Page 99 of The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge
The woman smiled and pointed wordlessly to a freestanding notice next to a rope barrier. It read, ‘Launch ofA Curious Natureby Stephanie Lansdown, The Old Library’, and an arrow pointed towards another set of glass doors that led out into dazzling early evening sunshine.
‘I’ve no idea where we are!’ Nancy gasped as they crossed a spacious plaza towards another, identical, notice at the far side. Modern edifices rose all around. Several cafés with gay canopies bordered the busy square. Students of all types occupied the tables and chairs that were scattered about, their conversation and laughter echoing upwards to form a kind of background music.
They entered a gloomy passageway beyond, the end of which opened into another sunlit space, and Nancy gasped, for here was the old quad she remembered, withthe Victorian gatehouse to one side and the clock tower in the centre.
‘This is the Prince’s I knew,’ she cried. ‘We’ve just come in via the Zoo building, that grand portal is Chemistry and over there’s the library – the Old Library, I suppose.’ Stef had told her they had a huge modern one on the campus now. Nancy was delighted to hear that Stef had found a copy of Nancy’s doctoral thesis safely filed there.
‘It’s like going back in time,’ Nancy whispered, her voice quavery with emotion. And it was. She’d been preparing herself mentally for this moment for weeks, ever since Stef had announced the date and venue of the book launch. Stef had asked her publisher specifically for it to take place at Prince’s. Not only had it been Nancy’s college, but a Prince’s Chemistry professor she’d interviewed had suggested the Old Library for the event.
Now that she was actually here in the old part of the college, Nancy felt surprisingly calm and reassured. Talking about her experiences for the book had helped her come to terms with the past. She’d been happy here at Prince’s, she realized. She thought of all the people she’d known here. Occasionally she still heard from Peggy in Hampshire. Anne Durban was still going and sent a Christmas card from the Manor House every year. Somewhere Nancy had read that Raj had done well in what they now called Mumbai, but which in her day had been Bombay.
‘Come on,’ Cara said. ‘I want to catch Stef before it all starts.’ She started walking briskly in the direction of the library and Ted and Nancy followed. Nancy liked Ted immensely and feltthat he was good for Cara. He was a steadying influence but fun, too. At Aaron and Stef’s wedding in Hickston a year ago, he’d driven them to the church in a horse and carriage that Cara had decorated with flowers. Such a beautiful wedding it had been, with a reception at a local converted barn. Stef had become her granddaughter-in-law – she grinned at the cumbersome title. It meant, crucially, that she was family and Nancy was very pleased indeed about that. The only sadness was that Andrea, Aaron’s mother, had not felt able to leave her ailing husband, but Aaron and Stef had plans to fly out to Mexico and see her, and had invited Nancy to go with them. Nancy was considering this. It would be a big trip for her, but she longed to see her daughter.
There was a lift up to the Old Library that hadn’t been there in her day and Nancy was happy to take it. When the door opened at the first floor, she recognized the wood-lined lobby at once and the rubber-edged doors into the library swung open just as silently as ever.
She blinked in astonishment to see the broad open space where once had been rows of bookcases. At one end was a raised area and a lectern with a microphone. People had begun to gather near a table with a white cloth on it glittering with wine glasses.
‘I’ll get drinks,’ Ted offered and set off.
‘There’s Stef!’ Cara cried and began to march towards the lectern. Nancy had spotted her, too, looking radiant in an amber-coloured trouser suit, but hung back. Stef was sipping orange juice and talking to a striking, willowy woman with cropped auburn hair: Sarah, Stef’s agent. Nancy had met herat the wedding and found her friendly, but fierce. All of a sudden, she felt a little lost. She wasn’t used to crowds these days. She gazed about. The room was filling up rapidly with strangers. Then suddenly, Stef appeared at her side.
‘Nancy!’ She returned Stef’s kiss.
‘You look lovely, Stef dear. Glowing, if I might say!’ Stef and Aaron had come to see her a week ago to break the happy news.
‘We’re so excited. Livy can’t wait for a little brother or sister!’
‘A wonderful Christmas present for us all,’ Nancy had breathed.
Ted returned with a glass of wine for Nancy. And here was Aaron looking happier than she’d ever seen him. And, oh, darling Livy, giving her a hug. Was that Stef’s sister and her husband coming to say hello? No sign of the twins. Surrounded by people she loved, she felt strong again.
The party passed in a haze of noise and activity. Various women came over to speak to her. They’d read her story in Stef’s book, they said, and had been shocked and angered by it. Two had featured in the book themselves. She shook their hands, listened to words of admiration and support, repeated their names, trying to impress them on her memory. Ted twinkled a smile as he refilled her glass.
Then came the speeches. Stef’s editor Catherine, a short, round woman with a powerful presence, was most eloquent; now came Stef with a long list of thanks. And then Nancy heard her own name called and started in surprise.
‘Go on,’ Aaron said in her ear, so she made her way to Stef’s side, felt Stef’s reassuring hand on her arm.
‘A Curious Naturewould not be the book it is without Dr Nancy Foster’s input,’ Stef said into the microphone. ‘Many women in the book have shown great bravery in sharing their experiences, but Nancy has arguably been the bravest of them all. Many of you know that Nancy is an alumna of this college, one of their brightest and best. Women like Nancy were pioneers who paved the way for later generations. We have much to thank her for.’
A swell of applause filled the room and Nancy looked round at everyone in amazement and gratitude.
‘And many of you know I have something else to thank her for. Through her, I met her grandson Aaron, now my husband, and darling Livy, her great-granddaughter.’ The applause grew louder and some people cheered.
Nancy felt tears threaten, but blinked them back as she took the microphone from Stef.
‘Thank you, everyone,’ she croaked, then cleared her throat and went on. ‘It’s a great pleasure to be here, to visit my old college again and to celebrate Stef’s book about the challenges faced by women scientists. I’d like to be able to say that I achieved something as a scientist in the early fifties – that I made great discoveries or added to the betterment of humanity – but I cannot make that claim. Still, I went on to teach generations of schoolchildren, and that’s a noble cause.’ There were murmurs of agreement at this. ‘It gives me great pleasure to have met many women here tonight who are achieving more than I was ever able to, and I’d like us to celebrate them by raising our glasses. A toast! ToA Curious Natureand women scientists everywhere!’
As the room vibrated with the enthusiastic response, Nancy stepped aside with a sigh of relief. The speeches were over and everyone was returning to their conversations.
‘That was a nice touch, your toast, Nancy,’ someone said in her ear. She looked up to see Stef’s agent, the fierce Sarah, smiling at her. ‘Tell me,’ Sarah went on, her eyes glinting, ‘did you think of asking Professor West to come tonight?’
‘James?’ Nancy replied cautiously. ‘Boston’s a long way to come from for a party. Anyway…’ She paused.
‘Skeleton at the feast?’
‘Something like that.’ She smiled. ‘I couldn’t allow him that importance. Or indeed blame. He was, after all, just one man among many.’
‘In a system that gave men the upper hand,’ Sarah nodded. ‘I get that. But that doesn’t let him off the hook. Doesn’t let any of them off the hook.’ She scowled and Nancy saw that Sarah would be a formidable opponent to any man who challenged her position in the world.
