Page 9 of The Girl from the Tea Garden
They had left their costumes in the games shed; that’s how she’d come across Nelson the Third. She’d instantly recognised the patch of lighter-coloured fur around his left ear and the intelligent look in his eye, and he appeared to know her even if his owner didn’t. It rankled with Adela that the handsome Sam had not recognised who she was, but then he must get hundreds of passengers every month, so why should he remember her from over a year ago?
‘Do you think this is a good idea?’ Flowers asked anxiously.
‘Course it is.’
‘I think we should have told the others, so they won’t get a nasty shock when they find out it’s us.’
‘That’s the whole point,’ said Adela. ‘They think it’s just some musical appreciation that Miss Bensham has dreamed up. I can’t wait to see the look on Nina Davidge’s face when we go on stage. We’re going to get ourselves on cine film too!’
‘I don’t think I can do this. There are so many people in the hall– seniors too. And Miss Black might hate it, ’cause it’s not history and serious. What if we get into trouble? I don’t want to get sent home.’
‘Calm down! No one’s going to get sent home. Miss Bensham will back us up– she’s going to announce us after Nina’s play. Now put your costume on.’
Flowers reluctantly pulled on a pair of baggy trousers they’d made out of old sheets over her dancing dress and buttoned up her school blazer on top. Nelson leapt around them, snatching at their hats.
‘He’s excited for our performance.’ Adela laughed. ‘Come on, Flowers, put a smile on your face and let’s have some fun for a change.’
They scurried back to the hall and went backstage. They were too early; Nina and Margie were just about to go on.
‘What on earth are you two doing?’ Margie hissed.
‘We’re the surprise act at the end,’ Adela said, delighting in Nina’s astonished look.
Nina, dressed in a sumptuous Elizabethan costume her parents had paid to have tailor-made, gaped at them.
‘Come on, Nina, we’re on.’ Margie pulled her arm.
Nina found her voice. ‘You look like a couple of tramps. I wouldn’t be seen dead dressed like that.’ She shot Flowers a pitying look. ‘I bet Adela put you up to this. Well, make a fool of yourself if you want to, but you’ll never live it down. You’ll make our house look second-rate.’
Nelson, who was swinging on the curtain, reached out and yanked Nina’s crown.
‘Get him off me!’ she squealed, flapping at the monkey. ‘Give that back!’
Nelson scampered off across the stage as the curtain went up, flinging the crown into the audience. Laughter rippled through the hall.
‘We should be on there,’ Margie said in agitation.
‘I haven’t got my crown,’ cried Nina.
‘Come on!’ Margie pushed her forward.
Laughter grew as Nelson leapt across the seats and evaded capture. Adela whistled for him– a loud one through her fingers like she’d seen Sam do– and the monkey scampered backstage again and into her arms.
Nina flung a look of loathing as she hurried on stage. Adela felt a twinge of remorse as she watched Nina’s flustered performance from the wings.
‘A real actress wouldn’t care if a monkey ran off with her crown,’ she whispered to Flowers. ‘A professional doesn’t need props– she just gets on with it.’
But to stop any more antics from Nelson, she put him back on his lead, which she tied to a chair.
The short play was over even quicker because Margie jumped a whole scene leading up to her execution by order of Queen Bess, cutting out Nina’s long, dramatic final speech. Nina stormed off to halfhearted applause.
‘I’ll never forgive you for this– or you, stinky Flowers.’ Nina pushed past them, eyes smarting with furious tears.
Miss Bensham appeared in the opposite wing, where the gramophone was set up, and waved across. ‘Ready?’ she mouthed.
Adela nodded and gave the thumbs up. Miss Bensham beamed and gave the signal for the curtains to be pulled aside again. She began announcing the final surprise act.
‘Two young ladies have been working hard in secret to put on an extra entertainment for you. This is not part of the competition but just for your pleasure. Let me introduce The Two Chaplins!’
