Dorothy laughed openly at Vernon’s hyperbole. Even James smiled. Lilian frowned with mock melodrama. “Oh, how you tease me, Mr. Singleton.”
“This is nothing, Miss Grainger, as you well know.”
“Oh, please,” James murmured as he took the first sip of his drink.
Vernon turned his attention to James. “Just because you’re not my type, Grainger, you don’t need to be so flat about it. Not stuck on me, are you?”
“I don’t see why anyone would be, Singleton,” James replied, without a hint of good humour.
“Playing hard to get. That’s rare.”
“Oh, Vernon, leave poor James alone. He’s already suffering at our hands tonight.” Dorothy gave him a stern stare.
“Anything you say, Dorothy, you know I can’t resist your every command.”
“Naturally. Won’t you sit down for a drink with us? Or at least stay for a ciggie?”
“I’m a busy man, Dorothy. Besides, a chap named Sinclair has come in especially to see me this evening, and so far I’ve given him no more than a moment of my time. You’ll just have to join me in the daylight hours, if you crave my company so badly. We can sip coffee in the sunlight.”
“Coffee? Where’s the fun in that?” Lilian interjected.
“Oh, I’m lots of fun, even when there’s no gin, Lily. Anyway, how is our new friend?” He turned his enquiring gaze on Evelyn. “Are you enjoying your evening, darling?”
“Oh yes, very much, thank you.” Evelyn could not help but feel nervous and wish he would look elsewhere, yet also flattered by his interest.
“Will we see you again?”
“I expect so.”
“Then I will look forward to all the fun we’ll have together. You do look like you’d be rather fun.”
“Singleton, Evelyn’s only arrived in London today—can you perhaps show her some common decency?” James glowered at Vernon, who looked mildly surprised. Evelyn did not appreciate the implication that she could not manage a conversation with Vernon by herself.
“Oh, I can be lots of fun, Mr. Singleton,” she said, in as jaunty a tone as she could summon. “Only it entirely depends on the calibre of my playmates.”
Evelyn did not miss the look of approval exchanged by Lilian and Dorothy. She did not look at James’s expression but rather enjoyed the way Vernon narrowed his eyes and smiled, as if presented with a challenge where he had expected none. Distracted by this, she reached for her cocktail but misjudged the distance to the glass, managing to topple it over and into her lap. The ice-cold liquid soaked straight through her skirt and onto her thighs. Although she had righted the glass before the whole contents could spill, there was still a small puddle in her lap. She jumped up, embarrassed.
“Oh, darling! Your dress!” Lilian exclaimed.
“Where’s the ladies’?” Evelyn asked urgently.
“Over at the back there, beyond the bar. Would you care for some help?” Vernon raised a cocky eyebrow.
“No, thank you.” Evelyn hurried in the direction he’d indicated. Her route took her directly past Jos and her friends, but she did not look up for a moment as she went through the door with its frosted glass panels and into the beige-tiled washroom, where she reached for the white hand towel and held it to her skirt.
The sound of the music from the piano, which had been playing since Lilian had finished singing, filtered through the door but it seemed very quiet in the tiled space, with only the dripping of water from one of the copper-coloured taps making a sound in the room itself. There was a wooden bench along one side of the room. Evelyn perched on it and sighed, still dabbing at her skirt. Now she felt the effects of the gin she had consumed, and now she realised just how far away from home she really was. Alone in a bathroom with glazed beige tiles and a dripping tap, at the back of a cafe in London where jazz was played and friends argued and cocktails were ordered. Where women dressed like men and pretended to marry other women. Only this morning she had been in West Coombe. With Edward, and her parents. With familiar walls and rugs and mirrors. With tea and porridge for breakfast. Part of her ached for the familiarity and felt miserable that she had brought herself to this place, where she would never really belong. And yet it was so wondrous, so full of colour. Even to be miserable in this world was surely glorious. Was she living the life Edward had so badly wanted for both of them?
The door opened. Evelyn leaped to her feet, determined not to be discovered both dishevelled and staring into space in the ladies’ washroom. She looked to the door and was surprised to see Jos Singleton appear.
“Hello there,” Jos said, looking directly at Evelyn with eyes that were just as blue as her brother’s. She ran a hand through her short hair, as if a little unsure of herself. “I’m dreadfully sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t help noticing, as you ran past, you dropped this.” She held out a hand. In her fingers sparkled Evelyn’s brooch, the diamond and ruby butterfly that meant so much to her. Evelyn stared at it, horrified she’d not even noticed it was missing.
“Oh gosh! Thank you so much. I had no idea I’d lost it, what with my spilling my drink and everything. And it means ever such a lot to me.”
“You better take it back, then.” Jos smiled and moved a little closer to Evelyn. Evelyn reached for the brooch and held it securely in her hand. “Perhaps the pin is broken?” Jos suggested.
Evelyn glanced down at the fastening of the brooch. “It looks fine. I probably didn’t fasten it properly. I dressed in rather a hurry. Thank you again, Miss—” Evelyn stopped herself. She had been about to let on that she knew Jos’s identity, which would reveal her former curiosity. Her cheeks grew warm.
Jos looked at her curiously. “It’s Miss Singleton, but
