A Complicated Woman

by Sheelagh Kelly

  Her friend exclaimed, ‘I bought one of those a fortnight ago! Oh, don’t tell me, I’ll bet you got yours half-price.’

  One eye on the traffic, Oriel delved into a brown paper bag to look at the price tag. ‘Five guineas.’

  Dorothy guffawed as they stepped on to the kerb. ‘Oh, I didn’t do too badly then – mine was eight and eleven!’ Safely on the pavement, she and her mother spent a moment peeking into the bag to admire the silk gown, then made for the second-floor tea room.

  Here in the quiet dignity of their surroundings, Mrs Ratcliffe watched her friend trying to decide what to do with the large parcel she was carrying. ‘You look like a native bearer. Put it on this spare chair.’ The waitress came to take their orders. Whilst they waited, Mrs Ratcliffe eyed the large parcel again. ‘Bought anything else nice?’

  ‘Oh, er,’ Bright flushed, ‘they’re baby clothes.’ Immediately she noted that both pairs of eyes went towards Oriel and announced swiftly, ‘Nat and I are expecting an addition to the family in September.’

  ‘How wonderful!’ Both Mrs Ratcliffe and Dorothy agreed.

  ‘I know I must seem terribly old to—’

  ‘Not at all!’ Mrs Ratcliffe patted her kindly and grinned. ‘It’s not as if you’re an old crone like me.’ There was six years’ difference between the women.

  After the interruption by the waitress who delivered tea, Dorothy’s mother continued, ‘Oriel, this must be a thrill for you. Do you want a brother or a sister?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t mind.’ Oriel smiled and raised her cup, responding silently, I’d prefer to be an only child. ‘As long as it’s all right.’

  ‘Quite.’ Mrs Ratcliffe leaned her hefty shoulder towards Bright, and fingered her pearls in a manner that told the younger women they were about to indulge in intimacies.

  Dorothy set up a quiet conversation with Oriel, telling her that she had found herself an office job which she would be starting on Monday and she hoped to meet lots of new people. Oriel replied that she was doing similar work for her father and had met no one, apart from Melinda. Dorothy asked had she not met anyone nice at the dance?

  ‘Far from it. I spent the entire evening trying to escape some hobgoblin.’

  Bright overheard and made an admonishment with her eyes whilst still nodding at Mrs Ratcliffe’s conversation.

  ‘The first dance I’ve been to over here and I had to be lumbered with him.’

  The dark sloping eyes held sympathetic laughter. ‘I haven’t fared quite so badly. The people we’ve been staying with have a daughter and she has plenty of friends, so I wasn’t being quite truthful before. I have been busy with our move but I’ve also been dragged all over Melbourne.’

  Oriel huffed. ‘The only place we’ve been lately is Brighton library and all they have there is romantic trash.’

  Dorothy looked embarrassed at having to confess, ‘I like romantic stories.’

  ‘So do I but you wouldn’t like these, believe me.’

  ‘I’m going to another dance in the city this Saturday, would you like to come?’ Dorothy knew that her mother was not keen for her to go out with Oriel alone but there was safety in numbers. ‘There’ll be about half a dozen of us but I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind and they’re good company. We’re meeting at my house, then going down to the station – here, I’ll write the address and telephone number down.’ She took a notebook from her bag and scribbled on it.

  ‘Thanks!’ Oriel had a thought. ‘Could I bring Melinda along? She doesn’t get out even as much as I do.’ In a low murmur she told Dorothy about how she had saved their domestic help from being cast out on the streets and how she had been abandoned by the child’s father. ‘I feel really sorry for her – though I don’t know why, she was hogging all the decent men at the last dance whilst I was stuck with the hobgoblin with a face like a plate of tripe. He looked as if he’d been put together with all the bits God had left over.’

  Laughter shone in her friend’s eyes. ‘You are awful! Yes, you can bring her.’

  ‘Good, I think you’ll like her.’

  * * *

  But when Oriel and Melinda arrived at her friend’s house – Oriel avoiding any private encounter with Mr Ratcliffe, as she had been instructed by her mother – she could see that notwithstanding Dorothy’s smile she had taken an instant dislike to Melinda and wondered why, for their companion was quite personable. Thinking perhaps that Dorothy was in a bad mood she set off with the other seven girls to catch the train. But later her suspicion was confirmed when she took an interval from the dancing to rest in a corner and her friend launched into a critique of Melinda.

  ‘Look at her, isn’t she a dreadful flirt?’ Prior to this, Dorothy had felt herself to be Oriel’s only friend and was now experiencing jealousy, though Melinda’s type would have inspired her disapproval at any time. Whilst the morals of Oriel’s ancestors might be in question this did not reveal itself in her behaviour. ‘There’s no wonder she got herself into trouble.’ At the heavy silence Dorothy realized her gaffe. ‘God, how stupid of me!’ Her voice rose above the band. ‘I didn’t mean to imply that your mother’s a flirt. She’s lovely – I’m sure none of it was her fault.’

  ‘I know you didn’t intend anything.’ Oriel smiled forgiveness and tapped her foot to the music.

  ‘But that one’s a different kettle of fish. I can’t imagine your mother behaving like that. Is that your dress she’s got on? I thought I recognized it. Well, it’s far too tight. She’ll split the seams if she isn’t careful.’

  Oriel was worried about this too, but reminded Dorothy, ‘She has just had a baby – and we didn’t have time to let it out. Actually, I did think it was a bit too small but she didn’t want to wear the same one as last time.’

  ‘You’re too generous!’

  ‘Not really.’ Oriel recalled that her mother had warned her of this too when she said she was taking Melinda out again: don’t throw your money around, it might not always be there.

  ‘I shouldn’t think the men care very much what she’s wearing, the way she clings to them. You can only see daylight between her and that one because he’s got a concave chest.’

  Oriel laughed but wondered what Dorothy would have said had she known about her own rude entanglement with the soldier last week. Thankful that she had not mentioned it, she defended the other girl. ‘I think she’s just desperate to find a husband, that’s all.’

  ‘So am I but I wouldn’t lower myself to her antics, and neither would you,’ said Dorothy. ‘I mean, I’m not a prude – I like to dance close to my partner – but she’s almost wearing his suit. Oh look, someone’s coming over. He’s going to ask you to dance!’

  Oriel tweaked at her diaphanous bodice and pretended not to watch the young man’s approach. ‘He can’t be, he’s too good-looking.’ Even though she had enjoyed more dances than on the last occasion, none of her partners had been to her liking.

  ‘He is!’ Dorothy growled into her chest.

  The young man in the sharply tailored suit came to a halt before Oriel and asked her to dance. ‘Well, I don’t like to leave my friend on her own…’ She saw to her horror that he was about to take this as a rebuff. ‘But if she doesn’t mind!’

  ‘Of course I don’t.’ Dorothy granted permission and flashed her a look of envy.

  Oriel could not believe her luck. With his dark wavy hair and classical features her partner had to be the best-looking bachelor in the room. The instant attraction she felt was obviously shared, for although he didn’t say much she could see it in his attitude towards her. Exchanging names, they had three dances together. Even though she was out of breath Oriel wished it would never end. But end it did and after thanking her, Errol made it obvious he expected her to return to her friends and he to his. She could have cried and her disappointment forbade her to dance with anyone else, spending the rest of the evening twiddling with the feathers on her headband until one of them was in danger of coming off in her hand. However, this mo
od was not to persist for Errol was to revisit her somewhat hesitantly. ‘Would you mind dancing with me again?’

  ‘Mind?’ Oriel, though feeling awkward in his handsome presence, laughed out loud. ‘After I’ve been sitting here like a wallflower half the night?’ Catching sight of the bedraggled feather that dangled over her brow she puffed at it, then ripped it off.

  He laughed too, and for the first time she noticed there was an abnormally large gap between his two front teeth, detracting from his perfect looks. ‘I thought you might want to dance with other people. I didn’t want to appear pushy.’

  Informed by Oriel that she had no wish to dance with anyone else, he held her closer this time and when both were worn out he did not desert her but led her to as private a corner as he could find. She pressed herself into her seat, hoping that no one else would accost her whilst Errol had gone to fetch them drinks. How very typical that someone did.

  At the same time that she spotted Errol returning with the filled glasses a voice said, ‘Hullo, Oriel!’ and she looked up to see Arthur, who, in his futile search for love, was a regular participant in all the Melbourne balls.

  ‘Oh, hello.’ She gave a half-smile and turned away.

  ‘What happened to you last week? You didn’t come back.’

  She tried to peer around him but he was blocking her view. ‘My friend was taken ill so we had to leave quickly.’

  ‘Doesn’t look too ill tonight.’ Arthur formed his dreadful smile and turned to watch Melinda on the dance floor with her tenth man of the evening. ‘Can I sit down?’

  ‘No!’ Oriel felt a lurch of pity for the look on his face. ‘No, I’m sorry but I’m with someone. He’s just here now.’

  To her relief she saw Errol a few yards away. He was obviously hesitant to approach but when she smiled eagerly at him he proceeded.

  Arthur looked around at his rival and, with a defeated expression, backed away with an apology.

  ‘Wasn’t sure if I was interrupting,’ said Errol. ‘Thought maybe he was a friend of yours.’

  ‘No! I don’t know him. He just asked me to dance.’

  Errol revealed the gap in his teeth and sat down, placing one of the glasses before her. ‘Lucky for me he didn’t ask earlier in the evening.’ After a moment’s silence as both sipped their drinks Errol asked, ‘Where are you from originally?’ When told, he looked amazed. ‘Well, I’ll be – I’m from Tadcaster!’

  ‘You don’t sound as if you are.’ Oriel retained her self-conscious air.

  ‘No, well, I was only born there. We lived in Bath before we came over here.’

  ‘You came with your family?’

  ‘Yeah, twelve years ago.’ His face clouded and he rubbed his hands up and down his tailored thighs. ‘My father’s since died, last month from the flu. This is the first time I’ve been out. I feel a bit guilty leaving Mum tonight but she insisted I come, and I’m glad I did.’

  She blushed, watching his hands move over his legs, imagining her own hands doing it. ‘I’m sorry about your father. It’s a dreadful thing, this flu. A close friend of ours died from it before we left England. We seemed to have arrived in the thick of it here. Do you have any brothers or sisters?’ When he shook his head Oriel added, ‘Me neither. I know Mother worries about me going out in case I catch it but, well, you can’t stay in for ever, can you?’

  Errol agreed. ‘It’ll be just my luck to come through all that fighting and die from the flu.’

  ‘Where were you?’

  ‘You name it, I was there. Egypt was the worst. Not for the fighting but the water. We all got dysentery. Sorry, it’s not the sort o’ thing you tell a lady.’

  ‘Did you lose many friends?’

  He nodded and took a long drink. There was an awkward pause, then Errol announced, ‘Would you excuse me just for a minute? I won’t be long.’ He rose and made off in the direction of the cloakrooms.

  In his absence Oriel flicked an apprehensive gaze around the room, afraid that the predatory Arthur would reappear, but when she spotted him he turned his face away. Instead, it was Dorothy who was to mar the evening. She approached, smiling, with most of the girls they had arrived with – though Melinda was still dancing. ‘Sorry to spoil your obvious fun. You make a wonderful couple, but it’s time for us to go.’

  Oriel showed alarm. ‘I can’t! Errol’s just gone to the whatsit. I can’t just walk out on him.’

  ‘You did with Arthur,’ teased Dorothy.

  The reply was blunt. ‘That’s entirely different. He was a cretin.’

  The responding expression clearly said, that’s a bit nasty, though it was not voiced.

  ‘Errol’s just special,’ Oriel mumbled.

  Her friend was accommodating. ‘Well, we can wait a few minutes. It looks as if we’ll have to use stain remover to get Melinda off that chap. The flapper. And the way she calls you Orrie! Doesn’t it annoy you? Well, it would me. And if she refers to me as Ratty once more—’

  Oriel was concerned. ‘Sorry, I call you Ratty. I never thought you might not like it.’

  ‘That’s different. You’re my friend. She gets my back up – and she knows it. She’s doing it on purpose.’ The usually placid Dorothy was heated. ‘Anyway I think we’ll wait outside. I don’t want people seeing her with us and thinking we’re all the same. We’ll get your jacket for you. Come and join us when your friend appears – and try to remove Melinda from that man.’

  Whilst awaiting Errol’s return Oriel hurried across the dance floor to where Melinda and her partner were locked in a sensual embrace. The young woman frowned at the tug on her elbow but seeing who it was she reluctantly obeyed the command and took her smiling leave of the man.

  ‘You certainly know how to spoil a girl’s fun.’

  Oriel apologized and said she’d stay if she could but Dorothy and the others were waiting.

  ‘Huh, that wowser! She doesn’t like me either.’

  Oriel knew that Dorothy would never openly voice her disdain to Melinda. ‘What gave you that idea?’

  ‘The way she looks down her nose at me, that’s what.’ Melinda smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, which kept riding up around the heavy thighs.

  Oriel tried to mediate. ‘I think it’s only the way her face is made. I thought she was that way too before I met her but she’s really nice.’

  ‘Not to me,’ growled her companion. ‘I’m only having a little fun. I think I deserve it after being left with a baby and deserted by a rat.’ Oriel’s expression showed she was in agreement but soon her gaze was absent as she searched the room for Errol.

  ‘Well, are we going or not?’

  ‘I have to wait for somebody to tell him I’m leaving.’ I’ll just die if I never see him again, thought Oriel.

  ‘Nice is he?’

  ‘Gorgeous. Didn’t you see him?’

  Melinda shook her head. ‘I was too busy enjoying meself. What’s his name?’

  ‘Errol. I don’t know his second name.’

  The other was frowning. ‘Didn’t you have two feathers in that headband when you came out?’

  ‘Yes, I’m moulting.’

  ‘Come on, you two!’ Dorothy had re-entered and hailed them urgently from the doorway. Others were leaving too. ‘We’re going to miss the rattler!’

  ‘Where’s he gone, the dunny?’ Melinda asked.

  Oriel nodded anxiously and stood her ground as the large figure carved her way back through the exiting dancegoers in order to thrust their jackets at them and push them towards the door. ‘Come on!’

  Melinda tutted and muttered aside, ‘Bossy cow.’

  Oriel moved but kept looking over her shoulder and when she reached the door she prevented herself from being ejected by holding on to a jamb. ‘Wait! I can see him.’

  Errol had begun to return to his seat, had seen her empty chair and now looked perplexed. ‘Errol!’ She used his name self-consciously. The fringing on her dress trembled with her furious attempts to attract him. Her frantic o
scillations rather than her voice caught his eye and he saw that she did not go voluntarily. ‘I have to leave!’ she mouthed. ‘Sorry.’

  He tried to approach but people blocked his way. ‘Can I see y’again?’ At her eager affirmation he added, ‘Meet me under the clocks next Friday at half past seven!’

  ‘What clocks?’

  But Oriel did not hear the answer as Dorothy finally succeeded in dragging her out of the hall.

  She was almost deranged with her friend as they hurried through the garden. ‘I don’t know which clock!’

  ‘The clocks,’ said Dorothy, obviously conversant with the landmark, and explained briskly as they ran for the train, ‘you know, the row of clocks at Flinders Street Station. Now come on! I’ll kill you if we miss this train.’

  They did not miss it. Breathless, Oriel fell back into her seat, unheeding of everything and everyone around her, her mind filled with thoughts of him.

  After parting company with the rest Melinda was more talkative. ‘Getting really cool on a night now, isn’t it?’ She shivered and quickened her step along the wide dark road. Autumn colours glowed under the lamplight. ‘Thanks for taking me out with you, Orrie. I’ve had a lovely time. I hope bub’s behaving herself. It was really good of your mum to look after her again.’

  Oriel barely heard her partner’s chatter, but kept smiling and nodding as they hurried through the cool night air, rehearsing what she would tell her mother about the lovely young man she had met tonight.

  The avenue of elms gave way to the silvery limbs of gumtrees that encircled the farmhouse. Glad to be home, Oriel and her friend burst into the hall, giggling and happy… to be confronted by a dark and angry Nat.

  As the sound of a crying baby filled the house Melinda immediately read his expression. ‘Oh strewth, don’t tell me, Mr Prince! I’ll see to her right away.’

  ‘Do that!’ He glowered at Melinda, who was already pelting through the house.