(Author's Note: Hello everyone and thank you for your continuing support of my stories! This is a lengthy chapter, spending time with Lulu and Florence. I loved writing these characters and look forward to continuing their adventures soon! Please feel free to leave comments - Chloe)
Lulu was full of excitement and trepidation as she stepped off the train at Paddington Station. She was very aware that a new chapter of her life was about to begin. She'd spent the last month thinking about it, trying not to build up too much expectation -- which was difficult as her best friend, Agatha, was as full of excited imagination as her.
The nineteen-year-old girl couldn't help but gape at her surroundings. The building she was in housed all the train platforms and had a huge, curved roof made up of square, glass panels which drew in the afternoon sunshine. If there was to be any sign that she was in uncharted territory, this was it. Her experience of train travel to date had been to her local station and Lincoln, which were miniscule in comparison. Plus, the people! The amount of people spewing from the train -- Lulu had hardly seen so many people in one place, even the assemblies at school seemed small in comparison.
Lulu was wearing her school uniform of a grey skirt, white blouse and maroon cardigan. Her new guardian, Florence, had suggested she wear it, so she was easier to spot at the station. Lulu found herself glad of the recommendation now, as she was surrounded by so many other passengers, disembarking and hurrying to their destinations. She carried a single bag, containing a few items of clothing. This was to be a completely new start and she'd been promised a new wardrobe of clothes.
"Lulu!" The girl stopped gawking at her surroundings and turned her head to seek out the person calling her name. She spotted her; a young woman wearing a blue, short-brimmed hat. Lulu smiled with relief and waved, altering her course towards her.
"I knew I'd recognise the St Cath's uniform!" She opened her arms and warmly hugged Lulu.
"I'm Florence, in case there was any doubt. Welcome to London, Lulu!"
"Florence! I'm so glad to finally meet you! Thank you so much for doing this. And for meeting me here! To be frank I'm already overwhelmed and feel completely out of my depth."
"Yes, it is a grand old place, isn't it?" Florence smiled, taking in the enormity of the building for herself, "I'm sure that's the effect its architects wanted to exude from country bumpkins such as yourself!" She laughed.
She held Lulu's chin and looked at her, saying softly, "Don't worry Lulu. I'm here to look after you and guide you through the hustle and bustle here. Come on, let's catch a cab and I'll show you to our rooms."
Florence didn't take Lulu directly to Mayfair, but instead paid the driver to take a more scenic route, past Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, to sate some of Lulu's curiosity. Lulu, for her part, was almost glued to the window, taking in all the sights. The enormity of the place was a bit overwhelming. Lincoln, where her finishing school was located, felt like a tiny village in comparison, and as for her own town...
Lulu found herself feeling quite small and insignificant at that moment. She was worried if she'd made a terrible mistake coming here, and that her dreams and fantasies about the big city were just the whimsy of a silly little girl. That's when she felt Florence take hold of her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Lulu turned and looked at her warm smile.
"Don't worry, Lulu. I was once just like you, remember? Camberton Hall was my home too, St Cath's was my school! I know how you must feel and want you to calm yourself. It's a shock to the system, but it will pass, I assure you."
"Florence, I am so indebted to you. Not just for everything, but your assurance just now. It was just what I needed to hear. I am sure that you have a lot to teach me, and I shall be the most avid student, I promise you!"
The cab eventually pulled over outside the serviced apartments in Mayfair. A doorman watched them climb out of the car and held the main door open for them as they approached.
"Good afternoon, Miss Florence. And I daresay that this must be Lulu, you mentioned. Welcome to the Arcadia."
"Indeed, she is, Dennis. Lulu, this is Dennis, our wonderful doorman. Dennis, Lulu."
"Nice to meet you, Dennis. I'm sure we'll talk more another time," said Lulu, shaking his hand.
Florence ushered her into the foyer of the building, which had two elevators. Another first, for Lulu, as she had never ridden in one before. She loved the feel of the motion as they headed up to the fourth, and uppermost, floor. There were only two apartments on this level on either side of the corridor. Florence unlocked hers and ushered Lulu inside. There was a corridor which opened into the main living room. It was spacious, with two large, stuffed leather sofas at right angles to each other, forming half of an imaginary square. They overlooked a large thick pile rug, set in front of the fireplace. Behind them was a dining table and high-backed chairs. The walls were adorned in paintings of seascapes and the countryside.
"This is lovely, Miss Florence!" Lulu was a little surprised to hear herself call Florence "Miss", as was Florence herself. She decided to leave it for now but come back to it later. She took Lulu to another corridor, on the far side of the room.
"This is where the bedrooms and bathroom are situated," said Florence. She led Lulu to the last door, and opened it, proffering her inside.
"This is your room. I've had it painted white, but you can choose your own decor in time. You may personalise it as much as you like, in fact. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an ensuite, but the bathroom is just across the hallway."
Lulu took in the room. The large bed took up the centre of it, while a dressing table with a large mirror stood against the wall. She opened a set of doors to find a walk-in closet and was surprised to see several outfits already hanging there. She turned to Florence, who said, "We shall be visiting a few outfitters tomorrow, dear, but in the meantime, I've chosen a few things of my own you might like to try on."
Lulu noticed for the first time that they were of a similar height and build. She took a moment to truly look at her guardian. Florence's hair was cut in a stylish bob and was wearing a navy-blue dress which had short sleeves and covered just below her knees. Neither Lulu or herself had much in the chest department, but both had a similar small waist and curved hips.
"That is most kind of you, Miss Florence. I do only have a few items with me. I may have underestimated what I'd need!"
Florence smiled. "I'll let you unpack, dear, and make some tea. Come and join me when you're ready."
Lulu unpacked her belongings -- it didn't take long -- and then went back to the closet and flicked through the various garments. She came across a dress in a similar design to Florence's but in a fawn colour. She decided to put it on. She took off her school uniform, realising it was the last time she'd need to wear it. She was no longer a schoolgirl, but she was still a student, she mused to herself.
She walked back to the living room, to find Florence laying the table with a tray containing a teapot and cups. Another tray containing some triangular sandwiches was already laid out. Florence smiled broadly when she saw Lulu had removed her uniform and was now wearing one of her dresses.
"Well, look at you!" she said. Lulu blushed a little under her admiring gaze.
"I feel like I've just shed my skin, Miss Florence. That uniform had been...like, my identity for the past four years."
"I know exactly what you mean Lulu dear. I felt the same way, back then. It was like a barrier, stopping people from seeing who I was." She pulled out a chair for Lulu, who slit into it.
"Yes, exactly that, Miss!" Lulu was relieved that her new mentor understood.
Florence poured their tea and decided to deal with the matter of how Lulu was addressing her.
"Lulu dear, you keep calling me Miss, or Miss Florence. I'm curious to know your reasoning for doing so."
Lulu thought for a moment before answering.
"I just find it appropriate, Miss. I hope I'm not offending you, if so, I'll stop immediately!"
"I'm not offended, at all, dear. Please continue" Florence said.
"Well, I suppose I'm too used to having an authoritative figure in my life, Miss, and as you have agreed to be my mentor... I know you are related to my stepmother; however, we do not share a bloodline. Given our relationship, and the role my mother has asked of you, I use the term out of the deepest respect, gratitude and admiration, Miss."
"You are a very thoughtful young woman, Lulu, and I'm warming to you more and more," smiled Florence.
After they'd finished their tea and sandwiches, Florence led Lulu over to her sofas, sitting at one end each, facing each other.
"Now, Lulu dear, I did promise in my letter to you to answer any questions you may have, so please, fire away. I shall answer them honestly, and I expect you to do the same."
Lulu sat, trying to gather her thoughts, then said, "Mother told me you were involved in the war? What did you do?"
Florence smiled. "There was only so much a woman could do, darling. I trained as a nurse."
"Oh! Was it dangerous?"
"For me? Not particularly. I was about five miles away from the actual fighting. Even so, we could always hear it. Constant gunfire, shelling, explosions. It was never-ending, always in the background. After a while you hardly noticed it. No, I only had to deal with its consequences."
Florence curled one leg underneath herself and leaned sideways on the sofa, propping her head in her hand.
"When the war was over, I stayed in Paris for a while. I was aware of your stepmother, Marjory, taking over the running of Camberton Hall. It was a bit of a relief, actually. I was in no shape to go back there. Your stepmother was most welcoming, I should add, when she invited me to stay. She is a wonderful person."
"I love her dearly, Miss. It was a terrible circumstance that led us to each other, but we have certainly made the most of it. We're as close as a mother and daughter can be." said Lulu.
Florence smiled, "So now I write articles for magazines and newspapers and spend my time flitting about society listening to gossip and rumour."
"How wonderful, Miss. You must be quite well-known."
"Ha, yes. Although people know me by different names, depending on which journal I'm writing for. You may have read my work and not even realised it, dear!"
"Oh my! Why the subterfuge?"
"Let's just say not everyone agrees with what I write and have often let it be known, publicly. It is best to have a certain amount of anonymity in this field."
Florence stood up, and moved to the same sofa as Lulu, sitting at the opposite end, leaving a space between them.
Florence looked at Lulu and said, "Now, dear, it is time for me to ask about you."
"Um, what would you like to know, Miss?"
"Well, we can discard a lot -- we both went to the same finishing school, after all. I know all about the inner workings of that place...or do I?"
"What do you mean?"
Florence didn't answer straight away. She picked up her cigarette case and opened it, offering its contents to Lulu.
"Do you smoke?" she asked.
