. They’d all exchanged delighted letters comparing their dresses and had met up for one gloriously exciting day in London, at Lily’s beautiful home, for the seamstresses to work their magic. They were to be dressed in reds, greens and golds, the men escorting them in matching cravats. And Biscuit, of course, had his own cravat — gold, to match Medora’s outfit.

Elsie nodded. ‘That is part of it. But also, because so many people think I am a witch, I need to confuse the evil spirits who may come to the wedding. Traditionally, you’d all wear veils so they kidnapped one of you instead of me.’ She shot a smile at Viola. ‘But your faces are far too pretty for that and I am not having you all in white, although some people think that is the done thing to do!’ She paused while she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of the “done thing”. ‘So, yes. Quite.’ Then she slumped in her chair a little. ‘But Laurie . . .’ She shook her head. The conversation was not forgotten, then. ‘Quite.’ She was silent and stared at her cup.

Viola leaned over, put her cup on the tray and patted Elsie’s hand. ‘I’m sure we will behave ourselves on the day,’ she said, crossing her fingers out of sight of Elsie. ‘Trust us.’

Elsie studied her for a moment. ‘I wish I could,’ she said. ‘But not in the way you say, for behaving yourselves on the day, I mean. I know you’ll do that. I just wish I could trust you to see what we all see.’ She smiled at Viola, then shrugged. ‘Ah, well.’ She patted her stomach again and this time let her hand lie on the folds of her loose wrapper dress. To Viola’s shock, she saw a little rounding of Elsie’s stomach. Laurie’s suppositions were possibly true, then! ‘Put that down to the ramblings of an overly emotional woman and ignore me. Crazy Elsie, the eccentric one of the family. I may as well be a fantasist. People think I am anyway.’

‘Normal is overrated,’ said Viola with a smile. ‘I’m leaving now — you get some rest before Louis and Marigold come back. Guess you might need some after all that excitement over your gown!’

‘Guess I won’t be able to rest,’ said Elsie with a smile. ‘You know me, can’t sit still for a minute. No, I’ll go up to the salon and throw paint around. It’s the only remedy for me.’ She stood up and held her hand out to Viola, who took it and allowed herself to be helped to her feet. ‘I will see you very soon, Viola.’

‘On the morning of the twenty-second, if not before,’ replied Viola. ‘How utterly exciting.’

‘I’ll see you before that — at the rehearsal! Oh, I can’t wait!’ Elsie clapped her hands.

The two women walked to the door and, Elsie being Elsie, opened it for Viola, without summoning a maid or a butler or anyone in between. Elsie peeped out of the door and shivered at the sight of the thickly falling snow, which now blanketed the square and had turned the trees and bushes in the park into weirdly rounded humps and bumps. ‘Yes. Definitely the salon. Get a good fire going in there and I’ll be happy for the rest of the day.’

‘Enjoy, darling.’ Viola stepped outside and took a deep breath. She did love the snow. Being from New York it was nothing new to her, but she was very happy to be experiencing snow here in London as well.

Wunnerful!

Although . . .

She tilted her head up, closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, catching a small herd of snowflakes as they drifted down over the heavy sky.

Then she opened her eyes, stood on the step and stared around her at the winter wonderland. Beautiful though this was, and despite how exciting Elsie’s upcoming wedding was — and of course how welcome the chance would be to wear her absolutely beautiful bridesmaid’s gown . . . there was one thing that she really wished for this Christmas — one secret wish that she dared not utter to a soul.

No. She shook herself, tucked her hands firmly into her hand muff and stepped off onto the pavement. She wasn’t even going to allow herself to think about that.

When she was small, Pearl had encouraged her to make a wish on the first snowfall of the season. It had to be her heart’s desire, Pearl would tell her seriously. Two little girls, peering out of a New York townhouse and wishing for pretty dolls, or sweet treats or a new dress for the next party they’d go to.

The wishes had always worked, funnily enough.

But this time, no. She wouldn’t allow herself to go there, even though last night she’d seen the most perfect winter star in the sky and been so very tempted to wish right there and then as well.

And was it her heart’s desire? Maybe.

And might it come true? Again, maybe.

But she wasn’t going to verbalise that wish for anyone.

No siree!