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Authors: Pamela Oldfield
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‘You’re going to need it!’
Three
When the taxi arrived to take Rose home, Marcus and Rose climbed in and settled themselves on the leather seat. Rose began at once to tell him about the wonderful opportunity that his brother had set up for her. He listened in a way that she found irritating, showing no enthusiasm whatsoever and occasionally shaking his head.
At last she stopped. ‘You’re as bad as your sister! You should be happy for me,’ she told him. ‘I thought you’d congratulate me but instead you’re po-faced. Don’t you want me to be famous?’
‘It’s not a very nice place, Rose. I do want you to be famous but not there. It has a bad reputation.’
The driver swerved to avoid a brewer’s dray and Rose was thrown against Marcus who said, ‘For heaven’s sake! Not you, Rose, the driver.’
When she had regained her position she said, ‘But Steven doesn’t think so! He recommends it so how can it be a bad place? I don’t understand.’ Perhaps he was annoyed, she thought, because Steven was being so helpful. Maybe he was jealous that his brother was interested in her.
There was a silence and then he said, ‘They . . . that is some of them, are not nice people, Rose. Not to be trusted. I’m astonished that he recommends the man. What did Letitia say about it?’
‘That it was seriously seedy but that doesn’t mean—’
‘You should listen to her. Steven has no right to interfere and you should take whatever he tells you with a pinch of salt. A large one!’
They sat in an unhappy silence until Rose said, ‘Well, I’m going anyway, whatever you say. It’s my first big chance and I’m not wasting it. I trust your brother even if you don’t.’
‘I know him better than you do, Rose, and he can be devious. I’m not trying to spoil the moment for you – why should I? Something tells me there’s more to this than meets the eye and I don’t want you to be exploited in any way.’
Minutes passed. Rose said, ‘Letitia’s invited me to her wedding. I suppose you won’t approve of that either!’
‘How will you get there?’
She glared at him. ‘By bus, of course, if I have to but she said I can be your guest because you won’t know anyone else!’
‘That sounds just like Letitia.’
‘Don’t you have any friends?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.’
The taxi swerved again and the driver now shouted something rude to the driver of another taxi who retaliated by shaking his fist.
Marcus groaned. ‘Of all the taxi drivers in London, I seem to have chosen the craziest . . .’
He smiled briefly. ‘Letitia will be a happier person once she’s married. It’s important to her. Ever since she was a child she’s had ambitions to be rich. Bernard is the answer to all her prayers.’
Rose was thawing a little. ‘I suppose we all have hopes for the future – like me with the stage. What’s your ambition, Marcus?’
He hesitated, opened his mouth to speak but then changed his mind. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
At that moment their taxi forced itself in front of the other taxi which came to a juddering halt. Two elderly women stared helplessly into their taxi from the window of the other one and Marcus swore under his breath. ‘This is ridiculous!’
Rose, who was actually beginning to enjoy the excitement, said, ‘It certainly is!’
‘Oh no!’ Marcus tutted as their driver nipped down from his cab and met the other driver who had also left his vehicle. They immediately began to use their fists and passing traffic hooted as the fight interrupted the traffic flow.
‘We’re getting out of this!’ cried Marcus and, opening the door, he took Rose’s hand and hauled her unceremoniously from the taxi. From the safety of the pavement they joined the crowd that was collecting and watched the two elderly women make their escape.
Someone somewhere blew a whistle and a policeman could be seen hurrying towards them.
Marcus said, ‘Come on.
Three
When the taxi arrived to take Rose home, Marcus and Rose climbed in and settled themselves on the leather seat. Rose began at once to tell him about the wonderful opportunity that his brother had set up for her. He listened in a way that she found irritating, showing no enthusiasm whatsoever and occasionally shaking his head.
At last she stopped. ‘You’re as bad as your sister! You should be happy for me,’ she told him. ‘I thought you’d congratulate me but instead you’re po-faced. Don’t you want me to be famous?’
‘It’s not a very nice place, Rose. I do want you to be famous but not there. It has a bad reputation.’
The driver swerved to avoid a brewer’s dray and Rose was thrown against Marcus who said, ‘For heaven’s sake! Not you, Rose, the driver.’
When she had regained her position she said, ‘But Steven doesn’t think so! He recommends it so how can it be a bad place? I don’t understand.’ Perhaps he was annoyed, she thought, because Steven was being so helpful. Maybe he was jealous that his brother was interested in her.
There was a silence and then he said, ‘They . . . that is some of them, are not nice people, Rose. Not to be trusted. I’m astonished that he recommends the man. What did Letitia say about it?’
‘That it was seriously seedy but that doesn’t mean—’
‘You should listen to her. Steven has no right to interfere and you should take whatever he tells you with a pinch of salt. A large one!’
They sat in an unhappy silence until Rose said, ‘Well, I’m going anyway, whatever you say. It’s my first big chance and I’m not wasting it. I trust your brother even if you don’t.’
‘I know him better than you do, Rose, and he can be devious. I’m not trying to spoil the moment for you – why should I? Something tells me there’s more to this than meets the eye and I don’t want you to be exploited in any way.’
Minutes passed. Rose said, ‘Letitia’s invited me to her wedding. I suppose you won’t approve of that either!’
‘How will you get there?’
She glared at him. ‘By bus, of course, if I have to but she said I can be your guest because you won’t know anyone else!’
‘That sounds just like Letitia.’
‘Don’t you have any friends?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.’
The taxi swerved again and the driver now shouted something rude to the driver of another taxi who retaliated by shaking his fist.
Marcus groaned. ‘Of all the taxi drivers in London, I seem to have chosen the craziest . . .’
He smiled briefly. ‘Letitia will be a happier person once she’s married. It’s important to her. Ever since she was a child she’s had ambitions to be rich. Bernard is the answer to all her prayers.’
Rose was thawing a little. ‘I suppose we all have hopes for the future – like me with the stage. What’s your ambition, Marcus?’
He hesitated, opened his mouth to speak but then changed his mind. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
At that moment their taxi forced itself in front of the other taxi which came to a juddering halt. Two elderly women stared helplessly into their taxi from the window of the other one and Marcus swore under his breath. ‘This is ridiculous!’
Rose, who was actually beginning to enjoy the excitement, said, ‘It certainly is!’
‘Oh no!’ Marcus tutted as their driver nipped down from his cab and met the other driver who had also left his vehicle. They immediately began to use their fists and passing traffic hooted as the fight interrupted the traffic flow.
‘We’re getting out of this!’ cried Marcus and, opening the door, he took Rose’s hand and hauled her unceremoniously from the taxi. From the safety of the pavement they joined the crowd that was collecting and watched the two elderly women make their escape.
Someone somewhere blew a whistle and a policeman could be seen hurrying towards them.
Marcus said, ‘Come on.
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