The girl next to her – slender, dark-haired and rather more simply dressed than her companion – rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She picked up the hat with the rosettes and turned it over in her hands. Sophie thought she saw her eyes flick very quickly to the price, which was marked discreetly on a small ticket inside the hat-box.
‘Cynthia has one just like this,’ she said disdainfully, dropping the hat back into its box. ‘Goodness knows, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was copying her taste.’
‘What do you think of this one?’ the third of the debutantes, who had dimples and yellow curls, asked anxiously as she tried the hat with the rosebuds. ‘It would be rather lovely for a tea party, don’t you think, Emily? With my lace tea-gown?’
‘Well, get it if you like it, Phyllis, by all means,’ said Emily, the dark girl. ‘Though I must say it’s not to my taste.’
‘I suppose you would prefer this one,’ said the first young lady sharply, as she appraised the Paris hat in the mirror.
‘Oh no, I don’t think so,’ said Emily dismissively. ‘I don’t care for pink. I’d rather that blue with the spotted veil,’ she said, nodding at a hat on display on another of the glass-topped counters. ‘It’s more stylish.’
Phyllis’s face looked shocked under the wide brim of the hat she was trying. ‘But you couldn’t possibly wear something like that!’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s so bold! We’re only just out, after all – we mustn’t look fast !’
‘Oh, Phyllis, don’t be such a prig,’ said Emily with a little laugh.
‘Why don’t you try it on then, if you’re so daring?’ suggested the first young lady, still not taking her eyes off her own perfect reflection in the mirror. Sophie thought it sounded like a challenge.
Emily yawned daintily behind a gloved hand, as if the whole situation was boring her. ‘No, I don’t think I will,’ she said coolly. ‘Really, it’s a little vulgar to buy from a department store, don’t you think? Why, imagine if someone else turned up to a party wearing the same hat as you? It would be just humiliating!’
‘Not so humiliating as wearing the same evening gown to three different parties in a row,’ muttered the first young lady. Emily ignored her, but Sophie noticed a flush of crimson appearing on her cheeks.
An uncomfortable silence fell, until at last the first young lady removed the hat and cast it carelessly down on the counter. ‘I’ll leave this one, thank you,’ she said airily to Sophie. Then she turned to Phyllis. ‘Do make your mind up. Are you going to buy that, or not? We’ll be late for luncheon if you don’t hurry.’
Phyllis hurriedly removed the hat and handed it back with an apologetic smile, and the whole party set out for luncheon in the Marble Court Restaurant, rather to Sophie’s relief. She might be grateful to have her job at Sinclair’s, but she could think of better ways to spend her birthday than dealing with bickering debutantes, she thought ruefully, as she tidied the hats away.
‘Letter for you, Miss Taylor!’
A porter approached the counter, giving her a cheeky wink as he handed her not one, but two envelopes.
‘Young gentleman friend, eh? Sending you a few sweet nothings?’ he teased, grinning as he went on his way.
Sophie ignored him and glanced down at the envelopes. The sight of the familiar, rather untidy handwriting at once made her spirits lift. She slipped behind the counter, and tore the envelope open, revealing a card with a birthday greeting on the front, surrounded by a pretty wreath of poppies and daisies and some swooping swallows. Inside was scribbled a cryptic message:
Sophie grinned to herself. She knew exactly who the birthday card was from. During their adventure, Sophie and her friends had had to decipher some mysterious coded messages, and ever since then, Lil had thought it was great fun to write the others notes in code. Sophie frowned and picked up a pencil, trying to work out this one, determined not to let Lil get the better of her. After a few unsuccessful tries, she cracked it: the secret was to read every other letter, starting with the first – and when she came to the end, to start again with the letters she had missed.
A birthday tea! The day that had stretched ahead of her just like any other suddenly seemed bright and festive. She felt altogether more cheerful as she glanced down at the second envelope – perhaps Billy had sent her a birthday greeting too?
But the second envelope did not look in the least like something Billy might have sent. The envelope was thick ivory paper, the address written in violet ink in an elegant but unfamiliar hand:
How curious! It was addressed to both her and Lil. She frowned for a moment, trying to think who on earth could possibly be writing a note to both of them. But there was no time to wonder – another customer was hurrying towards her. Hastily, she stuffed both envelopes into the pocket of her frock. ‘May I help you, madam?’ she asked.
CHAPTER THREE
Several hours later, Sophie pushed open the door of Lyons Corner House, breathing in the lovely aroma of hot buttered toast and coffee. It had been a very long day, and now her feet ached and her back hurt, but she was certainly not too tired to relish the prospect of a birthday celebration. Going out to tea was a rare treat; she and Lil would occasionally come here when they had a shilling or two to spare. It was one of the few places in London that welcomed young girls like themselves, alone, and it always gave her a satisfying feeling of freedom and independence.
She caught sight of Lil at once, sitting at their usual table in the corner. Lil was conspicuous whenever she went, being both unusually tall and unusually beautiful. Even dressed as she was this afternoon, in a simple summer frock and a straw hat with a ribbon round it, her glorious mass of rich dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and magnificent figure made her look more like a goddess than an ordinary girl. Sophie had long since got used to Lil’s remarkable appearance – but what did immediately take her by surprise was that Lil was not alone. Sitting beside her, both looking rather as though they had been starched and ironed especially for the occasion, were Joe and Billy.
‘Hullo Sophie!’ said Billy as she approached. ‘Happy birthday!’
Lil was almost bouncing out of her seat with excitement. ‘I say, isn’t this jolly? Are you surprised? Do sit down – we’ve already ordered some iced buns. I hope you don’t mind – I do think there’s something awfully birthday-ish about iced buns, don’t you?’
Even Joe was grinning at her, in spite of looking a little self-conscious to have found himself in a tea shop. Billy and Joe had each brought her a birthday card, and Lil had a present for her too – a handkerchief with embroidered corners. By the time the tea had been poured and the iced buns and sandwiches arrived, she felt quite a different person from the weary shop girl who had walked through the door.
It was the first time in two weeks that they had all been together, and they had lots to say for themselves. Billy was eager to tell them the latest about working in Mr Sinclair’s office.
‘Of course, I’m only the office boy, so I’m jolly unimportant really,’ he explained, as he shovelled a third spoon of sugar into his tea. ‘But there’s no danger of being bored, I can tell you! There’s always something going on – you should see some of the people who come to see the Captain!’
‘Lots of ladies, I bet,’ said Joe, with a grin.
‘Yes and not just any ladies, either – actresses, opera singers, dancers,’ Billy said, his eyes wide. ‘If they’re someone important, he has them sign a window pane in his office. He has a special long stick with a diamond at the end of it, so they can write their names on the glass!’ he explained, clearly most impressed by this. ‘It’s fearfully busy, but I’m learning a lot. Miss Atwood is showing me all the ropes. Then I have to take evening classes three times a week – typing and shorthand and bookkeeping.’
‘You must hear all sorts of interesting things,’ said Lil, her eyes sparkling, much more intrigued by Mr Sinclair’s glamorous visitors than she was in typing or bookkeeping. ‘All the gossip and scandal! Mr Sinclair’s deep, dark
secrets.’
Billy grinned. ‘Well, I don’t know about that,’ he said. ‘I think he keeps his secrets to himself. But I’ll tell you what – I do know all about the plans for the summer fête.’
The Sinclair’s summer fête was a great source of excitement amongst the staff at present. Mr Sinclair was renowned for taking good care of his workers, and he had determined that just as London’s high society had their summer entertainments – their trips to Ascot and Cowes and the Henley Regatta – so too should his staff. He had charged the new store manager, Mr Betteredge, with planning a day of festivities for them, to reward them for their hard work during the year so far. Mr Betteredge was a cheerful gentleman, who was about as different from the previous store manager, the duplicitous Mr Cooper, as it was possible to be. Mr Cooper, of course, had turned out to be secretly in league with the Baron: he was the one who had stolen the clockwork sparrow, and might have done far worse had they not discovered what he was up to. But even disregarding all that, Sophie could not imagine that he would ever have jumped at the chance to plan a jolly day out for the Sinclair’s staff.
They were all looking forward to the following Sunday, when they were being taken for an afternoon of tea and boating by the river. There would even be a boat race for staff teams, which the young salesmen, grooms and porters were taking very seriously indeed. Sophie knew that Billy’s uncle, Sid Parker, who was the Head Doorman, would be captaining one of the boats, and Joe would be rowing as one of his crew, whilst Billy himself was immensely proud to have been chosen as the cox, whose job it was to shout out instructions to the rowers. There was already much competition developing over which team was going to win.
‘Uncle Sid bet Monsieur Pascal five shillings that our team is going to take first prize,’ related Billy now, managing to stuff in a potted-meat sandwich at the same time.
‘Well I’m glad he’s feeling so confident,’ said Joe, ‘because I can tell you now, I’m not. It’s blooming hard work, this rowing lark.’
‘I just think it’s a fearful shame that girls aren’t allowed to take part in the boat race,’ said Lil. ‘Why should the men have all the glory? I can row just as well as anyone. What are we supposed to do, just stand about and watch ? Where’s the fun in that?’
Billy opened his mouth to share his views on girls taking part in boat races. ‘Er – what else will be happening at the fête, apart from the boating, I mean?’ Sophie interjected quickly.
‘There’s a super tea,’ Billy went on, taking obvious pleasure in being the one with all the inside information. ‘I saw the menu on Miss Atwood’s desk. Cold chicken. Salmon mayonnaise. Strawberries and cream, ices, ginger beer. And afterwards, there’s going to be a band and dancing.’
‘I heard about the dancing. The girls in Millinery and Ladies’ Fashions are awfully excited about it. Most of them are getting new frocks specially.’
‘I wish I could have a new frock. I’m jolly short of cash,’ said Lil, with a heavy sigh. She turned to Sophie: ‘I’ve had some rather rotten news. They’ve just announced that the show is going to end its run this week, so I’ll be out of a job.’
‘But why? It’s been a tremendous success, hasn’t it?’
‘Yes, it did ever so well – but silly old Kitty Shaw is leaving the stage to be married, and they’ve decided that the show can’t go on without her. It’s really an awful bother.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Joe, loyally. ‘You’ll get another part in two shakes.’
‘That’s the bright spot,’ went on Lil, sounding more like her usual self. ‘I’ve found out that Mr Lloyd and Mr Mountville are going to be putting on a new show at the Grosvenor Theatre. It’s called The Inheritance and it’s all about high society. It sounds terribly elegant, and I’m determined to get a part – a real part, not just the chorus line. But the auditions aren’t until next month, so I’m going to be rather broke until then.’
‘Well, at least you’ve got Sinclair’s and the dress shows,’ said Sophie.
Lil made a face. ‘Ugh! Parading around in absurd gowns for all those stuck-up old ladies! But you’re right; it is better than nothing. At least it pays for my lodgings. But this is going to be my last tea out for a while. It’s plain bread and butter for me from now on,’ she said grimly, before hurriedly helping herself to another iced bun, as if she thought they might be about to vanish from the plate at any moment.
‘Haven’t you got any of your reward money left?’ asked Billy curiously.
Lil shrugged. ‘Not exactly. I mean, I have a little, but it won’t go far. I spent some of it on singing lessons, and dancing classes, and I thought I ought to get a new outfit for auditions, and then one of the other chorus girls was in rather a fix, so I said I’d lend her two pounds – and, well, it’s perfectly dreadful how easy it is to spend money when you have it,’ she finished up.
‘Couldn’t your mum and dad help you out till you get another part?’ asked Joe, wondering how anyone could possibly spend such a vast sum as twenty-five pounds in just a few short months. He knew that although they were not as grand as some of the rich society ladies and gentlemen who came into Sinclair’s department store, Lil’s family were still well-to-do.
‘I won’t ask them,’ said Lil, a very stubborn expression on her face. ‘I’m determined to prove that I can stand on my own two feet. If I give them half a chance, Mother will have me back at home embroidering idiotic fire-screens, and entertaining eligible young men to tea.’
Lil’s tone made this sound like such a ghastly proposition that Sophie couldn’t help laughing, although the truth was that sometimes she felt a little envious of her friend’s family. She wondered what it would be like to have a mother worrying about you: she could scarcely even remember her own Mama, who had died when she was very small.
‘Oh, I almost forgot!’ she exclaimed, all at once remembering the unopened envelope in her pocket. She produced it now and handed it to Lil. ‘Look at this. It came earlier.’
‘I say, how strange! Could it be something for your birthday?’
‘That’s what I thought at first, but it has both our names on it,’ said Sophie, pointing.
Lil looked intrigued. ‘Let’s find out,’ she said, tearing it open at once.
But once she had taken out the letter and put it on the table in front of them between the teacups and the sandwiches, they were as perplexed as ever. On what was clearly expensive writing paper, there were a few short lines:
‘Well, what does it say?’ asked Joe, looking at the others expectantly. Growing up on the streets of the East End, he had never learned to read.
‘She wants to hire us!’ exclaimed Lil excitedly. ‘As detectives !’
Billy reached across the table and took hold of the note for a closer look. ‘But why would she want to do that?’ he demanded, frowning.
‘It says right there, in black and white,’ said Lil. ‘She heard about how we found the clockwork sparrow!’
‘Well I’ll be blowed,’ said Joe. ‘That’s a turn-up for the books!’
‘But why just you and Sophie?’ asked Billy. ‘I mean, you’re –’ and here he broke off suddenly, his cheeks turning rather pink.
‘Girls? ’ demanded Lil, at once. ‘Girls can be detectives just as well as boys can,’ she burst out indignantly. ‘Girls are just as brave and clever as boys, you know! I realise they aren’t in those silly detective stories of yours – all the girls in those are perfect idiots who do nothing but swoon all over the place – but that’s a lot of old rot.’
Billy looked rather indignant, and opened his mouth as if he was about to argue, but Joe was frowning. ‘It’s a bit of a rum do, though, isn’t it? I mean, why not go to a professional – a private detective? Or the coppers, come to that?’
Sophie frowned. After what had happened in the spring, the last thing she wanted to do was get in any more trouble with the police. ‘Do you think there’s something fishy about it? Perhaps we oughtn’t to meet her?’
‘Of course we should meet her,’ exclaimed Lil. ‘Goodness, don’t be such a lot of stick-in-the-muds. Here I am, at a loose end and desperate to earn a bit of money – and then along comes this letter! It’s absolutely perfect.’
‘But we have no idea what she wants us to do,’ said Sophie. ‘And we aren’t really detectives. How do we know we’ll even be able to help?’
‘We managed to find Mr Sinclair’s missing jewels, didn’t we?’ replied Lil at once. ‘Have you forgotten what Mr McDermott said to us?’
Sophie had not forgotten. The truth was that she had thought of his words very often during the duller moments in the Millinery Department. ‘You have first-rate instincts, Miss Taylor – and with Miss Rose here to help you act on them, I suspect you would make rather a formidable team. If you ever find yourselves tired of Sinclair’s, come and find me. I think there could be quite a different sort of career out there for a couple of young ladies like you. ’ Remembering them now gave her a sudden prickle of pride.
‘Anyway, the absolute worst that could happen is that we go along and aren’t too keen on what she has to say. Then we can just say no to this job – or what does she call it? – commission,’ went on Lil stoutly.
‘Well . . . I suppose there couldn’t be any harm in at least going to talk to her,’ said Sophie. In spite of her caution, she felt a pleasing buzz of excitement.
Across the table, Billy’s face was screwed into a peculiar mixture of eagerness and indignation. Sophie realised that he was just as enthusiastic as Lil, but still rather resentful that he had not been included in the invitation. Joe was watching with a look of quiet amusement on his face, and now he grinned at Sophie as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
‘Of course, we’ll need both of you to help too,’ said Sophie.
A look of relief crossed Billy’s face. ‘Well, it’s a bit busy at the moment,’ he said in a deliberately casual tone. ‘You know, working for the Captain and the evening classes, and practising for the boat race and everything. But I expect I’ll probably be able to help out.’
The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth Page 3
