Page 15 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
‘Well, I haven’t actually seen it since it wasalmostfinished,’ he said, ‘but knowing what a perfectionist Garland is, I’m sure it will be identical.’
‘And you aren’t going to see it again, Marco, until our wedding day, because it’s supposed to be unlucky for the groom to see the bride’s dress.’
‘It’s going to be your wedding dress?’ Mirrie said, sounding surprised. ‘How original! But I’d justloveto see it!’
‘Then we’ll have to send you a wedding invitation, when we’ve set the date,’ I said, and she gave that trill of empty laughter once again, even though that didn’t seem to me remotely amusing …
I remembered Ivo once telling me that Mirrie had changed so much from the girl he’d grown up with on the Silvermann film sets, especially once she and Leo had moved to America. He’d said she’d taken on the mannerisms of stardom almost instantly, and embraced the shallowness and glitz of Hollywood.
Mirrie’s mind must have moved back to the past too, for she said to me, huge blue eyes searching: ‘So, have you seen much of Ivo since he gave up acting and left London? I mean, being such old friends, he must have kept in touch withyou?’
‘Ivo Gryffyn?’ exclaimed Wilfric, looking surprised. ‘You knew him, Garland? I had a minor part in one of the Silvermann films.’
‘He and Garland were childhood friends,’ Marco told him. ‘But she hasn’t heard a thing since he left London, have you, darling?’
‘No, and I don’t know anyone who has, or who knows where he is now.’
‘Oh, I thoughtyoumight have known, but then, perhaps you wouldn’t tell me even if you did?’ Mirrie said.
Then, without waiting for a reply, she took hold of Marco’s arm again. ‘Marco, darling, there’s just alittlepoint about that final scene I wanted to discuss with you and Wilfric, if we can find a quiet spot.’
She glanced at me, with a sweet smile. ‘I justknowyou’ll excuse us for a few minutes, Garland!’
And Marco, blinking at the dazzling smile directed at him, obeyed the tug on his arm and went off with her without a backward glance, though Oberon, flitting obediently off in their wake, did turn and give me an almighty wink. I wasn’t quite sure what that signified …
They vanished through the open double doors into the next room and, turning, I saw that Marco’s mother had watched my abandonment and now gave me a smug, satisfied smile that made cracks across hermaquillage, so that her face looked as if it urgently needed retreading.
For a moment I simply stood there, with the increasingly loud and raucous sound of the party going on around me, a slightly menacing, feeding-time-at-the-zoo noise, feeling as unwanted as the gin and tonic in my hand.
I was not really part of the theatrical crowd and certainly didn’t have anything in common with Mummy’s friends.
And was I imagining it, or did Mirrie have designs on my fiancé? But then, she was probably flirtatious with all men, especially one who had both written and was directing the play she was in. I don’t suppose it hurt that he was handsome and attractive, too, and of course, when she and Leo were married and living in London after finishing the Silvermann films, he had been part of their crowd, so she knew him well.
You can feel more alone in a crowd than in any wilderness, I thought, looking at the doorway into the back room where they’d vanished.
Then a hand touched my arm and I turned to see the famous and very elderly actor couple who Ivo had ranked among his few real friends.
They were the ones who had taken him under their wing on that very first film shoot and become almost like family to him. In fact, they were the only people I knew who might still be in touch with Ivo …
‘Garland, my dear – how lovely to see you,’ said Sir Mallory Mortlake and his wife, the equally celebrated actress Demelza Dartford, smiled at me and admired my dress.
Ivo had once, long ago, introduced us and ever since then, on the rare occasions when our paths had crossed, they had always remembered me and asked how my work was going, as they did now.
We chatted for a few minutes and it was balm to the soul, but when they moved on and Marco still hadn’t reappeared, I went to look for him.
He was standing in the back room with Mirrie still hanging on his arm, at the centre of a group of the cast and a few of his less desirable old friends who I hadn’t realized till then were even at the party.
As I watched, Mirrie looked up at him with thoseenormous, sparkling, celestial-blue eyes and gave him a particularly intimate smile … and I turned on my heel and made my way out, depositing my untouched glass on a side table as I went.
I felt as much a fish out of water as I had at ten, transported from my cosy Ealing life to a remote and insular Scottish village – but now I was all grown up and I didn’t have to put up with it. What’s more, I was very, very bored, though of course that was partly my own fault, because I find it hard to talk to people I don’t know well, but it would have been hard to break into a group of actors all happily talking shop.
In the hall I unearthed my coat and the bag with my work clothes in it, doubting that Marco would notice I’d gone for hours. I hadn’t intended to stay over that night, tomorrow being, for me, another working day and an early start.
As I was replacing my heels with a pair of comfortable flats, Wilfric came out into the hall and I thought he might have had a little too much to drink, because his dark eyes were glittering as he tacked towards me, as if caught in a crosswind.
‘Spotted you, darling – you aren’t off already, are you? I was hoping to talk to you about those wonderful costumes you’ve been re-creating, especially mine!’
‘Yes, I’m afraid I’ll have to go. I’m working in the morning and it’s always an early start,’ I said. ‘I’m so glad you like your costume, though.’
