Chapter 10

The week was full on. We had Jerry take us to the appointments every day. We dressed in our special clothes, which usually lasted until after the interview and were then changed for outfits that their photographer had been supplied with. I started out every day as Zoe, but many of the pictures were me looking like someone else. Several wanted me to look like other current models, but we drew the line on that as being unethical.

After that, we needed the weekend to relax and settle. The rest of the time until Christmas was for the five of us girls joining five members of a choir that were regulars in the store. Jerry had given us a sheaf of papers with the carols that we would be singing, so we sat around for two days warbling.

On Monday, we dressed simply, as we would be kitted out for our performance. We found the other eight in the dressing room and changed into our outfits. Half of us were in red, and the other half in green, with pinned-on hats with a bell. We spoke to the choir girls, who told us just to mime if we couldn’t sing, and we were off to where the Christmas tree had been set up. Over the course of the day, we did a half an hour of singing and ten-minute breaks, sometimes in a long line around the tree, and sometimes in two lines of five in alternating colours. We had a half an hour for lunch and dinner and were on duty from ten until the store closed at night.

We were doing this every day until the close of business on Christmas Eve. We were spoken to by a lot of people that I recognised from the papers and TV news, and we collected a lot for charity, with some buckets arranged by our site. Us five models were highlighted by having several big screens around us, showing the adverts from the campaign.

That was changed one day as the pictures were of Sally and I, taken from one of the photo shoots we had done for one of the magazines. The five of us had to stop ourselves laughing whenever we saw it come up and the choir girls treated us with a lot of deference until they got over the shock. I suppose that it had to happen. The magazine had dressed me as Veruschka, in heeled platforms, making me around six foot four. Sally had been in flats, which made me ten inches taller. They had posed us with me looking over her head to some distant point, her looking at the camera with a smile, her left hand on my hip. They had given us a hoop, about a foot in diameter and painted gold. Me holding it with my left hand and her with her right. The caption read, ‘Meet Theone, The One to Rule Them All!!’ Inside with the interview, were pictures of me in various guises.

After that first magazine came out, I got back to the apartment to find that my phone had a missed call. I called it back. It was late but Mum was still up.

“Hello Mum, you rang.”

“Yes dear. I saw that magazine cover today in the supermarket and bought one. It was only that I recognised Sally but was amazed that the other one on the cover was you. Janice rang me after work, to tell me that almost every shop in the Village has it taped in their window. We’re all so proud of you two. How did they get you so tall?”

“They had me in heeled platforms, which gave me an extra six inches or more. I had to be held up if I tried walking anywhere. This game is all about appearances.”

“I tried to ring but there was no answer.”

“We’re singing carols in a choir in the store, until late night closing. It’s a lot of fun, and they did me up like the cover picture today, though not so tall.”

“Have you decided if you’re coming home?”

“We have from Christmas day until the sixth. We’re planning on getting a train on the day after Boxing Day and coming back on the fourth. I guess that we’ll arrive around eleven again. We’ll be singing until the doors close on Christmas Eve.”

“I’ll see you then, love you, Harry.”

“Love you, too, Mum.”

Carol and Mavis ran with it and for a few days, I was a tall blonde until the next magazine came out. That one had me back in the Zoe look with the headline, ‘Is this The One for the decade?’ So, I was back with the red hair after that until Mavis decided to alternate me in sync with the pictures on the screens. For the last few days, those of us in green all had red wigs, while the ones in red all had green ones. I really couldn’t count how many pictures of us were taken over the time.

On Christmas Day, we were all in the executive dining room for Christmas lunch, with turkey and all the trimmings. Not all of the management was there, but we were a happy group who toasted the success of the pre-Christmas takings. The choir had collected quite a few thousand pounds for the charity during our time, many of the donors dropping large denomination notes into the buckets.

Sally and I had received our first month payment, so we bought each other an engagement ring, nothing flash, but we liked them and were aware of what they meant. We got pendants for the three other models and a tie pin for Jerry. We gave Manny a voucher for his favourite camera store. We ate too much and drank some wine. Mavis gave us our schedule for January and February.

Sally and I, along with the other three, would be visiting the other stores that were here as concessions. It would take all of the two months, as we would be visiting places where they were all in the same area. After the March shoot, we would continue our visits, seeing that Dior, alone, had almost three hundred outlets around the world.

For the first part, though, we would be going to the best around the world, to New York and Fifth Avenue, then Tokyo and the Ginza District. Then it was the Dubai Mall of the Emirates, Milan Quadrilatero and then Paris and the Champs-Elysees. We would be spending two weeks in each city, meeting, greeting and modelling as required. Each of the four main outlets would be organising individual fashion shows, so we would be working hard and earning our money. We would have the best part of a week off before the March shoot.

What was interesting was that the four main brands had now brought into the campaign, with the adverts now going international, so the visits were now more than handshaking. We would all be walking the runway in fashion shows. On top of first-class travel for all five of us, Sally and I had been given a raise as a bonus for the immediate success. We were now on seven and a half a week.

On Boxing Day, we decided on what we were taking with us, and laid out our outfits for travel. Much of what we were taking was the H&M for travel, the vintage clothes for comfort, and some of our good things to show our new place in the world. We had big bags for all our daily things and cases for the rest. We had spoken to both families and had decided to stay at the Travelodge Hotel, not far from the station, and may rent a car for the week to visit. We would meet all the relations at a nearby restaurant, The House, for dinner, the day we arrived. Mum said that she was coming with John, and Janice would be coming with her husband.

Sally had made the bookings, being asked if she was the Sally Foreman, the model from Braintree, and we had been given the best room in the Hotel and a private area in the restaurant. It was a five-minute walk to the hotel. Their check-in time was three in the afternoon, so we could have an easy day and get the train at two. We made a lunch appointment at the Gaucho near the station, so we could have something to eat before we travelled.

On Friday morning, we waited for the Uber, and he took us to the Gaucho for twelve. I was wearing a shoulder-length black wig as a disguise, with the red one in my case. After a good plate of steak, we pulled our cases into the railway station and bought two open returns to Braintree.

We had to smile, as around the concourse there were posters for the current magazines around, and almost all of them had Theone looking out. None, however, had the wig that I was now wearing, so felt safe enough. Eventually, we went to the platform and got on the train to find a seat near a heater outlet. There weren’t many getting on, with most people happy to be home.

A little after three, we were pulling our cases to the hotel. It was brisk but dry, and we made good pace. At reception, there was consternation when I signed in as Harriette Sharpe. The receptionist went to the magazine rack and pulled out a couple of magazines for us both to sign, asking that I sign them ‘To Agnes, from The One’. She told us that the local paper had run a feature just before Christmas, about two local girls who had made such a splash in London. We asked her if she could keep the wolves at bay and not to broadcast that we were staying for over a week.

In the room, we unpacked and hung our good things. Then we stripped, made love in the nice big bed, and showered to get ready for the dinner. For me, it was back into the red wig, over a vintage red dress with flashy paste jewellery and the suede jacket from our shopping excursion. It was warm and comfortable. Down in the reception, Agnes had found her phone and wanted a selfie with us, getting the doorman to take it.

We walked to the restaurant where Sallys’ parents were waiting for us. We had a group hug and were shown to our table. As we were looking at the menu, my mother and John arrived, followed by Janice and her husband. We were hugged and kissed and then sat for a good meal. We were brought up to date with the happenings since we had been away.

The Kiosk had been used by a company selling Christmas baubles and party items. My Uncle had been tracked to Hamburg before the trail went cold. Business in the Village had been fairly good, considering the weather, and the replacement for Sally had settled in well. Mum and John were going steady and Bully Bernie had left home, certain that he was going to be a total success in his chosen profession. How far up the ladder you could get while selling vacuum cleaners was beyond my understanding, but he was out of our hair.

Mum was off until the sixth herself, so she offered to be our driver. Sallys’ family were going to be away for a few days leaving Monday, so we planned to see them at home on Sunday, and take up Mums’ offer on Saturday, when she would take us to the Village.

As we laid in bed, that evening, Sally had her head on my shoulder. I was almost asleep when she spoke.

“It’s odd, love. I feel that I’ve truly left home, now. We’ve been away and they’ve all got on with their lives. There’s a whole two months of their experiences that we’ll never share, even if they try to give us the details.”

“On the other side, my darling, we’ve done some things that it would be hard for them to comprehend. Hell! I’m finding it hard myself, and I was there at the time.”

“I’m the same. If we feel that way now, how are we going to feel after being around the world? The way we decided to stay here, rather than at our homes, wasn’t just our need to be together. I didn’t really want to sleep in my own bed, in case I woke up and it was time to dress for another day giving blue rinses in the salon.”

“I know how you feel. If I had gone home, Mum would have had to find homes for all the stuff she has probably put in my room. She never had enough space for all her clothes, so a lot was in cases. Logic would say that we’re not dreaming this life, but why take the chance.”

“I’m not sure that I can face the Village in the morning.”

“It’s just a place now, love. A place we know from before. One thing that will be different is that they’ll all be happy to see us, the locals with our pictures in the magazines, so we’ll be giving a performance, and giving it with a smile.”

“That’s one thing I love about you, Harry. It’s your positive outlook on life. You’ve been dragged into a world that you could never have even thought about. The only time that you’re truly Harry is in bed with me, but you’re always upbeat and drinking in the experiences like a sponge.”

“I would never have been able to do it until you came into my life.”

We lay there, in silence, until her breathing slowed, and my eyelids grew heavy.

In the morning, we dressed well after our breakfast had been eaten and the tray put out in the corridor. It was cold, so we went for leggings under jeans, tee-shirts under a blouse with a jumper and jacket over the top. I had my suede pixie boots and topped it off with the bobble hat with the flaps that I had been given on my last day in the kiosk. It may have been comfort over looks, but we were made-up as if we were meeting royalty.

When Mum picked us up, she told us that we both looked good and then she drove us to the Village. We were welcomed by the management, who were waiting for us to arrive and then it was almost a triumphant tour of the site, with every window having one of the pictures of us in the window, most with an extra sign proclaiming that the latest ‘big thing’ were two girls from the Village. We were photographed in every shop with the staff. The local paper was there to record our visit. We had to sign magazine covers, autograph books and a few shirts. Nobody wanted Harry Sharpe, though, they all wanted Theone.

Mum was pulled along in our wake, a smile on her face. When we had seen everyone that we had known, a lot that we hadn’t, and even more shoppers who had been told that we were there, we had lunch in Wildwood with our meals on the house if we would pose in front of the signboard, alongside the manager and chef.

We were sitting with our coffee when Mum asked a leading question.

“Is it like this in London?”

“It wasn’t to start with, Mum, but there were a lot of people who came to hear us sing after the first magazine hit the stands. We’ll be in fashion shows in high-class stores around the world until March, and then we’re doing a shoot for the summer range. After that, we’re back to a lot more shows in stores. Who knows, we may end up in a few of the major fashion weeks. The way that the press has embraced Theone is scary, it’s almost as if they invented her to give them something to write about.”

“You talk about Theone as another person.”

“She is at the moment. Right now I’m your son, who looks like your daughter, and who can look like other people. I’m the ‘Man with a Thousand Faces’, and I have to try to remember which one I’m wearing, so that I can act as expected.”

We were quiet and then I got serious.

“Mum, I don’t know when I’ll be home again. We’ll be busy for several months after we go back. I doubt that I’ll need my old clothes and keepsakes. I can’t see me riding my bikes any longer. Can you please see to getting rid of them. You may get a few pounds for the bikes, but the rest can go to the charity bin.”

“All right. It will make things easier for me. John is trying to talk me into living with him. He has a large place out of town that is crying out for a womans’ touch. You don’t mind if I sell the box?”

“Mum, I’ve moved on from the box and I’m happy for you to do that same. I could tell that you and John are happy together. Make sure that you let me know if you’re getting married, so I can try to attend.”

“Sally, are you seeing your family tomorrow?”

“We are. Then my parents are off to see my aunt and uncle in Norfolk for a couple of weeks.”

“How about John and I picking you up on Monday and going somewhere nice. I know that he’s keen to know the two of you better without others being around.”

“That will be good, Maureen. To tell you the truth, I think that Harry may be thinking the same as me. We may head back to London a couple of days early. We do have a lot to prepare for. No offence to you or my parents, but I think that we’ve left home.”

“I understand, girls. You’ve found your own places in life, and the old ways are behind you. The only thing I’ll say is that you will remember and revisit your roots, sometime in the future. I was born here, married here and have stayed here all my life. John has been talking about selling his shares in the moulding business and doing something else. It may be interesting to see where we end up. I’m still young enough to give him a child.”

When she took us back to the hotel, we hugged for a long time and I told her that I loved her and wanted her to be happy. I was quiet for a while, wondering about having a half-brother or sister, who also had a half-brother in Bully Bernie.

On Sunday, we were picked up by Sallys’ father, taken to her house for a talk, roast lunch, and visits from her extended family. Seeing that they were going to be away from Monday, we didn’t tell them that we may be leaving early. It was a pleasant day, with many of the visitors bringing magazines to sign. When we were dropped off, we went to our room and relaxed, using room service for a light meal. We talked about our plans for the future and broached having a family. Sally thought that we could do that in about a year, after the initial interest had waned, and when we had enough behind us to buy a home.

Monday morning, John and Mum picked us up and we were taken down to Maldon, where John had a place off Goldhanger Road, a Georgian style place with stables and paddocks behind it. We sat in the cosy sitting room and did a lot of talking. He was keen to get me on board with him becoming my stepfather, and I could tell him that it wasn’t a problem, not having any real memories of my real father. He drove us to The Jolly Sailor, overlooking the Blackwater, where we all had fish and chips and drank Ghost Ship low alcohol pale ale.

We spent the afternoon talking about things and we invited them to join us for a few days in Knightsbridge if they wanted. Tuesday morning, New Years Eve, we checked out of the hotel, much to the disappointment of Agnes, who wanted us to join her at a party that evening. John picked us up in his Jaguar, Mum by his side. Our cases were in the back with theirs, and we headed back to London in the warmth of his car.

On the way, Sally rang security and asked about parking in the area. She was given a code for the underground garage and a bay number, which she wrote down, passing it to the front seat. He had our address in his GPS, and had been to the city many times, so it was a good trip, arriving outside the apartments just before lunch.

We unloaded our cases and carried them up to the apartment, showing them the bedroom that they could use. Then, I went with John and guided him to the garage entrance, inputting the code and then guiding him to where the parking bay was. He locked the car, and we went to the door that we had first arrived at, nearly three months before, and went up into the store. Before we went back to the apartment, I took him to the Grill and booked a table for four for lunch. Wherever we went, the staff would wish me a happy new year, by name.

When we crossed the road and entered the lobby, he finally found his voice.

“I have to hand it to you, Harry. When Maureen was telling me about your time here, I never realised just how famous you’d become. OK, the magazine covers were great, but they don’t give you that reality that actually seeing you in your natural environment does. I can see now why Braintree isn’t home any longer. You’ve lifted well above that level.”

“Thank you, John. This is why we wanted to come back earlier. This is where we fit, for as long as it lasts.”

We had lunch in the Grill, after Mum had been coerced into wearing something good to match the environment. Then, we took them around the store, being greeted at the concessions and wished good luck for our travels. The store was closing early, and we called for an Uber to take us to a good vantage point to watch the fireworks, joining the crowds all rugged up to combat the cold. We didn’t get home until after two, and it was, I think, a better way to ring in the new year than a party in Braintree.

We all slept late on New Years Day and made our breakfast from what we had in the apartment, which was quite varied. John was thoughtful, while Mum went with me to try on some of the clothes of mine that would fit her, adding some things to her wardrobe.

We called an Uber to take us into Soho, where we had lunch and strolled around, Mum being amazed at how many stores were open. We stayed in the area for dinner, and then an Uber took us and our shopping bags back to the apartment. That evening, we sat in the lounge and watched some TV, until John asked if it could be turned off.

“I’ve been thinking a lot since we arrived. What I’ve seen has opened my eyes to another world. I’ve thought that I was well off, but there were people across the road, doing their shopping, who could buy the business out with their loose change. My partners have been talking about installing some new machines with robotic unloaders and programmed stacking. It’s a big move that will almost double our output, and I’m not sure that I’m ready to join the new century.”

Sally and I were holding hands and waiting for him to think through his reasoning.

“If I sell my share to the partners, sell the property in Maldon and the house in Braintree, I’ll have a few million to use on my future. Our future, Maureen, if you’ll marry me.”

He pulled a box out of his pocket and went down on one knee in front of Mum. She looked at the ring, then at us. I smiled and nodded, and she kissed him. Sally went to get a bottle of champagne that was languishing in the fridge and, when he had got to his feet, John made it pop as I came in with glasses.

I asked him what he had in mind.

“You know, I was always good at art in school but dropped it to concentrate on business. I inherited enough to buy into what is now ten times bigger than it was then. I was thinking that it would be nice to get a place further south, maybe Devon or Dorset, and get an easel and paints and see if I can do something saleable. With Maureen beside me, and the knowledge that I have the blessing of her only child, I’m ready to take the plunge. When we have a place to live, there’ll be enough to live well for a few years.”

Mum took his hand.

“I’ll have the money from my place, my darling. That will be another amount behind us. If we have a registry wedding, we don’t have to overdo the reception. Moving house will be as good as a honeymoon. I had the white wedding before, I don’t need another.”

Marianne Gregory © 2026