Maddy Again by Pamela Brown

Author:Pamela Brown [Pamela Brown]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782691945
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Published: 2018-03-25T04:00:00+00:00

8

MISS TIBBS

Maddy did not quite know what she had expected to find on entering the building, but it was certainly not the scene that met their eyes when they stepped over the threshold. The amazing thing was that it looked just like a room at the Academy, set out for one of Mr Manyweather’s television rehearsals. It was almost completely bare, except for some upright wooden chairs arranged in strange patterns on the floor, following a design mapped out in chalks of various colours. In one corner a group of people stood talking and laughing, but they all stopped and turned towards the door when they heard it open.

‘Ah, good, it’s Madeleine,’ said Morgan Evans, advancing towards her. Then he saw Sunny, and stopped dead.

‘Er—yes, madam, can I help you?’ he asked politely.

‘Oh, it’s all right, she’s with me,’ said Maddy. ‘I must introduce you. Mr Evans, this is my chaperone, Miss Mackenzie—and she’s over twenty-one.’

Mr Morgan Evans quickly came over his astonishment.

‘Oh well, that’s a good thing. I—er—I’m glad you could come, Miss Mackenzie. Now come along, Maddy, and meet everyone.’

Maddy recognised one of the elderly men, who was beautifully dressed and most important-looking, as a member of the editorial board she had seen at the camera audition.

‘This is Mr Stanley,’ said Morgan Evans, ‘the editor of The World of Youth. He wants to say a few words before we start the rehearsal.’

Mr Stanley was staring fixedly at Sunny, who grinned broadly back at him.

‘Oh, yes—yes,’ he said hurriedly and turned to survey the company.

‘Before you start work I just wanted to say to you that although The World of Youth is a commercial concern and has to pay its way just like any other publication, its proprietors have imbued it with a very high sense of purpose—that of friendship between the nations. And we know that it is with the young people of the world that our hope lies. Therefore, although we want this show to be lively, slick and full of fun, we also want from each and every one of you a feeling of sincerity and purpose.’

He had obviously learned his speech by heart, but somehow the presence of Sunny seemed to put him off. His eyes kept straying back to her and he would ‘um’ and ‘ah’ uncertainly. When he had finished saying the same thing several times, but couched in different words, everyone nodded sagely and said, ‘M’m’ or ‘Yes’ very sincerely, but Sunny said loudly, ‘Too true, Mr Stanley, sir, too true.’

Then Mr Stanley turned to Morgan Evans in puzzlement.

‘Morgan,’ he asked, ‘is this lady in the show?’

‘No, no,’ said Morgan Evans hastily. ‘She’s Madeleine’s chaperone, Miss Mackenzie.’

‘Well, she should take part in the show,’ said Mr Stanley. ‘Write her in. Goodbye, everyone.’

And he left the hall abruptly. Morgan Evans flopped into a chair while there was a buzz of excitement from the rest of the cast.

‘Write her in,’ moaned Morgan Evans. ‘Just like that. Oh, preserve us.’ He said something in Welsh that did not sound at all polite.

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