Page 92 of Second Chance Summer
Instead of Penny, a formidable-looking woman in beige hiking shorts and a rugby shirt bore down on Lily and barred her way. ‘We’re not open yet. The fair doesn’t start until ten. You’ll have to wait your turn.’
The way the woman’s voice carried, Lily was reminded of a fog horn.
‘I’m not a visitor, I’m Penny’s guest,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘I’m Lily.’
Ignoring her polite gesture, the woman knitted her bushy eyebrows. ‘Lily? Lily who? Penny never mentioned you.’
‘Lily Harper. My name is on the posters.’
‘Oh. Ah. I see.’ The woman looked her up and down as if appraising a horse. ‘My mistake. You’re not as glamorous as I expected.’
‘Why did you expect me to be glamorous?’ Lily asked, amused and annoyed in equal measure. She’d agonised over what to wear from her small holiday wardrobe. In the end, she’d opted for a summer dress that Cara had once said she looked nice in, and a new pair of canvas sneakers.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ the woman boomed. ‘I suppose I had an image ingrained in my mind. Penny said you’d been a celebrity judge on that craft show. I expected lots of eyelashes, fake tan – that sort of thing.’
‘Did you actuallyseethe show?’ Lily asked politely.
The woman snorted like a stallion. ‘My God, no. I never watch that sort of thing. Don’t watch much TV. Too busy unless it’sCountryfile. Even that’s gone downhill now. I’m Muriel, by the way. Muriel Cadogan, i/c visitor relations. It’s my job to make everyone feel welcome.’
Lily almost snorted herself. ‘Important job. Have you seen Penny?’ She tried to look past Muriel’s imposing person. ‘I’m meant to be meeting her.’
‘Muriel!’
Before she could reply, Penny jogged up, a little pink in the face. ‘I see you’ve met Lily! Isn’t it wonderful to see her?’
Muriel curled her lip dismissively. ‘I’ll leave you to it, then. I’ve got to read the riot act to the stewards. Stop them from letting any strays in before we open.’ She checked her watch. ‘In twenty-three minutes.’
Muriel sallied off, chest puffed out like a galleon with all its sails billowing.
Penny gave a little sigh. ‘Oh, dear. I amsosorry I wasn’t here. There was a problem with the PA system but it’s sorted now. Was Muriel very terrifying? She can be rather intimidating.’
‘She was a bit … forceful,’ Lily said, laughing. ‘But I can cope.’
‘Phew. Good for you. Muriel always takes charge of logistics. She’s really not the best candidate for customer relations so I try to encourage her to stick to putting up ropes and organising queues. Hopefully, you’ll feel more welcome from now on. And if you’ve survived Muriel, the rest should be easy!’ Penny beamed encouragingly. ‘Come on. The other organisers are dying to meet you.’
Lily wouldn’t have said ‘dying’ exactly, but there was a definite curiosity among the half-dozen or so volunteers who were helping at the fair. Unlike Muriel, they’d all seen theGreat British Craft Showand a few looked wide-eyed with terror that Lily might suddenly pass a verdict on their hair or shoes. Evidently, she still had alotof work to do before she convinced some people that she wasn’t the ogre who had been portrayed in the TV programme.
On the other hand, she could only be herself.
By the time she’d met everyone and run through her duties – a very few words to launch the show, generally staying around to chat to people and then shaking hands at the prize-giving – the fair was almost ready to open and a queue of punters snaked down the side of the building.
Muriel’s voice boomed out from the entrance doors.
‘By my watch, it’s time to open. Manpreet, you can unbar the doors and let in the hordes!’
Lily didn’t see Manpreet but imagined her being trampled by hundreds of visitors eager to get first dibs on the ceramic dolphins, paintings and coasters adorning the stalls.
Moments later, people swarmed in, buzzing around like excited bees, and the noise swelled to deafening proportions.
Penny ushered Lily into the kitchen where several volunteers were already filling cups of instant coffee with hot water from an urn. There were hundreds of cakes and biscuits on trays.
‘We ought to do the official bit quite soon, if you don’t mind?’ Penny said. ‘Get it over with now we’ve got the punters inside.’
Lily’s stomach did a somersault. It seemed so long since she’d addressed an audience outside of a small business meeting. She’d avoided all requests for TV and radio interviews since the show. She felt very warm and sweat broke out on the small of her back.
‘Lily? Is that OK with you?’ Penny asked, a panicked look in her eyes.
‘Oh. Yes. Yes, good idea,’ Lily said, feigning enthusiasm. ‘Get it done now.’
