‘Thanks, Tod.’ I touch his arm and I hope that Olly doesn’t see the fleeting look that travels between us. We have been through so much together and I have a lot to be grateful to this man for. He was right when he said that there’s more between us than just mentor and student. We have a shared respect, a shared affection. Tod is a great bloke, no doubt, but he’s not the man for me. I already have one of the best.
‘Look after these guys for me,’ I tell Tod.
‘You don’t have to ask.’ He kisses my cheek and there’s more hugging from Constance, Phil and Jen. ‘See you later. Break a leg.’
When they’re all gone, I slip my outfit from its hanger. I’m just about to undress, ready to put it on, when there’s a tentative knock on the door.
‘Shall I get them to see you after the show?’ Olly says. I shrug. ‘Depends who it is, I guess.’
Olly opens the door for me and, standing there, is a glamorous woman. She says, ‘Could I please have a word with Ms McNamara?’
‘Time is tight,’ Olly says. ‘The show’s about to start in a few minutes.’
‘I know.’ The woman sounds apologetic. ‘But I have to leave straight afterwards and I wanted to catch Nell before the hordes descend. I’m an agent,’ she says. ‘I work for all the big stores – Harvey Nichols, Harrods. I’d like to represent Nell. My name’s Sheryl Hallaway.’
‘Come in! Come in!’ I shout. Sheryl Hallaway is such a big noise in the fashion world that even I’ve heard of her. This is someone that I definitely want on board.
The immaculately groomed Sheryl Hallaway squeezes into my cupboard.
‘Sorry about the surroundings,’ I say.
‘Hello,’ Petal says. ‘You’re a pretty lady.’
Sheryl laughs, kneels in front of my daughter, and says, ‘So are you, darling. What’s your name?’
‘Petal.’
‘She’s adorable.’ Sheryl stands up and then to me, ‘I’m sorry to barge in on you when you’re in a hurry, but I simply had to talk to you.’ She holds out a business card for me. ‘Call me. I’ve followed your work in the press and I’d love to be involved in taking it to a whole new level. In fact, I’d like to take you right to the top.’
‘Wow.’ Sheryl Hallaway wants me. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’
‘Good. Enjoy the show, Nell. It’ll be the first of many.’ She shakes my hand, then Olly’s, and leaves.
‘Pinch me, Olly,’ I say.
He wraps his arms around me. ‘You’re not dreaming,’ he assures me. ‘It’s just the start of your dreams coming true.’
Chapter 88
The woman with the clipboard appears again. ‘Five minutes, Ms McNamara.’
Now I’m really, really panicking. I grab my dress from its hanger. ‘Can you give me a hand into it please, Olly?’
‘Sure.’
Olly holds it out and I wriggle into it. My outfit is very sixties; a sleeveless, Peter Pan-collared shift dress in block colours – red, white and blue, naturally. I’ve teamed it with white tights, navy flats and one of my Union Jack handbags. It’s a dress I’ve had for quite a while, but it’s one that’s perfect for the occasion. A big navy bow and some original, chunky Bakelite bangles complete the outfit.
Petal is, thankfully, already dressed. She’s wearing a similar pink shift with a white PVC sixties-style cap covering her crazy hair. I’ve made her a miniature handbag with the same Union Jack design on the front, but in pink and white. It also has extra sparkles on it as demanded by my darling daughter. Now she’s parading up and down in the small space we have, practising the moves that I’ve shown her.
‘My goodness, this is a bit tight.’ I only tried this dress on a couple of weeks ago and it fitted perfectly. But whereas it previously skimmed my hips, it now has them in a vice-like grip. What’s happened? Now I come to think of it, my boobs feel bigger too, and there’s a definite bump where my flat tum used to be.
Oh.
Suddenly the penny drops. Perhaps all the sickness in China wasn’t down to the change of water, the food, the jet lag, after all. Perhaps it was more to do with the wild night of passion that Olly and I had in the cottage in Cornwall. I can’t even think when I last had a period. With everything else that’s been going on, I haven’t had time to notice.
I could very well be pregnant. My hands go to my tummy. Yep. Distinctly rounded. This isn’t all down to Constance’s home-made pies. How far gone must I be? Can it be as much as four months?
‘Everything OK?’ Olly asks.
‘Yes. I think so.’ I smile to myself. Now isn’t the time to tell him. I’ll break it to him when we’re alone, just me and Olly. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.
My husband struggles with the zip, but finally I’m in the snug-fitting dress. I try not to let him see my contented smile.
‘You look fantastic,’ he says.
‘Thanks.’
Goodness only knows how we’ll fit a new baby into our manic work schedule but we’ll manage. Somehow we’ve coped with everything else that’s been thrown at us. I can’t see why a little addition to our family would be any different.
The woman with the clipboard comes back one more time.
‘One minute, Ms McNamara.’
I take a deep breath. I’m done. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
‘Let’s go and see how those models are getting on.’
Backstage is manic. Racks of clothes are ready for the quick changes. I’m relieved to see that the models are all dressed and that no one is squabbling. All the girls are in classic sixties dresses that have been individually made to reflect the handbag collection. They’re all wearing sharply cut, bobbed wigs and heavy black eyeliner. I go along the first row of girls and check that their handbags are all in order. Each one is modelling a different Union Jack design. Looking good.
Petal is, for once, speechless. Her mouth and eyes form wide circles as she takes everything in.
Taking a peek out round the side of the black curtains, I can see that every chair in the place is full and I breathe a sigh of relief. Jen, Constance, Phil and Tod have prime seats in the front row. Right next to them are the fashion editors who could make or break my career. Betty is there, sipping from a glass of fizz and she’s brought Chantelle Clarke with her whose presence is creating quite a stir. They both have my new Union Jack handbag and I’m hoping that Chantelle’s makes the newspapers tomorrow. More than that, I’m pleased that Betty and I are now firm friends again. Needless to say my handbags have pride of place in her shop window.
Alongside Betty are students from the fashion and textiles course at my old college – the one I was at so briefly. I thought it would be nice to encourage some of the youngsters, give them a taste of what it’s really like, and sent along a bunch of free tickets. I’d like to say that my old course tutor, Amelia Fallon, was here and that she now bitterly regrets how mean she was to me and she can see now that I was a unique talent and how she feels it was her ‘turning down The Beatles’ moment. But, unfortunately, she didn’t even have the courtesy to reply to my invitation. Seems as if she holds a grudge longer than I do.
Close to my side, Olly slips his arms round my waist and asks, ‘Ready, Nell?’
I turn and kiss him. ‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I am.’
Looking at the backstage manager, I give her the thumbs up.
The lights go down. The music starts to pump out. ‘The Self-Preservation Society’ song from the fabulous film The Italian Job fills the auditorium. How appropriate.
My heart pounds as the show begins. The models do me proud. They prance, preen and pout down the catwalk to rapturous applause. The quick changes go perfectly. For the second part of the show, the mellow sounds of ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by The Kinks wash over the audience and the girls slink on in monochrome outfits, all with white knee-high boots.
For the finale, the girls switch into colourful psychedelic mini dresses and dance to The Rolling Stones and ‘She’s Like a Rainbow’. When the models have finis
hed, they come to stand at the back of the stage. Even above the clapping, I can hear Phil, Constance and Jenny cheering. Always my staunchest supporters. But I’m also pleased to see that the fashion editors, smiling broadly as they applaud, seem to like it too.
This is my moment. In time-honoured tradition, the designer takes to the runway at the end of the show. The curtains part and I’m facing my audience. As one, they rise from their seats and give me a standing ovation.
‘Listen to that, Nell,’ Olly says. ‘They love you.’
‘I never expected this,’ I tell him.
He squeezes my waist. ‘Nothing more than you deserve.’
‘Let’s say thank you.’ Tears in my eyes, I grab his hand and we walk down the catwalk, revelling in the applause.
Then, as we stand together, the curtains open again and one of my favourite songs, The Monkees and ‘Daydream Believer’ kicks out. This should be my theme tune. Olly couldn’t have chosen better songs for us. The crowd cheer their approval as Petal, all kitted out in her sixties dress, wearing her miniature handbag at a jaunty angle, struts down the catwalk towards us.
My daughter, hamming it up terribly, milks the moment for all it’s worth. With her short chubby legs, she mimics the models’ walks and then strikes a pose at the end of the runway. More cheering. She’s positively glowing. Olly and I exchange a glance and laugh. Our child is definitely a diva.
Hand in hand, Olly and I join her. Judging by the response of the audience, Nell McNamara handbags are now firmly on the map. Believing in my daydreams has taken me down a rocky road. There have been incredible highs and terrible lows. But together, Petal, Olly and I have got through them.
Despite all the tears, the trauma, the pain, I now know that I wouldn’t have missed this crazy ride for anything. I look at my friends in the audience, my family beside me, and I know that it’s all been worth it.
Acknowledgements
A big thanks to Helen and Julian who allowed me a little glimpse into their world so that I could write this book. Much appreciated!
In conversation with Carole Matthews and Helen Rochfort
Carole: People always ask me where I find inspiration for my books. Well, this one started a few years ago when we met on Facebook. Remember?
Helen: Oh, my goodness. I do remember that.
C: Your status photo was of Barbara Cartland in all her shocking pink glory and I felt sure that you must be a romance writer. But when I looked at your page I then saw that, in fact, you were a designer of delicious handbags and sent you a note to say how much I liked them.
H: I went straight out and bought one of your books. It was With or Without You and I was instantly hooked on your novels. We started chatting regularly on Facebook from there, didn’t we? Then I designed some exclusive handbags as promotional prizes for The Chocolate Lovers’ Club and we became friends in real life not just on the internet.
C: The bags were gorgeous! Mine still gets an airing when I’m going somewhere glam. But it was only after I’d known you for a while that I found out how you started on your career. Lady, you have such a tale to tell!
H: I love our long, chatty lunches. We can both talk for England.
C: Once we’d dispensed with our usual gossiping, you started to tell me how hard you’d worked to get to where you are now. I thought that it was just such an amazing story that I felt it would make a fabulous backdrop to a novel – plus I just love handbags so that was a great excuse too. In five years you’ve started out from nothing with your business and now have your handbags in stores worldwide.
H: Oh, yes. It’s been an amazing journey. I still have to pinch myself when I’m at the Paris and London Fashion shows or see well-known celebrities with the handbags splashed across the pages of fashion magazines. I then go home and go back to being a mum. Like anyone else, I enjoy all the glamour of washing, changing nappies, doing the school run and drawing imaginary monsters, reading The Enchanted Wood and dancing to The Who with the girls. I wouldn’t change that for anything though.
C: I love the way that you’ve strived to grow and manage your business while bringing up two adorable daughters. It’s so hard. I don’t know how you do it. That was my initial inspiration for Nell in the book. There’s definitely a lot of you in Nell and I think she’s a great character. She’s warm, funny and always tries her best for her family. I think it’s very tough for women to make their way in business – especially in something like the fashion industry. It’s a juggling act and can involve so much guilt. You have to wear so many hats. I think you do a fantastic job. In Summer Daydreams I’ve made Nell a strong and determined woman, who is really fighting against the odds to make her dreams become a reality. She goes all out to get what she wants, which is essentially a better life for her and her family.
H: I really like the fact that you deal with issues that are affecting contemporary women in your novels, but you do it in such a funny, light-hearted way. I often find myself laughing out loud one minute and then crying the next.
C: I always like it when people write to me and say that they’ve been through what I’ve written about. I try to use real life situations as much as I can. I think a lot of modern women will empathise with Nell.
H: The other characters in Summer Daydreams are so warm and friendly. How do you create those?
C: I wanted people who would help Nell on her journey. If you want to be successful at anything, then it’s very difficult to do it in isolation. Everyone needs people around them who encourage them to be better. I also think it’s essential to have a strong network of friends when you’re trying to bring up young children and, for various reasons, Nell and Olly’s parents aren’t around to help. That’s tough. Her friends in the chip shop – Phil, Constance and Jen – really rally round for Nell. They adore her and want the best for her. Tod Urban really tries to help her with her business and sometimes crosses the line into something else!
H: Petal made me laugh out loud. I could just imagine my own daughter doing those things.
C: With Nell’s daughter, Petal, I could have a lot of fun with her. She’s such a little madam and provides a lot of the funny moments in the book. I like children with a bit of spark to them. She doesn’t let Nell or Olly get away with anything and can wrap them both round her little finger. I think a lot of parents will identify with that too!
H: Olly is a lovely romantic hero too. He reminds me very much of my husband, Julian!
C: Ha, ha. I’m sure he’d be happy to hear that. I like my heroes to be ‘real’ men. The sort of person that you’d bump into in the street or meet at work. I’m not one for these big, alpha male types who are arrogant or treat their women with disdain. I like my heroes to be very down-to-earth, sometimes flawed but always well-intentioned.
H: But you like your bad boys too! What about Yves Simoneux?
C: Ah, I think most women have been secretly attracted to the bad boy at some time in their life! And Nell does have her moments with this man, as you know. Women in business always have to deal with a total sleazebag at some point! I think it’s compulsory that every company has one. I hope that dealing with Yves makes Nell realise that Olly is a really great bloke.
H: The bizarre thing is that I actually met someone rather too like Mr Simoneux when I was away on business recently. So that did make me smile.
C: Sometimes fact is very much stranger than fiction!
H: I absolutely adored Summer Daydreams. It’s a great book, Carole. You’re such a talented writer. Every book I read just gets better. There’s such a lovely, hopeful feel to this one. It left me on a real high and I didn’t want it to end. Everyone deserves to find their dream and I’m happy that Nell was able to chase hers. I was so glad that I could help with the story and be such an inspiration. I’m flattered.
A Beginner’s Guide to Designing a Handbag by Helen Rochfort
How to get your Design Inspiration
I have always believed in going with your instinct, what you love, w
hat you feel inspired by, what excites you, digging deep to evoke all senses.
Initial ideas can come from absolutely anywhere: film, art, nature, music, different eras, a piece of vintage fabric, a sweet shop, a vintage boutique, even a scent or taste of your favourite chocolate or cupcake.
Carrying a little notebook or sketchbook in your handbag is a great idea. If you see something you love when you are out and about you can simply jot it down or do a quick sketch. I find using my camera on my mobile phone is extremely useful. If I see anything that’s inspiring, a quick snap and it’s captured! Images I often take when I am out and about (often with my daughters in tow) include carousels, ice cream vans, jars of sweets, candyfloss stalls, vintage toys and ornaments. Anything that catches my eye.
I will often watch old films to evoke ideas, a great source of inspiration. My favourite films being Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – sorry, Johnny Depp but the 1970s version is my favourite! – Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz. Old classic books and fairytales including Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella are also great.
Sometimes just walking around your local town and getting some fresh air is a good way to evoke those creative sparks and juices. Look at the window displays in your local deli, cake shop or boutique. In my home town of Hitchin the fantastic deli and tearooms Halsey’s has beautiful cupcakes and meringues in the window, independent boutique Rubarb has fabulous dresses and vintage shop Jolly Brown has an eclectic mix of everything vintage.
Visiting art galleries and museums is another amazing source for inspiration. I love wandering around with the family then going for tea and cake at the café, then onto the gift shop to stock up on more postcards, anything from Pop Art to pre-Raphaelite.