Free Cover Your Eyes by Adèle Geras Page B

Eva said. ‘Now that you mention it, only you’d be amazed how many people promise things and then forget entirely.’
    The woman – Megan – nodded as she sat down opposite Eva at the kitchen table. She said, ‘I came because I wanted to show you what’s happened to the article.’
    ‘Nothing bad, I hope?’ Eva was surprised at how excited she was. She’d been in magazines all the time in the fifties and early sixties and in American
Vogue
earlier in the year and yet it seemed as though the thrill never disappeared. I’m still vain, she thought. I still want good press. She knew this article was good because Megan had already sent her the text to approve.
    ‘Well, I’m cross about it but I hope it won’t spoil your pleasure,’ Megan said. ‘The editor has changed it, altered things without consultation. I wanted to explain before you saw it.’
    ‘Come in. Come and sit in the study. Phyllis, can you bring the tea through there? Thank you.’
    Eva led the way.
    ‘Do sit down, my dear. We’ll be more comfortable here. There was no need to come all this way and bring the magazine yourself. It’s really very kind of you.’
    ‘I’m so sorry. About the changes, I mean … here you are.’
    Eva took the copy of
lipstick
from Megan and went to sit beside her on the sofa. The door opened.
    ‘I’ve brought some Melting Moments too,’ said Phyllis, putting the tray carefully on the coffee table.
    ‘Lovely,’ said Eva, ‘thank you!’ Phyllis left the room and Eva picked up the teapot and began to pour. To Megan she said, ‘Do have a Melting Moment. I’m sure that’ll cheer you up.’
    Megan took a biscuit and smiled. ‘I expect you think I’m mad. No one in their right mind would care so much about edits someone had made to an article.’
    ‘If I were a writer,’ Eva said, ‘I probably would. I hate anyone interfering with anything I’ve made. Let me read the piece and we’ll speak when I’ve finished. All right?’
    Megan nodded. ‘Page forty-three,’ she said. Eva opened
lipstick
and at first sight, she was very pleased with the look of the thing. The photographs were not Antoine Bragonard, but they were good of their kind and Salix House was as photogenic as ever. The study, with Eva herself looking not too bad on the scarlet sofa and the wall of books in the background. That teal silk shirt was a good colour with her hair. She didn’t look too ancient and it crossed her mind that airbrushing might have been used.
Well, why not?
she thought. Antoine used to say that the camera always lied to some degree, so why not do everything you can to make people look better? There were good pictures of the hall and the dress room, where one of her designs from the
Ghost
collection was up on a dressmaker’s dummy. The silver grey chiffon with satin-trimmed sleeves. Yes, it looked good. She smiled at Megan and said, ‘Well, I haven’t read it yet but the pictures are lovely.’
    Megan said, ‘Yes, I know. And the article’s probably fine too. I’m sure I’m making a fuss about nothing.’
    Eva read the piece, conscious of Megan waiting; conscious of her unhappiness. Surely no one could be so wretched simply on account of an editor’s changes to her text? But as she read, she could see that there were places where the piece had been cut. There was almost nothing about her coming to England as a child on the
Kindertransport
. The paragraph she remembered about finding the house with Antoine and how they had done it up together was missing as well. The editor, whoever he was, had been a bit savage, but still, the article read well and Eva was happy to be able to say so honestly.
    ‘You mustn’t worry, Megan, ‘she said. ‘It reads very well. Whatever the editor deleted or changed, only you and I will notice, so there’s no harm done.’
    ‘There
is
harm done,’ Megan said. She stopped abruptly as if there was something she wanted to add. Eva looked at her, surprised.
    *
    I didn’t know what