Victoria gave her an ironic smile.
“The same thing that brought you?” And as an afterthought she added, “And me, too, I guess.”
Penny nodded.
“So I wonder what he’s running away from.”
“Or who.”
As usual, Glynnis and Huw Bowen were the last to leave the community centre.
“Well, I think that went well, all things considered,” Huw said as he checked to make sure the door was locked behind them. “But he might have consulted me about that New Year’s dance before making his big announcement. Now I suppose we’ll have to go and I was looking forward to watching it on telly.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Huw,” his wife replied. “I’m sure we could manage without you for one night.”
“‘We’? You don’t mean you’d come without me, do you?”
“Yes, I think that’s exactly what I meant.” She let out a bored, tired sigh. “Oh, I don’t know what I meant. Never mind.”
Mrs. Lloyd said good night to Harry on her doorstep. She had decided not to invite him in as she was tired and anxious to clean her face, slather on the expensive apple-serum rejuvenating moisturizer she had just bought, and slip into her nice, warm bed. The dancing had definitely tired her out.
She held her face up and he kissed her cheek.
Then, putting her key in the lock, she let herself into the still, dark house and stood there for a moment before tugging one by one at the fingers of her gloves.
“Had a good time, did you then?” came a voice out of the dark silence.
“Oh! Really, Florence, you scared the life out of me. What on earth do you mean by creeping up on me like that?”
Mrs. Lloyd switched on the hall light to discover Florence in her tattered dark green dressing gown with large red dragons winding around the sleeves.
“Sorry, I’m sure,” Florence said. “Only when I heard you come in and realized you were alone, I thought I’d just see if you wanted anything. Cup of tea before you head up?”
“Well, now that you mention it, that might just hit the spot, if you’re making one anyway,” Mrs. Lloyd agreed. “I’ll get my coat off while you get the kettle on.”
A few minutes later, settled on the sofa lifting a cup of tea to her lips, Mrs. Lloyd beamed at her companion.
“Oh, Florence, I do wish you’d come,” she said. “We all had such a wonderful time and everyone had such high praise for Harry. It wasn’t any time at all until everyone was waltzing away and having the time of their lives.”
She sat back against the plump cushions, waving away the biscuits Florence held out to her.
“No, Florence, and you must not tempt me again. I am determined to lose at least half a stone before the grand opening of the new spa. And that reminds me”-she leaned forward and set her teacup down-“I’ve decided that we’re going to give a little party of our own. We’ll talk about the date tomorrow, but I’d like to have a few friends and neighbours in for a Christmas drink one afternoon. Just a few mince pies and a glass of sherry. Nothing too complicated, but it is, after all, the season of goodwill, and we’re going to show some.”
She stood up.
“And now I must be off to my bed. Thank you for the tea. Don’t worry about the cups tonight. You can tidy up in the morning.”
Florence dropped a little curtsey to Mrs. Lloyd’s disappearing back.
“Yes ma’am,” she muttered. “Whatever you say.”
Seven
“You know, Penny, when he took me in his arms, I could have danced all night!”
“You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself, Mrs. Lloyd,” Penny said as she leaned forward to apply a base coat to her client’s nails.
“Well, it wasn’t just me enjoying myself, Penny, in case you didn’t notice. Everyone was.”
“Yes, they certainly seemed to.”
Penny had barely been able to contain her astonishment when Mrs. Lloyd entered the salon for her standing Thursday afternoon manicure. Penny had quickly caught Eirlys’s eye and given a quick shake of her head. Following her lead, Eirlys returned to her client after giving Mrs. Lloyd a quick smile and, beyond the expected polite, cheery hello, said nothing.
Gone was Mrs. Lloyd’s rigidly permed, iron-grey hair, replaced by loose chestnut curls. At first, Penny had thought she was wearing a wig, but when she caught a glimpse of pink scalp, she realized Mrs. Lloyd must have spent hours that morning at the hair salon. With the dieting, hair colour, and softer hairstyle, Mrs. Lloyd was in full makeover mode. Soon would come wardrobe changes. She’s got it bad, Penny thought. If she had been married, her husband would have huge cause for concern. She was displaying all the classic symptoms.
“I’m going into Llandudno tomorrow to get some new clothes,” Mrs. Lloyd was saying, as if she had just read Penny’s mind. “Normally, Angharad Roberts makes my dresses, and a very good job she does, too, but I think I’ll go for something off the rack. I’m so tired of just about everything in my wardrobe. It all seems so frumpy and dated, and we need something new every now and then to perk ourselves up, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Mrs. Lloyd, we certainly do,” Penny agreed. “What are you thinking you might get?’
“Something a bit more youthful. A flirty skirt! A stylish top! Both!”
Penny grinned. “Go for it, Mrs. Lloyd! Why not?”
“Why not indeed. And that reminds me. I’ve decided that Florence and I are going to hold a little holiday open house, so you might want to mark your calendar. It’ll be from two to four in the afternoon and you and Victoria should both come. Oh, and of course bring that policeman of yours, too, if he’s a mind to come. That’s if he’s not too busy with, what did you call it, major crime.” Mrs. Lloyd gave Penny the date. “We chose the day so it wouldn’t conflict with your grand opening. But between the two of us, we’re all going to have a very busy holiday season this year. I always say Christmas will be here before we know it, and every year it just creeps up on us and proves me right.”
Mrs. Lloyd selected a rich, deep burgundy polish that she said would go nicely with a smart jacket she had recently bought.
“It’s in the Chanel style, you might say. And with my pearls, it should be just right for the bridge game tonight.”
After a moment’s thought, she leaned closer and gave Penny an intent look.
“Would you mind terribly if I asked you a question? What are your thoughts on tights?”
“Tights?”
Victoria looked up from her computer where she had been entering numbers into a spreadsheet.
“Yes, tights. She read in a magazine that they’re considered outdated and aging. She wondered if that was just true for young women or for everyone. She wonders if she should stop wearing them but wonders if it would look strange for a woman her age to go about with bare legs.”
“Oh, Lord.” Victoria laughed. “It doesn’t bear thinking about. Not in this weather, anyway.” After a moment she added, “I still wear them. Do you?”
“I do. I can’t stand the way my feet feel in shoes without socks or stockings. But I know that young women don’t wear them. I really don’t know what the rule is for older women or where the cutoff point is.”
“Well, anyway,” said Victoria, pressing a button on the computer and then sitting back with her arms folded, “the good news is that we’re still within budget on the renovation-just-and they tell me the work will be done on time. How did you get on with Gwennie?”
“Oh really well,” Penny replied. “She’s happy to do the food for the opening and she’ll take care of the other things, too, like tablecloths and plates and cutlery. I’ve given her the guest list so she knows how many are coming and I ordered the flowers.”