‘Is it too late to wish you all a happy New Year?’ Miss Hayward smiled at what seemed, in her small living room, to be a crowd of people. Joss had come down at Zannah’s request to see the dress, which was having its first proper fitting today. Isis was there too, to try on the bridesmaid’s outfit, and visibly excited at the prospect. Joss suspected that part of the reason she’d been invited was to keep an eye on her granddaughter in case boredom set in during the afternoon. Emily had taken time off work to accompany them, refusing to be left out of such a fantastically important occasion.
‘You need us both, don’t you, Zannah?’ she’d said while they were on their way to Highgate. ‘You need our opinion on this very important matter, right?’
Zannah had agreed, of course. If she could have had Charlotte there as well, she’d have been even more delighted, but it was quite fortunate she hadn’t joined the party. Miss Hayward’s living room would’ve struggled to cope with even one more body. As it was, Isis was sitting on the floor at Joss’s feet.
‘No, not late at all,’ Zannah said. ‘January the eleventh is still very much New Year, I think.’
‘Well, everything’s ready for you to try on, my dear,’ said Miss Hayward. ‘If you come upstairs with me, I’ll get you into the dress and then we can call the others up to see how it looks. Is that all right?’
‘That’s lovely. Thank you.’ Zannah sprang up, smiling. She followed Miss Hayward out of the room.
‘Mum’ll call us soon, won’t she, Granny?’ Isis had got to her feet and was examining the china figurines on the mantelpiece. ‘Isn’t this lady pretty? I like her hat!’
She was looking at one of the shepherdesses who was dressed in foaming pale pink lacy skirts and a wide-brimmed hat trailing green ribbons. Real agriculture was obviously the last thing on her mind.
‘Yoo-hoo! You can come up now!’ That was Miss Hayward.
‘Did she really say yoo-hoo? I thought that was only in books.’ Em took Isis’s hand and they went quickly up the stairs. Joss followed. Miss Hayward was waiting on the landing, holding open the door to one of the bedrooms.
Zannah was standing next to the window. Joss blinked, and couldn’t think of a word to say. Her daughter was beautiful: ethereal and delicate in a dress that draped her body and fell elegantly to mid-calf. She saw lace, edged with more lace; flowers and butterflies hidden in the pattern; tiny pearls scattered around the square neckline, around the hem, and the edges of the sleeve. The dress was still pinned in places; one of the sleeves hadn’t yet been set in but Joss could see how it would be. It was the perfect dress for Zannah. Joss said, ‘It’s … it’s completely amazing. D’you like it? Are you happy? Is it what you imagined?’
‘Better. Miss Hayward has made it even better than I’d hoped it would be. Isn’t it fabulous? And look … here’s the headdress – a ‘fascinator’ – it’ll be done up with my hair … kind of wrapped round it. Em, what d’you think? Icey?’
‘You’re dead pretty, Mum!’ Isis said. She’d been standing quite still by the door, her mouth open in astonishment, but when Zannah spoke, she ran to touch the dress, to look at it more closely.
Em was smiling. She said, ‘I dunno. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have had a Maureen Meringue? I’m kidding, you idiot,’ she added, seeing the look of horror on Zannah’s face. ‘You couldn’t possibly have a better dress. Fantastic. Honestly. I love it. You’ll be … You are … Well, there’s nothing to say except: wow!’
‘What about me, Mrs Hayward?’ Isis said, bouncing up and down with excitement. ‘Can I try my dress on too?’
‘Of course. Here it is. Just take off what you’re wearing and we’ll see what you look like.’
She held up a hanger with one of the bridesmaid’s dresses on it. The green of the fabric was the exact colour of milky jade. ‘The other little girl … Gemma? Is she going to come for a fitting soon?’
‘Yes,’ said Zannah. ‘I’ll bring both girls in next week. But I’m afraid Isis couldn’t wait … ’
‘Perfectly understandable,’ said Miss Hayward. ‘Now, slip this on, dear. Remember that it’s not trimmed. You can help me choose the right decorations next time you come. I’ve got a whole drawer full of pretty things you can look at.’ She was pinning the dress together at the back as she spoke. ‘Of course, on the day, you’ll have little buttons here, and not pins.’
Isis went to gaze into the full-length mirror. Her eyes widened as she took in the full glory of the taffeta, the rustle of it, the sheen, and the frilly edges of the sleeves. She let out a breath and sighed with pleasure. ‘It’s … it’s like soooo cool! I can’t wait to show Gemma. Is there going to be a ribbon here?’ She pointed to the waist of the dress.
‘Yes,’ said Miss Hayward. ‘And a ribbon trim on the sleeves with perhaps some tiny satin roses. What do you think?’
‘Roses! Yes, please. Oh, I wish it was the wedding tomorrow.’
‘But if it was tomorrow,’ said Miss Hayward, ‘the dresses wouldn’t be ready. Now stand very still and I’ll put pins in to show me where the hem should be.’
While Isis was having her skirt pinned up, Joss moved to where Zannah was standing near the window. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear. ‘You look so beautiful, Zannah. And so does Isis. It’s going to be a lovely wedding.’
She and Em went downstairs to wait for Zannah and Isis to change and join them.
‘We’ll have to start thinking,’ Joss said ‘about what we’re going to wear.’
‘You should consult with Zannah,’ said Emily. ‘She’s often said she’d like to dress you up.’
‘Really? She’s never told me that.’ Joss wondered what Zannah would advise. She was willing to allow her a reasonably free hand, but they’d have to find out first what Maureen was intending to wear. As though she’d been reading her thoughts, Em said, laughing, ‘We’ll have to find out about Maureen first, though, won’t we? I wouldn’t put it past her to go for something like brocade. She’ll look like a very smart sofa.’
‘Now now, she’s not fat, you know,’ Joss smiled.
‘No, she’s not, but she’s well-upholstered. Like I said: a sofa.’
Joss smiled but she didn’t want to think about Maureen. She knew exactly where such thoughts always led, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to grieve for what she had lost. Not on a day like this, at a time like this. Pretend he doesn’t exist, she thought, not even letting his name come into her head. Think of Zannah. Think how happy Isis is with her outfit. Concentrate on the good things. The dress. The lovely, lovely dress.