Walk a Mile in Mothers Shoes
"Poor Aunt Pru went into such a rant and got so red in the face I thought she was going to hit the moon. I was about ready to call Dr. Mac by the time you got here Miss Phryne."
" Cousins Guy and Arthur can back me up when I say that I know all about Aunt Pru and her tendency to launch into space, so with that knowledge I will have a little tête-à-tête with her to help her get her feet back on terra firma."
"I love you very much Jane and you will always have a special pocket in my heart, no matter what. You must promise me never to forget what I just told you. Promise?" (Phryne and Jane usually show their love for each other in subtle ways, however, Phryne always makes it very obvious when she notices Jane is having a specially difficult time.)
"Yes, I promise you. Though I don't know why you don't just wash your hands of me, everyone else does. All I do is get intro trouble no matter how much I try to avoid it and cause far too many problems for you to deal with in the end."
"Well now….How about we let me be the judge of that eh?"
Mr. Butler enters the kitchen and declares "I have put Mrs. Stanley in the front moon , oh good heavens, I mean front room instead of the back parlor as I had just filled the sherry decanter there and thought it in everyone's best interest for her to have a sip or glass or two."
"Thank you Mr. Butler, that should help ease her back into earths gravitational pull. Perhaps you could also take her something to nibble on while I have a little chat with Jane. Please let her know that I will be with her directly."
"Now Jane, what seems to have brought about todays planetary trek?"
Jane does not say a word instead she rolls her big blue eyes up at Phryne as she tugs off her floppy red cap.
"I see….would you care to elaborate a bit ?"
"Well, Sarah Philmore Smyth and I were going through the latest Motion Picture Classic and Screenland when we got this idea to try a couple of the latest styles. We pulled our hair back and before…"
"Yes, I can deduce you discovered scissors" (Phryne can remember when she and Mac had also performed a new do job on each other years ago. Poor Aunt Pru went into orbit then too but Dr. and Mrs. MacMillan almost laughed themselves into the next century.) She's finding herself more of a MacMillan in this situation but she's determined to keep up her deadpan face or give up whisky for two months.
"Of course when Mrs. Smyth walked in on us Sarah blamed it all on me and I didn't have time to try to explain because I was too busy fetching the maid and smelling salts."
"Seems to me Sarah Philmore Smyth needs to read up on being a friend wouldn't you say?"
Eying Jane's hair, Phryne thinks, but has trouble wrapping her head around, how something is so uneven that it isn't the same length in any given spot. She also wonders what kind of job Jane did on Sarah's tresses. "All right, I'm going in to talk with Aunt Pru while you think about what to do about this."
"Mr. Butler could you fix….sigh….once again you read my mind" as Mr. Butler places a glass in Phrynes hand and she floats out of the kitchen sipping on something very cold, greenish in color and extremely calming. (Mr. Butler usually mixes this concoction up when Mrs. Stanley pays a visit, while on war path, as it helps Miss Fisher cope with the dragon in the room.)
"Aunt Prudence dear so sorry to keep you waiting but I was interviewing the non Sarah Philmore Smyth half of this little caper."
"Phryne, what on earth are we going to do with our Jane? I just don't know her anymore."
"Oh Aunt Pru the girl is growing up and discovering new things. It's not like she's into drugs and drinking. It's only hair and it will grow back."
"I just don't know how I'll ever be able to look Constance Smyth in the eye again. Jane and Sarah had such lovely long hair."
"Think about this rationally aunt dear. You were all in the same house were you not?"
"Well yes Phryne"
"I'm sure the girls got carried away trying to duplicate the look of their favorite luminaries and in the process caused their families to hit the moon or see stars instead. If this wasn't a joint project I'll eat my hat. Besides I'm sure you or Constance would have heard the commotion if any arms were being twisted."
"Of course you're right dear girl…I just don't handle things as well now that I'm older." (Recalling how she's always had a boat load of patience for her niece but paling at recognizing the same little mischievous horns sprouting on Jane.)
Phryne's thinking your reaction wasn't all that much different thirty years ago with Mac and me but decides not to spark things off again now that Aunt Prudence is once again inhabiting earth and no longer breathing fire.
Several glasses of sherry later Aunt Prudence is ready to toddle home so Phryne goes and finds her aunts driver who's with Mr. Butler, hanging over the Hispanos bonnet, making engine talk and lets him know that her aunt is ready to go home.
Phryne makes a quick phone call, locates and grabs the shaker of calming green stuff and heads out in search of Jane and the floppy red cap.
Finding Jane sitting quietly in her room Phryne asks "Well now, what do you think we should do about this?"
"With a brave little face Jane announces "I can't glue my hair back on, I screwed up so I'll just have to live with it until it grows back."
Phryne is practically sitting on both her hands as she knows it's not a good time to hug Jane but wants to anyway. Instead she casually throws out "You might want to consider trimming it up a tad more as I believe short hair would become you. Later you can let it grow or keep it short as you choose. I'll have you know we girls go through as many hair styles as fashion over the years."
Jane ponders this so seriously, stressed more so by her wrinkled little brow, making Phryne want to hug her all the more. Knowing how Dot always scolds Miss Fisher for botching when she tries to trim her own fringe instead of waiting for Dot or her stylist to do it Jane softly asks "Will you be doing the trimming?"
"Darling, one lunar launch is more than enough without putting Dot into orbit too. We've only just gotten Aunt Pru back to earth so let's not press our luck with two. I'll admit scissors are not my preferred tool either when I trim my hair but I was getting rather good at it with that old razor. Dot won't fess up but I know she took it and probably buried it in the backyard somewhere."
After a good laugh and a few more anecdotes Jane seems to be relaxing a bit and Phryne senses it's time for some warm fuzzies, so, like a mother hen she wraps her little one in a huge embrace and gently holds her close. (Jane has learned from her own mistake, no need to rub it in.)
Now having reached a meeting of the minds, over how Jane can ditch the floppy red cap, they head out the front door where Mr. Butler awaits in the warmed up Hispano... And off they go to visit the most talented stylist in Melbourne, Mr. Francois.
Mr. Butler deposit's the pair in front of the noted salon and heads out to do a few errands while Phryne assumes her mother role. For someone who never wanted children she really does fill the mother shoes. Today she has tamed a dragon but more importantly, without hitting the moon, she has patiently allowed a little girl to explain herself and take part in deciding what to do.
As instructed from the earlier phone call Francois acts surprised to see them as well as being ready for what lurks beneath the floppy red cap.
Phryne encourages Jane to have a brief consultation with Francois and he suggests Miss Jane have the works….Just like Miss Fisher including coconut shampoo.
Jane seems to perk up at this idea and Phryne shoots Francois a thankful wink and a grin as he begins to work his magic and spin his reverse psychology on her little darling.
After forty-five minutes of snipping, combing, a word here and a word there, more snipping, a huddle or two and lots of brushing…Voila!
Jane smiles at the person smiling back in the looking-glass and can't believe it's really her and she turns as red as her floppy cap when Phryne and Francois go on about her being as cute as a little button. All the patrons and staff of the salon manage to stress how much the style befits Jane too as all agree it's definitely the perfect hairdo.
The girls thank Francois for working his magic and Phryne gifts him an extra big tip causing him to blush as red as a certain floppy cap too... And off they go to the awaiting Hispano.
Mr. Butler grins from ear to ear as his girls pop out of the salons ornate brass door. Arm n arm, smiling, hair bobbing, all the more two little peas in a pod, sporting a similar hairdo. All puffed up like a proud papa he slowly drives through town, homeward bound, as a certain blue cloche and floppy red cap rest on the front seat instead of on heads. Phryne is using her motherly instincts yet once again...Yes, she really does fit the bill for filling a mothers shoes.