waiting by the counter. ‘And this one has a cluster of rosebuds, while this pink one is a brand new Paris model,’ she went on, with careful courtesy. At Sinclair’s, it was drummed into all staff that they must provide the very best service to customers at all times.
The smallest of the young ladies, who was dressed in an elaborately flounced gown, seized on the Paris hat at once. ‘I’ll try this one,’ she announced in a very self-confident tone, positioning herself in front of the mirror. ‘Lord Beaucastle says I look awfully pretty in pink, you know,’ she added to her companions.
The girl next to her – slender, dark-haired and rather more simply dressed than her companion – rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She picked up the hat with the rosettes and turned it over in her hands. Sophie thought she saw her eyes flick very quickly to the price, which was marked discreetly on a small ticket inside the hat-box.
‘Cynthia has one just like this,’ she said disdainfully, dropping the hat back into its box. ‘Goodness knows, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was copying her taste.’
‘What do you think of this one?’ the third of the debutantes, who had dimples and yellow curls, asked anxiously as she tried the hat with the rosebuds. ‘It would be rather lovely for a tea party, don’t you think, Emily? With my lace tea-gown?’
‘Well, get it if you like it, Phyllis, by all means,’ said Emily, the dark girl. ‘Though I must say it’s not to my taste.’
‘I suppose you would prefer this one,’ said the first young lady sharply, as she appraised the Paris hat in the mirror.
‘Oh no, I don’t think so,’ said Emily dismissively. ‘I don’t care for pink. I’d rather that blue with the spotted veil,’ she said, nodding at a hat on display on another of the glass-topped counters. ‘It’s more stylish.’
Phyllis’s face looked shocked under the wide brim of the hat she was trying. ‘But you couldn’t possibly wear something like that!’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s so bold! We’re only just out, after all – we mustn’t look fast !’
‘Oh, Phyllis, don’t be such a prig,’ said Emily with a little laugh.
‘Why don’t you try it on then, if you’re so daring?’ suggested the first young lady, still not taking her eyes off her own perfect reflection in the mirror. Sophie thought it sounded like a challenge.
Emily yawned daintily behind a gloved hand, as if the whole situation was boring her. ‘No, I don’t think I will,’ she said coolly. ‘Really, it’s a little vulgar to buy from a department store, don’t you think? Why, imagine if someone else turned up to a party wearing the same hat as you? It would be just humiliating!’
‘Not so humiliating as wearing the same evening gown to three different parties in a row,’ muttered the first young lady. Emily ignored her, but Sophie noticed a flush of crimson appearing on her cheeks.
An uncomfortable silence fell, until at last the first young lady removed the hat and cast it carelessly down on the counter. ‘I’ll leave this one, thank you,’ she said airily to Sophie. Then she turned to Phyllis. ‘Do make your mind up. Are you going to buy that, or not? We’ll be late for luncheon if you don’t hurry.’
Phyllis hurriedly removed the hat and handed it back with an apologetic smile, and the whole party set out for luncheon in the Marble Court Restaurant, rather to Sophie’s relief. She might be grateful to have her job at Sinclair’s, but she could think of better ways to spend her birthday than dealing with bickering debutantes, she thought ruefully, as she tidied the hats away.
‘Letter for you, Miss Taylor!’
A porter approached the counter, giving her a cheeky wink as he handed her not one, but two envelopes.
‘Young gentleman friend, eh? Sending you a few sweet nothings?’ he teased, grinning as he went on his way.
Sophie ignored him and glanced down at the envelopes. The sight of the familiar, rather untidy handwriting at once made her spirits lift. She slipped behind the counter, and tore the envelope open, revealing a card with a birthday greeting on the front, surrounded by a pretty wreath of poppies and daisies and some swooping swallows. Inside was scribbled a cryptic message:
Sophie grinned to herself. She knew exactly who the birthday card was from. During their adventure, Sophie and her friends had had to decipher some mysterious coded messages, and ever since then, Lil had thought it was great fun to write the others notes in code. Sophie frowned and picked up a pencil, trying to work out this one, determined not to let Lil get the better of her. After a few unsuccessful tries, she cracked it: the secret was to read every other letter, starting with the first – and when she came to the end, to start again with the letters she had missed.
A birthday tea! The day that had stretched ahead of her just like any other suddenly seemed bright and festive. She felt altogether more cheerful as she glanced down at the second envelope – perhaps Billy had sent her a birthday greeting too?
But the second envelope did not look in the least like something Billy might have sent. The envelope was thick ivory paper, the address written in violet ink in an elegant but unfamiliar hand:
How curious! It was addressed to both her and Lil. She frowned for a moment, trying to think who on earth could possibly be writing a note to both of them. But there was no time to wonder – another customer was hurrying towards her. Hastily, she stuffed both envelopes into the pocket of her frock. ‘May I help you, madam?’ she asked.
Several hours later, Sophie pushed open the door of Lyons Corner House, breathing in the lovely aroma of hot buttered toast and coffee. It had been a very long day, and now her feet ached and her back hurt, but she was certainly not too tired to relish the prospect of a birthday celebration. Going out to tea was a rare treat; she and Lil would occasionally come here when they had a shilling or two to spare. It was one of the few places in London that welcomed young girls like themselves, alone, and it always gave her a satisfying feeling of freedom and independence.
She caught sight of Lil at once, sitting at their usual table in the corner. Lil was conspicuous whenever she went, being both unusually tall and unusually beautiful. Even dressed as she was this afternoon, in a simple summer frock and a straw hat with a ribbon round it, her glorious mass of rich dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and magnificent figure made her look more like a goddess than an ordinary girl. Sophie had long since got used to Lil’s remarkable appearance – but what did immediately take her by surprise was that Lil was not alone. Sitting beside her, both looking rather as though they had been starched and ironed especially for the occasion, were Joe and Billy.
‘Hullo Sophie!’ said Billy as she approached. ‘Happy birthday!’
Lil was almost bouncing out of her seat with excitement. ‘I say, isn’t this jolly? Are you surprised? Do sit down – we’ve already ordered some iced buns. I hope you don’t mind – I do think there’s something awfully birthday-ish about iced buns, don’t you?’
Even Joe
