Applause (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 2) by Madalyn Morgan (best authors to read txt) 📕

‘Here, drink this.’ Bill handed Margot a glass. ‘Ginger wine. It’ll warm you up.’

Margot sipped the spicy liquid and gazed into the fire.

‘Well?’ Bill said, after a few minutes. ‘It’s not like you to cry. What’s going on?’

Margot took another sip of her drink. ‘I can’t tell you, Bill.’

‘You’re scaring me now, Margaret. Are you ill?’

‘No.’

He exhaled noisily. ‘Phew! Thank God for that. What then?’ he said, his voice lighter. ‘Come on, love, we don’t keep secrets from one another. Just say it.’

‘I’ve been sacked.’

‘You’ve been what?’

‘Sacked?’

‘By who?’

‘Miss Lesley.’

Bill tilted his head and frowned, the way he did when he knew his wife was hiding something. ‘Why would she sack you? She likes you. You like her. And you love the job.’

Margot didn’t love the job; she loved the theatre.

‘You’d be in that damn theatre day and night if you had your way. So?’ Bill put his hand under Margot’s chin and lifted her face until her eyes met his. ‘What have you done that is so bad you’ve been sacked?’

‘Well,’ Margot began. She needed to sweeten the pill. ‘Well,’ she said again, ‘Miss Lesley didn’t sack me, exactly. She said she was letting me go to pursue my career.’

‘Pursue your career? What the hell does that mean?’

‘She knows I want to sing and dance and--’ She burst into tears.

Bill waited until Margot calmed down. ‘Let me get this straight. Last week you said you liked your boss. You said she was a nice woman. You also said she was pleased with your work and grateful to you for all the hours you put in. Is that right?’

‘Yes, but…’

‘But what?’

‘It was the wardrobe mistress who said that.’

Bill shook his head. ‘There’s more to this, isn’t there? What aren’t you telling me, Margaret?’ She closed her eyes. Bill was angry. He had every right to be. ‘You might as well tell me,’ he said, ‘or would you rather I ask Miss Lesley?’

‘I was late. The air-raid siren started and an ARP warden made me go to Aldwych Underground. And you know how I hate--? Anyway, I was pushed and shoved into the station and almost down the stairs before I got away. Then it took ages to get to the theatre--’ Margot burst into tears. ‘I’m sorry, Bill.’

‘Hold on. It wasn’t your fault you were late. We’ll explain what happened and everything will be all right. Do you know if she’s told Anton?’

‘She said she hadn’t, but--’

‘No more buts! I’m not having you treated like this. Pamela Lesley can’t sack you for being late if you were caught in an air raid. Here,’ Bill handed Margot his handkerchief. ‘Dry your eyes. I’ll go and see Anton tomorrow, explain what happened and get you reinstated.’ Bill put his arms around Margot and rocked her gently. ‘So no more tears, all right?’

‘It wasn’t the first time.’

‘What wasn’t the first time? That you’d been late?’

‘No. That Miss Lesley had caught me away from my post. It wasn’t my first warning either. I’m sorry, Bill. I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to be angry with me. And the reason Miss Lesley hasn’t told Anton is because the Goldmans are our friends. I know they’re really our Bess’s friends, but Miss Lesley said our friends, and I wasn’t about to--’

‘Stop, Margaret! Never mind whose friends are who.’ Bill frowned, then looked thoughtful. ‘When was this air raid? When did the sirens sound?’

‘Tonight.’

‘Yes, Margaret, tonight! What time? We were called out to an accident at around seven. We drove past the Aldwych. I didn’t hear the siren, or see people queuing to get into the station.’

‘Just before ten,’ Margot whispered, looking at the floor.

‘Did you say ten?’ Margot nodded, but didn’t look up. ‘What the hell were you doing walking around the streets at that time of night?’

Tears began to run down her cheeks. ‘I’m sorry, Bill, I should have told you. I wanted to, but it never seemed to be the right time. And if I’d told you and you made me stop, I don’t know what I’d have done. I love it, Bill. You don’t know what it means to me. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of. Please don’t stop me doing it, Bill, please,’ Margot begged. ‘If you do, I’ll die. I will, I’ll die!’ Margot pulled away from her husband, threw herself onto the bed and sobbed.

Bill poured them both another drink. ‘Drink this, you’ll feel better. Come on,’ he coaxed, ‘sit up.’

Margot lifted her head from the pillow with a shuddering sob. Her face was red and her eyes swollen. Trembling, she took the glass of ginger wine and spilt a drop. ‘Sorry,’ she whispered.

‘Tell me why you weren’t at the theatre at-- whatever the time was. And I want the truth, Margaret!’

Margot told Bill how the theatre had gone dark after the sewerage works had been bombed. How the girls had persuaded her to go with them to the Prince Albert Club, and how Nancy’s fiancé, Salvatore, asked if one of them would do a song from the show. ‘None of them wanted to sing. They shouted out my name, said I would sing – and I did. I sang a song on the stage, Bill.’

Margot paused to give Bill time to comment, but he just sipped his drink. She couldn’t read his expression and she lowered her head. ‘Go on,’ he said, eventually.

‘Well, I walked across the dance floor to the stage. I was so nervous… Anyway, the bandleader helped me onto the stage and there I was, in the spotlight, in front of all those people. He asked me my name and I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I said Margot,