They were on a balcony of the parliament to see the New Year fireworks, with the sparkles making the jewellery glitter. Willow stood, Garry with his arms around her, thinking back to previous New Years, and she wondered just what lay in store for her in the future. Surely, it couldn’t be as exciting as the recent past, now, could it?

Chapter 1

Chapter 21

Garry joined her as she was standing there.

“Good morning, my love.”

“Good morning to you, my husband. You needed your sleep this morning.”

“I did. How was the church organ?”

“Good, it had a lovely tone. I was able to follow the mass, with the help of a young lad to tell me when to stop playing.”

Chapter 19

That evening, Good Friday, they spoke about the wedding day, the time away and Cardiff, but made no mention of the gravesites. That was an experience that was one of the first for the new Randall family. Wendy let them in on the details of the wedding and reception, all organised while they were busy in the studio.

“I hope you don’t mind, love, but the business account paid for everything. I was sure that you wouldn’t worry.”

Chapter 17

“Oh? Something happened?”

“Let’s all sit down with hot chocolate, and I’ll tell you.”

They were sitting and relaxed.

“Now, young lady. Spill the beans.”

“OK. Yesterday we ran through the whole show and Lee suggested we change the very last few seconds from the guys singing to us girls doing the scales when ordered to sing. It really worked well, so we did the whole show in full dress this morning and then had lunch.”

“Right. That’s it?”

Chapter 15

They were standing by one of the stalls, when there was a voice beside her.

“Excuse me, young lady, but you’re Willow Rose, aren’t you?”

She turned to see a man who looked all the world like a teacher, with a younger wife and a baby in a stroller.

“Yes, I am, sir. You look like a teacher, but not one that I ever had when I was at school here.”

Chapter 13

The following week was a busy one. On Tuesday afternoon, the Junior Orchestra were set up at the back of the stage, with a rostrum between them and the piano and microphones for Willow and Vivienne. They worked through the full show, with Mister Jamieson conducting, and some other teachers watching.

Chapter 11

The men all nodded and made to leave. Hugh and Sam gave Ashley a man-hug, but the others just shook hands. The four walked the visitors back to their cars and waved as they left. Wendy gave a big sigh.

“I guess that when the election’s called, I’ll have to be the ‘supporting housewife’.”

I’ve been playing around with titles, trying to create a spark that would lead to a story. This one was the title of an old detective novel. It led to a story that fits this time of the year. If there’s a Halloween Contest, consider this my entry.
Marianne.

I was walking along a street I knew well, when something felt odd. I couldn’t put my finger on it, so I just carried on. A few paces on, the feeling went away, and I continued on to my workplace. I immersed myself in my business and forgot all about the feeling.

Chapter 8

Willow carried her bag into the house.

“Good week, love?”

“Interesting, Mum. I enjoyed it, and, best of all, the crowds enjoyed it.”

“What sort of crowd, all Hooray Henrys and Snooty Susans?”

“Not really. Most were in their teens or twenties, and as bent as a paper clip. It was a gay club, but a lot of fun. We found out that we’re ‘icons of female empowerment’ in that crowd, and we spent every night in a cloud of different perfumes. And that was just on the guys!”

Chapter 6

Wendy and Willow were only slightly included in the discussions. Their new home was deemed to be substantial enough without being ostentatious, perfect for small gatherings and interviews. After an hour, they all walked the short distance to the Parliament.

“We’re not sitting, at the moment, but some will be here to catch up on ministry business. Only talk to a person who talks to you.”

They looked at the Commons, and a few of the offices.

Chapter 4

Willow finished making the drinks, put the three mugs on a tray with some biscuits and took them through to the sitting room, where her parents were watching the late-night news bulletin. She had a text on her phone as she was carrying it in, so sat and read it. It was from the estate agent, telling her that they could inspect the property at two-thirty on Sunday afternoon. She replied with a confirmation.

“What was the call, love?”

Chapter 2

They all hugged and hi-fived. They had a project, and it had enough different facets to use all the skills that the class contained. For the rest of the afternoon, they talked about it. Vivienne went to the board and wrote up the basic album plotline and the song titles, explaining how they fitted into the story.

Some of the class volunteered to come back next week with some ideas on extra dialogue, while Willow and Vivienne said that they would think about extra songs, and how they could alter the existing ones to be more operatic.

Chapter 23.

They went and joined the rest of the orchestra, Willow starting to take control. The mayhem wasn’t helped by camera and sound crews setting things out. Mister Bamborough arrived in tails, and it got settled enough to run a sound check.

After that, they left the hall and went to the side rooms where there was a meal for them. When that was finished, and they had got comfortable, checked their teeth and make-up, they lined up in order to wait for their entrance. Willow took the opportunity to have a word with Zara.

Chapter 21

Mister Bamborough looked at Willow with a grin.

“Tell me more, Miss Rose.”

Chapter 19

Back at home, they put the shopping away and Willow went to help Wendy with the laundry. Being Saturday, they went to the club to have dinner and catch up with the villagers. When Ashley was asked about his head, he just told them that he had run into something wooden.

Maisie and Gina came along, so the two friends sat together. Willow told Gina about what Racheal had told her that morning.

Chapter 17

On the short trip to the Luna Park, Gina gave Samantha a medallion that she had in her bag, and they both carefully signed her copy of the Berlin show. They did a loop around to take the road over the bridge, and then another loop on the other side to arrive at the entrance to Luna Park. There must have been about fifty teenagers waiting for them and they cheered as the three got out of the car. Barry was there, with a grinning cameraman, and a sour-looking woman, made up as if she was a teenager.

Chapter 15

After the food had been eaten, Malcolm went to the stage, asked for quiet, and then smiled at the full house.

Chapter 13.

The new neighbours had expressed a desire to see inside Broadcasting House, so it was a big group who were escorted to the studio where the show was to be recorded. It was set up for TV, and the presenter apologised for the change in format.

“Since you were last here, you’ve all gone from strength to strength. This will be a special on both One and Three, as your appeal covers both demographics. If you can go with our make-up girl, she’ll give you the matt skin that looks better.”

Chapter 11

That night, Willow took a little while to drop off to sleep, snapshots of the day in her brain. But sleep she did, and she woke, refreshed, in the early morning. She went to the bathroom, then showered and dressed for school. On the way, the two friends spoke about the strangeness of yesterday, with them hosting the entire orchestra in the studio.

“We’ll need to go in one evening and tidy up”

Chapter 9

Next morning, Jacob avoided looking at her when he got on the vehicle. She wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

“Enjoy the show, Jacob?”

“It was all right.”

“How did your new girlfriend like it?”

Gina looked at Willow, eyes wide. Jacob looked around, his face glowing.

“Her name is Anita. She is the younger sister of one of the Hikers. I was rostered on as her escort, as she wanted to see the show and her brother is in Spain.”

Chapter 7

On Thursday, it was the last of the Music Studies with the Musical. There was some listening to snippets of various performances and discussion on them, with a question-and-answer session that everyone had to be part of. That evening, Willow packed her case and filled a garment bag with her four stage outfits.

Friday, she saw Jill poke her head into the lunchroom so beckoned her over.

“Welcome to the zoo feeding time, Jill.”

“It’s much nicer than the school I went to. What are we doing this afternoon?”

Chapter 5

When Wilhelm dropped them off, it was still mid-afternoon, so Willow walked to the church to check the hymns. It was soothing to be sitting at the keyboard, doodling Bach. She thought about the morning and the joy of having the band around her. They hadn’t played as the full band since the last show in London.

Chapter 3

What was the parking space had been cleaned and painted. There was a girder frame around the walls, supported by uprights on each corner, and across the back wall it supported a pair of steel doors that totally hid the doors to the lane. The single door at the other side had been bricked up. There was an industrial rack to the left, the same as used in the distribution area and big enough to take pallets.

Ending of Book 3

On Sunday, she played the refurbished organ for the service, had lunch in the club and spent the rest of the day sorting out her school uniform for the next morning, along with an overnight case and a garment bag with her soloists outfit for Monday evening in the Albert Hall. The first term of her third year was certainly going to start in a different way to any other term she had known. She wondered if this school year was going to be as momentous as the last one. She knew, in her heart, that she would enjoy it.

Chapter 1