Page 35 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz
I cannot speak.
‘No. We are not going to Paris unless…’
We all look with expectant eyes at Fay.
9
Fay
When Ruby starts to swear aloud in a most unladylike fashion, I put my foot down. The last thing Clarissa needs is for our group to make a spectacle of themselves like that abominable Sheila Bold and her women. I glance at Clarissa and can see the poor lady is pale from the shock.
‘We are not going to Paris unless… unless we can make new travel arrangements.’
‘How could Janine do this to us?’ Monica starts to fret.
‘I cannot believe it,’ Asha adds.
‘Indeed, and what has she done with all our money?’ I add. ‘I have my suspicions. But as she has left us completely in the lurch we must, for now, put all our efforts into getting to Paris.’ I clap my hands together.
‘How?’ Bonnie stares at me.
Taking my notebook and pen from my bag, the plan of action forms as I speak. ‘We need to see if we can obtain any aircraft tickets on either this or a subsequent flight. Monica, perhaps you, Hazel and Clarissa can go and enquire with the airline? I will look after the cases here.’
Monica nods and hurriedly pushes Hazel’s wheelchair to the airline desks, Clarissa walking ghost-like behind.
‘Bonnie and Cath, I can see from the departures board that there are two other airlines with flights to Paris today. Go and see if you can find out if any tickets are available from the desks over there.’
‘Right you are.’ Cath and Bonnie make a beeline for the desks I have indicated.
Ruby is shaking her head. ‘There’s no way there’ll be seats for all of us. Frigging hell…’
‘Ruby, you and Asha make a search for Eurostar train tickets on the internet.’
‘Yes. Good idea, Fay.’ Asha pulls out her phone, nodding respectfully to me while Ruby is already using her phone without any glimpse of acknowledgment of my leadership. Typical.
‘The new tickets, they will cost much money?’ Ingrida is chewing her lip.
‘Let us worry about that if we can actually procure any,’ I reply, but I am also concerned as to how we will fund the extra expense.
‘Ingrida, can you check on the train times from Wilmslow to London, or even Stockport or Manchester to London? See if there are any late deals on services today.’
‘Ja.’
I search on my phone for travel times to London, the time it will take to get from Euston to St Pancras Station, the time it takes the Eurostar to get to Paris and note these all down in my book.
‘There is train from Wilmslow, it is in just over one hour, but best price tickets, they are expensive…’ Ingrida shows me the screen and the cost.
‘I am afraid there will be an inevitable outlay for us all to get to Paris, but rest assured, Ingrida, we will be getting our money back from Janine. On that I am determined. Hold that screen until we know more about the Eurostar…’
Bonnie and Cath wave at me from across the terminal with a thumbs down and a shake of the head before moving to another counter.
My biggest fear is that there will be no flight tickets. I know Hazel would not be capable of making the journey by train, and I am sure Clarissa would not want to go without her.
Monica waves wildly from her desk and I leave Ingrida in charge of the cases to cross to her.
‘There are two remaining seats for the next flight to Paris in just a couple of hours. Hazel and Clarissa are going to take them. They have to use their special assistance to get to the gate immediately as it is not available later, so they need to check-in straight away.’
Hazel purchases the remaining two air tickets so they can be fast tracked to the departure gate. I cannot help thinking to myself that it was sloppy work of the airport to allow assisted travel to be booked without evidence of documents confirming the flight, however this has worked in our favour on this occasion.
