A Sister's Shame

by Carol Rivers

  Ada gave a little sob and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her handkerchief. ‘What would happen if you went away? You might forget your dad and me.’

  Marie’s blue eyes filled with tenderness. ‘Mum, we love you and would never do that.’

  Ada sniffed and sighed deeply. ‘I suppose I’ll have to give in or risk losing you anyway. You had better tell Vesta I’ve changed my mind.’ She added sharply, ‘On the condition your father goes with you.’

  ‘Oh, thanks, Mum.’

  ‘I hope I won’t regret this.’

  ‘You won’t.’ Marie kissed her mother’s cheek. ‘Vesta will be very happy.’

  Ada nodded. ‘She always is when she gets her own way. What songs were you rehearsing?’

  ‘ “Algy” and “When I Take My Morning Promenade”. It was you and Dad who gave us our names and set us off down the path to fame and fortune.’ Marie laughed at her joke, but Ada only frowned.

  ‘We had no idea you’d be following in those famous footsteps.’

  ‘It’s early days yet,’ Marie pointed out. ‘It could all come to nothing. If the Scoresby brothers don’t like us, then you’ll have nothing to fret about.’

  Ada gave a sad smile. ‘Who could not like such beautiful girls?’

  They hugged and Marie felt Ada’s small, wiry body tremble against her. She loved her mother very much and only wanted to make her proud, not add to all the worry in her life.

  By the time Saturday came around, Marie was worried she would forget every word and Vesta was a bag of nerves. But from the moment Hector had agreed to go with them to the audition, Ada had shown interest. She had loosened the buttons on their costumes so the bodices weren’t so tight and lengthened the hems half an inch.

  ‘Wear your ordinary shoes and coats to the audition, girls,’ Ada instructed them on the night they were to leave. ‘And I’ll pack your tap shoes in a bag. You may use a little lipstick, but no other make-up.’

  ‘It’s too warm for our coats,’ complained Vesta. ‘And anyway, they’re old.’

  ‘You’ve got nothing else,’ replied Ada, bustling around them. ‘Now stop complaining.’

  She kissed them both goodbye, hugging them as though it was the last time she would ever see them.

  ‘Please take care of them, Hector.’

  ‘Course I will, Ada.’ Hector was wearing his long black cape and big theatrical floppy hat. Marie knew he wanted to look the part in front of Mr Scoresby. ‘They won’t be out of my sight for a moment. Now just you enjoy your chat with Elsie. We won’t be late home.’

  At Teddy’s knock they all rushed into the hall.

  ‘Do you mind if Dad comes with us?’ Vesta said quickly, blushing as she looked into Teddy’s dark eyes.

  ‘Well, no, but Mr Scoresby doesn’t like—’

  ‘Just to give them a bit of moral support,’ interrupted Hector with a wink, pushing out his chest in a robust manner.

  ‘I’ve allowed them to go this time,’ Ada added sternly, ‘but only because Hector is with them.’

  Marie saw Teddy’s surprised expression, but he said no more and led the way out to the car. Marie climbed in the back with Vesta whilst Hector sat at the front beside Teddy. Marie glanced over her shoulder through the wide glass window and they waved to Ada.

  When they were out of sight, Vesta whispered, ‘I was really embarrassed when Mum said Dad has to be with us.’

  ‘She let us go and that’s what counts.’

  ‘I had to starve for a whole morning before she agreed.’

  Marie smiled. ‘You got your way in the end.’

  ‘Of course,’ whispered Vesta with a grin. ‘I always do. Even so, it’d be nicer if we was on our own without Dad tagging along.’

  Unlike Vesta, Marie was glad Hector was with them. What harm was there in his being at their sides? In fact, if this new world was full of dangers, as Ada feared, Hector would soon put them right.

  Chapter 10

  Teddy parked the car in Duke Street, Poplar, a road full of light, hustle and bustle with the evening traffic going by and the usual crowds making their way to the Queen’s for the evening performance.

  ‘The staff use the back entrance,’ Teddy told them, walking past the two big green doors over which there was a sign saying ‘The Duke’s’. ‘Follow me.’

  He led them round to a dark alley filled with the stench of the dustbins from the café close by. Halfway down, just visible beyond all the rubbish strewn across their path, was a badly lit doorway. Teddy pushed the door open and one by one they filed down the flight of narrow steps. Marie heard the sound of a piano playing, together with the familiar tap of dancing feet.

  As they entered the basement, they were met by a thick fog of cigarette smoke. Through this Marie could just about see a line of four girls dressed in shorts and blouses. They were dancing on a small wooden floor in front of a raised dais, which she took to be the stage. Here stood an upright piano, and the man seated in front of it with a cigarette dangling from his mouth was playing the popular melody ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’.

  Marie gazed around at the big, noisy room with a low ceiling lit by dim lights. Chairs and tables were set out around the small dance floor. A long counter went round the bar in a banana shape. A row of mirrors hung behind the racks of optics. The ashtrays on the top of the counter were full of squashed butts. A young woman, wearing a turban and low-cut blouse, was trying to clear up the mess. A broom stood to one side, a pile of litter ready to be swept away. The air smelled of stale beer and tobacco, but Marie didn’t find it unpleasant. In fact, it was all rather exciting.

  ‘Wait here,’ said Teddy sharply. ‘I’ll go and find Mr Scoresby.’

  They stood still, watching the dancers, who did a few more steps, then one of them signalled an end to the pianist and they dispersed. A blonde girl with lots of make-up sat at the bar and smoked. The others went to sit at one of the tables. In no time at all, they were smoking too.

  Hector placed his hands on their shoulders. ‘Well, this is a little different from the Queen’s, I have to say.’

  ‘It’s exciting,’ breathed Vesta. ‘I hope we’ll be good enough.’

  ‘You’ll knock ’em dead,’ Hector whispered under his breath.

  They nodded obediently as they always did when being advised by their father, although he had long since given up taking any great interest in their routines. Marie smiled to herself. They had different ideas from his now, and he didn’t appreciate modern music. But he still had faith in their talent.

  ‘Do you think the piano player will know our numbers?’ asked Marie.

  ‘Just sing your songs as I taught you to,’ Hector advised, ‘and you won’t go far wrong.’

  But Marie was beginning to have doubts about their act. When they came in the girls had been rehearsing a popular song. Now the pianist started to play again, filling the air with a well-known current blues melody. What good would their old, dated songs be at a club like this?

  ‘Remember,’ said Hector, ‘to sing the words clearly so everyone can hear them. Don’t be put off by the bright lights.’

  Just then a door opened behind the bar. A tall, heavily built man in a dark suit strode into the room. Teddy followed at his heels, pulling out a chair at one of the tables so that he could sit down. The man, who Marie thought must be Mr Scoresby, took a cigar from his pocket and waited for Teddy to bend down and light it. Despite Teddy pointing in their direction, Mr Scoresby ignored him and slowly crossed one leg over another.

  The blonde dancer at the bar stood up and went over to him. She placed her hand on her hip and hesitated but he waved her away. A few minutes later she had joined the other girls and they all left the room. Even the piano player was dismissed with a casual flick of the hand.

  When the room was empty, Teddy hurried over. ‘Mr Scoresby will see you girls now. But, Mr Haskins, you—’ he began, only to stop as Hector marched forward, propelling the girls with him.

  ‘Mr Sc
oresby, these are my daughters, Vesta and Marie,’ Hector announced as they drew near. ‘Being an actor and performer myself, I—’

  Wally Scoresby raised his huge hand again. This movement alone silenced Hector. A pair of narrowed eyes turned on them, slowly evaluating their presence.

  Marie shuddered. Wally Scoresby was an extremely ugly man. He had a very large head covered in lank black hair thick with grease. His small eyes were close-set, and his long nose dominated a mean-looking mouth. His most unattractive feature was his skin. On one side, his face looked as though it had been burned, with the marks still red and raw. He had no smile or welcome, just a cold, critical stare and more puffs of smoke. Then he gave a sharp nod to Teddy, who almost ran over to Hector.

  ‘Mr Scoresby would like you to wait outside.’

  ‘Why?’ Hector asked in an affronted voice.

  ‘I did try to say before . . . but Mr Scoresby always auditions in private.’

  ‘But I’m only going to watch,’ Hector argued.

  ‘This is a house rule,’ said Teddy in a hurried voice. ‘Just the act and Mr Scoresby.’

  To Marie’s surprise, Hector seemed lost for words. He mumbled to himself and twirled his moustache uncertainly.

  ‘We’ll be all right, Dad.’ Marie clutched her father’s arm. ‘Rules are rules. Wait for us at the entrance in Duke Street. We won’t be long.’

  Eventually Hector nodded. ‘Well, I suppose if that’s the rule I’ll have to go along with it.’

  ‘Up you go on the stage,’ whispered Teddy when Hector had reluctantly left. ‘And you’d better be quick as Mr Scoresby is a busy man.’

  ‘Where shall we leave our coats?’ asked Marie.

  ‘On one of the chairs.’

  ‘Will the piano player come back?’

  ‘No. He’s gone off for a break now, before he starts playing again. Now, please, be quick.’

  Marie was surprised at Teddy’s nervousness. He had never seemed that way before. He was usually very self-composed, even arrogant. But his personality changed here, in the presence of Mr Scoresby.

  They went close to the stage, took off their coats and put on their tap shoes. Vesta looked almost frightened as she stood there and Marie wasn’t feeling much better herself.

  ‘Well?’ demanded a powerful voice suddenly. ‘I ain’t got all day. Get on with it.’

  Marie clasped Vesta’s hand and squeezed it as they shuffled into the middle of the small floor. Their voices came faintly as they began the first verse of ‘Algy’. They couldn’t see Mr Scoresby’s reaction through the foggy atmosphere and Marie hurried the pace a little, feeling apprehensive as they went into their dancing routine. At least they both finished in time, she thought as they stood back to back, arms folded, with cheeky grins on their faces.

  After a while, Marie’s heart began to thud. Her smile was forced and her body was rigid with tension. What did Mr Scoresby think of them? Why didn’t he say something? The seconds passed and still nothing.

  ‘Let’s go straight into “Promenade”,’ Marie whispered.

  Vesta didn’t reply. Marie gave her a little dig with her elbow and, to her relief, Vesta followed into their second song. But halfway through, a bone-chilling shout came from Mr Scoresby. ‘What in the blazes are you singing? I ain’t never heard such rubbish!’

  Marie froze. Another long silence came. After what seemed like an eternity, Teddy came up to them. ‘Mr Scoresby would like to speak to you.’

  Marie’s legs were shaking as they made their way over. As they stood in front of the club owner she tried not to breathe in the pungent smoke of his cigar.

  ‘This a cabaret club, girls, ain’t you sussed that yet?’ barked Wally Scoresby. ‘The Duke’s is for grown-ups, not kids. Our audience looks for a bit of class on their evening out on the town. You can sing, I’ll grant you. But those numbers would go down well at a Sally Army Christmas dinner! Now, I’ll give you one more chance. Sing something I can recognize.’

  Marie felt sick as they turned back and stood in the centre of the wooden floor. They’d only had time to practise their new songs for a week. And they hadn’t brought Hector’s top hat or cane.

  ‘I can’t do it,’ whispered Vesta, shaking beside her. ‘I’ve forgotten all the words.’

  ‘No you haven’t. Let’s sing “Falling In Love Again” first.’

  ‘You’ve got two minutes,’ warned Wally Scoresby. ‘And then you’re out on your ear, the pair of you.’

  Marie was nervous but now she also felt angry. Wally Scoresby was a very rude man, speaking to them in such a way. He had sent their father away without so much as a thank-you and hadn’t even asked them their names.

  ‘Come on, let’s show him what we’re made of,’ she whispered to Vesta, who stood rooted to the spot.

  Marie drew back her shoulders. He’d admitted they had good voices; now they must prove they could sing.

  Chapter 11

  ‘What happened?’ Hector drew them against his big chest as they met in the dark, unpleasant-smelling alley.

  ‘You should have waited out the front, Dad,’ Marie scolded him gently.

  ‘I was ready to rush in if you called.’

  ‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ said Vesta in a shaky voice. ‘We showed him we could sing, didn’t we, Marie?’

  ‘Yes.’ Marie could hardly get her breath. After their performance, Mr Scoresby had said very little. She could still feel the adrenalin rushing through her blood. ‘It wasn’t quite what we expected.’

  ‘He didn’t like our songs,’ blurted Vesta. ‘They weren’t modern enough.’

  ‘What!’ Hector exclaimed. ‘Vesta Tilley and Marie Lloyd had great success with those music-hall classics. That’s why I taught you to sing them.’

  ‘Yes, but it was a long time ago,’ said Marie gently. She didn’t want to offend her father. ‘He wanted to hear something more modern.’

  ‘Modern? Such as?’ asked Hector, frowning.

  ‘Come along, we’ll tell you everything on the way home.’

  Soon, arm in arm, they were stepping out from the alley and into the bright lights of Duke Street. Marie listened to Vesta describing Wally Scoresby’s reaction when they had sung ‘Falling In Love Again’.

  ‘He really liked us, Dad,’ Vesta said excitedly, ‘and when we did our second number, “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby”, he even tapped his foot.’

  ‘Did you know all the words to these songs?’

  ‘Yes, we sing them on the way home from work, after listening to them on the radio.’

  ‘Clever girls,’ said Hector thoughtfully.

  ‘Marlene Dietrich is very popular these days,’ Marie enthused. ‘She made her name as Lola-Lola, a cabaret singer, in The Blue Angel.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Hector, nodding, ‘I’ve heard of her, of course, and seen the posters outside the cinemas. In my day it would have been the young Mary Pickford who everyone followed.’

  ‘Yes, but now talkies are all the rage,’ said Marie, her eyes wide.

  ‘This is 1934 now,’ Vesta agreed. ‘It’s different from when you were young, Dad.’

  Hector gave a hearty laugh. ‘I’m lucky to have you two girls to keep me young.’ He frowned. ‘Can’t say I took to Scoresby, though. And your mother, well, she’d not like him at all. Oh, no!’

  ‘Oh!’ Vesta drew to a sudden halt. ‘Please, Dad, don’t tell her that. If we get a job at the Duke’s it will mean so much to us.’

  ‘You can twist me round your little finger,’ Hector said, half frowning, half smiling. ‘We’ll see, eh?’

  Vesta pouted. ‘Anyway, we haven’t got it yet. He said he’d think about it.’

  They didn’t have to wait long to find out as Teddy’s car appeared. It honked loudly, causing other drivers to move over as he drew in to the kerb.

  ‘Mr Scoresby sent me after you,’ he called breathlessly as he leaped across to the pavement. ‘Would you like to sing at the Duke’s next Saturday?’

  ‘Oh
, yes, yes!’ Vesta jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ interrupted Hector, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. ‘Your mother has to give her approval.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Vesta, suddenly anxious, ‘but she will, won’t she?’

  Once again, Hector frowned. ‘This is very sudden, young man.’

  Teddy looked impatient. ‘Mr Scoresby doesn’t make the offer to everyone, you know.’

  ‘Please, Dad, say yes.’

  Hector nodded slowly. ‘Only if I can come with you.’

  Teddy gave a cold smile. ‘You can speak to Mr Scoresby about it.’ He paused. ‘In fact, Mr Scoresby told me to tell you there’s a job going at the club for someone like yourself.’

  Hector frowned, his eyebrows meeting over his nose. ‘A job – for me?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But I didn’t perform,’ Hector protested. ‘I was sent out.’

  ‘Mr Scoresby doesn’t like any distractions.’

  Hector gave a little mutter, but finally nodded. ‘I suppose it’s understandable.’

  ‘However,’ continued Teddy hesitantly, ‘if you don’t want to take up the offer . . .?’

  ‘Not at all,’ responded Hector eagerly. ‘I’d like to see what it’s all about.’

  ‘That’s settled, then. Please be at the club for nine next Saturday.’

  ‘Thank you for coming to tell us,’ Vesta called after Teddy as he jumped back in the car.

  When he’d driven off, she threw her arms around Hector. ‘Isn’t Teddy wonderful, Dad? Oh, I can’t believe this is happening to us!’

  Holding his daughter gently, Hector drew his fingers over his walrus moustache. ‘Scoresby must have been impressed by my appearance and posture.’ He drew a smooth hand down the front of his cape. ‘Remember, girls, it always pays to keep yourself in trim.’

  ‘What will you say to Mum?’ Vesta asked her father, a suspicious expression on her face.

  ‘That I’ll be with you and she has no need to worry.’

  ‘Oh!’ Vesta hugged Hector tight. ‘I love you, Dad.’

  Marie looked into Hector’s shining face. He wore a very happy expression as he held Vesta close. Could all this be happening, Marie wondered, as he drew her into his arms too. They all started to talk and laugh at the same time. But Marie couldn’t help wondering what interest Mr Scoresby had in her father. Had Teddy told him Hector was a busker? If so, what kind of songs would Mr Scoresby want him to sing?