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.’ Seeing the look on her mother’s face, she added quickly, ‘Unless Dougal comes home, of course.’Fifty-FourThe day before New Year’s Eve, a small staff party was held in Mr Banks’s office, this being a custom everyone enjoyed.Wives were invited, as well as anyone who was officially engaged to a member of staff at Tarrel’s, and this was where Norma sprang her surprise by appearing at the party accompanied by Tim Clunie and exhibiting a quite large, handsome ring.‘Tim’s grandmother’s!’ she announced, as Miss Calder and Roz bent over it with exclamations of admiration, while Tim stood modestly by and Mr Banks and everyone else clapped their congratulations.‘This calls for an extra celebration!’ Mr Banks declared.‘Miss Calder, please bring out the champagne I was keeping for our last drink – I think we ought to have it now.’Champagne! Who’d have thought old Banks would have splashed out on that? But, as he said, this was a special celebration, for Norma had now worked for some years at Tarrel’s and deserved some recognition.‘We couldn’t be happier about this,’ he told her and Tim when he made the toast, ‘though we hope we won’t be losing you, Miss Ward?’‘Not yet, Mr Banks,’ she answered, blushing, as Roz exchanged glances with Miss Calder.There had been a time when Mr Banks would have wanted no married women whatsoever at Tarrel’s, and of course he had not yet appointed a woman lawyer – but things were changing in the modern world and perhaps even Mr Banks was changing with them.After they’d drunk the toast to Norma and Tim and people circulated, Roz caught Norma by the arm and drew her to one side.‘You slyboots!’ she cried.‘Why didn’t you tell me about you and Tim?’‘Oh, Roz, you know how it was.I didn’t like to, that was all.’ Norma was looking embarrassed.‘I mean, after you and Mr Carmichael split up.’‘Oh, heavens, as though I can’t be happy for you, just because of that! It doesn’t matter about me and Laurence, I’m just glad for you and Tim.’‘But I feel so sorry, Roz.You went through a lot over Mr Shield, as well – it just doesn’t seem fair.’‘Haven’t exactly got a good record, have I?’ asked Roz.‘Och, it’s just the way things work out.I’m OK – don’t worry about me.’‘There’ll be someone else,’ Norma said eagerly.‘Someone right for you, you’ll see!’‘I’m not looking,’ Roz said firmly and moved away to talk to Mrs Appin – Pattie – a fair-haired young woman as slim as Angus was plump, who was very interested in his work, though not a lawyer herself as she freely admitted, being ‘just a secretary’.What was interesting her that evening, she told Roz, was the waste of all Angus’s work on his beautiful brochure for Bellfields, and wasn’t it a shame that Mr Carmichael had now decided not to sell?‘I think it’s criminal, I really do!’ Pattie cried hotly.‘I know he’ll still have to pay the bill for it, but that’s not the point.Why can’t people make up their minds what they want to do, without causing so much waste? I’m sure Angus regrets all the time he spent on that now!’‘Darling, it’s par for the course,’ Angus said, joining them in time to hear his wife’s views.‘Clients buying and selling houses change their minds all the time, which is why we’re lucky that their offers are binding.Now why don’t you go and have a chat with Mrs Wray – she’s looking your way – and I’ll get some more drinks.’As Pattie hurried off with cries of, ‘Vera, how are you?’ Angus gave Roz an apologetic glance.‘Sorry about that, Roz.Pattie doesn’t know about you and Mr Carmichael, of course – you’ll have to forgive her for jumping in with both feet like that.’‘It’s quite all right, Angus,’ Roz told him, feeling grateful that he did not talk gossip at home.‘Maybe she’s got a point, anyway.’‘Not at all.I quite enjoyed working on the brochure and if Mr Carmichael is happy not selling, that’s all right by me.We haven’t lost out.’ He lowered his voice.‘As long as you’re all right, Roz?’‘I will be, Angus, I will be.’When she arrived home after the drinks party, it was to find a surprise waiting for her.‘You’ll never guess what’s come for you!’ cried Flo.‘From one o’ the good florist’s and all!’‘Flowers?’ asked Roz.‘For me?’‘Got your name on ’em,’ said Chrissie, watching her closely.‘Look lovely.Ma’s got ’em in a bucket of water.’The great sheaf of white flowers – lilies, small chrysanthemums and gardenias, were wrapped in cellophane with a small attached envelope.As Flo hauled them out of the bucket, Roz took the envelope and, after a moment’s hesitation, opened it.‘Are they from him?’ asked Chrissie.‘I bet they are!’‘Yes, they’re from him,’ Roz said quietly, her eyes on the card she’d taken out.‘So, what does he say?’ cried Flo.‘What on earth can he say?’ Chrissie was sniffing the scent of the flowers.‘I bet you feel like chucking ’em out, eh, Roz?’‘He doesn’t say much,’ Roz said, taking the flowers from her mother.‘Just best wishes for the New Year.’‘What a nerve!’ cried Flo.‘But if you’re not throwing ’em out, I’ll have to find a vase.Give ’em here, Roz.’‘It would be silly to throw them out,’ said Roz, putting the card in the pocket of her cardigan as Flo bore the flowers off to the sink while she found a vase.‘I think it’s quite a nice gesture, really, to send me flowers.’‘As though it makes up for anything,’ said Chrissie.‘Oh, it doesn’t.Just shows how he feels.’In the bedroom, Roz looked at the little card again, which read not just ‘Best wishes for the New Year’ as she’d said, but ‘To Roz, with best wishes for 1952.May it be a better year for you than I made 1951.Yours, Laurence.’There was no way of knowing whether 1952 would be better than 1951 or not, but there was no doubt that Laurence’s flowers, as well as his message, had made Roz feel better.At least there was no bitterness between them.She felt she would be truly better soon.Fifty-Five‘I’m afraid I’ve a confession to make,’ Flo announced a short time before Bob and Evan were due to arrive on New Year’s Eve.‘Don’t be cross, girls, but I’ve invited the Atkinsons up for tonight – I mean, it’s only neighbourly, eh?’‘The Atkinsons?’ Chrissie exclaimed.‘Todd and Gerda coming here? Oh, Ma, what a thing to do!’‘Our favourites,’ said Roz, smiling.‘Just the ones to make a party go.’‘Well, they’re on their own – no family – and I thought it’d be nice to ask ’em.Might make Todd a bit easier to deal with in the future as well.’‘That’ll be the day,’ said Chrissie.‘But if you’ve asked ’em we’ll just have to put up with ’em.Let’s check everything’s ready.’They were all ready themselves, wearing their best woollen dresses, Flo with a Paisley shawl round her shoulders and a little make-up, which made her look attractive and well.It was such a relief that she had been so well lately, her daughters thought as they set out plates of sandwiches, sausage rolls and mince pies, together with glasses for the port wine and bottles of beer.Maybe she was truly recovered from her depression? Even with Dougal still in Korea, and with Roz’s problems as well as her anxiety over the poor king, it seemed so.If true, it would be the best present the New Year could bring, but as usual they’d have to wait and see.‘Going to put the wireless on?’ asked Roz.‘We must be sure not to miss the countdown to midnight.’‘Plenty of time,’ Flo replied
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