There is Nothing like a Dame A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright© 2017 Bronwen Welsh A sequel to 'The Might-Have-Been Girl' and 'All the World's a Stage'

Chapter 13   'Tara'

When the house came into view I gasped. It wasn't a house, it was a mansion, and what's more it looked strangely familiar. I suddenly realised that it was a copy of the mansion at the cotton plantation 'Tara' in the film 'Gone with the Wind”. I knew Hiram Thompson was well off, but here was a statement of just how rich he was and presumably a nod to his origins.

The driveway ended in a circle in front of the house and Henry drove anticlockwise so that when he stopped beside the front door and assisted me to alight, I didn't have to walk around the car. As the door opened I half expected to see Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara appear in the doorway in one of those fabulous 'antebellum' gowns! What I really saw was Magnolia Thompson who, while she was dressed smartly as always, looked strangely out of place and time. She hurried down the steps to meet me.

“My dear, I am so glad to see you. What a dreadful journey you had! Please come in.”

I smiled: “Actually it was a very comfortable trip until the engine blew up, but the Captain was very good and calmly explained to us that the plane was perfectly capable of flying on one engine, so we all stayed calm.”

Magnolia smiled: “Ah, the famous British 'stiff upper lip'.”

I laughed. “Probably above a quivering lower one! I'm sure our hearts were beating a lot faster, but if the Captain was calm, then it was up to us to do the same. There was nothing that the passengers could do about it anyway.”

“Well the main thing is that you're here now, and very welcome. I'm sorry Hiram couldn't be here to greet you but he had to fly to Lubbock to sort out a problem with the business. He should be back in a couple of days at most. In the meantime, you can settle in and get over your jetlag. I'll show you to your room.”

Magnolia led me through the entrance hall at the back of which was a magnificent flight of stairs, much like in the 'GWTW' film. Standing at the foot was a handsome African-American woman who was introduced to me as 'Blossom, Henry's wife'.

“Blossom runs the house and will look after you while you're here,” said Magnolia.

“I'm pleased to meet you Miss Stow,” said Blossom. Once again I asked to be called Harriet, so for the rest of my stay I was 'Miss Harriet'.

Henry then walked into the house, carrying my suitcase. We all ascended the stairs and I was led to my room. It was hard not to gasp when I walked through the door. The room looked like something from the Palace of Versailles, beautifully furnished with a large ornate double bed, matching dressing table and chair, and much more wardrobe space than my suitcase of clothes needed. There was also an adjacent private bathroom which was very convenient.

“What a beautiful room!” I exclaimed and Magnolia and Blossom smiled, obviously pleased by how impressed I was.

“Ellen will have supper ready in about an hour, so we'll leave you to freshen up,” she said. Henry placed my suitcase on a stand, and they all left the room.

My first task was to ring Reggie and let him know that I had arrived safely. While I was in America I had to remember that I was now five hours behind England. Where I was it was six o'clock in the evening now but eleven o'clock over there, and despite Reggie telling me to ring him anytime day or night, I didn't want to get him out of bed. He did sound a little sleepy when he answered the phone but was pleased to hear that there had been no more mishaps on my journey. I gave him my love and told him I was missing him already, which was true and he said he felt the same. I should mention at this point that I was in touch with him every day. If I couldn't ring him because of the time difference then we exchanged texts

After that, I unzipped the suitcase and taking out my clothes, hung my skirts and dresses in the wardrobe, placed my tops, blouses and lingerie in the dressing table drawers, and put my makeup on top. I decided that after the eventful trip, more than a 'freshen up' was needed. I placed my toiletries in the bathroom, undressed and had a shower, after which I felt greatly refreshed.

I dressed in a skirt and top since the house was very warm, and after attending to my make-up and hair, I left my room and walked down the stairs. I heard music coming from a room off the hall and walked in there to be greeted by Magnolia Thompson.

“Feeling better?” she enquired, and I nodded and smiled. I was offered a sherry before supper and agreed in order to be polite although I rarely drink alcohol; still 'when in Rome' as the saying goes. After some conversation, a gong sounded indicating that supper was about to be served, so we walked into the dining room.

It was a large room, and could comfortably seat at least twenty people at the huge table. Two places had been set at one end, so it was obvious that only Magnolia and I would be eating there. Presumably, the staff had their meal in the kitchen area.

Ellen came in and introduced herself. She was carrying the first course which was a Caesar salad. This was followed by Scallops Rockefeller, served with a Pinot Grigio wine, which was dry and light, I don't claim to be a wine expert but even I sensed that it complemented the dish perfectly. Finally, we had strawberry cheesecake and coffee. When Ellen appeared with the coffee I made a point of complimenting her on the excellent meal. I could see that I would have to watch my weight while in America if all the meals were like this!

“Hiram left a couple of DVDs of recent performances by the theatre group in case you would like to get an idea of their standard,” said Magnolia. “You don't have to watch them right the way through of course.”

I would love to have passed on them for my first night since my body clock was already telling me it was past midnight, but again, I felt that out of politeness I had to agree to her suggestion.

If I had thought about it, I would not have been surprised when instead of switching on one of the many televisions dotted around the house, Magnolia led me to a door marked 'Theater'. I remember once seeing a picture of the theatrette in the White House, and while much smaller, this one seemed to be based on it. There were four rows of four large comfortable armchairs, each with a small tray on one arm for drinks and snacks. The general décor was a deep red colour on the walls and ceiling and the screen, which turned out to be cinema-shaped and quite large, was hidden behind red velvet curtains which parted as the show began. Magnolia mentioned that Henry doubled as the projectionist.

Magnolia and I took our seats, the lights dimmed, and the first production which was 'Hamlet' appeared on the screen. Once I became used to Hamlet with American accents, I began to appreciate that the acting was quite a high standard. I shouldn't have been surprised at that, after all, I wasn't the first 'artist-in-residence' to have been brought there by Hiram.

I made a mental note of a few points that I would have worked on, and after it had been running for about ten minutes, I asked Magnolia if we could skip to Act Four Scene Five, featuring Ophelia and Queen Gertrude, since, apart from the Player Queen, usually played by a young man, these are the only two female roles in the play. She pressed a button on the arm of the chair and spoke into a microphone, and the scene duly appeared on the screen. This is where Ophelia has been driven mad and having played the role myself, and Queen Gertrude for that matter, I was keen to see how the actresses handled it. I was very impressed and couldn't think of any improvement that I might suggest, but thought it best to keep that to myself!

When the scene ended, Magnolia asked if I would like to watch some of the other disk which was 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. This has more female rôles, and since I was told that most of the cast were still current players with the group, it was interesting to see their standard.

Sitting there in very comfortable chairs in the warmth and dark, the inevitable happened. I awoke with a start. The lights were on, and Magnolia was looking at me in a solicitous fashion.

“Oh, I'm sorry!” I gasped. “I think I must have nodded off. It wasn't because of the performance, I think jetlag is catching up with me.”

“Of course, my dear,” said Magnolia. “I should have thought of that. Can you find your room alright or would you like me to guide you there?”

I assured her I could find it. I walked up the stairs to my room and in no time I had undressed, put on my nightdress, got into bed and was fast asleep.

The following morning I awoke at about eight o'clock. I had intended to ring Reggie before he left for the university, but of course it was far too late for that. When I looked at my phone, there was a text from him saying: 'Hello sleepyhead hope you are feeling better after a good night's rest. Will talk to you tonight. Love R'

I sent a text back: 'Much better ty. I may have missed breakfast. Love H'

I had a quick shower, dressed and walked down the stairs to the dining room. Marigold was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and 'The Boston Globe'. She looked up when I appeared.

“Good morning, Harriet. How are you feeling now?”

“Much better Mrs Thompson, I really needed that sleep. I'm guessing I missed breakfast, but perhaps I can have a cup of coffee.”

“Nonsense, my dear. Ellen asked me to let her know when you came down. Does bacon and eggs with toast appeal to you?”

“Very much so,” I replied. When Ellen appeared, in answer to her query, I chose 'sunny side up' as opposed to 'over easy' for the eggs. Fortunately, I had seen enough American films to know what these terms meant.

“I've spoken to Hiram this morning. He'll be back late afternoon, and he was glad to hear that you had arrived safely with no more dramas,” said Magnolia.

' Poor Henry, another six-hour trip,' I thought and as if reading my mind Magnolia said: “Sometimes he hires a helicopter from Boston, but he does quite enjoy the drive with Henry if he's been away a while, as he can catch up on all the news. Fortunately, Henry enjoys driving.” She hesitated for a moment. “I'll show you around the house and garden if you like. I won't take you through the theatre as it's Hiram's pride and joy and he'll want to show it you himself. He's very proud of it.”

Magnolia's coded comment was that I should praise the theatre no matter what I thought of it. To show I understood I said: “I'm sure it will be very impressive. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.”

I was reminded of that saying common amongst women 'The difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys.' Having your own theatre was a very expensive toy, but Hiram could obviously afford it.

After breakfast, Magnolia showed me around the house. There was an enormous room which looked like a ballroom, complete with a stage at one end, presumably for musicians. I wondered if I might be called upon to perform there.

“Every year, we have a 'Gone with the Wind' ball here and everyone dresses up in costume. It's a very colorful affair, and it will take place while you are here, so I hope you will participate,” said Magnolia.

“I'd love to,” I replied. “I've always imagined myself as 'Scarlett O'Hara'.”

Magnolia smiled: “I think we all have, ever since seeing the film. We have quite a collection of 'antebellum' gowns and I'm sure we'll find one to fit you.”

“I'll look forward to that very much indeed,” I replied.

After seeing the house, we walked outside and I was introduced to Rodrigo the gardener. He was a very handsome Hispanic-looking young man and judging by the look of the gardens, very good at his job. Then Magnolia drove us down to the local town of East Devon. When I say 'town' it was more of a 'hamlet' as we would say in England, with just a single street of stores to cater for the people in the surrounding neighborhood. There was one disproportionately large brick building constructed in the Art Deco style, in the centre of the street.

“That's the theatre,” said Magnolia as we drove past.

We called into a small café, where I demonstrated my improving local knowledge by asking for a 'regular coffee and a brownie'. I am one of those fortunate people who can eat sweet things without it going to my hips.

Henry had already left for Boston when we returned to the house and I asked Magnolia if she minded if I had a 'siesta', so that I would not be falling asleep over the table when Hiram returned. I called him 'Mr Thompson' of course. I didn't know what the situation was about addressing my host and hostess so decided to err on the side of caution. I went to my room where I discovered that the bed had been made for me and enjoyed a pleasant two hours' sleep. It was like living in a five-star hotel and I cautioned myself about not getting too used to it. The time would come when I was back in England and having to do things for myself.

Blossom knocked on the door and woke me to say that Henry and Hiram were due in about forty-five minutes, thus giving me time to get dressed. I had a quick shower and selected one of my few dresses to wear as I presumed we would be sitting down to a meal when they arrived. After attending to my hair and makeup, I went downstairs to where Magnolia was enjoying her regular pre-dinner sherry. I had only been there about ten minutes when we heard the crunch of tyres on gravel signalling the arrival of the limousine, and we both went to the front door to greet the arrivals.

Hiram bounded up the steps and kissed his wife and then turning to me kissed me on the cheek.

“Welcome to 'Tara', Harriet. I hope you are being well looked after?” he said.

“Yes indeed,” I replied. “Everyone has been very kind. Mrs Thompson has shown me around the house and garden and we went to East Devon for a coffee.”

“Did you see the theatre?” he asked.

“Just the exterior. It looks very impressive,” I replied, “I'm really looking forward to seeing inside.”

“East Devon is a nice little town, but if you want to do some serious shopping I'll ask Henry to drive you either to Springfield, or to Albany, which is the capital of New York State,” said Hiram.

“Really?” I said. “I always assumed that New York City was the capital of New York State.”

“Many people do,” replied Hiram. “Albany is a beautiful city of around eighty thousand people and a great shopping centre.”

“I imagine I'll be too busy to do much shopping,” I replied.

Hiram laughed. “I'm sure we can make some time for you; I'll be in big trouble with Magnolia if I don't. She loves shopping with another woman. Tomorrow I'll take you to see the theatre and also the actors you'll be working with.”

“I saw some of their work on the recordings you left and they seem to be very good.”

“I'm glad you think so, but what I'm hoping for from you is some 'master-classes',” said Hiram, beaming at my compliment. “There wouldn't be any point in bringing you over to teach beginners.”

With that he went up to his room to change for supper, leaving Magnolia and I to continue with our sherries and chat.

“I do hope I can produce the sort of results he's hoping for,” I said, starting to feel a little worried.

“My dear, if you can make them half as good as you are, he'll be more than satisfied. I watched your 'Juliet' and I confess you brought tears to my eyes,” said Magnolia.

I smiled: “That's very kind of you. All I can do is my best.”

Just then, Hiram came down the stairs and we went in for supper. Fortunately, he was a bit tired after his quick trip to Texas, so there was no talk of watching more videos of the theatre company. I can't say I was disappointed, as I needed my sleep too.

To be continued.

Many thanks once again to Louise Ann and Julia Phillips for spotting my 'typos', thus allowing me to correct them before publishing. A special thank-you to Karen Lockhart, a native of New England who has provided me with local knowledge and correct American idioms for this and the following chapters while Harriet visits the United States.