Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (13 inch ebook reader TXT) 📕

reluctant toleave the pleasantly cool summer evening to go inside tothe orangery, which they knew was going to be on the warm side.

‘These black clothes get awfully hotsometimes,' explained Virginia. 'We keepthinking we should have a differentsummer uniform, but we can never agree on what to have. We don't want anyone fainting.Have you got your scarf, Flora?'

‘Yes,Moira gave me one. It's folded carefully in my bag. Edie ironed it for me. I don't think she trusted me not toburn it.'

‘Well,you do have to be careful. And is your mother coming?'

‘With Edie. They'll be along later. It'sbeen lovely having her.'

‘It must have been a bit lonely for youhere, not knowing many people. Now, how dowe get in?’

‘This I do know. Follow me,' said Flora.

Henry cameinto the orangery just as they were going to startthe rehearsal. He waved at Flora but she ignored him. It washard enough to remember how they were walkingin, where they were to stand so they could all see James,where the basses were going to be positioned so they could be heard by but notdrown out the second sopranos. She fixed her gaze on James,waiting for the signal to start. How could people chat just beforea dress rehearsal? Her palms were sweating and she stillfelt slightly sick.

But shecouldn't ignore Henry in the break before the performance.Wine, soft drinks, tea, sandwiches and cake were laidon in a room off the kitchen. A woman in a black dressand white apron ushered them to it, saying Henry had arranged it.

The choirwere thrilled and as they all wanted to thank Henrypersonally, it was some time before Flora could getto him. 'This is very kind of you, Henry' she said. 'A few soft drinks would have beenperfectly adequate.'

‘Iwanted to do something a bit better than that.' He looked down at her with a look that indicated hewas hoping for some kind of reward.

‘It's for thechoir,' she said firmly, making it clear that no reward wouldbe forthcoming. 'But it is nice of you.' He appeared to accept this andshrugged. 'It seemed only fair to do something after theydid all those repairs.'

‘RoofOK now?' asked one of the basses who had access to ladders andwindow-repairing skills.

‘Fine, thanks, David. Are you really sure I can't pay you?’

Davidshook his head. 'Nah. The materials didn't cost much andmy boss gave me the time off work to do it.’

David hada wonderful voice and Flora loved it when they werearranged so she could hear it thrumming through herat the end of John Tavener's 'The Lamb', herfavourite, but the most challenging piece they sang.

‘It's a lovely venue,' said one of theother choir members. 'You should rent it outfor functions. You could charge quite a lot, I should think.'

‘Orget it registered so you could have weddings in here,' agreed another.

Henrybecame thoughtful. 'So I could. With the hole in theroof I never thought of it as being somewhere that couldearn its keep.' He paused. 'So why am I doing it for youfor nothing?' he asked, smiling at Flora.

‘Because before we came along there was afield instead of a lawn and a puddle the size of Lake Windermere on the floor,' she said. When she had last seen Henry, this reply would have sufficed. Now,he seemed different. Or was it justFlora's nerves making her over-sensitive?

‘That'sa bit unfair. The puddle wasn't much bigger than the Serpentine.’

Shelaughed, to oblige him. 'You're doing it for the sake ofcharity and the good of your soul, which could probably do with improvement.'

‘You'reprobably right.' This time his smile was less calculating and Flora recognised how attractive he was.

Come on,heart, she said to herself. He's nice, he's single! Be attracted to him! Why aren'tyou? But she knew the answer and nothingshe could tell herself could stopher wanting a rather stuffy man whose own heart belonged to another. Must tryharder, she told herself firmly, andif you can't fall in love with Henry, find another romantic distraction.

Henry puthis hand on Flora's shoulder and was about to speakwhen James said, 'The audience are beginning to come in.Could we get ourselves together, please? And can I tellyou once more? Don't forget to smile! Flora?’

Flora foundit very difficult to smile when she was so nervous.She tried a smile now, but her cheek muscles seemed tobe made of plaster of Paris, and wouldn't let her. Shefound Moira, whom she was following in, and stood behind her. Moira adjustedher scarf for her and gave her shoulders a little hug ofencouragement. 'You'll be fine! Got your music? In your left hand? That'sright.’

Moira turned away and, a moment later,they processed in, the women in black withblue scarves, the men in dinnerjackets with matching bow ties. Flora hadn'tliked putting on black clothes and black tights on a lovely warm evening, butshe admitted to herself that theywere smart when they were all together.

The orangery looked magnificent.Although too nervous to look around much,Flora couldn't help recollecting howit had been when she'd first seen it: empty and dank, with a puddle on the floor. Now there were chairs arranged in rows in one half. Some hugeplants, one of them a genuine orange tree in a huge pot, stood in the corners; someone had done something cleverwith the lighting and all thefloor-to-ceiling windows were open, so thebreeze wafted in. They had been rehearsing there not longbefore, but the addition of the audience, bright in theirsummer silks, added colour and excitement.

‘Angela, inthe altos, lent the plants,' Moira breathed to Flora outof the side of her mouth as they reached theirplaces. There was no platform, but they had practisedcarefully where they were to stand so everyone had a goodview of James, and could be seen by the audience.

Flora,terrifyingly, was on the end, in full view of everyone.'Good luck!' whispered Moira as they settled in their positions.

Floradidn't reply. She could see her mother and Edie out of thecorner of her eye. They were smiling encouragingly,but Flora realised she'd have felt happier if she hadn'tknown any of the audience. She wanted her humiliation to be kept private. Therewas Henry, of course. He was sitting at the back. She had notrouble