Chapter 15

As her father’s car pulled up in front of the Palace Hotel, Maria spotted Paul standing to the side of the entrance and she felt her heart quicken. She pulled her fur coat around her and hoped the dress she was wearing was okay, and that she hadn’t gone too mad with her eyes. As she reached for the door handle, her father’s hand moved to cover hers.

“Have a good night, my darling.”

She turned towards him. The very serious look on his face made her suddenly feel sad. Made her realise that this first formal date had a bigger effect on him than she had imagined. She knew that he was thinking that this was some kind of landmark – a change in their relationship that would never allow it to go back to quite what it was.

“It’s only a dance,” she said. “And I promise I won’t be that late.”

“Go and enjoy yourself and come home safely when everyone else is coming home. Don’t hang about the city centre too long as it won’t be as nice as it is now. It can be dangerous for a young girl later on at night when men are drunk and maybe even fighting.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Leo shrugged. “You never know. We even had trouble outside the restaurant recently. Young thugs teasing poor Timothy again and threatening to beat him up.”

Timothy was a slow, effeminate-mannered man who was well known in the area around the restaurant, as he did shopping for his elderly mother and his sister who was in a wheelchair. He was a cheery man, but periodically he did a tour of all the local bars, rather overindulging – and on a couple of those occasions he had become a target for local teenagers.

“Oh, no,” Maria said. “What happened?” She had only met Timothy briefly on a couple of occasions, but knew from what her father had told her that he was a harmless soul.

“Oh, Franco and I had to go outside and chase them off.”

Maria’s hand felt for the door handle. “I promise I’ll be careful.”

A shadow came on the driver’s window and when she looked she saw it was Paul who had obviously recognised the car. Leo rolled down the window and they shook hands.

They talked for a few minutes about the windy weather earlier in the day and the effect it had had on the riding-school grounds.

“We’ve been clearing up all afternoon,” Paul told them. “A big old tree came down, and the place was littered with broken branches. But it’s all been dealt with and my father was just happy that the worst of it happened early in the morning and that no one was injured.”

“Of course, of course,” Leo said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Maria’s eyes moved from one to the other as they spoke and she felt a sense of relief as she noted Paul’s easy way of responding to her father, and how he bent his head as he listened carefully and with respect to everything Leo said.

She was also pleased that it was her father who ended the conversation. He glanced at his watch and said he needed to get back to the restaurant as there was a big Golden Wedding Anniversary group due in and he wanted to be there to greet them all personally.

Maria got out of the car and, as she went towards Paul, she saw he was wearing a lovely grey collarless suit with a perfect white shirt and a fashionably skinny maroon tie. She also noticed the expensive gold tie-pin which had a single music note with a small diamond in the centre. She guessed his mother had bought it for him.

“Have an enjoyable night.” Leo looked directly at Paul as he started the car engine up again. “And I know I can trust a respectable boy like you to look after Maria and see her safely home later.”

“Of course,” Paul said, nodding. “I’ll book a taxi for us in plenty of time before the dance finishes.”

They walked towards the hotel entrance, a small awkward space between them. Maria felt the same shy way that she’d felt the night they went to the cinema. Then he moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders and she felt a sense of relief.

“Your father is a real gentleman,” Paul said. “Everyone seems to like him, and it’s obviously helped his business to be the great success it is. You must be very proud of him.”

They moved slowly up the steps towards the big glass doors.

“Yes, I am proud of him. And he is a lovely man – but he’s not completely perfect.”

“Who is? My parents certainly aren’t perfect either, but I know I’m lucky that they are better than most.”

She looked up at him and something about his eyes made her suddenly think that he might be the person she was looking for – the person she could confide in about Stella and maybe even about her father. Not just now, and certainly not tonight. But maybe later.

He caught her eye and drew her to a halt. Then his gaze moved from the top of her head right down to her stiletto heels. “If you don’t mind me saying – you look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”

Maria looked down at herself. “Do I?”

“Absolutely!” He suddenly seemed flustered. “I’m really pleased that the weather improved. I was afraid that we would have to cancel our date.”

“Were you?”

“I know we could have re-organised it for another night, but I’m glad we didn’t have to.”

Maria nodded and gave a self-conscious smile, and then she suddenly worried that he might think she wasn’t as enthusiastic as he would like, so she said, “Yes, I’m glad too.”

He took a step towards her, but moved back again when an elderly couple came towards them.

“Hello, Paul!” the woman said.

“Hello, Mrs Tordoff.” He smiled and then stepped forward to shake hands with her husband.

The woman smiled warmly at Maria. “We’re neighbours of the Spencers. I take it you’re here for the dance?”

Paul quickly introduced Maria and then explained about his father’s bad back and how he and Maria were using the tickets.

“I’m so sorry your parents won’t be here, but I’m sure it will be a lovely night. The cricket crowd are great at organising things.” She took her husband’s arm. “We won’t keep you – I know you young people will be waiting to catch up with all your young friends.”

After they left, Paul turned to her. “To be honest, I’m not that friendly with anyone from the cricket club so I haven’t a clue about what table we’ll be sitting at or anything like that. I think my mother mentioned something about it, but I wasn’t really paying attention.” He gave a weak smile. “I was too busy thinking about asking you to come with me.”

She could see by his face that he was not as confident as she imagined he would be, and in a way it made her feel closer to him. As if they were both in the same boat.

“It doesn’t matter who we sit with,” she said. “We’ll still have a good time.”

As they walked into the hotel, Maria thought it was the nicest, place she had ever been in. It was fairly busy, with very well-dressed people sitting on sofas and chairs chatting over drinks. A few people at different tables spoke to Paul as they went past, but he only politely acknowledged them and didn’t stop to chat to anyone. Maria smiled at anyone who looked at her, and quietly took note of what the younger women were wearing. When she spotted a few other girls with similar short styles – although none in black or sequinned – she decided she was happy enough with what she was wearing and she felt herself begin to relax a little.

They found the cloakroom and Paul held her black handbag for her while she slipped off her coat and gave it to the lady to hang up. Then, as the attendant turned away, Paul moved behind Maria and kissed her on the back of the neck.

“That dress is absolutely gorgeous – you look stunning in it,” he whispered. “I can see I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you with all the other men.”

She laughed and slid her arm through his, and they walked back to where all the others were.

Paul indicated the long bar. “We’ve loads of time before we need to go into the ballroom, so I’ll get us a drink first. What will you have? A wine or a sherry? Or maybe a Babycham?”

She shrugged and then leaned towards him. “Maybe a lemonade would be safer? I don’t want you embarrassed if they start checking my age . . .”

“Stop worrying,” he said quietly. “You look as old as any of the girls in here, and I’ve never had trouble being served alcohol in any pubs I’ve been in, so if you want a drink I’ll get it.”

“Okay, that would be lovely. A glass of red wine, please.”

“We’ll find a table first, so you can sit down.” He looked around, then he spotted one over in the corner near the entrance to the ballroom. “That’s in a good spot and we can see everyone coming and going.” He touched her elbow and then guided her across the carpeted floor towards the long, low table which had a nice big comfortable velvet couch with a couple of high-backed matching armchairs opposite it.

The touch of his hand on her bare arm as they walked along made her catch her breath and sparked a small flame in the pit of her stomach. She recognised it as the same feeling she had a few nights ago when he kissed her. She went around the table to sit on the sofa, and, as she watched him going back towards the bar – tall, good-looking with his quietly confident way – she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to be out at a dance in Manchester with Paul Spencer. There were plenty of girls at the riding school – some older than her – who would be thrilled to be asked out by him.

She could see him talking to another boy at the bar who looked around the same age, and thought it was good he had met up with someone he knew. As she watched, two dark-haired girls with quite daring, low-cut strapless dresses came over and started chatting to the boys and Maria could tell, by the way the taller one flicked her hair back and then leaned in close when she was talking to Paul, that she fancied him. She also knew, by the way the girls were acting, that they were older than her, probably around eighteen like Paul and the age difference niggled at her, because the girls that age at school in sixth year were often dismissive towards the younger ones like her.

Maria’s eyes narrowed in watchfulness, and then she saw Paul moving away from the group to catch the barman’s eye and when he gave his order she was pleased to see that he didn’t move back to join them again. Then, at one point, she saw him looking over at her and when he caught her eye he smiled and raised his eyebrows, checking she was okay, and she smiled back and nodded her head.

As he came back towards the table carrying their drinks, she suddenly wondered what he saw in her that had made him single her out. When she was growing up, she knew from adults’ comments and from her friends in school that she wasn’t unattractive, but she did not feel she was as pretty as some of her other friends or as fashionable as Stella. It wasn’t exactly a question she could ask any of her friends, as it would sound weird or as if she was fishing for compliments.

Paul came back to the table and told her that the boy he had been talking to was called Jim McPherson. Paul had known him from primary school but hadn’t seen him in ages.

“He’s a keen cricketer apparently,” Paul told her, “which is quite surprising as I don’t remember him being very sporty at school. But then, I don’t suppose we should judge people on what they were like at eleven years old.” He smiled. “God, when I think back, I was probably absolutely awful at that age.”

“And who were the two girls with him?” Maria asked.

Paul shrugged. “I don’t know – he didn’t introduce us.”

He said nothing more about them, instead commenting on how much busier it was getting and how all the seats were starting to fill up. After a while, two older couples came and asked if they could sit at their table. The two men took the chairs and brought a third chair over for one of the women. Paul moved a space or two along the sofa to let the other lady sit at the end, and then he reached for Maria’s hand to help her move alongside him. He waited until she had lifted her handbag and was settled again, then put his arm around her shoulders and drew her near, so that she was leaning in towards him and their legs were close together. Maria thought it felt wonderful.

They were just finishing their drinks when the woman next to them pointed out to the others in the group that people were starting to head into the ballroom. When the older couples got up from the table, Paul and Maria followed along behind them. The queue was moving, so within a couple of minutes they were at the ballroom door. Paul handed their tickets over to a man in a tuxedo and tails and he told them to go inside and check their names on the lists that they would find on a table there.

“This is going to be interesting,” he said when he found their table on the list.

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

“I hope you’re feeling all grown up and serious, because we’re down as Mr and Mrs Spencer.”

“What?” Her voice was incredulous.

He started laughing. “It’s okay, you don’t need to panic – they still have my parents’ names on the list and probably at the places on the table.”

“Oh God,” she said, laughing along with him, “I know we both want to look a bit older, but being taken for a married couple is pushing it just a bit too far.”

When they walked in, Maria’s eyes were immediately drawn to the five sparkling chandeliers – four in the corners of the room and a larger central one – and she thought it was easily the most elegant room she had ever seen. It had dozens of big round tables, and each one was decked out with a white tablecloth that pooled onto the floor, topped with a smaller black-and-gold square cloth and fancily shaped napkins. Each table was circled by ten white linen-covered chairs, the backs of which were adorned with bows fashioned from gold material. There was an elaborate silver candelabra on each table and two tall vases filled with lilies on either side of it.

They were the first to arrive at their table and within a few minutes of sitting down a young waiter in tails came to take their drink order. This time Maria asked for a glass of lemonade, and when Paul checked she said that she would rather have that for now, and maybe have a glass of wine along with her meal.

More and more people were coming in now, looking around the room and debating as to where they were seated. Three older couples joined their table, and they all smiled and said good evening to Paul as though they knew him, and smiled at Maria.

When the group were all settled and occupied chatting amongst themselves, Paul whispered to Maria that he hoped she wasn’t going to be bored sitting with another older crowd and she laughed. He then said he was embarrassed that he didn’t know any of their names, as they weren’t close friends of his parents, just people they knew from the group who were running the dance.

“Lots of people are bound to know your father, with him being a jockey,” Maria whispered back. “As long as you smile at them, and be really friendly when they speak to you, you’ll be fine. My father says that’s what he does in the restaurant as all the customers like it if he remembers them.”

He smiled and squeezed her arm. “That sounds like good advice – I can’t argue with that.”

Jim McPherson came in with a pretty blonde girl on his arm – neither of the girls who had been talking to him at the bar – who was wearing a long orange sparkly dress which drew a lot of glances. He paused at their table and Maria could feel his eyes taking in every detail about her, and she began to feel awkward and wondered if he thought she was very young-looking. Paul introduced them and then Jim introduced the girl he was with as Dawn, which Maria thought was a much more glamorous name than her own.

When another young couple came to the table and sat in the two spare chairs beside Maria, Jim and Dawn moved away to look for their own places. Paul had never met the new couple before, so he waited until they were settled and then introduced himself and Maria, and they said they were Alison Wood and Michael Murphy. They told them they had come with a group but there had been too many for the one table, so a few of the couples had been put on other tables.

Alison was a bubbly friendly girl, and within minutes Maria felt she’d known her for ages. She loved Alison’s gorgeous long cream dress with a gold bodice, and when she complimented her on it Alison confided that she had tried on loads of things and ended up borrowing the dress from her older sister.

“Michael is eighteen, but I’m only turned seventeen,” Alison said, “and I was afraid I would look too young in my own things.”

Maria then whispered to her that she wouldn’t be sixteen until May.

“I don’t believe you!” Alison’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I thought you were about nineteen!”

Maria smiled and liked her even more.

After a while people started to pick up their menus and discuss whether they were going to have melon or prawn cocktail and, for the main course, coq au vin, beef bourguignon or salmon.

When the wine was being poured, Alison leaned towards Maria to say weren’t the waiters very serious in their fancy uniforms, and she had to stifle a giggle when they were all addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘madam’. Maria giggled along with her and did not say that she spent many of her evenings in a restaurant and was so used to hearing people being called ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ that she did not even notice it any more.

The chatty girl then went on to tell her that she and Michael had been going out for nearly a year and were planning to get engaged in the summer. “We haven’t told anyone else yet, so you’re the first to know.” She then put her hand to her mouth. “If any of our group come over to talk to us, you won’t say a word, will you? It’s just that Michael’s sister is here and we’d be in big trouble if she thought I’d told a complete stranger that we were getting engaged before her!”

Maria assured her she wouldn’t say a thing.

“And how long have you two been going out?” Alison asked.

Maria moved closer to her and said, “We’ve known each other a good while, but we’ve only actually been on one date before this.”

“What?” Alison said. “I don’t believe it. You’d think you’d been going out ages!”

After the meal the tables were cleared and a lively band came on, playing up-to-date music. At the beginning only a few couples braved the floor, but when they started on a string of Beatles hits and then The Twist, the floor began to get busy. When Alison and Michael got up it was evident they were great dancers, and they kept waving back to Maria and Paul – who were happily watching everyone dance and commenting on the better dancers – to come and join them. Paul seemed reluctant to and it struck Maria that he might not actually be any good at dancing, and the thought made her feel a bit wary of actually getting up. She loved dancing and she and Stella often danced around to the radio in their bedrooms. She unconsciously moved in her chair in time to the music now, thinking that she wasn’t quite sure how she would feel if Paul was clumsy on the floor or uncoordinated.

She went to the ladies’ and took a few minutes checking her hair and make-up. Then, as she was on her way back to the table, enjoying the band playing ‘Day Tripper’, her hand was suddenly grabbed by Alison, who insisted she come and join them on the floor.

“We’ve already hijacked Paul,” she said, giggling, and pointed across the dance floor to where he was standing chatting to Michael.

“I don’t know if he likes dancing,” Maria said. “I don’t even know if he can dance.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Alison laughed. “And if he can’t, then we’ll just bloody well have to teach him!”

As they weaved their way through the crowds, Maria told herself that she would have to remain relaxed and easy with him even if he was an awful dancer. It struck her as they passed a particularly loud group who were carrying on, laughing and switching partners, that even though she had never seen Tony on a floor, she guessed he would be a good dancer. Confident, chatty boys were nearly always good dancers, she thought, and Paul was definitely not like that, being quieter and more thoughtful in his ways.

Just as she reached him the band finished playing ‘Day Tripper’ and after a few seconds’ break they started playing ‘Unchained Melody’. He smiled at her and moved to put his arms around her waist and she leaned in towards him and put her head on his shoulder. After a few steps, she realised it was okay because, although they were moving slowly, they were actually moving in time together. Later, when the faster music came back on again, he kept in time, but Maria noticed that he repeated the same safe steps over and over again rather than varying them as she did.

At one point he said to her, “You’re a terrific dancer – you’ve got great rhythm. I’m afraid I’ve not danced for ages and I’m not exactly Fred Astaire at the best of times.”

“You’re absolutely fine,” she told him, and his slightly embarrassed admission made her warm to him even more.

As the night wore on she thought his dancing had definitely improved and, by the time the band were calling for the final dances, she was dancing in her usual way and Paul’s movements were much more relaxed.

When the band finished playing the usual final number, Engelbert Humperdinck’s ‘The Last Waltz’, they headed out to the cloakroom so they would be in plenty of time for their taxi. As they were standing in the cloakroom queue, a distinguished grey-haired man spotted Paul and came across to them. Paul introduced him as William Ashton, a friend of his father’s, who owned a stud farm out in Pot Shrigley.

“The last time I was speaking to your father he asked me about good stable-management courses, and I told him I’d heard of one up in Northumberland and I’d find out the name of the college.”

“It was for me, actually,” Paul said. “I finish school this year and I want to get some qualifications before I start full time in the stables.”

William smiled. “Lesley, my wife, said she guessed it might be for you as your mother told her you were leaving school in the summer. The women are never far wrong. It’s called Ponteland Equine College – I believe it’s just a few miles outside Newcastle and near the airport. From what I’ve heard it’s one of the best.”

Paul frowned. “Northumberland is a bit of a distance from here, isn’t it?”

Maria felt her stomach muscles tighten as it dawned on her that Paul might in fact be planning a move away from the area – which meant he was moving away from her. He obviously didn’t reckon on them being a good long-term bet – he was only filling in time with her until he found something better. She tried to smile and look as though she was interested in equine courses, but her face felt stiff and unnatural and she was relieved when the cloakroom attendant asked for her ticket and she could turn away from them before it was noticed.

William laughed. “Well, you wouldn’t want to be driving there every day, but I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad coming home at weekends.”

Paul looked thoughtful. “How long does the course run?”

“The Horse Breeding and Training diploma is a year, but there are other advanced courses in things like Equine Business Administration you can progress on to after that if you want. The chap who went there said if you just give them a ring they’ll send you a brochure and application form. I think he said you have another month before the application date closes.”

“Thanks, William,” Paul said. “It sounds exactly what I’m looking for. I’ll definitely look into it.”

They put their coats on and went outside to see if their taxi had arrived. There was a late winter frost on the ground and on the tops of the taxis waiting there, and Maria found herself shivering.

“No sign of ours yet.” Paul put his arm around her and drew her close to him. “You are absolutely gorgeous.” He kissed her on the nose. “My God!” he exclaimed. “Your nose is absolutely freezing!” He held her at arm’s length, laughing.

She looked at his bright, animated face and started laughing too.

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand and swinging their arms back and forth. “We’ll go back inside and watch for the taxi through the glass door.”

Inside, as they stood huddled together, he put his hand under her chin so he could look at her properly. “There’s more than a fair chance I’ll end up going to Northumberland in September and, if I do, do you think you could put up with us just seeing each other at weekends?”

Her eyes lit up, and when she looked back at him she could tell by the serious expression on his face that he wanted to keep seeing her – that he wasn’t just filling in time. “I think so,” she said, smiling. “I’m sure I’ll find something to do to keep me busy during the week.”

“As long as it’s not other boyfriends,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

“I could say the same about girlfriends . . .” She looked back at him and then smiled and raised her brows to match him.

“Are we agreed?” he said. “I meant what I said earlier on about not being interested in anyone else. I’m a little bit older than you and I’ve had a few girlfriends, but they were only casual. I’ve never got on with anyone the way I get on with you.”

“I know I’m younger and have never had a serious boyfriend before, but I feel the exact same. And, if things are still going well with us, then I’ll be happy to know you’re doing a course that will help you with your future, but I’ll be even happier to see you at weekends.”

His face became solemn now and he just stared at her, until she had to ask him if there was anything wrong.

“Not a thing,” he said. “I just can’t believe my luck. I was so worried about going away to Northumberland and maybe losing touch with you that I was even thinking of not applying. I thought I might just do a local course. It wouldn’t be as good, but at least I would be near you.”

“But it’s important,” she said. “It’s your future.”

“Yes,” he said. “But so, I hope, are you.”

She saw the sincerity in his eyes and felt her heart quicken. “I’d like that too,” she said.

They turned to look back now as a noisy group came out from the dance hall, and then Maria heard someone calling her name and Alison came rushing towards them.

“We didn’t get your address and phone number!” she said, all out of breath. “Michael and I were just saying what a lovely couple you were, and we thought you might like to come to our engagement party.”

“Oh, that’s lovely of you,” Maria said. “I think I’ve got a pen in my bag.”

Paul dipped into his inside pocket and brought out a little black notebook.

“Hey,” Alison said, laughing, “I hope that’s not full of other girls’ addresses!” She dug Maria in the ribs. “You know what they say about men with little black books, don’t you?”

“No,” Maria said, raising her eyebrows, “and I don’t think I want to know.”

“Better off not knowing, love,” Alison said, mimicking a wise old Northern woman.

Paul shrugged, trying not to laugh. “Do you honestly think,” he said, “that I would look at anyone else when I have someone as lovely as this?” Then, in full view of the others, he bent his head and kissed Maria passionately on the lips.

Alison let out a shriek of laughter and started to clap, then Michael and all the other people around joined in.

When Paul finally let her go, Maria turned her blushing face towards Alison and said, laughing along with them all, “I could kill you!”

Michael tapped his girlfriend playfully on the head. “Come on, trouble,” he said, “or I’ll be digging out my own little black book and looking for a replacement for myself.”

Chapter 16

It had been ages since Maria had gone to eight o’clock Mass on a Sunday morning. She usually accompanied her father to the one at eleven o’clock, but after last night she was wide awake and feeling too happy to sit about the house waiting.

She had been lying in bed for an hour, going over and over the highlights of the night before, remembering when Paul had told her that his going to Northumberland would not affect them, and then reliving the best bit at the end of the night when he had kissed her in front of everyone.

She had just picked up a book from the bedside cabinet and was ready to start reading when she suddenly thought it would be a change to walk down to the church while it was still so early. It would also give her the rest of the day to herself, to chat to Stella about the dance when her father was at Mass, and to think about her and Paul.

She crept quietly along the hall into the bathroom so as not to wake her father and, after a quick bath, she got dressed in her smart red woollen coat with a black polo-neck sweater, short grey skirt and long black boots. She stopped in the hallway to put on the black hat with the red trim that matched her coat. Then she scribbled a note for her father to say where she was and went quietly out of the door.

It was a misty morning with the last vestiges of winter stamped all over it. As she walked along the avenue towards the main road, she noticed the hedges and trees were all hung with cobwebs like delicate white lace curtains and it made her smile. Things like the way the fir-tree branches were edged with white and the pattern the frost made on car windscreens seemed more interesting to her than normal, and she couldn’t decide whether it was a particularly unusual day, or whether it was just the extraordinarily good mood she was in.

Going along the main road, it occurred to her that Sunday morning was not like any other day of the week. The weekdays were busy with everyone going to work or school, and Saturday had its own busyness with early shoppers and people walking their dogs or out for the morning papers. Eight o’clock on a Sunday, she thought, was just quieter and slower, and the few people who were around were more inclined to acknowledge you with a nod or a ‘Good morning’ rather than just walking past as though you were a ghost.

The traffic got a little busier nearer the church and there were more people around.

Inside the church, Maria found an almost empty pew about a third of the way up the aisle on the left. There was only one other person in the pew, sitting at the opposite end – a nicely dressed woman who Maria guessed to be somewhere in her thirties.

When she was settled in, with her gloves off and bag on the floor, Maria glanced around her to see if she knew anyone, but there were only people she knew by sight – no school friends up this early or any of their Catholic neighbours. On second glance, she thought the woman at the other end of the pew was older than she first thought – probably nearer her father’s age, and he was now heading up to forty. She tried not to look too obvious, but she couldn’t help but admire the woman’s lovely black-and-white checked coat which had a black fur collar and matching fur muff.

At one point, the woman caught her eye and smiled and Maria gave an embarrassed smile back. The church was only half-full when Father O’Donnell came on the altar, although, as usual, a few others crept in a bit later when he had his back to the congregation. Then an elderly lady came slowly up the aisle and stopped at the empty pew in front of Maria. She hesitated for a few moments, as though not sure it was where she wanted to sit, then she eventually moved in and sat down around a little to the left of Maria.

When the priest came on the altar the congregation all stood for the opening prayers. Then, after they were finished, and everyone went to kneel, Maria noticed the old lady in front struggling to kneel down. After a few attempts, she gave up, perching uncomfortably on the edge of the hard wooden seat.

Most weeks, Maria found it difficult not to let her attention stray, and this morning she found it harder than usual. Her mind kept flitting back to the night before in the Palace Hotel with Paul. Although she had felt out of her depths at certain times, she had really enjoyed it. She was pleased that they seemed to have so much in common, and that Paul felt the same way as she did about a lot of things. It was also reassuring, she thought, that her father wasn’t the only man she knew who took things to heart. And yet, like her father, Paul had a sense of humour about things. She liked the way he always caught her eye when something funny happened and just raised his eyebrows.

She was jolted back to the Mass when everyone stood up for the Creed, and it was then that she noticed the old lady in front struggling to stand. She watched her now, putting both hands on the back of the pew in front and trying to lever herself up. She managed to get to her feet at one point, but after a moment or so, she very slowly sank back down into the seat again.

Maria wondered if she should offer to help, but it was rare in church that people spoke. She didn’t want to draw attention to either herself or the poor lady who might be embarrassed and perhaps not want her help. Maria could quite clearly remember an occasion a few years ago when her father went to help an old woman across the road who seemed to be struggling. When he put his hand on her arm, the old woman had shouted out loud that he should keep his hands to himself and then hit him with her stick. Even though they discovered later that the poor woman wasn’t quite right in the head, and there were some funny elements to the incident, it had stayed with Maria and made her think twice before rushing to the aid of anyone else.

When Communion time came and Maria moved out into the aisle to join the queue to receive the Holy Eucharist, she noticed that the old lady didn’t attempt to move from her place, and stayed sitting with her head bowed. The elegantly dressed woman at the end of the pew came out into the aisle behind Maria, and Maria could tell that she too was looking at the old woman with some concern.

When Communion was over, Maria thoughts drifted back to the night before and she was only jolted out of it when everyone stood up as the priest started saying the closing prayers. She quickly moved to her feet and joined in the responses once again. The priest had barely left the altar and Maria was just lifting her bag off the seat when the woman in the black-and-white coat came purposefully towards Maria’s end of the row. Maria was just going to step into the aisle to let her out when the woman came to a standstill behind the old lady

“Mrs Flynn?” she said. “Are you all right?”

The older woman looked over her shoulder to see who was talking to her and obviously recognised the well-dressed woman. She shook her head. “Oh . . . I’m not too grand.” Although her voice was quiet, the accent was unmistakably Irish. “I had a bit of a fall coming into the church, and I’ve not felt right since. I felt sort of dizzy so I thought I’d better not go out to Communion.”

Maria felt a hand touch her arm, and when she turned around she saw their housekeeper smiling at her.

Mrs Lowry whispered, “I was sitting across the aisle and down a bit from you. I was just watching you to catch your attention, and then I saw Mrs Flynn coming in and I noticed that she didn’t seem too well.”

“I fell at the church gate,” the old woman explained again to Mrs Lowry. “I think I must have slipped on a bit of ice.”

“Where did you hurt yourself?”

“I don’t rightly know . . . but it hurts when I move. I think it might be my hip or something like that, and I feel a bit light-headed.”

“Do you think you can stand?” the smartly dressed lady asked.

“Well,” Mrs Flynn said, giving an anxious smile, “we’ll soon know . . .” She made to move out of her seat, but as soon as she put her weight on her legs, a flash of pain crossed her face. “Ah no . . . no!”

Mrs Lowry moved into the pew beside the old lady now, and the younger woman followed. They each took an arm, and between them they eased her back down into the seat.

“It’s got worse,” Mrs Flynn said in a wavering voice. “I don’t think I can walk at all now.”

“You just sit there,” the younger woman said kindly, “and we’ll find a way to move you without hurting you.” She looked at Mrs Lowry. “Would you mind staying with her for a few minutes and I’ll go into the vestry and let the priest know.”

“Oh, we can’t go bothering the priest!” Mrs Flynn said.

“Don’t worry about that, he’s nice,” Maria said. “He’ll just be worried about you.” She looked at the well-dressed woman and whispered, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She smiled warmly at Maria and said in a low voice. “Just keep chatting to her and it might keep her mind off the pain.” Then she set off towards the vestry, her heels tapping on the mosaic tiles.

The elderly woman suddenly got agitated. “What’s going to happen now? “

“They might have to take you to the hospital,” Mrs Lowry said. “You might need a bit of a check-over.”

“But what about my dog? I can’t leave her at the house on her own all day.”

“Don’t worry,” Maria said. “If you’re not well, somebody will do it for you.”

“But who?” Mrs Flynn said. “My neighbours aren’t the kind you could ask and poor Poppy will wonder where I am and she’ll need feeding as well.”

“You live in Heaton Chapel, don’t you?” Mrs Lowry asked.

“Yes, on Range Road. It’s not that far from here.”

“Well, don’t you worry,” Mrs Lowry said. “If you do have to go to the hospital, one of us will look after your dog.”

“I love dogs,” Maria said. “Is she friendly?”

The old lady nodded. “She’s a lovely little thing. A Shih Tzu called Poppy. She wouldn’t harm a fly.”

Maria smiled. “One of my friends has that breed, and they are really friendly.”

“She’s the best company you could have,” Mrs Flynn said. “She’s that clever she could nearly talk to you.”

“How is your hip now?” Mrs Lowry said.

“It’s all right, as long as I don’t move. It’s my head that’s the worst. It feels like it’s spinning around.”

Mrs Lowry looked over the old lady’s head at Maria and pulled a face as though she were worried. Then they heard voices and footsteps and they saw Father O’Donnell and the woman coming back out of the vestry.

After talking to Mrs Flynn for a while and patting her hand, Father O’Donnell told her that he had phoned for an ambulance to take her to Stockport Infirmary to get checked over.

“Oh, no!” Mrs Flynn’s face crumpled at the news. “Not the hospital!”

“Don’t go upsetting yourself. I’m sure everything will be just fine.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Have you any family you’d like me to phone? Maybe somebody to go in the ambulance with you?”

“My daughter is in Wythenshawe,” she explained, “and she works Sunday mornings in a paper shop so she’ll be busy, and my son is married with a family down in London. I have a sister here in Heaton Moor, but she’s not too great herself.”

“That’s right,” he said, remembering. “I take Communion out to her every month.”

The young lady said, “A neighbour or a friend maybe?”

She shook her head. “Not on a Sunday morning. I wouldn’t like to ask . . . I’ll be grand on my own.”

As she listened to the old lady trying so hard to be independent, it became clear to Maria that she actually had no one available to come and look after her. “I’ll come in the ambulance with you,” she offered.

Mrs Lowry’s eyebrows shot up and before Mrs Flynn could reply she said, “No, no. It’s very good of you, but you’re too young, Maria. I’ll go with her.”

Maria felt slightly stung by the remark about her age but she said nothing. She knew the housekeeper meant no harm.

Mrs Lowry put her hand on Mrs Flynn’s shoulder. “I just need to let them know back home, make a phone call. You see, I have a crowd coming for Sunday dinner later on and somebody will need to put the joint in the oven for me. I can see to the vegetables later.”

“I could go,” the nicely dressed lady said. “You sound busy at home and I’ve absolutely nothing on this morning, so it’s no problem for me.”

“Are you sure?” Mrs Lowry checked.

“I don’t want to put anyone to any trouble,” the elderly woman said.

“It’s no problem, Mrs Flynn,” the woman said smiling. “Honestly, I can go with you.”

The priest rubbed his hands together. “Well, that’s sorted that.”

“What about poor Poppy?” Mrs Flynn said, her eyes filling up now. “She’ll be wanting out to do her business soon.”

Maria suddenly saw her chance to be helpful. “Do you want me to look after the dog?” she asked. “If you don’t mind giving me your address and your key, I can see to her. In fact, I can keep her until we know you are okay. I love dogs and so does my dad, so he won’t mind.”

“Oh, that would be a weight off my mind if you could. She’s tiny and no trouble and she loves company. She has tins of food and her lead and brushes and everything there in the kitchen on the shelf.”

“I’ll collect her now on my way home.”

Tears came into the old woman’s eyes. “Oh, thanks be to God! You’re a little angel!” She looked up at the two women. “I feel much better now that I know Poppy will be looked after. And she’ll love having a young girl that has the energy to play with her.”

The priest asked Maria if she had a phone number and, when she nodded, he said, “Maybe if you give Mrs Flynn your phone number, she could ring you when she gets home from the hospital and you could bring the dog back to her house?”

Maria smiled at him. “No problem.”

“I have a pen and a bit of paper here,” Mrs Lowry said, rummaging in her bag.

A siren sounded outside. The priest looked at the women. “I think that’s the ambulance.”

“Oh, no!” Mrs Flynn said, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“I’ll walk out and meet them,” said the priest.

Maria quickly wrote down her address and phone number on the piece of paper and put it in the old lady’s handbag.

There was a noise at the back of the church and then the ambulance men came in, carrying a stretcher between them. Within minutes, they had Mrs Flynn all settled and strapped on the bench in the ambulance. The other woman climbed in and sat opposite her. Mrs Lowry went up the steps and said a few words to her and when she came out Maria went in.

She bent down to the old lady and gently touched her hand. “You just get better and don’t worry about your little dog. I’ll look after her well.”

“Most people haven’t a kind word for youngsters these days,” Mrs Flynn said, “but you’re one of the good ones, and I didn’t even get your name.”

“It’s Maria,” she said.

“Well, Maria,” Mrs Flynn said, “you’re a credit to your mother and father, and they should be very proud of you.”

“They should indeed,” the other woman said. “If all the other youngsters were like you, the world would be a different place.”

Maria caught her breath as she often did when people assumed she had two parents. But, she had learned by now it only embarrassed them to explain her mother was dead, so she just smiled and thanked them.

She came out of the ambulance and went to stand with Mrs Lowry while the men closed and bolted the doors. They both stood in silence until it went off, then they started walking down the road together.

“It’s true,” Mrs Lowry said, “what Mrs Flynn and the other one said about you being a good girl. And you made no issue of them thinking your mother was at home. A lot of girls your age would be all dramatic about it, but you’ve never been like that.”

“Thanks,” Maria said quietly.

“And although I know it’s not easy for you at times, at least you know Leo has always done his best. He might take the odd drink too many, but he always makes sure you’re looked after, and he does no one any harm.”

For a moment, Maria wondered if she should confide in the housekeeper. Not to criticise her father, more explain she was worried about him. But something held her back. Her sense of responsibility and loyalty, and her appreciation of his love and dedication towards her, was too great.

She could not bring him down to someone else, not even their trusted housekeeper.

Chapter 17

Poppy was a sturdy little dog, with gold and white hair clipped short. She had barked ferociously when the key was put in the door of the two-up, two-down terraced house, making Maria very wary and wondering if she had made a mistake. But, when she opened the letterbox carefully and spoke softly to her, she could see the dog’s tail wagging. She kept talking to her for a few minutes and, when the dog seemed to calm down, she decided to chance it and go in.

The dog jumped up and down for a few more minutes but, when Maria patted and stroked her, she eventually settled down.

Maria glanced around the small hallway and then went into the sitting room, which she thought was typical of an old lady’s house, very tidy with only the necessary three-piece suite and a small coffee table and a television.

She went into the kitchen, Poppy at her heels, and saw the dog’s basket on the floor with some toys in it, her food and water bowls nearby, and her food, lead and brushes on a shelf above. She found a shopping bag and put all the dog’s requirements in it. The basket would have been awkward to carry so she just took the small cushion and blanket out of it and put them in the bag along with the other items.

She led Poppy outside and checked the house was safely locked. Then she walked back home to Heaton Moor, Poppy trotting happily beside her.

Her father was upstairs in the bathroom when she got home, so she called up to him. “We have a visitor!”

When he came downstairs into the sitting room, Poppy started barking again and jumping backwards as she did so.

“Good God!” he said, looking from the barking dog to Maria. “What’s all this?”

“We’re looking after her,” Maria said.

When the dog had quietened down and was busy sniffing at Leo’s feet, she went on to explain about going to early Mass and Mrs Flynn, and all that had happened.

“And all this while I was peacefully sleeping!” he said, smiling at her. “From the way you describe Mrs Flynn, I don’t think I know her . . . It was good of you to help her, Maria.” He looked at the dog, which had gone over to lie by the fire. “Do you think you can manage?”

She told him that she had everything Poppy needed and she would let her out into the garden to do her business and take her for a walk when she came in from school.

“Well,” he said, “in that case, I think it sounds as though we have got ourselves a little hairy friend for the moment.”

Poppy took up residence with the Contis for over a month, during which time both Maria and her father got into a routine. In the mornings Leo took Poppy for a long walk and a run around the local park, and when he came back he fed her, and then Maria took her for another walk as soon as she came in from school. As the weeks went past, the weather softened and Maria began to really enjoy her daily walks with Poppy and looked forward to seeing her every evening when she came back to the house.

Then, all of a sudden spring was there, and cheery yellow-and-white daffodils and purple crocuses seemed to be everywhere. Michael Lowry was back in the garden, digging out dead bulbs and planting new seedlings, while Mrs Lowry kept reminding Maria, “Cast not a clout till May be out!”, as she did every year, and saying more people caught flus and colds going into their summer things at the first sign of a spring sun.

On one of the first fine Saturdays, Leo drove Maria out to the stables to see the filly of whom he had such high hopes. Bella Maria was a beautiful, strong-looking animal, and Maria was relieved when the trainer and the other stable staff she met echoed her father’s belief in the horse’s wonderful abilities.

Not only had the weather changed, the pattern of Maria’s weeks had also changed over the last few months. After discussions with her father, she had taken a long break from her ballet classes, explaining that she needed her evenings and weekends to study for her exams. The teacher was fine about it, and Maria said that she would probably be back in September, as fifth year was an easier one in school with no major exams. After the first few weeks of feeling strangely free on her usual ballet nights, she was surprised to find that, after all the years of attending the classes, that she didn’t miss it one little bit.

Stella had complained bitterly about not having her company travelling, and leaving her on her own at the dance school. “It’s awful, I’ve nobody to talk to at the ballet class and I’m stuck in the car with my mother coming and going. It’s absolutely boring, boring, boring and awful!”

“But the other girls are very nice,” Maria had pointed out. “You said you liked them, and we’ve often gone shopping with them and stayed at some of their houses.”

“That was when we were younger – it’s completely different now. I can’t talk to them the way we talk about things like Tony and Paul, and they don’t have the same sense of humour that you and I have.”

“But you’re the one with all the talent, Stella,” she said. “The one who hopes to make a career out of dancing. I’m only average at it, and I don’t enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. And anyway, you should be concentrating on it – taking it seriously and not giving a damn about what I’m doing. You have to realise that we can’t always do the same things. We’re getting older, Stella, and the time will come when we have to find jobs and mix with other people. We’d be a bit sad if we were stuck together all the time like Tweedledum and Tweedledee!”

Stella had looked at her in annoyance, and then she had started to laugh. “You better come back to classes in September or I’ll kill you!”

Her father seemed much happier and talked constantly about Bella Maria,even though she hadn’t won any of her recent races, coming in second and third. He said that they were only warming-up races, and the race he really had high hopes for was the big one on Easter Monday. He went down to the training stables to watch her several afternoons a week and met up with Charlie Ford, the co-owner, for regular chats which gave Maria the impression that he wasn’t spending as much time at the bookmaker’s. He was also coming home earlier after work more often, which she thought indicated that he wasn’t playing cards as often either.

When the phone call came to say that Mrs Flynn was back home, and now well enough to look after Poppy, both of them were reluctant to give her up, and Maria actually had tears in her eyes when she handed her over to Mrs Flynn.

“Oh, don’t get upset, dear, you can come and visit Poppy anytime,” the old lady said. “I’d give her to you, but I can’t – she’s a lifeline to me. To tell you the truth, she’s the only reason I get up some mornings.” She had kissed and cuddled the bundle of fur. “There are times when I think she’s more human than me – she can almost talk to me. Did you find that too?”

Then, when Maria was going, she thanked her again and gave her a card in a sealed envelope, saying not to open it until she got home.

When Maria got home later, she opened the envelope and found a ten-pound gift voucher for a ladies’ shop in Heaton Moor called Gladrags.It was a shop she rarely went into because it sold mainly older women’s clothes and lingerie, but she had heard Stella saying that it had some nice bits and pieces in it recently. She thought the voucher was very generous, and put it safely in her dressing-table drawer to use the next time she saw something nice in the shop window.

She continued with her horse-riding lessons which she still enjoyed and travelled to with Stella, and of course it meant she saw Paul, who continued to be the main focus in her life apart from her father. They went out most Friday and Saturday nights to the pictures or to the dance halls in Stockport and occasionally Manchester, although none of the dances were ever as grand as the dinner dance in The Palace. Occasionally they went to one of the local hotels where Maria only drank lemonade, and Paul had only one or two drinks because he was driving and, as he often said, when it came to alcohol, he could take it or leave it.

Sometimes Stella and Tony joined them at the dance halls and, although Maria enjoyed Stella’s company, she always felt awkward knowing that Stella’s parents didn’t know she was with Tony, and dreaded phone calls to the house from her mother wondering if she was with her. Tony had recently got a second-hand car – an old banger, Stella called it, when she was teasing him, but Maria thought she was actually proud of him for having it, and every chance they got they went for runs out to different places where no one would know them.

Paul was, Maria discovered, even more grown-up and sensible than she thought. He was concerned that she still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do after leaving school and, every so often, brought the subject up.

Like her father, Paul had made suggestions such as working in a bank or an office, maybe book-keeping, a building society or even teaching. But nothing suggested so far had appealed to her. Just last weekend they had discussed it again when he was over at their house for Sunday lunch.

“The only problem is,” Paul said, “you’re going to be studying for your A-Levels after the summer and you need to know which ones to choose that will help with your career.”

“I don’t have to decide on my subjects until after the summer,” Maria said, “because I won’t have my results until August. If I fail any O-Levels I’ll have to re-sit those, and then if I do hopefully pass some I’ll have to decide which ones I might have a hope of passing at A-Level.”

“English and Maths are always safe bets,” he told her. “And a language is always a good choice.”

“I hate Maths,” she said. “I don’t mind arithmetic, but I can’t stand algebra and geometry.”

“Well, stick to arithmetic,” he advised. “It’s the one you need for most jobs anyway.” He paused, thinking, and then his eyes widened. “What about a travel agent’s or something like that?”

Maria suddenly perked up. “That sounds a bit more interesting . . .” She smiled. “Yes, I think that could definitely be a possibility.”

“Right,” he said. “We’ll find out exactly what you need for that.”

A few days later Paul had turned up at their house armed with brochures and sheets of paper with notes. Then the two of them and her father, who was delighted to see Maria interested in something, spent some time going over the requirements of the job.

“‘Give advice on destinations’ – that would be easy enough,” Paul said, reading from a brochure which had a section in it called ‘A Day in the Life of a Travel Agent’. “‘Make arrangements for transportation, hotel accommodation, car rentals, tours, and recreation’.”

“That would be using the phone, and getting on well with people,” Leo said. He laughed. “A bit like working in the restaurant.”

“‘Advise on weather conditions, locations, restaurants, tourist attractions, and recreation,’” Paul read. “I would think Geography would definitely come in there, and Maths would also be useful for things like currency exchange rates and discounts when you’re dealing with international travellers.”

Maria pulled a face. “I like Geography, but as I told you I’m not too keen on Maths,”

Paul smiled over at her. “Typing would also be a good skill.”

“Yes,” Maria said. “I was actually thinking of that for other jobs too. It would be useful for loads of things. Even though I’ve never done it before, one of my teachers said I could do it as an O-Level alongside my A-Levels. She said I could use any free periods to practise or even sit in with one of the other younger classes who’ve been doing it for a few years.”

“You’re keeping French on, aren’t you?” Paul checked.

Maria nodded. “Yes, I’m not bad at it, and I definitely need a foreign language. I can speak a bit of Italian too, although I never took it as a subject in school. I picked it up over the years from Dad and Franco, and when I was on holiday in Italy.”

“Yes, Maria,” her father said, laughing, “you improve every time we visit Italy, then you forget when we come back home.”

She laughed along with him. “When I’m older I’ll learn it properly, I promise.”

Leo was looking over Paul’s shoulder and he started to report from the brochure now. “What about ‘Visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants to evaluate comfort, cleanliness, and quality of food and service’? You will have to send them to Leonardo’sto sample Franco’s excellent cooking, and see his lovely clean kitchen!”

They had all laughed and, as Maria watched her father clapping Paul on the back, she felt a bit emotional to see that her father and Paul got on so well.

After Leo went upstairs to the small office he had in the smaller, spare bedroom to sort out some papers, Maria sat down on the sofa beside Paul and gave him a hug. “Do you know something, Paul? I think you might be going into the wrong career yourself.”

“What?” he said, a quizzical look on his face.

“You should be going into teaching.”

“Teaching?” he repeated, not catching her drift.

“Well,” she giggled, “I reckon I’ve learned far more from you this afternoon about career advice than I’ve ever learned from any of my teachers.”

He gave her a sidelong grin and then his face became more solemn. “I love being here with you,” he said. “I wish we could be like this every single day, not doing anything particularly special. Just spending every minute with each other.”

She was now serious too. “So do I, Paul,” she said. “So do I.”

Chapter 18

Maria woke to sunshine on Easter Monday morning and to the sound of her father knocking on her bedroom door.

“Maria? I have your breakfast on a tray. Can I come in?” His voice was high and jovial.

“Just a second, Dad . . .” She stared around her, still disorientated from sleep . . . and then it hit her.

It was the day she was both excited about and dreading. Today was the day they were all going to York to watch Bella Maria’s first big race – her father and all his friends including the Lowrys, herself, Paul, Stella and her parents, and Tony. And whilst Paul would be there as part of her father’s group, his parents and all their friends would be there as well.

There were so many problems associated with the day out that she had lain awake until three o’clock in the morning worrying about it. What if her father drank too much and made a fool of himself? What if he laughed or even cried in front of Paul and his family? What if Stella’s mother found out that Tony was going to be part of the group when Stella had been explicitly banned from seeing him again? What if Bella Maria came last and they were humiliated in front of everyone?

Just thinking about it made her breathless and made her feel that there was a metal band tightening around her head.

She sat up now, positioned her pillows behind her and then checked that her pyjama top was buttoned properly. “You can come in now!” she called.

Leo came in, well dressed as always, in a nice pin-striped suit and a red-and-navy tie, carrying a tray with two freshly made pancakes with her favourite toppings – one with maple syrup and the other with lemon and sugar. There was also a large mug of frothy coffee made with milk. The sight of the small vase on the tray with a single rosebud from the garden immediately reminded her of her mother as he had often done that for her when she was alive.

Leo placed the tray in front of her and then perched on the end of the bed. “This is going to be a wonderful day,” he told her. “The sun is shining, Bella Maria is on top form, and I’m going to have my beautiful daughter on my arm as we walk into the owner’s enclosure. We’ll be mixing with all the top people in Manchester and drinking champagne and cheering our very own horse along as it wins the race. What more could we ask for? It’s like a dream come true.”

A lump formed in Maria’s throat. “Dad . . . you won’t get carried away and drink too much, will you?”

He shook his head and smiled. “Maria, you have nothing to worry about. Drinking champagne is like drinking water, it has no effect on me. And anyway, when have you seen me drink too much recently? Not since I got involved in the racing business. I just sip the odd whisky or glass of wine – nothing too much. I have too much responsibility now with Leonardo’s and Bella Maria – and too much pride in myself to let you and all your nice friends down.” His face suddenly became solemn. “I know there are times when I’ve had more than I should, but you know I hardly drank at all until your mother died, don’t you? The grief of losing her nearly drove me mad and kept me awake night and day . . .”

Maria nodded,praying he wouldn’t go into his usual long explanations as to why he had started drinking in the first place – reminding her of all the sadness and loss they had both gone through. One part of her wished now that she hadn’t said anything, whilst the other part knew that if she had said nothing, he might think it was okay to drink as much as he liked.

“The only thing that helped me to sleep was a few glasses of wine but, when I realised it was overdoing it, I cut back.” He took her hand, his eyes pleading now. “You know I drink very carefully now, Maria. You know I would never do anything to let you down. If you’re very worried, I’ll drink nothing at all today. Not even a drop of champagne when the others are all celebrating the day . . . I’ll buy them as much drink as they want, but I won’t touch it myself. I’m the sort of man who can take it or leave it. You only have to say the word and not a single drop of wine or any alcohol will pass my lips.”

“But it’s not for me to tell you what you can and cannot drink!” Having this same old pathetic conversation was agony. “And I don’t want to spoil the day for you. Everyone else will be enjoying a drink and celebrating. I don’t want you to feel any different from them.”

Relief washed over his face and then he smiled. “Okay,” he said, getting up from the bed now. “We’ll agree that I have just a few drinks and leave it at that.” He gestured towards her tray. “Now, eat up and drink your coffee and I’ll go and run you a nice bath with bubbles.”

“Thanks.” Maria looked down at the pancakes he had so lovingly made, and wondered why her father couldn’t be a normal, boring father like Stella’s and Paul’s.

Her clothes were all laid out for the occasion – a fabulous outfit her father had bought her from Kendals department store. When she was buying day-to-day stuff, she usually went with Stella, but this was so important that she and Leo made an afternoon of it, with lunch in a lovely restaurant across the road. Leo had joked and said it gave him an opportunity to check out the competition.

He had told her to take her time and had waited outside the changing room while she tried on several outfits that the assistant said she thought would look wonderful. In the end, one ensemble stood out above the rest – a lilac satin fitted dress four inches above the knee, with a matching edge-to-edge coat with one large sparkly purple button at the neck. She teamed the outfit with high purple patent T-bar shoes, a purple fascinator and a small bag covered in pink, lilac, purple and clear stones.

When she came out of the changing room wearing it, Leo had clapped his hands, saying, “This is it! You will be the best-dressed lady they’ve ever seen at the races.” Then, he had to wipe his eyes as he felt so emotional looking at her. “Mia bella, bella Maria!” he had repeated in a low voice, over and over again.

On the way to York Maria sat in the back of the car with Stella and Franco’s wife, Bernice,while the two men sat in the front. There was a feeling of excitement amongst the passengers with talk about the races and the sunny dry day that was forecast.

When the men drifted off into a conversation about horses that was too detailed for the females, theyfound much to discuss about the new clothes they had all bought for the day. Bernice, who was much more talkative and forthcoming to the girls than most women approaching forty, was also seeking reassurance that the new pageboy haircut she had got that morning wasn’t too young or too short for her.

The girls, enjoying the way that Bernice treated them on an equal footing, told her she looked much younger with her new hairstyle and to never grow it long again. They also said they loved her wide-bottom navy velvet pants and the fashionable loose shirt she was wearing with a chain belt and a long black-stoned pendant. Bernice was thrilled with the compliments and Maria noticed that, in order to continue the discussion, she kept finding small details to criticise about herself which she knew the girls would vigorously argue against.

“I suppose I’m just worried,” she told them, “that some other women my age who aren’t very fashion-conscious might say that I’m trying to be too young.” .

“Let them talk,” Stella stated. “They’re old fuddy-duddies who are behind the times. It’s the Swinging Sixties and I think your outfit is so gorgeous that it would suit any age. I would definitely wear it and, if my mother was only modern enough, she would look nice in it too.”

Bernice was quiet for a few minutes, and Maria thought Stella might have said the wrong thing when she said she would wear the same outfit, given that she was only sixteen. Bernice might well have thought that she was implying it was an outfit for teenagers, and therefore far too young for herself.

When Bernice leaned forward to talk to Franco and Leo, Stella turned to Maria and said in a low voice, “I can’t wait to see Tony today. He’s travelling with the Spencers, so my mother can’t say a thing.” She then thumbed in Bernice’s direction and said in a low voice, “Pity my mother isn’t as modern as her!”

Maria thought they had talked enough about Bernice and her clothes and that that it might be safer to move on to another subject. “What time are your parents setting off?” she asked.

“Soon, but they had to pick up my mum’s friend, Diana, first.” Stella halted, then took a deep breath. “And you don’t need to worry,” she whispered, making eyes in Leo’s direction. “I’ve already warned her that you don’t want any stupid matchmaking plans. She said she hadn’t mentioned it to Diana so she doesn’t even know anything about it.”

“Good,” Maria said. She folded her arms and smiled, and thought that it was one less thing to worry about today.

The racecourse car park was already busy when they arrived, so they had to park a good way back and walk in through the main gates. The two men led the way, while the girls walked behind with Bernice, watching all the other women and passing comment on the fashions. Bernice was relieved to notice that there were other women her age wearing similar outfits and some who were sporting more outrageous ensembles.

Leo and Franco went straight to the ticket office and sorted out race programmes for the day for everyone in the group. When they came back and gave Bernice and the two girls their programmes, they all turned to the page with details of Bella Maria’s race and were delighted when they saw her name.

Maria could see the pride on her father’s face, but she couldn’t stop from saying, “We’ll have a great day out whether she wins or not.”

Her father held two crossed fingers up and said, “I have to go over to the stable area to meet with the trainers and Charlie, but I’m sure you will all find something to keep you busy until the rest of our group arrive. There will be stalls selling drinks and things outside, but if it gets too cold there are plenty of places under cover. ” He looked at Maria. “You have money for tea or something to eat, don’t you?”

Maria assured him she had and so did Stella.

“I’ll meet you later in the bar,” he told them, giving a theatrical bow. “We have two tables booked in the restaurant for lunch at one o’clock for our own group, and some of our other friends will have their own tables there too. After that the betting will be open.”

Franco threw his hands in the air. “And let us pray that Bella Maria is lucky today!” Then he laughed. “If she is lucky, we are all lucky!”

As they all joined in with the laughter, Maria wondered if she dared let herself think for one minute that her father’s horse might win her first major race today. It just seemed to be too huge an accomplishment to expect from the horse so early on in its career, and one that had not had much luck in her recent races. She only hoped that her father wouldn’t be too disappointed if the young filly came trailing in near the end.

Leo went off in one direction, disappearing into the crowds, and then Franco and Bernice told the girls they were going for a walk around to catch up with some of their friends and would see them in the bar later.

Stella put her arm through Maria’s and they started to walk in the direction of the main buildings. “I’m glad the oldies have gone off and we’re getting some time to ourselves.” She started to giggle. “What did you think of Bernice’s outfit? Do you think it’s a bit young for her?”

Maria looked at Stella in surprise, after all the complimentary things she had said. “I thought she looked lovely, and you told her that she did as well.”

“What else could I say?” Stella rolled her eyes. “She would look lovely if she lost a couple of stone. Didn’t you notice how tight the trousers were on her thighs where her shirt didn’t cover them? They are meant to be loose.”

“Bernice is not that heavy,” Maria told her, pretending to be more indignant than she really was, as she could see her friend was in one of her giggly moods when she exaggerated everything. “I think you’re being really mean about her.”

“Come on!” Stella laughed, squeezing her arm. “You’re just being nice because she’s your dad’s friend’s wife.”

“You are just dreadful,” Maria said, laughing along in spite of herself. “I thought the trousers looked fine on her, and the top comes down almost to her knees so you can’t really see much of her thighs.”

“She’ll be okay if she keeps her coat on!”

“And you’ll be okay if you keep your mouth shut!”

Then they both went into peals of laughter, falling against each other and making people look around to see who the skittish girls were.

Stella kept glancing back to the car-park area. “I just hope the Spencers’ car arrives before my parents so I get a chance to see Tony for a bit.”

“Will your mother mind you being with him today?” Maria asked.

“She minds me seeing him any day! But she can’t really say anything if she just sees us chatting. I won’t be able to act like his girlfriend – she’ll go off at the deep end if she sees us holding hands or anything like that.”

“You’ll have to be careful then – we don’t want anything to spoil the day.”

“You are so lucky,” Stella said. “I wish I was allowed to do all the things you get away with.”

Maria raised her eyebrows and gave her a wry smile, but said nothing.

Paul and Tony arrived along with Paul’s mother and father. Before Paul’s parents went off with their friends, they came over to the girls to wish Bella Maria good luck.

“I’ll keep an eye out for Leo,” Paul’s father said. “And in any case I’m sure we’ll catch up with him later.”

The four young people then wandered around. Tony, who was used to going to the racecourses was pleased to show them all the different function areas and the stand. Then, after a bit, they went into one of the marquees where they had soft drinks and sandwiches. They were having lunch later so Tony bought them all a lemonade, saying, “I suppose it’s too early for the hard stuff,” and they all laughed.

They were thinking of making a move when Maria noticed a brightly dressed figure coming towards them.

“Stella!” Jane Maxwell’s voice was unmistakable.

“Oh, God, it’s my mum!” Stella said. She looked over to where her mother stood at the door of the enclosure – a grim look on her face.

Maria noticed how Stella pinned a smile on her own face and waved back, obviously hoping Mrs Maxwell might just let things slide for once. That she might just go away.

“Hello, Maria, dear,” Jane Maxwell said in a formal voice. She was exceptionally well-dressed for the Easter occasion, wearing a yellow woollen edge-to-edge coat with a matching pill-box hat which had a little black bow, and black shoes and gloves.

Maria smiled over. “Hello, Mrs Maxwell.” Then, to make things seem more normal, she said, “Your coat and hat look lovely!”

“Thank you, dear. That’s very kind of you.” Jane Maxwell shifted her gaze to the boys. “Hello, Paul . . . hello, Tony.”

They both said hello back in a polite and respectful manner, although Maria could see that Tony looked most uncomfortable.

Jane Maxwell turned back to her daughter. “Stella, your father and the others are outside. You were supposed to meet us at the ticket office when we arrived. We’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

Stella raised her eyebrows as though surprised, but didn’t move. “Oh, sorry, I actually thought I was meeting you inside – I was just going to look for you now.”

There was a tense silence in the group now, everyone picking up on the atmosphere.

Jane Maxwell folded her arms now, still waiting. “Can I have a private word, please?”

Stella turned to pick up her handbag from the chair behind. “Come with me,” she hissed to Maria. “She won’t say as much if you’re there. She won’t want to show herself up.”

Maria took a deep breath. “It might make it worse if I’m there.” The last thing that she wanted was to be involved in an argument between Stella and her mother.

“Look! My mother is signalling to us both,” Stella said. “Are you coming?”

“All right, oh God . . .” Maria muttered, turning back for her own bag. Then she said to Paul, “I hope I won’t be long, but if we’re not back soon then I’ll catch you in the bar. That’s where my dad said to meet him and Charlie and the others.”

Tony touched Maria’s arm as she passed. “Is there going to be trouble?”

“I sincerely hope not.”

“I wish I was old enough to leave home,” Stella said as they walked to the door.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Maria told her. “It won’t be that bad.”

“You don’t know the half of it. My mother tries to control every single thing I do – what I wear, what I eat, who I see – it’s endless.”

When they got outside, Stella’s mother was standing, still wearing a grim look on her face. She walked on a few yards until they were in a quiet area just outside the ladies’ room and away from the bars.

“Well, Stella,” she said, “it would appear that your father has gone off with the other men, and I’m now going to have to trail around the racecourse looking for him. This is a bad start to a day we were all looking forward to.”

“You don’t have to make such a big issue of everything,” Stella said.

“I am not going to pretend in front of Maria that I’m happy when I’m not. You promised your father and me that you would behave properly today, and here you are already going your own sweet way.”

Stella, a steely, resigned look on her face, sighed and then folded her arms, her gaze fixed far above her mother’s head. “All the other young people here are allowed to mix together. I don’t know why I have to be different.”

Mrs Maxwell looked over at Maria. “I’m sorry you have to witness this, but you obviously know what’s going on. Stella assured her father and me that she would have nothing more to do with that fellow, Tony, and I’ve just walked into the room and there is Stella, mooning all over him once again.”

“I wasn’t mooning over him,” Stella snapped. “I like Tony and everyone else thinks he is a very nice person. And, at nearly sixteen years old, I think I’m old enough to choose my own friends. Maria’s father trusts her to make her own judgements on people, and I don’t know why you and Dad can’t do the same with me.”

Maria kept gazing straight ahead, not wishing to be dragged into the argument.

Her mother gave a little, sarcastic laugh. “Oh, Stella, please don’t act as though your father and I are complete imbeciles. It’s perfectly obvious that you see Tony as . . . more than just a friend. And apart from the fact that he’s totally unsuitable, it’s obvious to anyone with an eye in their head that you’re throwing yourself at him.”

“I’m not going to stand here and listen to this!” Stella said. “Everyone else can see that Tony is a really nice boy – it’s just that you’re a complete snob! You think he’s not good enough because he’s not from a professional or moneyed background. That’s all you and Dad think matters.”

Maria felt her heart sink. This was the last thing she needed.

“Maria,” Jane Maxwell said, “maybe Stella will listen to you. Please try and talk some sense into her. We really don’t want the day spoiled with all this carry-on.”

Maria looked over at her friend and then at her mother. “Maybe it would be best if you sort it out privately when you get home later on?”

“But we have to get through today,” Jane said, “and it’s going to be very difficult if Stella keeps on acting like this.”

Stella walked off into the ladies’, and Maria and Jane followed her.

A short while later, when Maria was washing her hands, a whispered argument started up again between mother and daughter. Maria went over the mirror to reapply her lipstick, and pretend she couldn’t hear them.

The tapping of stiletto heels coming along the corridor to the ladies’ sounded and without a word everyone went back to washing or drying hands or checking make-up in the mirror.

“So sorry I got sidetracked, Jane,” a lady’s voice said. “I met an old customer.”

Maria glanced in the mirror but could only see the side of the woman’s face. Even though she wasn’t looking forward to meeting her, at least the row between Stella and her mother was unlikely to continue now that Jane’s friend had arrived.

“Oh, Maria,” Jane said in a high, gushing tone, “I’d like you to meet my friend, Diana! She owns Gladrags, the lovely ladies’ shop in Heaton Moor. I’m sure you must know it.”

Maria sucked in her breath and then turned around, and was completely surprised when she saw who it was.

“You’re the same Maria!” the woman said, equally surprised. “I don’t believe it! You’re the girl who looked after Mrs Flynn’s little dog!”

“And you’re the lady from the church! The one who went in the ambulance that morning with Mrs Flynn!”

Diana was actually beaming now. “Well, I must say I’m delighted to meet up with you – and here in York of all places! I’ve been thinking about you on and off for weeks and hoping I’d see you at Mass again.”

“I don’t normally go to that early Mass. I wondered about you, too.” Then, in spite of her intentions to be cool and distant with Mrs Maxwell’s friend, she found herself smiling warmly back. There was simply nothing else she could do in the company of this very nice, friendly woman

“Who would believe it?” Diana said, laughing now.

Jane Maxwell looked from one to the other. “So you two have met before?”

“Yes,” Diana said, “in church, but we weren’t properly introduced.”

Between them both, they relayed the story about Mrs Flynn and Poppy, and Diana then went on to ask Maria how she had managed with the dog. Maria explained how she had loved having Poppy so much that she had decided if she ever had a dog in the future it would be the same breed, a little Shih Tzu.

She then went on to ask how poor Mrs Flynn had coped when she first arrived at hospital and whether Diana knew how she was now. She explained that she had visited her once to see Poppy, but didn’t want to go back because she felt the poor dog got all confused, constantly running from her to Mrs Flynn and back. And Mrs Flynn had seemed a bit put out when the dog jumped up and stayed on Maria’s knee.

“I’ve been to see her several times. They were worried because she had broken her hip, but thankfully it was only a small fracture and some fairly bad bruises. She’s recovering well –she’s a great old lady.”

“I felt really sorry for her,” Maria said,

“Did you know about all this, Stella?” her mother said. “I don’t remember you telling me anything about it.”

“I told you Maria was looking after a dog for an old woman,” Stella said defensively. “You don’t always listen properly.”

“Well, I just presumed it was a neighbour. I didn’t know about all the drama in the church.” She looked back at Diana. “I don’t remember you mentioning it at the time, although I’m sure you would have told me.”

“Didn’t I?” Diana said. “I suppose it’s one of those stories that you tell immediately to several people after it’s happened, and then you forget about it. Amazing, isn’t it though, the coincidence of me meeting Maria here?”

“I don’t know if you remember me telling you about Leo, the friend who owns the racehorse? The reason we’re all actually here today. Well, Maria is his daughter. She’s taken her father’s Italian good looks.”

“Yes, I do of course remember you mentioning him a few times.” Diana’s face gave nothing away. She turned to Maria. “You must be really excited being here today to watch your father’s horse.”

Maria nodded her head. “Yes, yes . . . although I hope nobody puts too much money on her, as we can’t be sure she’s going to actually win the race.” Her gaze met Diana’s and she lowered her eyes quickly as she suddenly felt as though Diana knew what she was thinking.

When they came outside, Maria spotted Stella and her mother walking ahead in a deep discussion, so she hung back a bit to let them talk on their own. As they went along, she naturally fell into step with Diana, who chatted away, asking her about school and her riding lessons.

Then, Maria asked Diana about her shop. “I’ve been in it a few times, but I don’t think you ever served me.”

Diana explained she wasn’t there all the time and that she had two other girls who helped her.

“Actually,” Maria suddenly remembered, “I have a voucher for the shop. Mrs Flynn gave me it for looking after Poppy.”

“Did she?” Diana said, smiling. “Wasn’t that kind of her? She must have asked someone to buy it for her, because I didn’t sell it to her. I don’t think she’s fit enough to walk to the shop yet anyway, so maybe a neighbour or a friend got it for her.”

“It was very generous,” Maria said. “I must come into the shop and pick something.”

“Do,” Diana told her. “I’m sure you’ll find something you like. I’m beginning to cater now for younger customers than before.”

As they walked along, it dawned on Maria that Diana might know nothing at all about Mrs Maxwell’s matchmaking plan with her father and that, if she did, she might well be as embarrassed about it as Maria was.

Diana then slowed down, and indicated Stella. “I think you and I might now find ourselves in an awkward situation.”

Maria looked at her.

“Jane and Stella. They’re clearly at loggerheads over this boy Tony that Stella is seeing.”

There was no point in denying it, but neither did she want to be disloyal to her friend, so Maria just shrugged and nodded.

“It can’t be easy for you being caught in the middle.”

“I usually try to avoid it,” Maria admitted. “But there are times, like today, when it gets a bit much.”

“I normally wouldn’t talk about Jane to anyone, but I know you know the Maxwells much longer than me. I know today should be a special day for you with your father’s horse racing, and I really hope they don’t make it awkward for you.”

Maria looked at Diana now, and something made her feel that it was okay to confide in her. She had seen how kind and understanding she was that Sunday in the church and, after all, it was Diana who had brought the subject of Stella and her mother up.

“It is awkward,” she confessed, “because I’m seeing Paul, one of the boys from the riding school – his parents actually own the stables – and Tony is one of the riding instructors. They’re both here today – they came with Paul’s parents.”

“Oh dear, that is rather awkward for you! And do you think that Jane feels you’re encouraging the romance or giving Stella an alibi or anything like that?” She quickly added, “Not that Jane has suggested anything like that – I’m just trying to work it out.”

“I hope she doesn’t blame me for anything,” Maria said, “because I don’t really know Tony that well, and Paul is only friendly with him through work. But I do know that Stella likes the four of us going around together because she thinks her parents won’t mind as much.”

“I know her mother thinks you’re a good influence on her.” Diana smiled. “And I think from the short time we’ve spent together that I agree.”

Maria’s face brightened up at the compliment. “Well, that’s very nice of you to say . . .”

“Confidentially,” Diana said, touching her elbow, “I think Jane and Stella are very similar, both strong-minded, and that’s why they clash so much.” She paused. “Do you think her father is as set against Tony?”

Maria shrugged. “I really don’t know. I think he will probably agree with Stella’s mother.”

Eventually Stella and her mother, both wearing grim faces, came back to join them and they all walked over to the bar area where they thought the men might have gathered by now.

Chapter 19

It was decided by Stella’s mother that the ladies should sit together for lunch at one table, while the men would sit at the other. When it was announced, Diana caught Maria’s eye and she raised her eyebrows. Maria presumed that she thought the same as herself – that Jane Maxwell had decided on the separate tables to ensure that Stella and Tony did not get the chance to sit together.

Maria was very grateful to have Bernice and Diana and Charlie Ford’s wife, Helen, seated with her, as the tension between Stella and her mother continued all through the meal. Stella, she noticed, ate very little, instead pushing her Chicken Supreme and vegetables around her plate with her fork and every now and again taking the odd tiny mouthful.

At one point Maria overheard her mother saying, “Is there actually something wrong with your meal? Is it not hot enough? Do you want me to call one of the waiters to bring you something else?”

Stella had just shrugged and said, “I ate too much at breakfast and I’m not hungry.”

“Well,” her mother said, “you’re going to be on your feet most of the afternoon and we don’t want you getting weak and fainting again.”

“That was because of my period,” Stella said in a low, tense voice. “Now, can you leave me alone and stop going on at me in a public place, please?”

Maria was surprised on hearing about the fainting, as Stella had not mentioned anything about it to her.

Afterwards, when they moved into the Premier Enclosure, the men and the women all started to mingle together and Paul and Tony came to join them. At first Stella was very subdued and kept close to Maria but, after Leo came over to discuss the racing programme with them and to make sure the girls understood the betting, she perked up a little. Then, when Charlie Ford came over to chat and bought them all a glass of white wine, which Stella downed in two mouthfuls, she seemed to regain some of her usual bounce.

Bella Maria would be in the sixth race, the second-last race of the day. Maria wasn’t sure if it was better or worse waiting through all the other races until theirs came up. She supposed that if the filly was in an early race and lost badly, then it would cast a cloud over the rest of the day. On the other hand, if she had been in one of the early races and won, or was even placed in the first three runners, it would lift things and let her relax and enjoy the remainder of the races.

Paul helped take her mind off the impending race by getting her to watch all that was going on around them and, to her surprise, so did Diana Freeman.

When they first went into the bar Maria was chatting to Diana when her father came in and she introduced them. He shook Diana’s hand and was about to walk away when Maria told him that Diana was the lovely lady who had looked after Mrs Flynn in church that day. Then, although he was distracted with all the racing things going on around him, he had stayed for twenty minutes chatting to her.

“He’s a very nice man,” Diana said after he left, smiling at Maria.

“He is,” Maria said, “and he’s a fantastic father as well.” She said nothing more, but it came into her mind several times afterwards that her father and Diana Freeman would make a very nice, good-looking couple.

Paul and Tony decided on their bets and helped the girls choose theirs for the first race and they all walked down the few grassy yards from the enclosure to stand at the fence to get a close view.

The races were surprisingly short – some only a couple of minutes – but Maria was surprised at how exciting they were. Stella kept shrieking and jumping up and down and grabbing people’s arms any time a horse she had bet on overtook another one. Her mother came back and forward to them a few times, during which visits Tony diplomatically kept his distance from her. After a while, Jane Maxwell just stayed with the older group and Maria sensed that she had given up her policing of Stella either because she’d had enough of it and decided to enjoy her own day, or because her husband had told her to stop making a show of herself and Stella.

There was an air of tension mixed with excitement when the sixth race was due. Instructions were being relayed over the Tannoy about the five-furlong flat race, and people were rushing over to the counters to place last-minute bets, while others were distributing betting slips to other members of their groups.

Maria went over to her father and Charlie Ford and wished them both good luck, and she could hear a breathlessness in her father’s voice and see that his movements had quickened and got more jerky, which she knew indicated that he was anxious. Her heart went out to him and she said numerous silent prayers that he would be able to cope without embarrassing them both, if and more likely whenhis filly trailed in after the winners.

A short while later the fillies were under starter’s orders. A hush came over the place and people got their binoculars out, checking they were on the right setting. Then, there was a collective gasp of excitement and the horses were off, and the place was filled with noise and chatter again. Groups of people once again set off through the glass doors to cross the grass down to the fence to get a better view.

Maria stood outside, clutching Paul’s arm, both of them listening as the commentators gave the numbers and jersey colours of each filly. Bella Maria’s jockey, Frankie Kelly, was in blue-and-yellow stripes and yellow cap and carried the number 3. After a minute or so, Stella came rushing up asking if anyone knew what was happening and if they could see the horses in the distance.

Then, Charlie Ford let a roar out of him and shouted that Bella Maria was in fourth place and moving up, and Maria did not know if that was good or bad at that stage. Seconds later the horses went thundering towards the finishing line.

“She’s moved into second now!” Tony suddenly shouted, and started jumping up and down.

Her father and Charlie and the other men were in rapt, silent concentration as they watched through their binoculars and then the race ended and the noise fell again as they waited on the commentator’s verdict. The muffled announcement came and there was a moment before any reaction then suddenly the greatest roar went up from their group.

Maria turned to look at her father and her stomach somersaulted when she saw him standing with his hands over his eyes and she knew he was crying, and then she looked at Paul who was just standing there as though in shock. She closed her eyes. She could not bear it.

Please God, she prayed, please God, let it not be a total disaster! Please let her at least get placed!

“What happened?” she shouted over the noise, grabbing Paul’s arm again. “What place did she come in?”

He turned to look at her with stunned eyes. “First!” he exclaimed. “Bella Maria came in first! She won the race!”

Maria opened her mouth to speak but was so shocked that nothing came out. She then moved towards her father just as he started moving towards her, both with tears running down their faces.

“She won, Maria! She won!” He threw his arms around her, lifted her up in the air, and twirled her round and round.

Maria hugged him tightly, unable to remember feeling so happy, and so very relieved, in a long, long time.

After the group had finished hugging and congratulating, they all followed an elated Leo and Charlie down to the winner’s enclosure to congratulate the jockey and the trainer. Then the champagne bottles and the glasses were brought out and Bella Mariaand the jockey were toasted. Then Leo and Charlie were toasted. Maria drank one glass and then it was refilled and when she looked again it was empty and she was hardly aware of having drunk it.

Everyone was heading back to the bar when Leo came over to Maria and Paul, and after excusing himself to Paul, he took his daughter’s hand in his and led her away.

“Come with me, Maria,” he said. “This is the happiest day we’ve had in years and I want you beside me because we’re going to celebrate in style. This is the start of big things in our life – bigger things and better things!”

“Where are we going?” Maria asked.

“We are going into the racecourse office to use their phone,” he told her. “To make all the necessary arrangements.”

“Arrangements for what?”

He squeezed her hand so tightly it hurt and made her wonder how much he had drunk when she wasn’t with him. “For a little party back at the restaurant. This is our great moment. This is our chance to show thanks that a poor Italian man from a simple family has done as well as I have. I want to share my good luck with all the kind friends who came with us today, and who would have been there to console us if Bella Mariahad not won. This is the kind of moment I have waited for all my life.” He gestured back towards the racecourse where Stella and Paul and all the others were still drinking and chatting and celebrating their wins.

When they reached the racecourse office Leo told Maria to wait for a few minutes, while he went in and had a quick word with the man and woman inside. While she was waiting, her mind went back to the conversation she’d had with Diana.

He then beckoned her to join him and she went in silently while he phoned the restaurant to check that Vincent and Johnny could stay on after the last customers had left, and to ask them to prepare some finger food for his guests.

“There will be about thirty people,” he told Vincent, “and I would be very happy if you could have some plates of cold meats and some bread – and maybe some slices of pizza and focaccia bread and bruschetta.” He winked at Maria. “And also, if you could have a table with nicely polished champagne glasses. And Vincent – tell Johnny I will pay you both double time for the extra hours and I’ll pay for a taxi back home.” Johnny must have said something funny then because Leo laughed and said, “I don’t care what you do tomorrow, as long as everything is okay tonight!”

He came off the phone and whirled Maria around in a little waltz. “We are winning!” he told her. “At last – we are winning!”

As they danced around, Maria suddenly felt the same elation as she did when she’d heard their horse had been first across the finishing line. And, as she looked into her father’s shining brown eyes, she realised she believed in him. She believed in him all over again. He had proved that Bella Maria was a winner – which meant that her father was a winner again too!

When they went back to the enclosure Leo told their group that there would be a party back at Leonardo’s to celebrate Bella Maria’s first big winning race and everyone cheered. Once again, Maria’s heart soared as she watched her father receiving claps on the back from Franco and Stella’s father and, even more importantly, Mr and Mrs Spencer. There was much discussion as the various groups got together to organise lifts back to the restaurant. Maria was delighted when Paul came over and put his arm around her and asked her to travel back in the car with him and his parents.

“It’s great going back to the restaurant for a party and I’m really looking forward to being with you.”

“Is Tony coming too?”

Paul shrugged. “He’s chatting to some lads he knows from another stable, and I heard them asking him if he wanted to go for a drink with them.”

When she checked with her father about travelling with the Spencers, he waved her away, nodding and smiling. He was happy and she knew that he and Franco and their friends would be discussing the race and analysing every move Bella Maria had made.

Stella came over to Maria and whispered in her ear. “Can we go into the ladies’? I need to talk to you in private.”

Maria’s heart sank a little. This couldn’t be good. “What’s wrong?”

“Two things,” Stella said, propelling her across the room, “and I’ll tell you when we get there.”

When they closed the door of the ladies’ behind them, Maria turned towards her friend. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Can you ask Paul to ask his parents to give Tony a lift back to the restaurant?” Stella joined her hands together as though praying. “I really, really want him to come, and if the Spencers bring him then my mum won’t be able to say a thing.”

Her friend looked so desperate that Maria had no option. “Okay. I can’t promise you that they’ll do it, but I’ll ask Paul.”

Stella hugged her. “Oh, thanks, thanks!”

“What’s the other thing?”

“I don’t want you to be annoyed with me after what you said last week.”

“What do you mean?”

“Diana. My mum has asked her to come back to the restaurant and –”

Maria cut her off. “It’s okay, I don’t mind if she comes.”

Stella’s eyebrows shot up.

“She’s a very nice woman. I liked her the minute I met her in the church weeks back and then, when I was speaking to her earlier on, I still liked her. In fact, I wouldn’t have a problem if my dad did go out on a date with her.”

“Well . . .” Stella said, looking really taken aback, “that’s surely a big change.”

Maria shrugged. “It’s funny how it turned out, and it made me think. It’s not fair for me to make decisions about my father’s life. If he wants to be friends with someone then that’s up to him.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, because he’s been really great about you and Paul.” Stella’s eyes suddenly filled up. “Your dad has always been great. You are so lucky. I wish my parents were as understanding . . . at times it’s hell in our house.”

Maria felt sorry for her friend and went over and put her arms around her. “Give them time. When they see you are both really serious and grown-up about it all, then they might change their minds.”

Stella shook her head. “Not my mother. I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet – in fact, I couldn’t face talking about it. When she asked if Tony was going to the races and I told her that he was, she said she wasn’t going and there was a big row between her and my father. To keep the peace between them she eventually agreed to go, but later she came up to my bedroom and said I was the cause of all the trouble in the house. She said I was spoiled and that if I kept going the way I was I’d come to a bad end. Can you believe that? Imagine a mother saying that to her daughter.”

Maria squeezed her arm. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She was probably just annoyed.”

“Oh, she meant it all right. She said she wished she had sent me to boarding school so that I would have learned the difference between the right kind of people and the wrong kind. Thank God she likes you and doesn’t want to upset your dad, or I’m sure she would stop me going to riding lessons because of Tony.” She rolled her eyes and made a snuffling sort of noise. “She said she wished I had half your brains and had got myself a nice boy from a decent family like Paul Spencer.” She started to laugh then. “And don’t ask – yes, she did say James Granger as well!”

Maria didn’t know whether it was a good thing that Mrs Maxwell liked her. She was grateful for being accepted – but it made her feel responsible for Stella in a way. The door opened now and two women came in, so the girls moved back out into the main area.

“Are you okay?” Maria checked.

“Yes, but will you go now and ask Paul about giving Tony a lift now before it’s too late?”

“Okay . . . but maybe it’s pushing things with your mum. Maybe it would be better if Tony went home.”

“I want him to come. I want my mother to see how he and Paul are such good friends and I want her to see how well Tony gets on with the Spencers too.”

Stella obviously had no idea that Paul only thought of Tony as a workmate, and Maria knew that she couldn’t tell her that. As they walked back to meet the others, she thought how complicated things were becoming.

It was almost ten o’clock when all the cars arrived outside Leonardo’sand, as the groups walked up the cobbled street towards the restaurant, Maria felt a sense of pride when she heard those who hadn’t been in it before saying how lovely and cosy and welcoming it looked. As she reached the door she smiled when she heard Grieg’s ‘Morning’, one of her favourite pieces of music, playing. When they arrived inside, the tables had been relaid after the customers had gone, with fresh red-and-white tablecloths and flowers and new candles, and everything looked perfect.

It struck her it was early for people to be gone, but she guessed that her father had not taken any late bookings that night on purpose since Franco had the bank holiday off for the races, and the customers usually asked if he was on when they made their table reservations. She also thought that he might well have been hoping that they would all be coming back for a private celebration, and it would be easier to organise if the restaurant was empty.

As soon as people’s coats were off and they were all sitting at tables or standing around chatting, Franco and Johnny and Vincent appeared with bottles of sparkling wine and once again Leo’s win at the races was toasted. The Spencers arrived with Paul and Tony and came to stand with Maria and Stella. The Maxwells were over at a corner table with Diana and another couple, but Maria kept her gaze away from them, while Stella stood with her back to them.

The platters of food were brought out to much discussion and, after the trip back from York, most people were happily filling their plates.

“It’s an amazing place,” Mrs Spencer said, “and the food is wonderful.” She smiled at her husband. “I think Leo’s personality just shines through in this place.”

People moved around and when Maria was talking to her father on her own again, she said. “Isn’t that a lovely woman with Stella’s parents? The one I met that day in the church.”

“Yes,” he said, looking across at Diana. “She is very nice.”

“She’s very attractive, don’t you think? And her hair is such a lovely reddish colour.”

Her father looked thoughtful. “Yes, she is a lovely woman and beautifully dressed.”

“And she is so easy to talk to, and seems very intelligent. She has her own businesses, you know. She ownsGladragson Heaton Moor Road – the one Mrs Flynn gave me the voucher for – and another shop in Didsbury.”

“Really?” he said. “She certainly sounds like a clever woman.”

“I know she came with Stella’s mum, but she’s not like her. They just met because Mrs Maxwell goes into the shop.” She stopped for a moment, and then she looked him in the eye. “She’s single too, never been married. Do you know, Dad, I think you and Diana would have a lot in common.”

He looked astounded. He took her by the arm over to a quieter space. “Maria . . . what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I think that if you like her, you should maybe ask her out.”

“But you know . . .” he shrugged, “you know that I haven’t really been involved with any women since your mother died.”

“Well,” Maria said, “that was a long time ago, and I was just thinking recently that it might be nice if you did.” She smiled. “And I must confess, I started to think it when I met Diana.”

He suddenly smiled. “You know something? Maybe I might just go over and talk to her now. Nothing too serious – just see how we get on.”

She went back to join Paul, Stella and Tony.

“What do you think of this one?” Tony said, gesturing with his wineglass towards Stella.

Maria was puzzled.

“She hasn’t touched a bite since we came in!” he said. “Everyone else is tucking into the fantastic food and Stella says she’s not hungry.” He shook his head. “Don’t you think she could do with a bit of meat on her bones?”

Stella pulled a face at him. “Be quiet, you!” she said, “I get enough nagging from my mother about food without you adding to it.”

Tony started to laugh just a little too loudly and it suddenly occurred to Maria, when she really looked at him, that he had drunk a bit too much wine.

It was during a lull in the music – as Johnny was changing one record on the player for another – when Maria heard the first shouts outside the restaurant. At first she thought it was teenagers carrying on, but then she heard a louder scream which stopped her in her tracks. She looked at Paul and saw him frowning and she knew he had heard it too.

A sense of responsibility about something bad happening outside her father’s restaurant washed over her, and she told Paul she was just going to have a word with her father. He and Franco were in a circle of Italian men who were listening as Paul’s father was regaling them with one of his famous horseracing stories. As she moved towards him she heard the shouts again.

She tipped Leo on the elbow. “I think there’s something going on in the street outside. There’s been a lot of shouting and screaming.”

“Is there?” His face looked very serious. “Okay, we’ll go out and check it now.” Leo stepped close to Franco and said something into his ear, and then both men moved quickly towards the door.

Maria went back to the others and joined in with the chat. She noticed that Stella’s gaze kept darting across the restaurant to where her parents were sitting to see if her mother was still keeping an eye on her. Her own gaze moved over to Mrs Maxwell’s friend and, when Diana caught her eye and gave her a big cheery smile, Maria wondered if her father had spoken to her as he had said he would.

A few minutes went by and, when Paul went to the gents’, Maria said she was just going to have a word with her father and would be back in a minute. She went out the front door and into the cobbled street. Thankfully, the noise had all died down. She walked a few yards and then she could see her father and Franco further down the street talking to Timothy. Even from a distance, and although he was talking quietly, she could tell by his gestures that the tall, bulky man was upset.

“Is everything okay?” she called.

Her father waved a hand at her. “It’s all sorted! You go back to the restaurant and we will be in with you soon!”

Timothy moved out to see who it was. He smiled when he saw her and raised his arm. “Hello, Maria! I haven’t seen you for a while. Are you keeping well?”

Maria smiled back at him. “I’m very well, thanks.”

“Good, good.” He held his shopping bag up for her to see. “I was just out at the chip shop for our supper. My mother’s not eating too well at the minute, so I thought a bit of fish and a few chips might perk her up.”

“Good idea,” Maria said. She gestured back towards the restaurant. “I’ll leave you all to it and head back inside.”

Maria went back to join her friends and then a few minutes later Leo came in on his own.

She went over to him. “Is everything okay? Where’s Franco?”

He was smiling but she could tell by his eyes that something was wrong. “Everything is under control,” he said in a low voice. “And Franco is fine – he came in by the back door.”

Maria nodded. “What was it all about?”

He shrugged. “It was some stupid teenagers thinking it was funny to tease poor Timothy and steal his fish and chips from him. Franco and I had to chase them away and threaten to call the police. We then had to check that he was okay walking back home.”

Maria shook her head. “That’s awful.”

Paul’s father came towards them now, and they stopped talking.

“Tell me, Leo,” he said, beaming at them both, “when does Bella Maria run next? It’s one race I don’t want to miss. She’s the freshest little filly I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Ah, thank you,” Leo said, taking his hand and shaking it. “Praise from such a man as yourself is praise indeed!”

Maria left them chatting and was just going back to join Paul and Tony and Stella when she noticed Franco hadn’t returned to join the party. She went towards the swing door at the back of the bar which led into the kitchen. As she did so, Johnny, came out.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “We have sorted him out in the back.”

“Is something wrong?”

He nodded. “He has a bad graze on his hand, so Vincent and I got the First Aid box out and cleaned his hand and bandaged it up for him.”

“How did that happen?”

Johnny’s eyes moved around to check that no one could hear them. “One of the thugs pushed him up against the wall and Franco hit him back, and then there was a bit of a fight.”

Maria’s stomach churned. “Oh God! I had no idea it was so serious. Dad said that it had all been sorted and I thought it was just silliness. Is Franco okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” Johnny said. “It’s bad-looking but it’s only surface stuff. Franco said your dad sorted it all out in the end. Two of them tried to take Leo on, but he squared up to them and soon sent them running.”

“My dad?” Maria said. “But I was talking to him a few minutes ago and he didn’t say it was as serious as that.” She turned to look back and could see her father laughing and chatting with Mr and Mrs Spencer, the Maxwells and Diana. It then occurred to her that her father would do exactly that, even if something serious had happened, so as not to spoil the night for anyone else. He had often talked about how your staff must put their best foot forward when it came to serving the public. And that if even if the kitchen was on fire the staff must always act calmly, as though everything was perfectly okay.