‘Sounds a bit fishy to me,’ said George, frowning. They were hurrying through the streets back to the Bureau. ‘I think you should be careful, Daisy.’
She shrugged. ‘You always think there’s something fishy, like the world’s a deep dark pool of mystery. This isn’t a story out of one of your magazines! She’s just rich, that’s all. Rich people do what they want. Besides, she’s Australian. They do things differently there. Mother always says Australians go straight to the point and don’t muck around with pointless shilly-shallying.’
George snorted. ‘Hmph! How many people did she interview, this antipodean millionairess of yours?’
‘How should I know? She obviously thought I was the best person for the job.’
‘Why?’ said George, bluntly.
‘Why? What do you mean? That’s not very nice, George. Do you think I’m really so hopeless?’
‘I don’t think you’re hopeless at all. But …’
‘She said I was young and could be taught. She said I wouldn’t get ‘bored like the others’. She must have employed someone else before who she didn’t get on with, I suppose.’
‘But she doesn’t know anything about you, and …’
‘She’s going to get a reference from Miss Grantley. And she asked questions about my family.’
‘Really?’ said George in such an ‘ah-ha!’ tone that Daisy laughed. ‘Did she ask you if you were all alone in the world?’ He added.
‘Of course not! She wanted to know why I was working, that’s all. I told her. Anyway, she’s going to visit Mother at the shop this afternoon, so there!’
‘I see.’
‘You see nothing. Aren’t you happy for me, George? This could be the start of something really wonderful. Imagine. Travelling! Typing up the stories of film stars and …’
‘I’ll bet,’ said George savagely, ‘that actually Alfred Peabody was interested in technical stuff, camera settings and things like that. You’ll probably have to type up dozens and dozens of boring statistics and pages of ghastly technical jargon.’
Daisy looked at him in surprise. ‘I do believe you’re jealous, George Dale!’
‘Don’t be silly!’ George flashed back. ‘I just think you should be careful, that’s all.’ He felt cross and miserable, and ashamed of both feelings. But if Daisy left, he’d really miss her. They’d been friends since childhood. It would be very dull at work without her. He found the other girls boring, and the only other male employee, Mr Jones, the chief storeman, was a gruff old bear of a man.
Daisy snorted, but said nothing more. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Daisy was rather hurt by George’s reaction. She’d thought he’d be happy for her. He was her friend, after all! Oh, sure, he might miss her — and she’d miss him — but it wasn’t like she was going to live in Australia or anything like that. She’d never thought he’d be jealous of her.
Daisy was relieved to see that Miss Grantley was busy on the telephone when she finally walked into the office. Phew! thought Daisy as she slid into her place and instantly started on the letter that was by her machine. The boring task would give her time to think how to break the news to Miss Grantley.
But she had been rattling away for only a minute or so when Miss Grantley put the phone down. ‘Miss Miller!’ she called from her office. ‘I’d like a word with you.’
Uh-oh, thought Daisy as she scuttled past the curious glances of the other girls. Miss Grantley shut the door behind her. She did not ask Daisy to sit down.
‘So you want to leave us, Miss Miller?’
Daisy flinched. People said Miss Grantley had spies everywhere! She began, ‘Well, I …’
‘Leaving us,’ interrupted Miss Grantley, ‘after all the good training and experience you have had here.’ Her helmet of stiffly-sprayed silver hair quivered with indignation. Daisy tried to speak, but Miss Grantley cut her off. ‘You modern girls just don’t know how to settle to anything.’
‘Miss Grantley, I …’
‘I just received a telephone call, Miss Miller, from a Mrs Helena Peabody. She’s the widow of an Australian millionaire jeweller, I believe.’ She managed to make the sentence sound very disbelieving indeed, as if such a combination was quite impossible. ‘She said she wishes to engage your services and would I give you a good reference?’
‘Yes, Miss Grantley?’ Daisy said meekly.
‘I told her the truth. I said you are a good typist and you do your work well, but without soul. I said you weren’t a born secretary, though competent. Your heart isn’t in it. I said you are like most young women these days, frivolous, flighty, and too curious by half.’ She glared at Daisy, as if daring her to disagree. ‘I said I wouldn’t be sorry to lose you.’
Daisy’s heart sank. It was hardly a ringing endorsement. She wouldn’t blame Mrs Peabody if she had second thoughts. ‘Oh,’ she said, weakly.
‘Mrs Peabody asked me to let you go straightaway. Well, I wouldn’t do, only she offered to pay for a temporary girl to take your place from tomorrow, till I should find a permanent replacement.’
Daisy’s eyes widened. Miss Grantley smiled sourly. ‘You must really have made an impression, Miss Miller. Can’t think why.’ Her eyes raked over Daisy. ‘You’d better watch out for yourself, young lady,’ she snapped. ‘The world isn’t a bed of roses, you know. Or if it seems like it, the thorns are only hiding beneath the petals.’
‘No, Miss Grantley,’ said Daisy, obediently, though inwardly she was exulting. Yes! It was really happening! What did she care about the Dragon’s stupid sayings? What did a dried-up old maid like her, who only cared about nice typing and neat margins, know about the world?
‘Off you go, Miss Miller. Finish what you’ve been doing, and clear out your desk this afternoon. You can call at the cashier’s for your final wages before you leave this evening.’
‘Oh, thank you, Miss Grantley,’ stammered Daisy. ‘You’ve been … you are very kind.’
‘Stuff and nonsense,’ snapped her boss. ‘Don’t be sentimental. Good day, Miss Miller. And try not to bring shame on my Bureau. It has a certain reputation, you know. It even reaches as far as Australia,’ she added, as a final touch.
‘You needn’t worry, Miss Grantley. I’ll do you proud, I promise. Good day and thank you,’ Daisy gabbled as she walked out of the Dragon’s office for the last time, head held high, eyes sparkling.
If George and Miss Grantley had reacted in a thoroughly wet-blanket manner to her exciting news, her mother made up for both of them by being over the moon. Mrs Peabody had kept to her word and visited her at the dress shop. She had told Mrs Miller that while they were in London they would be staying at the famous Brooks Hotel, and Daisy would have her own room there. She’d also have her own time to see the sights of London. Her mother would be most welcome to visit her there in a few days’ time, and Daisy would most definitely be allowed to visit her mother whenever she wanted.
Dorothy Miller had high hopes for her bright, lively Daisy. Things had not been easy for them both. Like her daughter, she knew this was a chance in a million, a chance Daisy must on no account pass up. She would miss Daisy terribly, but she didn’t want to let Daisy see that. The only thing she was worried about, she told Daisy, cheerfully, was that her daughter might not have enough really good clothes. Tomorrow, she said, Daisy should come with her to Gabriela’s, and pick out some new outfits. Mrs Miller would pay for them in instalments. Daisy hugged her mother and cried a little then too, saying she was afraid her mother would be lonely. Mrs Miller, holding back her own tears, hugged Daisy, dried her eyes and told her brightly not to be so silly, she’d be quite alright, she’d have bridge parties with her friends, play tennis, go to lectures, and oh, do lots of things! Daisy hardly listened to her mother’s brave talk; her mind was full of her own plans. Her life was changed, now. She was on her way to independence, into a brand new, exciting world!