Happiness for Hazel Read online

  “Of course. But you tell him to come and see me if he has any doubts. I’ll sort him out for you.”

  Hazel couldn’t believe her luck. Not only had Mrs Wilson offered her a casual job, but had also said she’d smooth the way with her father.

  She twirled in front of the mirror.

  “When he sees you in that dress, I don’t think he could argue that you’d make a fine model, could he? I’m sure you would do me proud. You’re a natural.”

  “You don’t know my dad. He’ll find something to object to.”

  “Not when I put him straight about how I run things. I’m a respectable businesswoman, and he’ll soon see that,” she’d said. “We start rehearsals the week after next, so pop along to the town hall about seven a week on Monday, and you can do a trial run for me.”

  “I’d love to, Mrs Wilson, but as I said. My dad might not allow me to come to the rehearsals.”

  “Well, there are plenty more girls in this town, if you can’t model for me. I’m sure some of your friends would jump at the chance.”

  Hazel didn’t like to admit that she didn’t have many friends but thought perhaps that might change, once she started going out into town. Working in the café, she knew lots of people, but couldn’t call them friends. Not many girls of her age came to the café. They were all busy working in mills or factories or helping their mothers at home. Unlike most girls from her schooldays, she didn’t have the social networks that working in factories or mills gave them. She only had Eunice but wasn’t complaining. Eunice was the best friend a girl could have. She couldn’t wait to tell her about Mrs Wilson’s offer.

  Eunice was pleased for her but warned that her father might not be too happy about it.

  “He’s only just agreed that you could go out with Raymond and me. What’s he going to say about you going into town after tea to do the rehearsals?” she pointed out.

  “I didn’t think about that.” Hazel began to see her opportunity to be a model slipping away and then remembered what Mrs Wilson had said. “But Mrs Wilson said she’d speak to him.”

  “Would he listen to her?” Eunice asked, raising her brows. “You know what your dad is like. He can get a proper bee in his flat cap when it comes to protecting his little girl from the nasty world outside.”

  “I hope he won’t stop me from doing this, Eunice. Mrs Wilson said it could be the start of a whole new career for me if I play my cards right.”

  “Just think of it!” Eunice had clutched her arm tightly. “My best friend could be famous one day!”

  Hazel had been surprised when her father agreed to her modelling some frocks, as he called it, for the glamorous Mrs Wilson. She told him while they were having tea that same evening.

  “Might do you good to mix with the upper classes, girl,” he said. “I went to school with Mrs Wilson. She wasn’t Mrs Wilson then, of course. Pamela Grainger, they called her back then. She married a fella from London, but he got killed on the Somme. It was a real shame for her.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Martha raised her brows. “How well did you know her?”

  “Not too well. She was a couple of years older than me at school.”

  Hazel watched her parents talking about the woman, surprised at how easy it had been to get them to agree to the modelling job.

  Her father was still talking about the dress shop owner. “She always seemed a cut above the rest of us, but nice with it, if you know what I mean. I have a lot of respect for her. Losing her husband like that must have been a terrible blow, but she came back to Yorkshire and made a good show of starting her own business. Done well for herself, from what I can gather.”

  “I’ve heard about her fashion shows,” her mother added. “All the ladies from the big houses in Horbury attend them.”

  “That’s right. Mrs Sykes buys all her clothes from Pamela Wilson’s shop.” Her father put his knife and fork down. “We heard the boss complaining at his wife’s clothing bill, but we all laughed, ‘cause we know he can afford it. Cost a fortune some of them frocks, though!”

  “I know, I bought one,” Hazel confessed. “That’s how I met Mrs Wilson in the first place.”

  “You bought one of her dresses?” Her mother’s eyes grew wide. “How did you afford that on your allowance?”

  Hazel smiled smugly. “I paid in instalments. Took me weeks, but I’ll be picking it up next Friday. I’ll be wearing it next Saturday for my first trip into town.”

  “Well, you are a dark horse!” Norman teased her with a cheeky grin. “How much did it cost?”

  “None of your business, young man.” She reached to ruffle his fair hair, but he ducked away.

  “Behave at the table!” her father warned, but smiled at them both. “Young ladies who can buy frocks from Mrs Wilson’s shop, should act with a bit more dignity, don’t you think?”

  “She’ll have to act more refined if she’s going to model some of them posh dresses,” her mother chipped in.

  “Mrs Wilson said I was a natural,” Hazel boasted. “She said I would do her proud.”

  “Well. Let’s hope you can do yourself proud as well.” Her mother grinned. “I might even buy a ticket and come to watch you.”

  Hazel felt a shiver of nerves at the suggestion but quickly realised there would be many people watching her. Having her mother in the audience might be a comfort if she should suffer from a touch of stage fright.

  “Audrey might like to go with you,” her father suggested. “And I bet Eunice will want to come and watch too. Find out the price of the tickets, and I’ll treat you all.”

  Hazel’s nerves increased, making her tummy feel full of knots. “This could become quite an event. Why don’t you ask the whole street to come?” she asked sarcastically. “Then I’ll feel like a monkey in a circus performance!”

  “Hazel?” Her mother looked at her questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

  She bit her tongue to prevent another unkind remark from escaping and shook her head.

  “She’s scared!” Norman whispered. “Scared of prancing about on a stage in front of all them posh folks.”

  “I am not!” Hazel retaliated with more force than she intended.

  “Are you sure you’re not a little anxious, love?” her mother asked gently. “It’s a big thing you’re considering. I think it’s natural to be a little nervous.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine, Hazel.” Her father smiled reassuringly at her. “Mrs Wilson wouldn’t have asked you if she didn’t think you’d have the confidence to pull it off.”

  “She said I could go after work to rehearse with the other girls. When I get to know everyone, I’m sure I’ll be all right.” She tried to settle the butterflies in her tummy. Her dad was right. If Mrs Wilson had faith in her, she couldn’t let the woman down.

  “When will this be, and what time will you be finished?” her father asked. “I’ll arrange to come to walk you home. I presume it will be late.”

  “Rehearsals start a week on Monday. I’m not sure about the time, Dad. I’ll call and ask Mrs Wilson on Friday when I pick up my dress.”

  She told Glenn the next time she saw him, but he didn’t seem too interested in her exciting news. “Didn’t you hear me?” she asked. “Mrs Wilson has asked me to do some modelling work for her.”

  “That’s nice, Petal.” His lips nibbled her earlobe. “So long as it doesn’t interfere with the time you can spend with me. I don’t mind what you do.”

  “It won’t,” she began to explain. “I’m to attend rehearsals next week at the town hall, but you’ll be on the night shift and—.”

  Glenn’s mouth cut her off as he kissed her deeply. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she groaned with pleasure. All thoughts of modelling left her mind as his kiss deepened, taking her body to new levels of exciting sensations.

  Glenn had the power to make her forget everything else when she was with him. He filled her head with sweet talk and brought her body to a state of excitement that she�
�d never known existed before. After he left her, she went back to work with her body on fire and her head in the clouds.

  She had Saturday evening to look forward to. She would wear her fashionable new dress with pride when she went with Eunice to meet her sweetheart. Her best friend would help to cover for her when she saw Glenn, and she would keep her secret until Hazel was ready to tell her parents about him.

  She’d been planning and longing for this evening for weeks. Until now, her relationship with Glenn had survived on flirtatious banter over the counter when he came into the cafe for his dinner and a few stolen kisses when she took her break in the afternoon. Her heart fluttered as she remembered the touch of his lips on hers. Glenn’s kisses had the power to make her insides tremble, and she was always pleased to see him waiting for her on the days he worked the early shift.

  Glenn worked hard in the mine, and his physical efforts had given him a firm and muscular body. His hands felt rough when he stroked the soft skin of her face and throat, but his strong arms made her feel safe and protected when he wrapped them around her. Eunice Simpson warned her to keep his wandering hands at a safe distance, but Hazel was growing tired of resisting his attempts to take things further. She found it difficult to push him away when her body longed for more of his touch.

  However, without Eunice, her affair with Glenn would already be a thing of the past. Her friend covered for her when she was late home from work when Glenn was on day shift and could only meet her after she finished in the café. Eunice would take the blame for delaying Hazel with excuses from helping with errands to looking after her younger brothers.

  Hazel sighed. If her parents suspected half what she was getting up to behind their back, they would each have an apoplectic fit. Her dad had already suffered one heart attack a few years ago. She didn’t want to give him any more worry and strain than was necessary. She knew she would have to take things very slowly.

  She expected, in time, to introduce them to Glenn and with this first outing to town, she hoped to break the ground for allowing that to happen. She knew she would have to take her time. Hazel planned to wait a few more weeks before dropping some hints that a man had asked to walk out with her. When she had overcome that hurdle, she could push for them to invite Glenn for Sunday tea. Once they met him, she felt sure he would charm them as surely as he had charmed her.

  She could picture him waiting for her on the town hall steps. He would be wearing his brown, pinstriped suit, the one he’d worn to the park on her birthday. His face would be freshly shaven, and his dark hair would be slicked back with Brylcreem. His deep-green eyes would sparkle as his generous lips curled into a smile when he saw her. He would stand half a head taller than any man near him, and she would easily spot him from a distance in the crowd.

  Eunice had warned her that hundreds of young people congregated around the town hall on Saturday evenings. She didn’t mind. She would only have eyes for Glenn. She couldn’t wait for him to see her wearing the dress. She hoped to make a lasting impression on him. Hazel wanted him to remember this night as the first important milestone in their journey together.

  Chapter 8 – Anticipation

  Hazel already knew Glenn was the man she was going to marry. He might not know it yet, but she had plans to persuade him. Saturday evening would be the beginning of the rest of their lives together. Once he saw her in the beautiful new dress, she was sure he would think she was the only girl for him. She kept trying to imagine his face when he saw her. He was always smiling widely and holding out his arms when she pictured the scene in her head. She knew it would be a romantic moment for them both to treasure.

  Spending her weekly allowance on the dress had been worth the effort it had cost her. She’d done without sweets and treats and resisted buying the hairpins and trinkets she usually frittered her money away on. Hazel was pleased that she’d found the courage to persuade the elegant but intimidating lady to put the dress aside for a small deposit. Mrs Wilson was surprisingly nice to her and had now offered her a casual job as a model. A flutter of nerves erupted when she thought about parading on a stage in front of hundreds of people, but her parents had given their blessing and support, so she couldn’t let everyone down.

  Her mother had suggested the casual job might lead to something more permanent. If that happened, she might get the opportunity to travel to other cities, and maybe other countries. Hazel felt she might be on the threshold of something wonderful, no matter what happened. If the modelling didn’t take off, she would always have Glenn, and his love was more than enough to bring her the happiness she craved.

  As she took off her pinafore and put it behind the door, she called, “Bye, Cynthia.”

  “Bye-bye, love. Have a nice weekend off. Behave yourself in town on Saturday, mind!”

  “I’ll be good, don’t worry. See you on Monday!”

  “Aye, love. See you Monday.”

  Eunice was waiting at the corner as usual, but there was something different about her. She noticed her friend’s new hairstyle and gasped. “You did it!”

  “Do you like it? I had it done in my dinner break. I’m making up the time on Monday.” Eunice touched her shorter, wavier hair. “I had the hairdresser set it like you suggested, as well. What do you think?” She did a little twirl in the street.

  “It makes you look very fashionable! I knew it would!” Hazel touched the wavy locks of her friend’s hair. “Oh, Eunice! I love it!”

  “Really?”

  “God’s honest truth! Really! You look stunning, and that’s without makeup!”

  “I hope Kenny will like it.”

  “He’d have to be blind not to notice how stylish you look with shorter hair. And I was right about the waves, wasn’t I? I can’t believe the change in you. Short hair really suits your face shape.”

  “I hope you’re right because I can’t stick it back on now, can I?” Eunice giggled. “I hope I can manage to set it myself at home. I watched how she did it, but I might need your help.”

  “Well, you know I’ll help you.” Hazel was only too happy to help her friend. “Oh, Eunice, Kenny is going to be knocked off his feet. I can’t wait for tomorrow night. Aren’t you excited?”

  Eunice shrugged. “I’ve been to town lots of times. It’s no big thrill to me, but I am pleased to be seeing Kenny again. I can’t wait to see what he thinks to this.” She patted her hair.

  “Getting keen, is he?” Hazel chuckled. She was pleased her friend had an admirer. “Come on. I have to pick up my dress. Let’s not keep Mrs Wilson waiting. She knows I’m calling for it after work today.”

  As they hurried to Mrs Wilson’s shop, Hazel asked her friend about Kenny. “How is it going with Kenny? Has he kissed you yet?”

  Eunice shook her head. “He seems to like to talk to me, and he’s already asked me to go to the tea dance with him in a few weeks, but he’s made no move to kiss me.” She looked disappointed but suddenly brightened. “We hold hands, though!”

  “Will you go to the dance with him?”

  Eunice blushed and nodded.

  Hazel squeezed her arm as they entered Mrs Wilson’s shop. “Good for you! I’m sure he’ll want to kiss you soon. Perhaps he’s shy.” She turned her attention to the woman behind the counter. “Hello, Mrs Wilson. I have the last payment. Is the dress ready for me?”

  “All packed for you, Miss Harris.” The elegant woman handed over the tissue-wrapped parcel. “Let it hang for a few hours before wearing it, and the creases should drop out. Don’t try to iron it or you’ll burn the fabric.”

  “I understand.” She handed over the money and took the parcel. She cradled it protectively in her arms, holding the delicate tissue as gently as she could. “I’ll see you on Monday evening. What time did you say to be there?”

  “Seven sharp, if you don’t mind. We have a lot to get through, and I want to introduce you to the other girls and my assistant, Miss Vaughn, will want to take your measurements before we start your trial.”
>
  “All right. I’ll be there in good time. My dad will be picking me up and asked what time he should be there. When will we be finishing?”

  “You can tell him we should be finished around nine-thirty.” Mrs Wilson walked them to the door. “It will be good to see him again after all this time.”

  “He mentioned that he went to the same school as you,” Hazel said. “I didn’t realise you knew him when I first came into the shop.”

  “I wouldn’t say I know your father, my dear. I remember the boy he was and have heard snippets about him over the years, but we were never more than acquaintances, really. He is younger than me, if I remember correctly.”

  “Yes. He said so.” Hazel dared to add, “He has a lot of respect for you, Mrs Wilson.” Hazel felt her cheeks growing hot, and she wondered whether she’d said too much.

  “That’s nice to hear.” The older woman’s face creased as she smiled. “I wasn’t sure if he’d remember me. It’s been a long time since we were at school.”

  “Oh, he remembers, you, Mrs Wilson.” Hazel thought it wouldn’t harm to add some more details. “He told us that you lost your husband in the last war. He said you bravely came back to Wakefield and started this business. As I said, he respects you. That’s why he’s letting me model for you.”

  “Well, err… I’m glad he thinks so highly of me, dear. I remember seeing your parents dance together once. They made a striking couple. Your dad had this mop of pale, wavy hair and your mam with those vibrant chestnut waves. I see you’ve inherited the mixture in a very pleasing way.”

  Hazel didn’t register the comment, but Eunice grabbed her arm and squeezed it.

  “Let me show you out, my dears. I hope you enjoy wearing the dress, Miss Harris.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure I will feel like a film star in it.”

  As they left the shop, Eunice took her arm. “Did you hear what she said about your mam and dad?”

  Hazel shrugged. “She said they were a striking couple. Well, we knew that, didn’t we?”