Party Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Author:Noel Streatfeild [Streatfeild, Noel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241467251
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2021-03-18T00:00:00+00:00

14. Clothes

THAT EVENING at supper Doctor Andrews discussed clothes.

‘Have any of you any idea about clothes?’

All the family looked at him in surprise. He had promised that the clothes should be hired. John reminded him.

‘You said we could hire them.’

‘I know I did, old man, but when I said I would hire them it was clothes for all of you and a few friends. How many people are there taking part in this pageant now?’

Everybody looked enquiringly at Selina. She did some mental arithmetic in her head.

‘Seventy in John’s scene. Thirty children and Sally in hers and the ballet from Linkwell. Then there’s Queen Elizabeth, only Mrs Day’s got that dress, but there are lords and ladies. Almost everybody in the village and a whole lot of people from other villages in Christopher’s. Four in Phoebe’s.’

The doctor was helping macaroni cheese. He handed out the last plate before he asked:

‘Roughly, how many in Christopher’s?’

Selina tried to visualize her list.

‘When they all come there’s a hundred and two from one side of the stage and a hundred and fourteen from the other, and the eight mummers and Miss Lipscombe.’

Mrs Andrews did not mean to, but she let a little groan escape her.

‘Good gracious! I’m practically the only person in the neighbourhood who’s not taking part. I can’t think who’s coming to see the pageant.’

Dr Andrews helped himself to mustard.

‘Philip seems to have got that in hand. He’s going to put posters over half the county. Of course, as you can all see for yourselves, I can’t afford to hire dresses for that number. What I was thinking was this, we might have a talk with everybody, perhaps Philip will, and see how many people can manage their own clothes.’

Selina looked horrified.

‘But we’ve told everybody they haven’t got to worry about clothes, that they’re coming.’

‘I know, niece. I don’t know what clothes cost to hire, but I do know, with a family the size of mine, it can’t be managed. I shouldn’t wonder if quite a lot of people in the crowds and that could rake up something for themselves.’

Mrs Andrews looked at him, rather as she looked at Benjamin when he was being silly.

‘People haven’t things they can rake up these days. We had an appeal this spring to help rehome the blitzed Londoners, and anybody who had anything like a bedspread or old curtains gave them then.’

The doctor refused to be crushed.

‘Well, let’s take John’s scene as a start. The monks can all be dressed in blackout material. There must be a lot of that around.’

Mrs Andrews shook her head.

‘There was an appeal to send blackout material for overalls for the children of France.’

Dr Andrews was still quite unmoved.

‘You don’t go into houses like I do. You’d be surprised what a lot of junk there is put away. The number of times I’ve said, “Can you give me another pillow?” or “Can I have a towel?” when I’ve been seeing a patient, and a cupboard is opened, and you see it simply bulging with stuff that’s been saved.

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