by Lisa Jewell
‘It’s my birthday today,’ she said. ‘I’m twenty-three.’
‘Oh,’ he turned to her and smiled. ‘Wow. Well. Happy birthday to you.’
Betty took a deep breath, readying herself for her next question. ‘Is that kiss still up for grabs?’
He stared at her in amazement. Then his face softened. ‘What,’ he said, ‘you mean, this one?’ He leaned down and kissed her.
‘Yes,’ she said, pulling away from the kiss. ‘Yes, that one.’
John Brightly smiled at her, one of his lottery winner smiles, and said, ‘Oh, all right then, but only because it’s your birthday.’ And then they wrapped their arms around each other, there, in the swirling, pungent chaos of a crazy Soho morning, and they kissed each other as if there was nobody there to see them.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Kate Burke, my lovely shiny new editor, for the superb brainstorming session which helped bring Arlette’s story fully to life, and for finally letting me have a photograph on my cover, like a big grown-up writer. And massive thanks to Susan, Jen, Najma, Claire, Georgina, Selina, Rob, Andrew, Richard and everyone else at Random House who works so hard on my behalf.
Thanks to all my friends on the Board, life without you doesn’t bear thinking about. And thanks to all the staff at Apostrophe for letting me sit for hours over a laptop and a double macchiato without ever asking me what on earth I was doing.
Thanks to Jonny Geller, my trusty and wonderful agent.
Thanks to Jascha, my trusty and wonderful husband.
And thanks to all my lovely followers on Twitter and fantastic friends on Facebook. I hope it doesn’t sound daft to say you make me feel like part of a big online family.
The character name of Minu McAteer was given to me by Maggie McAteer, the winner of an auction in aid of the brilliant Peter Bowron Catteshall Stroll which raises funds for the children’s hospice charity Shooting Star CHASE (www.catteshallstroll.co.uk). Thank you Maggie, I really hope your niece enjoys her namesake (once she’s old enough to read!).
Notes on the text
The Southern Syncopated Orchestra was a real orchestra. As far as possible I have stuck to the facts regarding the orchestra and their lengthy tour of the United Kingdom during 1919-1921. Everything else – the clubs, the musicians, the socialites and the journalists – is pure fiction. And any historical errors are entirely of my own making.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Version 1.0
Epub ISBN 9781446472507
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Published by Century 2012
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Copyright © 2012 by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Century
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ISBN 9781846059230
