Free Love or Duty by Roberta Grieve Page B

Polly’s fault. She told her quietly to clear the table and got up to help her. ‘It seems nobody’s hungry today,’ she said with an attempt at a laugh.

     
    When she too had gone to her room, after spending a little time with Sarah and smoothing her ruffled feelings, Louise had time to think about what her father had told her earlier. The Winter Gardens, with its theatre and dance hall was losing money. When it first opened it had been a popular attraction for the summer visitors. But this year, the rumours of war and the uncertainty of the political situation seemed to have put people off coming.
    Stanley, along with other businessmen in the town, had invested in the venture at the very beginning and had hoped for a substantial return on their investment. William Spencer had put in more than anyone else and so had more to lose. Stanley didn’t really suspect his partner of any crooked dealing but, as he’d confided to Louise, it seemed too much of a coincidence that the firm’s losses had begun just when William was starting to feel the pinch.
    ‘I think I’ll get old Jones to go through the books again,’ Stanley had said. The accountant was an old friend who could be relied on not to make a scandal if anything was out of order.
    ‘I’m sure you’ll find it’s just a mistake,’ Louise had said, trying to comfort her father. She liked Mr Spencer and didn’t want to think ill of him either.
    As she got ready for bed Louise wished she’d brought up the subject of working in the office. But with all the tensions in the family at the moment, not to mention that she really was needed at home now, it hardly seemed the right time.
    Usually, the sound of the waves caressing the shingle soothed her to sleep in no time. But tonight the seeds of discontent that were growing in her would not allow her to settle. She turned over in bed, trying to get comfortable  and reflected that if she’d married they would have to do without her. Not much chance of that now, she thought with a sigh. But surely marriage wasn’t the only means of escape. She thought of Sarah, who was growing up into a real beauty. She would have no shortage of suitors. But she wouldn’t need them. She had her talent – and with that she could do anything she wanted. Not for the first time, Louise felt a twinge of envy. She didn’t begrudge Sarah her success. She just wished she had a comparable talent to give her own life more meaning.

     
    Sarah was finding it hard to sleep too, regretting the way she’d snapped at her sister. Poor Louise had such a lot to put up with, what with having to spend most of her time in the kitchen, as well as having to cope with Mother’s sulks and tantrums. Thank goodness she had her rehearsals and singing lessons.
    Singing was her lifeline. She didn’t know what she’d do if she had to live the sort of humdrum life her sister did. Imagine living all your life expecting to get married – as if that was the only thing that mattered – then getting to an age when you realized it wasn’t going to happen. Imagine ending up like old Miss Bunyan, spending your life doing ‘good works’, then getting so old that you became a ‘good work’ yourself, depending on others to invite you to Sunday dinner or sit and talk to you when they’d rather be doing something else.
    Well, that wasn’t going to happen to her. She was going to have a wonderful life full of music and fun. Of course she might fall in love and get married one day. But whoever he turned out to be, her husband would be made to realize that her singing came first.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    T he concert at the Albert Hall was a resounding success. Only Dora and Stanley could go, for tickets were limited. But it was also broadcast on the wireless so Louise and Polly sat together, listening entranced. When the applause rang out after Sarah’s song, they hugged each other and danced round the kitchen.
    For a while, Louise was able to forget her own