Chapter 7

Friday was our round three matches in the singles. We were now getting into playing seeds and high-ranked players. I knew that we had done as well as most would have expected, even if they wanted us to do better, As first-timers, getting to the third round was considered good. We were, however, determined not to go down without a fight.

Our two matches were, again, on Court Three, with seating and a crowd. This time, we had two extra guests in our reserved place. Walter had been contacted and had gone to the main gate to give them the lanyards and had led them to their seats. When I walked out onto the court, I waved at the crowd and then turned to my team and gave a special wave to the head and assistant head of Benenden.

My match was in a hot and muggy afternoon. After my previous scare, I was being strict in my hydrating regime and had extra bottles in my bag, which I drank from at every end change. My opponent, somewhat older and cockier, wanted to just put me away as quickly as she could, which was her downfall. We were in the third when she fainted, with me leading by one game after two long sets.

I waited as she was being worked on and the crowd was quiet. It wasn’t how I wanted this to end, but end it did, after ten minutes with her being revived and then throwing up into a bucket, her coach spoke to the umpire and the match was declared mine. I was into round four, surviving to take on the second week.

Geraldine fought hard and took the match into the third set and a tiebreak but went down to a player that we had read about in many magazines, who was gracious enough to give her a hug on court. That evening, we had dinner with our guests, at a good restaurant.

Walter was told about the incentive that I had been offered, also extended to Geraldine. Her school fees for the following year had been reduced by forty percent with her being accepted for the tournament in both the singles and doubles and winning two rounds of the singles. They smiled and said that further reduction may happen with our final places in the doubles.

Mum asked about me and was told that my fees had been halved by reaching the next round. I had to smile to myself, knowing that I had already earned enough to pay my own way from now on, without any of this prizemoney. Our efforts at Eastbourne would see around ninety thousand dollars added to the account that June had opened for us. That was around thirty-five thousand pounds each. Not bad for a couple of teenagers.

On Saturday, we would be playing our second round in the doubles, again in the evening. Our opponents were a team that we had beaten at Eastbourne, so we had high hopes. My next singles match was on Monday afternoon. In the morning, June knocked on my door.

“You’re up for a light lunch, the Benenden ladies will pick the two of you up at eleven. They said to wear the dress with the logos from the photo that they were sent. I’ll tell Geraldine, be downstairs in good time.”

That sounded interesting. I had a second shower. made sure that I looked good, checked out my armpits, brushed my hair and dressed in my best underwear. The dress was still good, after only being worn the one time, and I spritzed a little perfume to walk through. I was sitting by the main entrance, after having a talk with Wanda, our happy receptionist, when Geraldine joined me. Seeing us both in the iconic dresses, Wanda just had to get a selfie with us, taken by one of the other staff.

Spot on eleven, a car pulled up outside. We went out and saw our school principals in the front, so got in the back seat. They both said ‘good morning, girls’ and we replied in kind.

“Today, girls, you will be lunching with one of our old girls, the Princess Royal. She left a message, last night, to set this up, while you’re still in the competition. It isn’t formal, so no curtsey needed, just a nod of the head when you first meet her. She will be ‘Your Highness’ then ‘Ma-am’, unless she tells you otherwise.”

We were trying to take this all in as we pulled up at St. James Palace and suited doormen opened up the car doors and helped us out. We were led by a very handsome fellow in a military uniform, to a sitting room, where the Princess rose to greet us all. She knew the head and assistant from many meetings, and insisted, after the first formal greetings, that she was ma-am. She then introduced us to the other woman who had risen, an executive of the LTA. We were all sat in very comfortable seats and the two of us were asked about ourselves. They all had seen the TV coverage of the after-final press do in Eastbourne, so were particularly interested in my feelings while I was classed as a boy.

The two of us relaxed and the conversation turned to our tennis experience and our plan for completing our studies, which were praised as being very good. The Alice Band was mentioned and discussed. One thing that rocked us was that the only other students who had gone on to sporting fame had all taken part in Olympics. There was the Princess, herself, a member of Team Britain in Equestrian, another that had been a heptathlete, and one who had a very short career as an alpine skier. We were firsts and had put ourselves into the record books already.

The butler came and declared that lunch was ready, and we sat in a dining room that could obviously held a banquet but was now set up as a smorgasbord, with health options for us, seeing that we were playing later. After lunch, we were sitting with tea and a cheese platter. The Princess called for a footman and whispered to him. He came back with two jewel boxes.

“Geraldine and Alice. I have here a memento of this visit. It’s a token of my thanks to you for giving my alma mater a national and international standing. If you do nothing else with your lives, which I doubt, you will always be held in our esteem.”

She gave us each a box, which we opened. Inside, were identical necklaces, on short chains that could be worn like a chocker. There was a design that would be worn at the throat, that looked like a belt around a cross on a white shield. The enamel work was magnificent. I looked at her smiling face.

“The motto is one that I believe fits you like a glove, Alice. That is a replica Garter Circlet, and the motto translates as ‘Shame be to him who thinks evil of it.’ You may well be on the receiving end of other people’s wrath in your life. That motto may help to shed malice like water off a raincoat. If you put them on, we’ll have an official photo taken, and then I’ll let you two amazing girls go to get ready for your match this evening.”

“Thank you, ma-am. We’ll wear them tonight. Hopefully the organisers won’t make us take them off for not being white enough.”

The Princess smiled.

“I’ll give them a call and tell them that the block is still at the Tower.”

We were all smiling as we were escorted out to the car. Geraldine held my hand on the way back, hard enough to almost hurt, but I didn’t say anything. We had both been overwhelmed by the experience. Our other hands were at our throats, feeling the magnificent gifts.

We were dropped off at the hotel and went up to our rooms to change into running outfits. June joined us for our regular run in the park. We didn’t say anything about our lunch until she asked.

“Interesting lunch?”

Geraldine laughed.

“Very. There were six of us at the table and it was lovely. There was a healthy range for us, and the service was impeccable.”

“Where was it.”

“St. James Palace.”

“What! Did you meet Anne?”

“The Princess was our hostess. The sixth person was LTA. It was very pleasant. We had a long talk and found out that we’re forging a new path for students. If we follow the other three sportswomen, we’ll be in the Olympics. That would be interesting.”

“The next one is twenty thirty-two, so you would have finished school and have played enough to be considered for the team.”

I snorted.

“Do you realise how crazy that sounds, June. Us playing for England!”

“Is it much crazier than the two of you playing the second round of doubles at Wimbledon. Get through this match and the next and you’ll be going on court in the quarter final. When I first saw you at the club, I never thought that I’d be here as part of the team.”

“You’ll always be part of the team, June. You and Tony are our rocks that keep us grounded.”

We had a light tea and went up to get dressed, putting our fresh playing kit in the bag and making sure that our racquets felt right. We walked to the venue with June and met up with the other seven who were now our team. The first thing that Mum saw was our short necklaces.

“They look nice, where did you get them?”

“They were given to us at a nice lunch with Princess Anne, Mum.”

She started to grin and then saw that I’d been serious.

“I’ll talk to you later about that, my girl. I’ll want everything. Did you take any pictures?”

“There was one taken, by an official photographer. I expect that we’ll see it later. I’ll send you a picture.”

We were back on Number One Court, under lights, after the men. Today, there had been a lot of games played, the juniors’ boys and girls singles round one, the rest of the round three singles and the first round of the mixed doubles. We were the last match on the day, so may go until after midnight, but very few had gone home.

When we gathered at the entry of the court, eventually, we met up with our opponents and all had a group hug before we followed the officials out onto the court. They had played well when we had beaten them and were now determined to play better and even the score. Nothing was said about our small piece of jewellery, so we walked out onto the court to cheers.

We had the first service, and I showed them how much faster my delivery was. It ended up as a straight sets match, with us winning six-four, six-two. At least we would be in bed by one. We all went to change, still friendly, with one of our opponents commenting that it was great to be playing in front of such a loud crowd this late at night.

Tomorrow, I would be playing my round four singles match, and our next doubles match was on Monday, again in the evening. We showered and changed and walked back to the hotel with June carrying a bag with my fresh outfit for my next game, and the two of us with our lucky charms back in boxes in our bags.

I wore mine again on the Sunday morning, but it didn’t bring me luck. I went down in three sets to an American woman who was built like a wrestler and moved like a ballerina. As we shook, she grinned.

“Congratulations, kid. You’re the first to take a game off me in five tournaments. I must be losing it.”

I was fussed over when I met with the others and tried to show that I wasn’t too upset. For a beginner, I had done well. June reminded me that I had won over a hundred and forty thousand pounds for getting as far as I had. That made me think that it may be time to take my driving test and get a car.

Both sets of parents were staying on to see us play the next doubles match, with mine staying until we were knocked out or won. With the teams still in, I didn’t hold any thoughts of lifting the trophy, not this year.

Our next doubles match wasn’t until the evening of Monday, so I had a good bit of time to relax and get the kinks out. That afternoon, the two of us went for a run and some stretching exercises in the park. When we got back, I was following Geraldine when Wanda called me over. Geraldine was in the lift when I went to the desk.

“Miss McConnell, there are a couple of ladies in the lounge who want to see you. I told them that you were out for a run, and they said that they would wait. They looked like a mother and daughter.”

“Thanks. Wanda. They may be fans, but I’ll see them. I haven’t advertised that I’m staying here, the only ones who have this address are the organisers, in case I was needed outside the planned times.”

I walked into the lounge, sweaty as I was, and stopped dead when I saw the two. One was around ten or so years older than me, and the other looked like a picture of Mum as a teenager. The older one stood.

“Hello, Alice. I hope you don’t mind but I asked the organisers where you were staying this morning. We were watching you play, and I was trying to link the girl you are now with the toddler that I last saw before I left home.”

“Teresa! My god! This is wonderful!”

I went to her and hugged her hard.

“This must be your daughter. She’s the image of Mum as a young girl.”

“This is my daughter, yes. Enid, say hello to your famous Auntie.”

Enid had the best smile.

“Hello, Auntie Alice. I’m sorry that you lost this morning. You must be gutted.”

“No, Enid. I didn’t expect to get as far as I did, truth be told. We still have the doubles to go. Geraldine and I will be playing tomorrow night. If your mother allows you to stay up late, you can sit in special seats beside the big court. That would be exciting for you.”

I straightened up and took Teresas’ hand.

“Does Mum know that you’re around?”

“No. I’m afraid to see her. I left without saying goodbye. You were just a toddler. It was that story about you actually being a girl all that time that gave me the nerve to come and see you.”

“I remember those days. Mum and Dad were beside themselves for weeks. They said that you left a note, but I never saw it.”

“I wrote that I was eloping. The thing was that I was really running away with another girl from high school. We went north and worked at any job that came along until we could afford a decent flat. I went and signed on for donor IVF and had Enid. The problem was that Sal couldn’t see why I had wanted a baby and couldn’t get used to being a normal family. She left me and the last I heard of her was a postcard from Scotland, telling me that she was working on those drilling rigs.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Here, in London. I work as a receptionist in one of the big hotels, and Enid is in high school close by, so I can drop her off and pick her up again. She sits beside me and charms the guests until my shift finishes. Today is my day off and Enid is playing hooky.”

“Look, Mum and Dad are at the Cannizaro House, on the other side of the park where we exercise. If you come up to my room, I’ll have a shower and get dressed. We can walk over there and talk some more. I can ring Mum and tell them to hang around. They would be resting after lunch, I expect.”

“All right. With you beside me, I now have the bravery to face them. Finding out what you went through and how you’ve made something of your life has made me realise that I may have a vestige of the family backbone.”

We went upstairs to my room, which was, thankfully, reasonably tidy. I got Teresa to get them a tea from the tiny kitchenette and popped to Geraldines’ room. There was a muffled call to come in when I knocked. I went in and opened the door of the ensuite.

“Geraldine, my long-lost sister has turned up. When you’re dressed, can you pop to my room and talk to her. I need a shower. When I’m ready, we’re going to see my parents.”

She pulled the shower curtain back a bit.

“Sister, since when did you have a sister?”

“She’s twelve years older than me and left home when I was five. Her name is Teresa, and we haven’t heard from her from that day to this.”

I went back into her bedroom and called Mum.

“Mum, it’s Alice. Can you hang around your hotel, please. I’ll be coming across the park in about half an hour with someone who wants to talk to you.”

“All right, dear. I’ll sit by the window. It looks out over bits of the park.”

Back in my own room, I made sure that they were settled. Enid was reading a book with one of the hotel biscuits in her hand, Teresa was sitting on the bed.

“I’m heading to the shower. Geraldine may pop in. She’s my doubles partner and my roomie at school.”

“All right, Alice. The more I see you now, the more I think back and realise how girly you were as a toddler. If I hadn’t left, I may have been able to get you helped long before you nearly died. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry about anything, sister. We can’t change the past, so there’s no sense regretting any of it. Mums’ expecting us in half an hour, so I’d better get under water.”

I had a quick shower and dried off, then put the robe on and went into the bedroom. Geraldine was sitting next to Teresa.

“There you are, at last. Teresa, I swear that Alice could shower all day if you let her.”

“All right, already! Let me dress and we’ll be away.”

I got out a bra and pantie set and put them on. Enid looked at me and smiled.

“Nice undies, Auntie Alice.”

“They are nice, Enid, love. They were one of my first things that I bought after I came out of hospital. I’ve grown to love shopping and try on a lot more outfits than I used to.”

I found a nice dress and matching shoes; made sure I had everything I needed in my bag. We all left the room and went outside, walking across the park. We were in a line, Geraldine on one side and Teresa on the other, with Enid between us, one hand holding her mothers’ and the other holding mine. We got towards the other side of the park, and I could see the upper floors of the hotel. We had left the park and walked into the hotel car park when Mum came rushing towards us, bawling like a baby. She almost knocked Teresa on her back with her arrival and started showering her with kisses. Enid looked up at me.

“Who is that mad woman, Auntie?”

“That, Enid, is your mothers’ mother, your grandmother.”

“Cool! I never had a grandmother before. Do I get a matching pair, with a grandfather?”

“You do, Enid, and here he comes now. He doesn’t get carried away like your grandmother.”

We managed to get everyone into the hotel lounge, Mum and Teresa chattering away at a thousand words a minute, with Dad looking on with tears in his eyes. Geraldine and I got drinks for everyone and sat it out until the flow petered out. That allowed Dad to hug his oldest daughter and kiss her cheek. That’s when the concentration turned to Enid, their very own grandchild, ready and probably willing to be spoilt rotten.

We had dinner at their hotel, and things calmed down. Teresa told her story. In more detail, and Mum took it all in with the occasional, ‘that must have been terrible, love’. Geraldine and I helped Enid choose from the menu, telling her what the foreign names were in a real language. Our waiter asked us if we had decided on what we wanted to order, in what had to be a cockney accent using badly pronounced French, so the two of us ordered in rapid French, then repeated it in English when he looked at us blankly.

Mum looked across the table.

“I didn’t send you to that school to make fun of people, young lady.”

“Just using one of my special powers, Mum. Besides, Geraldine made me do it.”

Geraldine gave me a playful slap on the arm, and we giggled. Teresa looked on in wonder.

“How on earth did you miss seeing the Alice within, Mum?”

“Maybe we were just working too hard. She wasn’t a worry; self-sufficient, cleaned, cooked for your Dad when I was away and did the laundry. She was just handy around the house. You used to do the same before you left.”

“That was because I was your oldest daughter, Mum. Alice told me to leave the past in the past this afternoon. Can we try to reconnect?”

“Teresa, love. We’ve moved to a nice bungalow in Deal. There are more power points in the kitchen than the old house had everywhere. We have decorated a room for Alice, but she may not have the time to stay with us this summer, now she’s hobnobbing with royalty. It is the tennis season and Sandra told me that she was almost part of her family. Why don’t you and Enid take a break and come down for a few weeks this summer?”

That led to a few more tears and another hugging session. After dinner, there was an exchange of phone numbers, some more hugging, and the four of us walked back across the park, with Teresas’ arm through mine and Enid holding Geraldines’ hand. Mum and Dad had given Teresa their lanyards for Wimbledon, telling her that there was their favourite show on TV tomorrow evening. We hugged at Teresas’ car, ‘an oldie, but a goodie,’ so she said.

We stood and waved them off, standing outside the hotel. Geraldine laughed.

“That Enid looks so much like you, she’ll be able to play you in the film that they’re going to make.”

We went in and up to our rooms. I got ready for bed and then laid in the dark, thinking about things. I had spent twelve years of my life wondering why my sister, who I had loved unreservedly, had just left me alone, just when I was believing that we were more alike than different. Perhaps she was right. If she had stayed, I may have developed into a more girly boy. That would have made my school days even worse than they really were.

The next evening, with our courtside team including my niece jumping up and down as she shouted encouragement, and my long-lost lovely sister watching, I unleashed some of the fastest serves of my life, with one very close to the best women in the world. It was a long match, into the early hours with advantage points galore. We wrapped it up in a tiebreak to finish the third set, with all of us players having a group hug on courts as the fans went wild.

When we came out of the locker rooms, only Tony and June were waiting for us.

“Your sister had to get the little one home. She had worn herself out leaping up and down. Sandra and Walter had to head off to their apartment, he said that he had a big case starting tomorrow. Your teachers thanked you for the experience, but they were needed back at the school to ensure that the last few days of term go smoothly. They all wish you luck for the quarter final.”

“Seeing that half of the team that we’ll be meeting is that American who took me out of the singles, we’ll need as much luck as we can get.”

We walked back to the hotel in the early hours. Our quarter final was on Wednesday, so giving us a day off. It was to be played on the Centre Court, hallowed ground for tennis players. If we didn’t win, we would have added another seventy-five thousand each to our bank accounts and would had played a championship match on the most famous court in the country.

Marianne Gregory © 2026