Happiness for Hazel Read online

  “Do you think so?”

  Hazel stared at her friend’s face carefully. “I’m sure of it! You can look now.”

  Eunice quickly jumped from the bed and went to the mirror on the wall. Her mouth opened but she didn’t say a word. Her eyes grew wide, and she glanced at Hazel before looking back at her reflection. “What have you done to me?”

  “Don’t you like it?” Hazel worried she might have done too much.

  “I love it! How could you make me look like this?” Eunice’s eyes sparkled. “I had no idea I could be this pretty!”

  “I read my mam’s magazines. There are all kinds of interesting articles about makeup and fashion in them.”

  “I’ll never be able to do this without help.” Eunice looked radiant. “Will you show me how to do it?”

  “It would be my pleasure, Mistress Swan.” Hazel giggled. “You’ll be the belle of the ball next time you go out with your Raymond. Perhaps Kenny will like your new look too. What do you think?”

  “Kenny won’t know it’s me! Even I don’t recognise myself.” She was grinning.

  “See, the makeup didn’t crack, and you’re smiling fit to bust.”

  Eunice turned back to the mirror and inspected her seemingly flawless complexion. “It’s a miracle. Why didn’t you tell me about this, years ago?”

  “I told you until I was blue in the face, but you would never listen, would you?”

  “Well, I’m glad you made me listen today. I feel like a film star. All I need is a posh frock to complete the look.”

  “You can borrow mine when I get it.”

  Eunice giggled. “It wouldn’t fit me. My curves would make it bulge in all the wrong places.”

  “Then we’ll have to get our heads together and see whether we can make something to suit your figure. I’ll look at my mam’s magazines for some inspiration.”

  “Oh, Hazel!” Eunice threw her arms around her friend. “You’re the best friend a girl could have.”

  Chapter 6 – Careful Negotiations

  Hazel met her friend at the bus stop near the market. Cynthia had given her a whole hour for her break when Hazel explained why she needed the extra time.

  She took Eunice’s hand. “The fabric stall is this way! How long did you get?”

  “Mrs Brooke said I could take an hour, but I’ll have to stay behind to help clean the bakery kitchen tonight to make up the time.”

  “Me too. Cynthia decided our kitchen needs a deep clean, so guess what I’ll be doing after closing time. Same as you, eh?” Hazel pointed to a market stall set out with colourful fabrics. “That’s the stall I told you about.”

  “Will you be finished work in time to get started on my dress tonight?”

  “We’ll make a start after tea. You can come over to ours, and we’ll pin it out on our dining table.”

  They spent ages looking at the various bolts of material. They looked at satin and rayon, printed cotton and tweedy checks in all colours of the rainbow.

  “Can you sew this silky rayon?” Eunice asked. “I tried to make myself a petticoat last year, but this stuff is too slippery, I never got the seams straight.”

  “I made a nightdress for my mam as a Christmas present in something like this.” Hazel picked up a silky pink satin. “The secret is to pin and tack it first.”

  “I’m not sure I’d suit something silky. It would be too clingy and show all my lumps and bumps.”

  “You have some lovely lumps and bumps!” Hazel laughed. “If I had a figure like yours, I’d be showing it off, not hiding it under layers of stiff tweedy fabric!”

  “What about the colour?” the woman behind the stall asked. “I think this printed cotton in royal blue might suit your complexion, love.”

  Hazel smiled at the kind woman. She was obviously ignoring poor Eunice’s latest outbreak of blemishes.

  “Or perhaps this silky lavender material. It’s rayon. It’s all the rage, I believe.”

  “No, that would be too much like your dress, Hazel. The blue cotton would be perfect. How much would we need?”

  Hazel took the pattern booklet from her bag and studied the instructions. “Four yards should do it, and we’ll also need some matching thread, some bias tape and some Petersham ribbon to give stability to the waist and neckline.”

  They made the purchases for less than a tenth of what Hazel’s dress had cost, and the woman wrapped everything in some brown paper.

  “We’d better get moving, or we’ll be late back.” Hazel took the parcel and put it in her bag. “See you tonight at my house and we’ll make a start.”

  They parted company outside the market and Hazel hurried back to work. Glenn was standing by the door of the café, and her heart lifted at the sight of him.

  “Where have you been?” he asked, taking her into his arms in the doorway. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

  She pulled from his arms and glanced behind her guiltily. “Not here, Glenn. Someone might see us!”

  “Are you ashamed of me?” His grin told her he wasn’t upset.

  “You know how it is. If my mam and dad find out about us, they’ll never let me out to see you properly.”

  “Sorry, Petal. I know.”

  “I’m sorry too. I won’t have time to see you today. Cynthia will expect me to start work when I get inside.”

  “Then don’t go back inside just yet. Let’s go around the back for five minutes.”

  Hazel glanced at the town hall clock and grinned. “I suppose five more minutes won’t hurt.”

  She allowed Glenn to guide her around to the back of the café and fell into his arms as soon as they were out of sight of passing shoppers. “Oh, I missed you.”

  “I missed you too, my sweet. I hate my shift patterns. Some weeks seem to last forever when I can’t see you.”

  “Well, you’re here now. Kiss me.” She lifted her face.

  His lips touched hers gently at first, but the kiss soon deepened to the familiar tongue tasting, tingling marathon she’d become used to. Her insides flamed as Glenn’s hands moved inside her coat to stroke her back.

  She pressed against him, holding him tightly while still caressing his tongue with hers. Glenn’s hands moved lower to cup her buttocks, and even though she knew she should stop him, she loved how his touch made her feel. She moaned softly as her stomach contracted with a delicious yearning sensation.

  “Oh, Glenn. You fill me with such a powerful feeling. I’m sure I could climb a mountain when you touch me like that.”

  He put his cheek against hers and whispered, “Perhaps one day we’ll climb that mountain together, and then I’ll show you what real love can feel like.”

  She shuddered with pleasure. Glenn had spoken of love. Did he love her? Is that what he meant? She was too shy to ask him to explain, but she knew his words would stay with her forever.

  Cynthia opened the kitchen door. “I thought I heard someone out here!”

  Hazel jumped from Glenn’s arms. “I was just coming, Cynthia.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Glenn said as he took a step away. “Usual time?”

  “Yes, I don’t have to go shopping tomorrow.” She watched him slip back down the alley beside the café and turned to go inside.

  Cynthia was watching her with a strange frown clouding her features.

  “What’s wrong?” Hazel jumped to defend herself. “I’m not late. It isn’t half-past yet!”

  “I’m not cross about your time-keeping, Hazel.” The older woman lifted her chin. “I saw what that young man was doing, and I have to say I’m surprised you let him take such liberties with you. I thought you were a good girl.”

  “I am a good girl!” Hazel said defiantly.

  “Then make sure you don’t allow Glenn Bradshaw any further liberties, or you’ll get into trouble, and I won’t be able to help you then.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “All I’m saying is, girls who let young men take liberties will ruin their reputati
ons, and that’s not the worst thing that might happen. Do you hear me?”

  “But I don’t understand. We were only having a kiss and cuddle.” Hazel couldn’t understand why Cynthia seemed so cross with her. “What are you talking about?”

  “That’s not for me to say. Just be careful. That’s all I meant.”

  Hazel sighed and took off her coat. She didn’t understand what the fuss was about. People kissed all the time. She’d seen actors and actresses kissing and cuddling in romantic musicals at the matinees when she’d gone to see them with her mother. Nobody got upset about it.

  She hurried through to the café, tying her apron as she went to clear some tables. The midday rush was over with a just few customers taking their time over the last dregs of tea. She would have time to daydream about Glenn when the tables were tidy. She sighed. He almost as good as said he loved her. She could imagine getting married to him. Perhaps they would live in a neat little house with a small garden. They might have children. The boys would look just like him, and the little girls would be adorable. She could picture the family and realised she might be imagining her future. It would be perfect. If she could have a future like the one in her imagination, she would be the happiest girl alive.

  A woman in a green jacket caught her attention. “Might we have some more tea, miss?” she asked.

  “Of course! I’ll get you a fresh pot.” She carried some dirty crockery through to the kitchen. “Table six want more tea. Is there any left in the urn or should I brew some more?”

  “Brew some fresh, love. The tea in the urn will be stewed by now. What did you get for your friend? Did you manage to find what you were looking for?”

  Hazel emptied the dregs of old tea from the heavy urn into the large pot sink. “We got some pretty royal-blue cotton with a small flower print in pink. She’ll look lovely in that colour.”

  “Do you have a pattern?” Cynthia asked.

  “Yes, we found one last week after searching through my mam’s magazines. She buys the Weldon’s Ladies’ Journal and keeps them all, so we had plenty to choose from.” She filled the urn and set it to boil.

  “You two girls will have had fun, looking through all those patterns. What did you decide on?”

  “Eunice said she couldn’t wear anything that skimmed over her curves. She needed something with more weight and structure on her figure. So we settled on a dress with a fitted top with puff sleeves and a bias cut full skirt.”

  She realised she felt quite excited about the dress she planned to help Eunice make. She hoped she might be allowed to accompany her friend when she wore it into town.

  “Sounds lovely.”

  Hazel sighed with frustration. “What am I going to do, Cynthia?”

  “About what, love?”

  “About getting to see Glenn without all this secrecy!”

  “Is your dad still being stubborn?”

  She nodded. “I’m nineteen now, but he still refuses to listen to my mam when she tries to talk to him about letting me have some freedom.”

  “Then why don’t you ask him yourself?”

  “What? He won't listen to me if he doesn't take heed of my mam.”

  “You don’t know that until you try. Perhaps he needs to be reminded that you’re a young woman now. If you talk to him like an adult, perhaps he might be ready to treat you as one.”

  Hazel thought about Cynthia’s advice throughout the long afternoon. She thought about what she might say to her father and rehearsed a little speech that she hoped might persuade him to take her seriously. By the time she’d finished cleaning the kitchen, her little speech was word perfect.

  Nerves bubbled in her tummy when she thought about confronting her father as she made her way home alone. Eunice wasn’t waiting in her usual place, but then, like her, she’d had to work late. The words of her little speech ran around in her head, making her jittery as she neared her street. Her brother was playing on the cobbles with Terry and Hugh and some other boys.

  “You’re late, sis. Dad is fretting about you,” Norman called as she neared her front door.

  She felt her stomach contract. She’d already told her mother she’d be late today and couldn’t understand why her father wouldn’t know about it.

  “I’m home, Mam!” she called as she pushed through the door.

  “About bloody time!” Her dad hurried into the kitchen. “Where have you been until this time? It’s gone seven!”

  “Where’s Mam?” She peered over his shoulder. “I told her I would be late tonight. I went shopping with Eunice at dinnertime and made up the hour after we closed.”

  “Martha never said! She must have forgotten to tell me. Sorry, love.” Her dad’s anger dissipated quickly. “She’s gone to the weekly Beetle-Drive at Fanny’s house.”

  “Did she save me any tea?”

  “Aye, there’s a plate of chops and peas in the oven, but they’ll be dried and leathery by now.” He looked at the brown paper parcel in her arms. “What you got there?”

  “It’s material to make Eunice a dress. We plan to make a start on it tonight.”

  “Let me have a look, then.”

  She opened the paper and lifted out the printed cotton. “She’ll look a picture in this, don’t you think?”

  “Aye, it’s bonny. What does she want with a pretty frock, though? Is it for Whitsuntide?”

  Hazel shook her head and realised this might be her opportunity to raise the subject of being allowed out.

  “She’s started going out with Raymond on Saturday nights, and she has nothing to wear now the days are growing warmer.”

  “Out with her brother, eh?” Her dad looked thoughtful. “How long has this been going on?”

  “A few weeks.” Hazel took a deep breath. “She’s nineteen, like me, Dad. We’re almost adults. There’s nothing wrong with stretching our wings a bit, is there?”

  “Are you saying you’d like to go into town with them?” His eyebrows lifted with a show of surprise but his lips were twitching into a smile at the corners. “Your mother has been nagging me for weeks about giving you some freedom.”

  “Has she?” Hazel tried to sound surprised but realised her father would know she would be the one asking her mother to intervene on her behalf.

  “So you think you’re old enough to be trusted, do you?”

  “Trusted?” She was confused by his choice of words.

  Her father’s face grew sombre. “Trusted with the lads, love. You have a rare kind of prettiness that will attract them like bees to honey, but you’re too young to understand what damage they might cause you.”

  “Damage?” She shook her head in puzzlement. “Eunice said they just talk and lark around. What do you mean, Dad?”

  “Well, they would just talk and fool around with your friend because she doesn’t look like you, does she?”

  Hazel didn’t know what to say. There was no answer she could think of that wouldn’t upset her father. She wanted to stand up and defend Eunice, but that would only end in a row, and she couldn’t risk an argument when her dad seemed to be considering letting her out.

  “I just want to have some fun, Dad. You wouldn’t have to worry about me. Raymond will look after us.”

  “I’m not so sure Raymond should be given responsibility for keeping you safe.”

  “He wouldn’t mind, Dad. He looks after Eunice when he takes her out, and he’s like a big brother to me too. I know I’ll be safe as houses with Ray looking after me.”

  Her dad turned away, and Hazel thought she’d gone too far in praising Eunice’s brother so much.

  When he spoke, he surprised her. “I’ll give it some thought. Get your tea before it burns to a crisp.”

  She watched him leave the house and sighed. It wasn’t the result she’d been hoping for, but she felt she’d made some progress.

  Chapter 7 – Surprising Opportunity

  Hazel couldn’t wait for the working day to end. Friday was payday, and she planned to hand
over the last but one instalment for her dress. She would collect it from Mrs Wilson’s shop at the end of her Friday shift next week. Then, on the Saturday, she would be going into town with Eunice. Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about it. Glenn had arranged to meet her at the town hall steps, and they would be able to spend some time together without feeling rushed or watched by her boss.

  Glenn had been to see her earlier, and they’d kissed and cuddled behind the kitchen during her break. He told her he had special plans for their first evening in town together. He said he knew of the perfect place for them to enjoy some privacy.

  “I can’t wait to get my hands on you properly next week, Petal. You’re all I ever dreamed of, and I can’t wait to make you mine.”

  His words had made her shudder with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw her in the dress. Surely, Glenn would want to propose on the spot!

  She’d also purchased some silky underwear, on Mrs Wilson’s advice, to give the dress a better line. When she’d last tried it on wearing her usual underwear, her cotton knickers had formed ridges and bumps that looked unsightly. With her new underwear, the dress skimmed over the silk and looked perfect. She felt like a film star parading before the mirror in the shop.

  “You look a picture, Miss Harris,” Mrs Wilson had said. “All the girls will want a dress like that once they see you wearing it in town.”

  “Perhaps I can earn a commission if you sell a few more after they see me, eh?” Hazel had dared to say.

  “You have the ideal figure for displaying a dress like that, Miss Harris. Have you ever considered a career in modelling?”

  “What? Me?” Hazel was shocked. “A model?”

  “You sound surprised, but you shouldn’t be.” Mrs Wilson cocked her head and looked at Hazel thoughtfully. “I could give you some casual work if you like. I’m holding a fashion show at the end of the month in the town hall. One of my usual girls has put on some weight, so I do need an extra girl to model the smaller sizes. What do you think?”

  Hazel’s head was in a whirl. Could she be a model? Mrs Wilson thought she could. “I’d have to ask my dad.”