Across the Mersey by Annie Groves Page A

shows.’
    ‘Alan’s here, Mummy. Just remember,’ Bella hissed at Grace as her mother went into the hall, ‘it’s Seb you’ll be partnering, so that me and Alan can have a bit of time to ourselves, so don’t start hanging around me all night. Charlie’s going to drive you and Seb there, aren’t you, Charlie?’
    Without waiting for her brother to reply, Bella turned to check her reflection in the mirror above the new tiled fireplace, whilst her mother went to answer the door.
    Grace couldn’t help noticing the speed with which Bella’s cross expression and demanding voice changed the moment her mother called out, ‘Bella darling, Alan’s here.’ Almost miraculously a smile replaced her earlier frown, her voice as soft and sweet as fresh cream as she jerked her head warningly to Grace, mouthing, ‘Come on’ before hurrying into the hallway.
    To Grace’s surprise Alan Parker, instead of being the swooningly handsome matinée idol type she had imagined, was a rather ordinary-looking young man of around medium height and build, with a pugnacious expression, slightly protruding pale blue eyes, and brown hair.
    ‘Seb, do come inside properly and be introduced to my cousin,’ Bella instructed the young man who was half hidden by the open front door. ‘I should warn you that Grace isn’t actually a member of the Tennis Club. She works in Lewis’s,’ Bella added disparagingly. ‘I’ve told her that she’s not to disgrace you, though.’
    Grace could feel her face starting to burn with misery and humiliation, which was made even worse when her partner for the evening stepped into the hallway. Alan Parker’s cousin was everything that Bella’s boyfriend was not. He was tall, broad-shouldered and very good-looking, the uniform he was wearing making him look distinguished and smart, despite the fact that his leg was in plaster and he was having to use crutches. His hair was thick and dark and nicely barbered.
    ‘I can see that your cousin is teasing us both,’he told Grace, offering her both his hand and the kindest smile she had ever seen. It was so warm and understanding that she could feel her earlier misery melting away. ‘And I’m going to be escorting the prettiest girl at the dance.’
    Bella flashed them an angry look. ‘You wouldn’t say that if you could see her in her Lewis’s uniform,’ she tittered angrily. ‘I really don’t know how you can work there, Grace, especially with that horrid common girl who works in the Gown Salon with you.’
    ‘Come on, Bella, otherwise we’re going to be late,’ Alan interrupted her irritably, thrusting a box containing a corsage of flowers towards her.
    ‘Oh, how lovely. Look, Mummy, my favourite flower. Alan darling, you are so thoughtful.’
    ‘Bet she ordered it herself and told him what she wanted,’ Charlie muttered irrepressibly in Grace’s ear as they all watched whilst Bella begged Alan with prettily sweet insistence to pin the corsage on for her.
    ‘Thank you, darling,’ she told him once he had finished, raising herself up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and then pouting when he rubbed his skin, protesting that she was covering him in lipstick.
    ‘Seb, Charlie is taking you and Grace in his car. Grace can sit in the back so you’ll have plenty of room for your crutches. Alan, come on, darling. I dare say that everyone will be waiting for us to arrive.’ She gave a tinkling little laugh. ‘It’s so embarrassing, but everyone seems to take theirlead from me and Alan. I suppose it’s flattering really.’
    ‘And entirely natural,’ Grace heard her auntie Vi saying firmly.
    ‘I’m really sorry that you’ve been forced to travel with us, instead of with your cousin,’ Grace apologised to Seb.
    ‘I’m not,’ he told her cheerfully. ‘In actual fact, Alan isn’t my cousin. Our relationship is rather more tenuous than that. It’s very good of his parents to put me up, though, whilst I wait for the medics to pronounce me fit