Until We Meet Again by Margaret Thornton Read Free Book Online

not!’ came the vehement answers from all quarters.
    ‘That’s the spirit!’ he replied. ‘So…with no more ado, let the merriment begin.’
    The troupe of Pierrots, consisting of seven men and four ladies, ran onto the stage singing, to the accompaniment of the music played by Letty, Percy’s wife, on the piano.
    ‘Here we are again,
    Happy as can be;
    All good pals and jolly good company…’
    Maddy and Freddie were not in the opening chorus; Maddy was regarded now solely as a guest artiste and Freddie only performed a few times a week. The rest of the company, the full-time Pierrots, appeared in traditional costume at the beginning and end of each show, changing for the sketches and solo performances, if needs be, in the dressingtents either side of the stage.
    The audience were all singing lustily by the time the opening chorus came to an end.
    ‘Lah – di – dah – di – dah!
    Lah – di – dah – di – dee!
    All good pals and jolly good company.’
    There was a tremendous cheer as the Pierrots tripped off the stage, which boded well for the rest of the show. Tilly had a feeling she was going to enjoy the evening immensely. She had been rather surprised when Tommy’s friend, Dominic, had arrived at the house just as they were about to set off. She had not realised he was coming and wondered if, indeed, a Pierrot show would be to his liking. She had the impression at times that his interests might be rather more high-flown.
    It was a fair distance from their home on South Bay to the spot on North Bay where the show was to take place, so William had offered to run the members of his household there in his large Renault motor-car. This was the one for family use, apart from the Daimler saloon car, which was used for funerals. He managed to find a place to park the car on the promenade, then they walked down the winding cliff path and the steps leading to the beach. Dominic had sat next to Tilly in thecar, whether by accident or design she was not sure; but there could be no doubt about the way he had contrived to walk with her down the slope and across the sands and then sat on the seat next to her on the second row.
    Tilly remembered how, as a little girl, she had sat in almost the selfsame spot watching the Pierrot shows. And it was surprising how many of the artistes from fourteen or so years ago were still there today. All, inevitably, looking a little older, but all of them still very spry and polished performers. The newer ones who had joined the troupe after those early years were Freddie, of course, as a conjuror; Jeremy Jarvis, the ventriloquist, and his wife, who danced and sang, still performing under her maiden name of Dora Daventry; and Cedric Wotherspoon, whom Percy had engaged last season as a singer of comic songs and who also recited ballads, both serious and amusing ones.
    She had not watched the performances very much of late, except when Maddy was appearing; and as she sat leaning forward eagerly in her canvas chair, Tilly found herself taking a trip down Memory Lane.
    Nancy, with her performing dogs, had been her favourite act. They had been little West Highland terriers – Westies – called Daisy and Dolly, butthey had been retired a few years ago and replaced by two Scots terriers, black, not white, whose names, so Maddy had told her, were Lucky and Trixie. Their tricks did not vary much from those of their predecessors. They jumped through hoops and over canes which were raised a little each time; sat up and begged for biscuits; and danced, partnering Nancy, on their hind legs. They were well-trained and obedient, but Tilly knew they were treated with kindness. Nancy loved them as the children she had never had and her chief consideration when they were travelling was that her canine companions should have the best of everything.
    Barney and Benjy, the Dancing Duo, showed their usual expertise as their patent-leather-clad feet tapped with wild abandon to the fast rhythm of the