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The Might-Have-Been Girl A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright 2015

Chapter 15   London with Mum

“Hello Harriet, it's Reggie. I've been held up at work but I should be there by seven.”

“Oh hello Reggie, that's fine. There's no need to rush.”

“Have you heard about the part yet?” he asked.

“No, I'm waiting for a phone call.”

“O.k., in that case I'd better get off the line. I'll see you soon.”

I put down the receiver and about five seconds later it rang again. Strangely, I'd stopped trembling. Perhaps that was Reggie's influence on me. This time it was Mark.

“Hello Harriet, I'm ringing to offer you the part of Margaret in our production.”

“Oh thank you Mark, I'm very happy to accept,” I replied. “Do you know when rehearsals will start?”

“Monday next week,” he replied. “I hope that's not too much of a rush, but we don't have much time to spare. Oh, by the way, I'm offering Elspeth, the other girl who auditioned, the job of understudy to you. I'd appreciate it if you would take her under your wing and help her with the lines.”

“Of course,” I replied. It seemed very grand to have an understudy, but I knew this was the usual practice in London productions. Since she was having so much trouble getting parts, I was fairly sure Elspeth would take the understudy position.

He rang off and Mum was beaming. “See? I told you there was no need to worry.”

“I'd better contact Louise now to see if we can visit her sometime tomorrow.” She had given me her home phone number, so I called it.

“Hi Louise, I've just been told that I've got the part in 'Brutus', so would there be a convenient time tomorrow when Mum and I could visit you at your home? Rehearsals start next Monday so it's all a bit of a rush.”

“Congratulations Harriet,” she replied. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“We're staying one more night and going home Friday morning. Then it will be a rush to pack and back again on Sunday.”

“Goodness me. Would five o'clock tomorrow be alright with you? Sir Edgar often asks me to work back, but I'll explain that I have to leave a bit early. You've got my address haven't you.”

“Five would be fine Louise, since I've got a surprise for Mum," I whispered the last part. "We'll look forward to seeing you then.”

I glanced at my watch. “Goodness, look at the time and I haven't changed!”

Mum laughed. “Well I think I'm alright as I am, but I know you want to look your best for Reggie, so I'll go down to the lounge and wait for you there.” Naturally I blushed, but she was right, I did want to look my best.

As soon as she had left the room I stripped off my stage costume and underclothes and jumped in the shower. Three minutes later I was out and drying myself. Even though there was no chance of Reggie seeing it, I had brought down some rather sexy black underwear. I've heard it said that just knowing she's wearing it makes a woman feel more desirable. Then I sat down and put on a pair of sheer nude tights. Make-up came next and thank goodness I was now experienced and what used to take me half an hour or more now only took ten minutes. Then I put on a black full slip with French lace at the bust and hem. Slips are so feminine, I wonder why more women don't wear them, but then again, many don't wear stockings or tights any more and I think they do wonders for a woman's legs. Finally came my dress, well Emma's dress really, cocktail length and of emerald green silk. Now that my ears were pierced I could wear some pearl earrings and also a pearl necklace that Mum loaned me, and finally some black court shoes with four-inch heels. I did a twirl in front of the mirror and liked what I saw. I hope Reggie liked it too. Then I picked up my clutch bag, put in my lipstick and powder compact and left the room.

When I reached the lounge and sat down beside Mum, she smiled at me.

“Harriet, you look positively gorgeous. You're going to knock Reggie cold.”

“Oh, I hope not!” I said while blushing and laughing at the same time.

Reggie arrived soon after.

“Hello Harriet, Mrs Stow. Wow, you look amazing, Harriet.” This provoked the inevitable blush of course. He hesitated since Mum was there until she smiled and said to Reggie “Don't let my presence stop you kissing her.”

Reggie smiled and kissed me on the cheek, and then we went into the dining room for dinner.

Mum is a good conversationalist and we all enjoyed ourselves greatly.

“How is your work at the bank going?” she asked Reggie.

“Well it was well worth taking the year off to get some 'hands-on' experience,” said Reggie, “But I'll be starting my course at York University in September.”

“At least he'll be here while I perform in this run of 'Brutus',,” I thought. It seems Mum had similar thoughts because she said “I'm glad you'll be here while Harriet is in London. It's a big place to be on your own, and funnily enough, big cities can be lonely places.”

“We're going to see Sir Edgar's secretary's home tomorrow,” I said. “She's offered me a room while I'm here.”

“Well that will be much nicer than a hotel room,” said Reggie.

“It's going to be a bit of a rush. We go back to Bridchester on the train on Friday morning and then I have to pack my clothes and come back again on Sunday ready to start rehearsals on Monday. I think I'll need two suitcases this time as I'll be here for three months.”

“Well you know your part perfectly of course, but I suppose the rest of the cast are new to it,” said Reggie.

“Yes, it's going to be challenging working with a new set of people,” I replied.

After we finished our dessert and coffee, Mum said “I'm a little tired, so I think I'll go up to our room. Don't let Harriet keep you too late Reggie. I know you have to work in the morning.”

Reggie stood up as Mum rose to leave the table. One of the many things I love about him is he's the perfect gentleman. We then left the restaurant and walked into the lounge. There was only one other guest there, an elderly lady who was asleep in a comfortable chair. We found a couch in the corner which couldn't be seen from the door and sat down together.

Reggie gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. “I know it's only been a couple of weeks but I've missed you so much, Harriet.”

“Me too Reggie. I know we talk on the phone every few days, but it's not the same. That's why I wanted so much to get this part.”

He smiled at me “And I'm so glad you got it. I've been thinking what you said about having to dash back to London on the train struggling with two suitcases and I've had an idea. Mum and Dad have asked me to come to Brid in the next couple of weeks. How about I hire a car on Friday and drive up to see them? Then I could drive you back to London on Sunday. It would be so much easier for you, and we would get a chance to see each other again.”

“Oh Reggie, what a wonderful idea!” I exclaimed. “But I have one condition; neither of us is on huge money, so you must let me give you the money I would have spent on the train fare.”

“There's really no need,” he responded.

“No Reggie, I insist. Otherwise, I'll just have to struggle with those suitcases.”

He smiled at me. “Do you always get your own way?”

“Not always, but this is something I feel strongly enough about to insist on it.”

“O.k., it's a deal,” he replied and the deal was sealed with a lingering kiss. I looked at my watch. It was nearly ten o'clock, so I insisted that he go home, much though I would have loved him to stay. “You've got to work in the morning,” I said. “Anyway, I don't like the thought of you travelling on the tube late at night.”

We agreed that he would send me a text when he arrived at his flat, and I would stay awake to receive it. I didn't want to scare him with thoughts of what could happen on the tube, but there should still be plenty of people on it when he left.

About an hour later I received the text and could go to sleep secure in the knowledge he was home safely.

Mum and I had most of Thursday to ourselves so we spent a lot of it in various shops. I couldn't help thinking that as Harry I had spent the least amount of time I could shopping for clothes. Usually, I decided on the first thing that fitted me in order to get out of the shop as quickly as possible. Shopping as a girl was very different. There were so many different styles, colours, and patterns to choose from, and everything that might be suitable had to be tried on and discussed with Mum. I ended up with two new dresses, two skirts, some trousers, a new pair of shoes and some underwear. I could have gone on shopping for hours more, but I didn't want to deplete my bank account too much, and anyway Mum said her feet were getting sore, so we headed for a cafe for a sit-down and a meal. Afterwards we took everything back to the hotel and had a short 'siesta' before it was time to go to Louise's house for which we took a taxi as we weren't too sure where it was and fortunately the London taxi drivers have amazing knowledge – in fact they actually call it 'The Knowledge'. They have to spend several years acquiring knowledge of thousands of streets and the best way to get from A to B before they get a license to drive one of the famous black cabs.

We asked the driver if he would go via Wood Green tube station so I could get an idea of how far Louise's house was from it. His estimate was about ten minutes walk, so that was good. We drew up outside her home which was quite a large semi-detached house, and I paid him and thanked him for the ride. Very few older houses in London have a garage and it seemed that their front garden had been sacrificed for somewhere to park their car off the road. Louise opened the door a minute after I rang the bell and I had a surprise. I'd only spoken to her on the phone and she has a young voice, but on seeing her I estimated she was closer to fifty than forty.

“Welcome Mrs Stow and Harriet,” she said. “It's lovely to meet you in person at last.” She showed us into the house and despite it being probably fifty years old or more, the interior looked very fresh and modern. She showed us around, the lounge, dining room, kitchen and laundry, and then led us up the stairs.

“Rob and I have four children, but our eldest daughter Jeanette has now left home, leaving our twin daughters and Anthony our son. He's fifteen, so has a couple more years at school. How much longer he'll be here after he finishes school remains to be seen. We have four bedrooms but one is now free and I hope you like it.”

Leading the way upstairs and into a bright sunny room she said: “This used to be Jeanette's roomt.”

It had a floral counterpane on the single bed, pale pink wallpaper, a dressing table next to the window, and a modern wardrobe with full-length mirror doors along one wall.

“This might be most suitable one as the window faces west, so it gets the afternoon sun. I realise that being an actress you work late and might want to sleep in a bit without the sun shining in your eyes."

The bathroom was just across the corridor, and this bedroom really did seem most suitable. I made up my mind to take it.

“It's very nice,” I said. “There's just one thing....”

“Of course,” said Louise. “How does one hundred and forty pounds a week sound? That includes breakfast of course and occasional other meals, plus the use of the laundry facilities.”

I could tell Mum was shocked at the price, but I had been in London long enough to know how expensive accommodation is, and a hotel room with breakfast would have been close to that for a single night.

“That would be fine, Mrs Burton, thank you,” I replied, afraid Mum might try to start bargaining.

“There is one other thing, did Sir Edgar explain my special circumstances?”

“Yes he did, although seeing you for the first time I would never have guessed. I don't intend to share my knowledge with the children and Rob. There is no need for them to know. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about here. There is a lock on the bathroom door."

I felt myself blushing slightly. “Umm, that's fine. I'm sure there'll be no problems,” I said. “Is it alright for me to arrive on Sunday, as rehearsals start on Monday?”

“Yes, that's fine,” she replied.

Just then we heard the front door slam and a voice calling “Mum, I'm home.”

Louise smiled and called down the stairs “Mrs Stow and Harriet are here Anthony. Would you come up and meet them please?”

A few seconds later a thin bespectacled and rather short youth came up the stairs. I was reminded of Harry Potter. He shook each of our hands in turn and said it was nice to meet us. His hands were soft, obviously not accustomed to manual work. We responded appropriately.

“Harriet is arriving to stay on Sunday. She'll have Jeanette's old room,” said Louise.

“A good choice,” responded Anthony. "If you'll excuse me I have a lot of homework to do." With that, he disappeared into his bedroom. I decided he was rather shy although he seemed to have taken me in from head to foot.

We were then invited to have a cup of tea with Mrs Burton which we accepted and made our way down to the kitchen.

“Are you a cook?” said Louise.

I confessed my skills were rudimentary “Although my boyfriend says he will teach me a bit more than boiling eggs. I should explain something that Sir Edgar doesn't know yet since it only happened when I went back to Bridchester; I am taking steps to live as a female even after I complete this run of 'Brutus'."

“I see,” said Louise, glancing at Mum.

“And as my child, I support Harriet in whatever way she wishes to live her life. She does, however, know that it will be a long journey that she undertakes.”

I could have hugged Mum at that moment, but it would have to wait until later.

We sat down to cups of tea and slices of cake, and the conversation went on to general topics. After about thirty minutes, I said we had better be going and thanked Louise for her hospitality and how much I was looking forward to staying with them. Mum said that we had to pack to return to Brid on the train the following day.

“Yes we do Mum, but before we do that I have a surprise for you.”

“What's that?” she asked.

“You'll see,” I answered.

Louise telephoned for a taxi, and made sure Mum didn't hear the destination. On the way into the city, Mum asked what I thought of staying with Louise and her family. “I hadn't counted on her having a teenage boy there”

“That's why I mentioned my boyfriend,” I replied. “I'm sure Louise will keep him in check if he gets any ideas.”

“Well, so long as you are comfortable with it. I must confess I was shocked at the price.”

“That's actually quite reasonable by London standards. I'd be paying that for a night if I stayed in a hotel and I don't think my pay would cover it. No, this will still enable me to save some money.”

Mum was very curious about the mystery trip until all was revealed when we pulled up outside St Martin's Theatre in the West End.

“The Mousetrap!” she gasped.

All the time I had been playing in Brutus, it wasn't practical for me to see any other shows, so when I received the call to audition for the new production I had a great idea, which I discussed with Emma. I phoned the St Martin's box office and inquired about seats for the Thursday evening performance. “The Mousetrap” has the distinction of being the longest-running theatrical production anywhere in the world, starting in London in 1952, and had just reached its twenty thousandth performance at that time (it's still running today!). I knew Mum had always wanted to see it, so this would be something of a 'thank you' for all she had done for me, but as it turned out, she wasn't the only one to get a surprise.

I explained to the lady at the box office that we were coming down from Bridchester, so she said they would hold the seats at the box office and asked for my name.

“Harriet Stow,” she repeated. “That sounds familiar.”

“You're probably thinking of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin',” I replied. “And no, I'm not a relation as far as I know.”

“No it's not that,” she paused. “Oh, now I remember, you're the young lady in “Dear Brutus” that my daughter Jennifer went to see. We met you in Regents Park a while back. You were so kind to her. She's got a print of the photo she took in her room.”

I felt myself blushing while at the same time the hairs on the back of my neck were rising. Surely this was the sort of co-incidence that only happened in novels, and bad ones at that?

“Yes, that's me,” I replied.

“Well I'm sorry I can't give you free tickets,” she said. “But I'll get you the best seats I can.”

We chatted for another couple of minutes and I told her I was auditioning for another season, then I thanked her and rang off.

She wasn't in the box office when we entered the theatre, but we were given the tickets, which I'd already paid for over the phone. I looked at them and gasped.

“Front row centre in the dress circle, Mum!” I said.

“Goodness me, darling, you must have influence,” she replied.

We thoroughly enjoyed the show, but as requested by the management, I can't reveal 'who done it' as the saying goes.

After that, it was back to the hotel and packing for our trip back to Bridchester.

To be continued

I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Louise Anne in proofreading the text and giving me a great deal of useful advice about modern-day Britain to incorporate in the story.