Chapter 31
The hotel's determination to overlook the events of the last 15 years was in some way poignant rather than pathetic. Rowan had been wondering whether the dark blue evening dress would be overdressing – people were, after all on holiday. She had not been able to convince herself that the woollen suit, however beautifully altered, would be the right thing at all. Before Mrs Blackett's visit and her flow of artless chatter, Rowan had decided that the Doris-made cotton would be the least bad of her options. The glow in Roger's eyes when she met him at the kitchen door in the blue grosgrain, key already tucked away in the beaded evening bag made Rowan glad she had decided against the cotton.
Managing the long frock on the motorcycle had not been as difficult as she had imagined and now here they were crossing the black and white-tiled floor past some large potted plants to enter a room that was rather too big for the number of guests. The small orchestra at the far end played as if they had been playing together for the last fifteen years, merely getting grayer and more lined. A white-haired violin player caught Roger's eye, waved cheerfully, transferred her bow back to her right hand and came in again exactly where she should.
"I'll introduce you to Miss Letty when she's less busy." Roger said. "At least, I think she's Miss Letty and not Miss Hetty. I've not seen either of them before the war, but Nancy told me they both played here on Saturdays. They're sisters."
"There's another lady who looks very similar, but she's playing the viola."
"That will be her then. The viola's the one like the violin but bigger isn't it?"
"Yes, but once they put their instruments down that won't be any help." Rowan said.
"It won't be any help anyway." Roger said cheerfully. "Because I wasn't listening when Nancy said which of them played what. I can't remember the surname properly either, but it won't matter. Neither of them is in the least bit stuffy. Shall we dance? Someone has to be first."
Any of her family would have curled up inside at being one of the first couple to step onto an empty dance floor and start dancing, even probably Lawrie. For the first three steps of the dance, Rowan felt as if she should. But then, after all, where had being a Marlow or family duty got her? Here she was in the arms of a man who didn't seem to care what anyone else thought, but still cared about other people. There were many better things to be than a Marlow and being the woman Roger Walker loved was definite one of them. The sigh and the smile were both involuntary, and she hadn't really noticed she had done either until Roger asked her what was up.
She smiled again. "Just that I love you. A lot."
"I'm extremely glad about that. It would be terribly awkward otherwise."