Rhythm of Echoes
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Flora Ballardine wished for a rainbow of colours.
Red as rich as a ruby or as vivid as a paper poppy, yellow crisp and bright, green so dazzling it hurt the eyes, a dark velvet indigo, spectacular orange, sparkling violet, midnight blue.
Or virginal white! Hands clasped to her breasts in white, and while the blushing cheeks wouldn't be a problem, the innocent eyes cast down to her feet just might be...
Brown! Why did it have to be that colour?
The dress hung limp and weary on the wardrobe door, and it looked at least ten years out of date, the kind of style they wore in the forties.
"Burnt gold." Elizabeth Montgomery stroked the thick material, a caress of her hand over a precious possession.
It still looked brown to Flora. "You shouldn't have Aunt Elizabeth. You've already given me my train fare: I thought was my birthday present."
Elizabeth ignored this and hurried away. "I must prepare the tea." A small excited shrug before she left the room. "And who said it was your birthday present?"
Flora looked at the dress and felt apprehension scuttle up her spine and tickle away at the back of her neck. She took her coat off, sat on the bed and pulled her heavy boots and thick woollen socks off. A late snowfall the night before said the winter hadn't quite left Scotland. So of course Flora clumped out of King's Cross in her boots to a warm spring day in London, and not one pair of boots in sight.
"I did promise Lady Derman I would wait until she arrived but I must tell you now Flora."
She looked up to her aunt at the door, and the smile and another shrug. Flora waited.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Your actual birthday present is a night out with an escort. And your escort is to be no other than Lady Derman's grandson Freddie."
"Freddie!" shrieked Flora.
"You did not think I would allow you to spend your birthday night sitting around your boring old aunt's flat did you?" scolded Elizabeth. "That is what the dress is for. Mind...You only have it for tonight Flora. It has to be returned after Cinderella has been to the ball."
This did not console Flora, at all.
"And while you are sat at the table with the tea ladies Flora would you please hold your knees together?" A nod from Elizabeth to the offending items.
Flora looked down. She'd pulled her skirt up to take her boots and socks off, her bare knees pointed in opposite directions.
"And your hair Flora. Shall I put it up for you?" Elizabeth patted the bun at the back of her neck. "A bun would be perfect." She walked over to Flora and pinched fingers against thumbs while stood over her.A surgeon about to perform a complicated operation.
Flora put a hand on the top of her head. "No Aunt Elizabeth. No bun ."
"But Flora your hair is so..." The word looked for. "Untidy."
"Ach, it will be fine when I've brushed it," huffed Flora, and waited for the next criticism...
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The late 1950s. When time took a deep breath in preparation for the next decade to sweep away the old and change everything for ever.
This is a love story of two people who are at opposite sides of the old life and ready to come together and play a part in the new. John Mason, a man determined to step up and away from his one man business and Flora Ballardine, the fiery laird's daughter.
They meet in London. John to sell a car to the wealthy Freddie Thompson-Smythe. Flora to spend her 21st birthday with her aunt and to find a surprise birthday present waiting for her. An evening out with an escort, the very unpleasant Freddie.
The evening ends with John being the butt of Flora's temper because of her disastrous time with Freddie. Though drawn to each other they separate not expecting to meet again, and so commences a love story that weaves its way in and out of the beautiful wilds of Scotland and the multicultural industry of Birmingham.
Others who play a part in John and Flora's story are-
Mungo Ballardine, the laird of Clairgowan, Flora's father. He inherited a vast estate and lost it all apart from Clairgowan House.
Elizabeth Montgomery, who left Scotland because of her infatuation with Mungo, her sister's husband.
Reg Purvis, who met John during their National Service.
Freddie Thompson-Smythe, who became involved in the drug scene of the times and lost everything because of it.
Robert Brown, who Mungo intended Flora would marry to save Clairgowan House.
And 'Simple' Jeannie...
Cars play an important part in John and Flora's story and some of them are-a Javelin-Jupiter, SS-Jaguar SS100, Minx the Magnificent, Alvis Speed Twenty, and a few more...
About the Author
J J Andrews was born in Co Durham in the Northeast of England. She is a retired Psychiatric Nurse and has always enjoyed writing, both in fiction and in relation to her profession. Following her travels around England to work in various hospitals she decided to return to her roots and now looks out to the North Sea everyday watching the ferries hurry in and out of Tynemouth. She has enjoyed writing her first novel and is now making steady progress with a follow up to Rhythm of Echoes.