“Well, providing you’ve not made any of it in a bathtub, I’ll take a Bee’s Knees, please.” Dorothy smiled slightly at the rhyming end to her sentence.
“Right away, ladies.” Clive nodded, his eyes lingering for a moment on Lilian, then departed in the direction of the bar.
“Is a gin rickey awfully strong?” Evelyn asked. She’d never tried gin and really was not sure what to expect.
“It’s gin, lime, and soda. Just imagine lemonade, but with a delightful twist,” Lilian responded. “Only don’t gulp it as you would lemonade or we might be picking you up from the floor.”
Evelyn smiled, anticipating her first drink in fashionable London with pleasure. Nagging doubts were quickly vanishing, the thought of West Coombe more easily pushed to the back of her mind. She felt surprisingly comfortable with these people, in these surroundings. And this world was so full of colour, sparkle, and curiosity, it was impossible not to want to drink in more and more of it.
Lilian had the best view of the bar area from their table and Evelyn noticed that she glanced in that direction every few seconds. She followed Lilian’s eyeline and could not see anything to warrant such attention. A few men in black suits were clustered close to the bar, holding their cocktails in their hands and debating something robustly, but otherwise there was nothing remarkable. Yet Lilian kept looking. Evelyn wondered just how much she wanted the drink she’d ordered. Or perhaps she and Clive were courting. It was possible, although a humble waiter seemed a little down-to-earth for Lilian.
Evelyn looked away from the bar to find Dorothy regarding her with those large brown eyes. “So, what brings you to London, Evelyn?”
“I visited on behalf of my brother. He served with Frank Grainger in the war and had a letter to give to Lilian. Only he was shell-shocked and I didn’t know anything about it until this week. And since I’ve always wanted to see London, and it seemed important, I came right away.” Evelyn reflected that her story was more or less the truth and it sounded quite plausible when expressed that way. Dorothy, however, quickly saw the holes in Evelyn’s story.
“You just came to London? On your own?”
“Yes. It seemed so very important, you see, to deliver the letter.”
“Do you have family in London?”
“No, I don’t. My whole family are in Devon, most of them in West Coombe itself.”
Dorothy’s eyes narrowed, as though she was seeing the truth but could not quite make it out. Evelyn felt uncomfortable under such scrutiny. “Did you know you could stay with the Graingers?”
Evelyn considered her answer. She did not want to make it sound as though she had taken advantage of the letter to gain Lilian and James’s hospitality. And yet that was almost exactly what she had done. “No, I didn’t. I brought enough money to stay in a hotel, if necessary.”
“That was awfully brave of you, my dear. Was there perhaps a reason you wanted to get away from home?” Dorothy smiled but it did nothing to dispel Evelyn’s unease. Dorothy’s tone suggested nothing but curiosity, yet Evelyn would sooner not explain her motivations, especially since James and Lilian were now paying attention to their conversation.
“No, no reason. I’ve always wanted to see London.”
“Of course.” Dorothy nodded. There was a pause, but she was not out of questions yet. “So, are you—were you—attached to anyone in West Coombe? Is there a fellow waiting for your return?”
Evelyn flushed as the image of Michael rose in her mind. She shook her head and said, rather too firmly, “No, no there’s not. Nothing like that.”
Lilian smiled broadly at this. “Well, London is the perfect place for you to find one, Evie! By the time you go home, we might even have you engaged!” Dorothy and Lilian both giggled. James rolled his eyes and Evelyn tried to smile. She was relieved when Lilian’s attention was drawn back towards the bar and a man approaching their table with a tray of drinks. Evelyn followed Lilian’s gaze.
“I suppose we’ll have to endure Vernon’s company for a while, I see.” James spoke the words quietly, to Evelyn, though she was fairly sure Lilian would have heard. So this was Vernon, the owner of the establishment, whom Lilian seemed fond of and James apparently had no respect for at all. He was a handsome man, with black hair, slicked back smoothly from his forehead. He was dark complexioned, tanned despite the winter weather. Tall and slim, with angular shoulders, he wore dark tweed Oxford bags and a shirt with pale gold and blue stripes. He wore no jacket or vest and his collar was open. A dark blue bow tie hung loose and untied beneath his collar. He looked, compared to some of the other men in the cafe, as though he had not quite finished dressing before he entered the room. Evelyn found this made him more compelling than some of the more formally dressed people around her. He walked over to their table gracefully and bent to place the tray of drinks in front of them. His manner was confident, comfortable in his domain. Evelyn could not help drawing a comparison with James, who looked even more uncomfortable now Vernon was at the table.
“Lily, darling, wonderful to see you again. And on time, for once. Very good of you.” Vernon smiled at Lilian, who blushed slightly and smiled back at him.
“Vernon, my love, polite as ever. You’d wouldn’t have half of tonight’s customers if it wasn’t for me, and you know it.”
Vernon reached for Lilian’s hand and kissed it with a show of mock gallantry. “Of course, Lily, dear, how can I ever make it up to you?” Vernon’s voice was rich and deep, a quality he seemed to make an effort to draw out. Each word was spoken slowly, as if for dramatic effect. Before Lilian could respond, Vernon turned his attention to Dorothy. “Dorothy graces
