We left the flat and entered the lift. Lady C didnât seem so small now that Iâd removed my stilettos. As we exited the building, I squinted in the sunshine, feeling like I was in a bad dream where you wander down the street and suddenly realize youâre naked.
âShoulders back, dear,â said Abbeyâs aunt. âChin not too high or low and stomach pulled in. Donât walk too fast or slow, nor appear aimless â a lady always knows where she is going. These quick tips on deportment will have to do for this excursion. What youâll need is several hours balancing a book on your head.â
âThat only happens in the movies, right?â I grinned.
She arched one eyebrow, then, as we passed a hairdressing salon, tested my ability to hold what she called âa suitably civilized conversationâ. We started with the weather.
âUmâ¦hasnât the sunshine been lovely lately,â I said. âArenât you mega hot in those tights and that blazer? After all, weâre still in August.â
Lady C almost choked. âDonât ever mention something so personal and, whilst I think about it, also avoid religion and politics and gossipââ
âButâ¦â
âNo interrupting either. Remember peopleâs names, compliment them, donât raise your voice or ever show emotion.â
Whoa! At this rate, Iâd need to take notes.
âKeep yourself informed, Gemma. Read the papers,â she said as I stopped to look through the window of my favourite cake shop. âLetâs see what you know about this yearâs newsâ¦â
Reluctantly, I left the yummy chocolate éclairs and we continued along the pavement.
âDo you remember what happened with Jordan?â said Lady C.
âMega disappointing, wasnât it, when she didnât get back with Peter André?â
Her brow wrinkled deeper than usual as we turned a corner. âNo, Jordanâs in the Middle East; itâs a place, not a person. Letâs try something closer to home⦠The Double Dip.â
âThat new ride at Alton Towers?â I said as the cheeky street cleaner pushed his trolley past and gave me polite look instead of his usual leer.
âI was talking about the recession. Donât you ever read the papers?â Lady C let out a sigh as I led her off the main road and through a small park. âFailing current affairs, ask people questions about themselves, but nothing too probing.â
Easy. âSo, did you really own a finishing school when you were mega younger?â
Lady C glanced sideways at me and her eyes narrowed. âNever allude to someoneâs age. But yes, it was my own business.â
âAmazinâ!â I said, remembering her advice to compliment people.
âAmazinggggggg,â she said and veered to avoid some nettles. âOr âwonderfulâ would be better. Donât say âmegaâ, try, âawfullyâ and, instead of âwowâ, how about âgoodnessâ?â
I opened my mouth. Then shut it. Goodbye spontaneity.
âWhat a thoroughly delightful place,â said Lady C as two children ran past with nets and buckets. âA pied wagtail and nuthatchâ¦Well, I never.â
Clearly, she was some kind of birdwatching buff. Perspiring now, I spotted an ice cream van. Comfort food might help me forget my nude look.
âHow about a choc ice?â I said.
âGoodness, no. Itâs highly impolite to eat on the go.â
Instead, we walked onto a bridge. I picked up a twig and threw it into the stream below.
âNow itâs my turn for some questions,â said Lady C. âWhat do you do for a living?â
âI am â wasâa waitress at Pizza Parlour. Weâve all just been given the boot.â
Lady C raised an eyebrow.
âOops, sorry! I mean, made redundant.â I coughed. âSuch jolly bad luck but Iâm sure, um, another job opportunity will arise soon.â
Lady Câs mouth upturned. âGood, although thereâs just one problemâ remember you are Abbey now. Donât talk about your own life.â
âOkay⦠I was a head chef at Pizza Parlour and, having gained experience out in the real world, will now join Daddyâs company, Croxley Catering. This will offer me a super career.â Abbey used words like âsuperâ. Plus âterriblyâ. And âsilly sausageâ. Lady C beamed and I felt all fuzzy inside, like when Dad gave me the thumbs-up for explaining the offside rule.
âBut what about you, Gemma?â she said softly. âTell me about your aspirations.â
I picked up another twig and lobbed it into the current. âDunnoâ never thought about it really. Would love to be able to cook like Abbey, but, well⦠As long as I earn enough to pay the bills and have a good time, Iâm doing okay.â
âThere must be more than that, dear. Self-esteem and self-ambition make a lady. Always aim high; consider the long plan. Thatâs the trouble with young girls nowadays â thereâs too much living for the moment.â She stared at me. âYouâve got a real chance to turn your life around, here, Gemma.â
I couldnât help snorting. âWhat, in a fortnight?â
âLife has a habit of throwing opportunities our way.â She smiled. âWho knows what will happen?â
I shrugged and glanced at an oldish woman, further along the stream, whoâd stopped to lean on her walking stick. A young teenager approached her andâ oh my god! âshoved her to one side, grabbed her handbag and scarpered.
People all around did nothing and acted as if it had happened in their blind spot. Uh oh. Heart racing⦠I was having one of my adrenaline rushes that made me do something bonkers.
âOi!â I shouted and within seconds my legs were carrying me after him. The teenager jumped over some bushes and headed into a forested area at the end of the stream. Just as I caught up, he tripped and fell. Swearing, he got to his feet.
âHand it over!â I said.
âGonna make me, bitch?â
Er⦠yeah. I lunged forward. Years of wrestling my brothers, Ryan and Tom, had stood me in good stead for dealing with over-friendly blokes and now thieves. Except his eyes looked glazed and with an unexpected strength he pushed me off. I grabbed onto the handbag before tumbling onto a log. A male voice shouted behind me and the teenager swore again before running away.
âYou okay?â
I turned around to see â wow, a total hunk with an athletic build, all wrapped up in a sharp suit. He was pushing forty but flirty eyes never aged. He pulled me to my feet and, with no short skirt or cleavage to distract him, gazed right into my understated face. I held my breath. The hunk didnât flinch or gasp in horror. In fact, he smiled and carefully examined my forehead.
âBit of a graze, there,â he said and lifted up one trouser leg several inches to reveal a bandage. âSprained my knee yesterday. If it wasnât for that, Iâd have nailed that young bast⦠basket case.â
Blimey â he hadnât wanted to swear in front of me.
Fingers curled gently around my elbow, he guided me out of the trees. Lady C and the handbagâs owner were waiting by the edge of the stream.
âOh, thanks so much,â said the woman. âIâm so grateful. Let me reward you.â
Yes, please! But I caught Lady Câs eye. No doubt accepting a fiver for my trouble would be the height of bad manners.