Christmas with the Variety Girls by Tracy Baines

Author:Tracy Baines [Baines, Tracy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473566767
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Chapter 17

Dolly came down the aisle carrying a large bouquet of yellow roses. Jessie grinned.

‘Another one. I wonder who on earth they can be from?’

Frances stomped down the steps at the front of the stage. ‘Ha, jolly, ha.’ Dolly held the roses out to her and Frances peered inside for the envelope, read the card, tore it in half and pushed it into her pocket.

‘Do you want them, Dolly?’

‘Oh, Frances, you can’t keep giving them away.’ She sniffed the flowers. ‘They smell gorgeous.’

Frances took them from her and marched back on stage. ‘Ginny?’

Ginny waved a hand. ‘I don’t have room.’

Jessie reached out to Frances, touching her wrist. ‘I think you to have to face facts. Johnny isn’t going to stop and we’ve all had our turn at being on the other side of your generosity.’ Jessie held a bloom, admiring it. Each bouquet had been beautiful.

‘I might as well leave them in the dressing room this week,’ Frances said. ‘At least it will brighten it up a bit.’

‘It’ll take more than the roses to do that.’ Jessie sank down onto the piano stool. They could hear Mike walking about in the wings. He joined them on stage.

‘You girls need anything for the next half hour?’ He looked at Frances’s bouquet but didn’t comment and she flushed. It seemed everyone was getting used to them appearing. ‘I need to pop out before the first showing. Will you be done by then?’

‘Well before that, Mike. We’re working out what we’re going to do for the talent show.’

‘Ticket sales have jumped because of it. Be nice if punters start coming back.’ He rubbed his hand over his stubby red hair. ‘It’s been a bit dodgy lately, hasn’t it, girls? Good job Jack stuck at it. They’re going to start taking bookings for panto at the end of the week so let’s hope people still want to spend Christmas at the theatre, otherwise I reckon I’ll have to go elsewhere. I can’t see Jack hanging on past Christmas, in all truth.’ He pulled his cap onto his head, pushing his arms into his jacket as he walked out through the auditorium. Dolly came to join them on the stage and Jessie twisted on the stool, ran her fingers over a few keys, sighed.

‘I’m only thinking as far as the panto anyway. I have no idea what to do after that.’

Frances leant on the piano, Ginny next to her, her cheek resting on her hand.

Jack had started the films, bringing in the girls two, and then three days a week. It had been hard work after the ease of the summer when being part of a bigger show had a different energy that gave them all a lift. They had to work harder to get a response. It had been worse when the moon was slight because people were nervous to venture out and road accidents were on the increase. How long Jack could sustain it was something they talked about, but not much.

‘We’re all in the same boat, Jessie.

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