The One and Only Dolly Jamieson by Lisa Ireland

Author:Lisa Ireland [Ireland, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Chapter Twenty-five

London

2019

We walk briskly – or as briskly as I can manage – back to Jane’s house, hurrying to get out of the evening chill. Jane is as animated as I’ve ever seen her, her breath forming clouds as she talks about her ideas for the book and how, now that she’s heard some of my childhood anecdotes, she thinks the story could be framed. ‘It’ll make a wonderful “rags to riches”–type tale,’ she says. ‘Not that I think you had a terrible childhood, by any stretch of the imagination, but people love the fairytale of an ordinary person made good.’

I laugh. ‘Rags to riches and back to rags again!’

Jane looks mortified. ‘Oh, Dolly. How insensitive of me. I’m sorry.’

‘No need to be sorry. It’s the truth. Perhaps it will serve as a cautionary tale.’

‘Or perhaps it will have a surprise happy ending,’ she says hopefully, and I smile at her optimism.

As we open the front gate, I notice light streaming out from an upstairs window.

‘Richard must be home,’ Jane says.

I’ve intuited that all is not well between Jane and her husband. ‘Perhaps it would be better if I didn’t come in after all.’

‘No, not at all. Richard will be pleased to have a guest. He’s always saying we should entertain more.’

I am curious to meet this husband of Jane’s, so I nod. ‘If you’re sure?’

‘I am. Come on.’

When we enter, the house is warm and there’s a spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen.

‘Jane?’ a male voice calls as we enter the hallway. ‘I’m in the kitchen. Don’t faint, but I’m making dinner.’

I follow Jane to the kitchen to find a tall, dark-haired man stirring a pot of something – smells like curry – on the stove.

‘Richard, I’d like you to meet my friend, Dolly,’ Jane says. There’s no warmth in her voice.

He swings around, spoon in hand, and little mustard-coloured droplets flick onto the countertop and the floor.

‘Oh,’ he says, clearly surprised, but he quickly recovers. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know we had a guest.’ He rests the wooden spoon on an empty plate and steps forward with his hand outstretched. ‘Richard Leveson,’ he says cordially. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

I take his hand and shake it firmly. ‘I’m so sorry to barge in on your homecoming dinner.’

‘No, not at all. Any friend of Jane’s is a friend of mine.’ His tone is polite but neutral. I can’t tell whether he’s truly fine with my presence or not.

‘I didn’t expect you,’ Jane says, and there’s an awkward pause for a moment.

He looks shamefaced. ‘I’m sorry. I should have called to let you know my plans.’ He glances at me and then back at Jane. ‘I finished my business early and thought I would surprise you. I arrived a couple of hours ago and discovered you weren’t home, so I popped up to the Indian place on the corner and got us a takeaway. Thought I’d save you the trouble of cooking.’

‘Right. Well, as you can see, I’ve invited Dolly for dinner, so—’

‘Oh, don’t worry, there’s plenty.

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