While she took off her show jewellery, Margot looked in the mirror and gurned a couple of facial exercises, twisting her face into grotesque expressions. She looked absurd. Daubing cold cream across her face to remove the stage makeup, she smiled a wide theatrical smile before wiping the cream off with a soft cloth. Her face was clean, but looking closer to see if the cream had removed her eye makeup Margot recoiled. Her eyes were dull with dark shadows beneath them and her skin had blemishes that she hadn’t noticed before. Makeup covered up most things, even exhaustion, but without it...
Feeling tearful and irritable, and generally unwell, Margot went to see Dr Thurlingham.
‘There doesn’t seem to be anything physically wrong,’ he said. ‘Have you considered that you may be pregnant?’
Margot’s mouth fell open. ‘No! Do you think I am?’
‘It’s too early to tell. I’ll do some tests. It may just be that you’re suffering from exhaustion. Pregnant or not,’ he said, looking at Margot gravely, ‘unless you want to end up back here, you must take a break. Twelve months,’ he said, ‘of complete rest.’
Shocked, Margot agreed to take time off once the current show closed. Leaving the doctor’s surgery, she could think of nothing else except whether or not she was having a baby. No point in planning anything until the results of the tests came back. In the meantime there were people she needed to see, if she was going to take a year off.
Artists and performers from all over England, as well as London, were in the audience to see Margot Dudley’s last West End performance. At the end of each number the audience stood up and applauded. After the last song, Margot was joined on stage by her friends George and Betsy, who had brought their army, navy, and air force caps. Artie played the piano and the Albert Sisters fell into line and sang “Bugle Boy” as they had done in the ENSA concerts.
At the end of the show, as was the tradition, a pageboy entered the stage and gave Margot a bouquet of roses. What wasn’t traditional was Anton arriving on stage with not only all the artists, but with Natalie, and the backstage and front of house staff. After thanking her for all the wonderful performances she’d given over the years, Anton told the audience how much everyone at the Prince Albert Theatre was going to miss their leading lady. ‘And,’ he said to Margot, ‘we’re keeping your name plate. Stan assures me that it will only take him a minute to put it back on the door of dressing room one.’ Everyone applauded and Margot blew Stan a kiss.
She had arranged for food and drink to be brought to her dressing room for theatre staff who weren’t able to go onto the Prince Albert Club after the show. They crowded in with gifts and flowers. Looking around the room, Margot smiled and thanked everyone – and then she froze. Bill was standing in the doorway. Hardly able to believe her eyes, she made her way to him. ‘Bill!’ was all she said before falling into his arms.
Margot and Bill, Natalie and Anton Goldman, and George and Betsy ended the night at the Prince Albert Club as Salvatore’s guests. When Margot walked in, customers who were already seated at their tables stood up and applauded her, as did the bandleader – and she promised to sing for them.
‘You’ll miss all this, you know, back in Lowarth,’ Bill said, as they sat down.
‘Not as much as I’d miss you if I stayed.’
‘You said there was a lot more you wanted to do the last time I was down.’
Margot laughed. ‘I’ve had some of the most wonderful roles in one of the best theatres in the West End, I’ve topped the bill in cabaret and I’ve toured with ENSA. What more is there?’
‘Not so long ago you wanted to get into movies,’ Bill said.
Margot thought for a moment. ‘Maybe I don’t want to be in movies, if it means being without you.’
‘I don’t want you to end up resenting me – us – if you give up your dream.’
‘I won’t.’ Margot looked into her husband’s eyes. ‘What about your dream, Bill? What about what you want?’
‘Me?’ A look of surprise spread across Bill’s face. Both he and Margot had focused on what Margot wanted for so long that he’d forgotten what he wanted.
‘Yes.’ Margot leant forward and whispered in Bill’s ear. ‘What about your dream of settling down and starting a family when the war ended?’
‘What? Are you saying that we’re… that you’re …?’
‘No! Maybe. I don’t know... I’ll know more next week.’
‘Well, I’d better go home and find us somewhere to live, just in case,’ Bill laughed.
Margot left her stunned husband. She walked across the dance floor to rapturous applause and spoke to the bandleader. The band began to play the introduction to “They Can't Take That Away from Me”. She walked to the microphone. The club was full. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on her standing in the spotlight. But Margot couldn’t see them. Her audience now was just one: Bill.
THE END
Outlines of the other books in The Dudley Sisters Quartet.
The third book, China Blue, is about love and courage – and is Claire Dudley’s story. While in the WAAF Claire is seconded to the Royal Air Force’s Advanced Air Strike Force and then the SOE. Claire falls in love with Mitchell ‘Mitch’ McKenzie, an American Airman
