It was much later and the evening dance was in full swing. Tonight the Palais not only featured Oscar Reyburn at one end of the dance hall but a new band from America that she had managed to secure at the last minute. Nancy had been excited to welcome her fellow countrymen to the dance. In the past, before the onset of war, the Palais had played host to a number of visiting American bands and their upbeat tempos and high energy had always guaranteed more of a party atmosphere.
Nancy knew how useful Renee found them too. Watching her now standing beside her, feet tapping in time to the music, Nancy knew she wasn’t in Hammersmith but somewhere else entirely.
‘Have I lost you?’ Nancy shouted above the noise of the big band.
Renee turned and smiled. ‘Sorry, love, I was miles away. This American band have got me desperate to try some of their style of dancing.’
Nancy frowned. ‘Whaddya mean?’
‘Well, you should know,’ Renee said, looking her friend up and down and then frowning. ‘But then p’raps not. You might be a Yank but it’s always been admin over dancing for you hasn’t it, queen?’
Laughing in mock outrage, Nancy poked her friend playfully in the ribs. ‘I might not be a great dancer but I know a waltz from a quickstep. And I also know that you’ve been thinking about how to get people jiving in this country.’
Renee raised her perfectly pencilled eyebrows in surprise. ‘Well blow me down with a feather. Someone’s been reading the Dancing Times.’
‘Hey I listen.’
‘But it depends who’s talking?’ Renee quipped.
‘Never a truer word spoken,’ Nancy said, her eyes drifting towards Edna who was shaking her head at the American band, and whispering in Bill’s ear as Larry led a dancer around the room in a particularly poorly executed quickstep.
Nancy looked at Edna for any sign of displeasure at their newest dance recruit’s skills but there was nothing. Her displeasure was reserved purely for the American band, who she was now shaking her fist at, Nancy observed, stifling a laugh. Edna had always hated the American bands, claiming they were ruining the Old Time Dance that Britain thrived on. Nancy disagreed, and she knew Renee did too. She believed that the new dances, the way the Americans held their dance partners in open positions rather than the usual British closed positions, led to more freedom of movement, a better evolvement of dance and more creativity on the part of dance teachers who could play around with tempos, creating new versions of traditional dances. It wasn’t just important for the world of Ballroom Dance, but it breathed life into the Palais too and at this particular moment, with the war hanging over everyone’s heads, Nancy was grateful for the new opportunities an American dance band could provide.
‘What nasty little web of lies do you think she’s sprouting now?’ Renee asked, pulling Nancy into the present.
‘I dread to think,’ Nancy said with a sigh.
‘You talked to her yet about the Jewish kids you want to foster?’ Renee asked.
‘I’ve mentioned it,’ Nancy said. ‘Because I knew if I didn’t the rabbi would say something before I got to her.’
‘Didn’t realise they were so close,’ Renee said.
‘She thinks the rabbi is her ticket to the afterlife,’ Nancy said with a smirk.
At the bluntness of her remark the two women fell about laughing, managing to compose themselves when Edna left Bill’s side to join them.
‘Hey, Edna, enjoying the music?’ Nancy couldn’t resist asking.
Edna shook her head. ‘I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I simply don’t know why you hire these bands, Nancy dear. I know in America this sort of music and showing off is what you’re used to but in England we’re a little more refined. It impacts the dancers too – poor Larry was struggling to make any sense of the nonsense they were playing.’
Renee rolled her eyes. ‘That lad’d put years on a weekly boat! Honest to God, Edna, you’re a professional, how you could’ve stood there with a smile on your face as big as the Mersey tunnel when you know that Larry can’t dance to any band whichever side of the Atlantic they’re from.’
‘Larry just needs time to settle in.’ Edna sniffed.
‘More like he needs one of Hitler’s bombs up his arse,’ Renee muttered, causing Nancy to giggle. ‘Anyway,’ she continued, turning to Maisie, Violet and Temperance who had now joined them, ‘when are we going to see you and Archie in a dance?’
Maisie coloured at the suggestion. ‘I’m not sure I’m ready to dance in public.’
Violet rolled her eyes. ‘Since when did you get so shy? Go on, I bet Archie’d love to lead you around the floor.’
Maisie still looked pained and Nancy took her hand. ‘Honey, if you want to enter a contest you’d better get used to dancing with your partner.’
‘All right,’ Maisie said reluctantly. She turned to Violet. ‘Could we do something in the bar where the dance floor’s a lot smaller and there are less people? We could ask Eamon to play something a bit slower. Make it easy like?’
‘All right,’ Violet grumbled, though Nancy could see from the flash of delight in her eyes how elated she was at the thought of spending time with Eamon. She was pleased for the girl. She didn’t know Violet well but thought her and Eamon would make a good match.
As the sisters disappeared, Renee nodded in agreement. ‘I wanted to recruit Archie for the pen but he refused. Said he was too busy up the butcher’s.’
‘Well this is the trouble, we all have duties we must attend to – something I told the rabbi earlier, Nancy dear,’ Edna said smoothly.
A cold prickle of fear ran down Nancy’s spine. ‘What d’you mean?’
Edna patted her stiff grey chignon and gave Nancy a cold smile. ‘Nothing, dear, I was simply honest. He asked me if you would have time to care for any Jewish children here at the Palais and I explained that although you meant well and your heart was in the right place, it would be simply impossible for you to manage both. I said I’m sorry, rabbi, but Nancy likes to do things properly so she would insist on choosing between caring for the children she so dearly wants to take on or giving up her job at the Palais.’
With that Edna took another sip of her drink and Nancy felt hatred trickle through her veins. In that moment it became clear that for her, the war on the home front had suddenly become personal.