airfield was an eyesore and a properly landscaped industrial site with carefully planted trees and shrubs would enhance rather than detract from the area. The nature lovers countered with the statement that they were not against an industrial site, simply against the felling of mature trees to build a road to it.
Without the bypass there would be no industrial site. George was beginning to feel a sense of panic. The interest on the money he had borrowed was horrendous and he had to push the project through before he bankrupted himself. Tonight he had arranged to meet Ron Harrison, the leader of the town council, to try and enlist his support.
Penny’s drawing room was packed and buzzing with conversation and laughter and the sound of music played very loudly on the gramophone. Barbara paused on the threshold, wondering why she had come. A couple of years before she would have been joining in the chat about parties and who was going out with whom; who had done well in exams and who had flopped; holidays abroad and career prospects; drinking too much, laughing too loudly; having fun. Now she felt out of it and so much older than her contemporaries. Wife and mother. What could she possibly have in common with these beautiful young people? She had no exams or job prospects to worry about, no youthful love, requited or unrequited, intruding into every waking thought, no plans which could be abandoned the moment a better offer came along. No plans at all, in fact.
Why had she come? George hadn’t wanted her to, telling her it was a daft idea to go all that way just for a party. It wasn’t as if she would know anyone except Penny, and those theatre and film people were all a bit weird…
‘I know some of them. They are my friends.’ Evening after evening spent alone reading and knitting had made her want to scream and she didn’t seem to be able to paint. The prospect of a night in town had suddenly become irresistible. She had tried to explain she hadn’t had a night out since Alison had been born and she wasn’t going to run off with an actor, she simply wanted a break. Grudgingly he had given in, but he couldn’t go himself, even if he wanted to: he had a meeting to attend.
Now, surrounded by glamorous women in sack-like dresses which, for all their shapelessness had cost their wearers the earth, and handsome, self-assured men, her confidence ebbed away and she felt like turning tail.
‘Darling, you’re here, at last!’ Penny, in a dress of lime-green silk which had more material in the sleeves than in the skirt, hurried over to hug her. ‘I’d almost given you up.’
‘The crowd was so thick outside the theatre I couldn’t get a cab.’
‘Yes, I had no idea there would be so many. What did you think of it?’
‘Very good. I am sure you will get lots more offers after this.’
‘Come and meet everyone.’ She took her arm and pulled her forward.
Bemused, Barbara found herself being hauled in front of actors and actresses, producers, stagehands and newspaper reporters, together with a sprinkling of students and ex-students, one or two of whom she already knew. Penny left her with a young man called Justin. ‘He’s a producer,’ she said. ‘So be nice to him.’
Barbara stood sipping champagne, trying to think of something bright and intelligent to say but all she could think of was, ‘Do you produce plays?’
‘Films. I’m hoping to recruit Penny. Home Close could be the making of her.’
‘What’s it about?’
He smiled and sipped his drink. ‘You must wait and see. Let’s just say it’s a comedy with a serious side to it, something for the actors to get their teeth into.’
‘I shall look forward to seeing it.’
‘Are you an actress, Barbara?’
She laughed. ‘Good heavens, no!’
‘Barbara is an artist,’ said a familiar voice at her elbow. She turned to see Simon at her side, casually dressed in slacks and open-necked shirt. He was smiling in that odd way he had, which made her want to smile back. ‘But sadly she has forsworn her talent to be a wife and mother.’ He sighed melodramatically. ‘Such a terrible waste!’
‘Simon, don’t exaggerate,’ she said, unaccountably pleased to see him. ‘I only dabble.’
‘But you wanted to be a famous artist.’
‘Dreams,’ she said. ‘Childish dreams.’
‘And now you have put aside childish things in favour of motherhood.’
‘Yes.’
‘Too soon,’ he said. ‘Much too soon. A flower bud cut off before